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NLS: Talking Book Topics

September and October 2008

In Brief

The following information is reprinted from an issue of NLS Flash, a newsletter created to bring current information on NLS progress in digital technology to patrons, library staff, and other interested individuals.

NLS Flash
July 2008
volume 4 issue 2

Contracts awarded for digital talking-book player, cartridge mailing container,
and training

On behalf of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), the Library of Congress has awarded contracts for three critical elements necessary for implementation of the digital talking-book system. Shinano Kenshi Corporation Ltd. of Japan and its subsidiary Plextor-LLC of Culver City, California, will produce the digital talking-book players; LC Industries in Hazlehurst, Mississippi, will produce the digital talking-book cartridge mailing containers; and SI International in Reston, Virginia, will develop training strategies for the network of cooperating libraries. The award of the cartridge contract is pending.

Digital talking-book players

Shinano Kenshi/Plextor will produce the standard and advanced digital talking-book players. Plextor, the electronic equipment division of Shinano Kenshi, produces the Plextalk line of DAISY talking-book players and other computer components including players for compact discs (CDs), DVDs, and Blu Ray discs.

The player contract’s base period is for three years with a unilateral government option of an additional four years. More than $35 million has been obligated to fund the initial production of 223,837 players. The first players will be manufactured in late 2008.

Digital talking-book cartridge mailing containers

LC Industries, a Javits-Wagner-O'Day contractor, has produced injection-molded plastic mailing containers used by NLS for more than 15 years. The company will initially produce 500,000 blue plastic mailing containers for digital talking books. NLS is working out details regarding the network purchase of the mailing containers and will notify the network when the containers are available for purchase.

Training contract

SI International has designed training applications for deployment over the Internet since 1998. NLS has engaged the company to assist with preparing strategies for training the staffs of the 128 cooperating libraries serving blind and physically handicapped readers throughout the country and in U.S. territories. SI International will gather information to recommend training models appropriate for preparing library staff to handle three specific tasks: using and explaining the digital talking-book machine; downloading digital talking books and signing up patrons for the download project, NLS BARD; and duplicating digital talking books at the local level.

The goal is to provide a variety of training materials for each task and to identify the best methods of delivery. The materials will be designed to assist current and future network library staffs.

Newsstand

The following announcement may be of interest to readers. The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped reserves the right to publish announcements selectively, as space permits. The item mentioned, however, is not part of the NLS program, and its listing does not imply endorsement.

Bookshare.org offers free text reader for visually impaired students

At the beginning of the 2008–2009 school year, visually impaired students with access to the Internet on a Windows PC will be able to use the free Read:OutLoud, Bookshare.org Edition, text reader to access the more than thirty-six thousand electronic books, magazines, and newspapers available in the Bookshare.org online library. Memberships to Bookshare.org are now free to all U.S. students with qualifying disabilities.

This software tool was designed to serve elementary and secondary students who receive special education services and qualify for free reading materials under the 1996 Chafee Amendment to the Copyright Law. The text reader was designed to align with state educational standards and provides audio feedback, electronic highlighting, and note-taking features. A Macintosh version of the text reader will be introduced in 2009. For more information, visit bookshare.org.

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Books for Adults

Cassettes Nonfiction

The Complete Verse and Other Nonsense    RC 61260
by Edward Lear
read by Lindsay Ellison
3 cassettes
Collected limericks and whimsical rhymes of the British writer Edward Lear (1812–1888). Includes "The Owl and the Pussy-cat," "The Jumblies," and "The Scroobious Pip." 2001.

And the Dead Shall Rise: The Murder of Mary Phagan and the Lynching of Leo Frank    RC 63019
by Steve Oney
read by Ted Stoddard
6 cassettes
Reconstructs the 1913 trial of Leo Frank, the Jewish factory superintendent accused of murdering thirteen-year-old employee Mary Phagan. Drawing on original newspaper dispatches, Oney describes the zealous investigation by Atlanta police, Frank’s failed courtroom appeals, and his lynching and its aftermath. Some violence and some strong language. 2003.

American Cancer Society’s Complete Guide to Colorectal Cancer    RC 63026
edited by Bernard Levin,
read by Gregory Gorton
4 cassettes
Comprehensive guide to the physical and emotional aspects of colorectal cancer. Discusses prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment options and insurance and health care issues. Also covers choosing a doctor, working with a health care team, caregiving, and life after cancer. Includes personal stories and a foreword by Katie Couric. 2006.

The Moral Obligation to Be Intelligent: Selected Essays    RC 63034
by Lionel Trilling
read by Ted Stoddard
5 cassettes
A collection of essays exploring and speculating on writers and literature, originally published between 1938 and 1975, the year of Trilling’s death. Includes pieces on John Dos Passos, Hemingway, Twain, Wordsworth, Keats, Isaac Babel, Robert Frost, James Joyce, and "Why We Read Jane Austen." 2000.

Nightingales: The Extraordinary Upbringing and Curious Life of Miss Florence Nightingale    RC 63037
by Gillian Gill
read by Corrie James
5 cassettes
Family history of British nurse Florence Nightingale (1820–1910), who was driven "to channel spiritual energies into social reform." Relates the dynamics of her cultivated Victorian family, their dismay when she rejected marriage, and their support as she treated soldiers on Crimean battlefields, then returned home to live in seclusion. 2004.

The Confident Hope of a Miracle: The True History of the Spanish Armada    RC 63248
by Neil Hanson
read by Lewis Grenville
5 cassettes
The author of The Custom of the Sea (RC 51749) describes the epic 1588 sea battle between Catholic Spain and Protestant England. Reveals the political and cultural environments of the two contrasting empires of Elizabeth I and Philip II as well as the vile conditions aboard ship. Violence. 2003.

The Mapmaker’s Wife: A True Tale of Love, Murder, and Survival in the Amazon    RC 63249
by Robert Whitaker
read by Lisette Lecat
3 cassettes
Recreates Peruvian socialite Isabel Godin’s perilous 1769 journey across the Andes mountains and down the Amazon River to join her husband Jean and his team of French mapmakers and scientists exploring the New World. Documents her perilous three-thousand-mile trek and his landmark expedition. 2004.

The John Fante Reader    RC 63303
by John Fante
read by Richard Davidson
3 cassettes
A selection of stories, excerpts from novels, and letters by California writer John Fante (1909–1983). From Fante’s largely autobiographical work the book’s editor, Stephen Cooper, also Fante’s biographer, chose many samples evoking the subject’s life in Los Angeles. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2002.

Cogito, Ergo Sum: The Life of René Descartes    RC 63305
by Richard Watson
read by Robert Blumenfeld
3 cassettes
Biography of the seventeenth-century French philosopher who pioneered work in metaphysics and mathematics, while also investigating optics, medicine, and psychology. Portrays the private aspects of this public figure whose principles of deductive reasoning continue to inform modern philosophical thought. 2002.

Sideshow: Kissinger, Nixon, and the Destruction of Cambodia    RC 63306
by William Shawcross
read by Peter Johnson
4 cassettes
The author investigates the United States government’s role in bringing about a neutral country’s destruction—an act regarded as a "sideshow" to the Vietnam War. Draws on personal experience, interviews, and classified documents to show how President Nixon and Henry Kissinger extended the war to Cambodia. 1987 revised edition. 1979.

The Old Patagonian Express: By Train through the Americas    RC 63307
by Paul Theroux
read by Jonathan Davis
4 cassettes (Reissue)
Overland adventures described by Theroux as he journeys by train from Medford, Massachusetts, through Central America and down the Andes mountains to remote Patagonia at South America’s southern tip. His portrayal of cities, countryside, and people includes his meeting with Jorge Luis Borges, the blind poet and Nobel Prize winner. 1979.

World Enough and Time: The Life of Andrew Marvell    RC 63308
by Nicholas Murray
read by George Holmes
3 cassettes
Biography of the seventeenth-century metaphysical poet and politician. Integrates the various elements of Marvell’s life-examining his Cromwellian period and his long parliamentary career as well as his role as a lyric poet. 1999.

Sacred Monsters, Sacred Masters: Beaton, Capote, Dalí, Picasso, Freud, Warhol, and More    RC 63310
by John Richardson
read by Gordon Gould
3 cassettes
Twenty-eight profiles of artists, writers, tycoons, and trendsetters of the twentieth century by a former art dealer who was personally acquainted with many of his subjects. "Bonnard’s Amphibious Wife" records the sad history of the French artist’s mistress and eventual wife, who "spent much of her life soaking in a bathtub." 2001.

The Garden Thrives: Twentieth-century African-American Poetry    RC 63325
edited by Clarence Major
read by Catherine Byers
3 cassettes
Editor of Calling the Wind: Twentieth-century African-American Short Stories (RC 39164) compiles poetry reflecting the African American experience from the early 1900s through the Harlem Renaissance and the civil rights movement to the mid-1990s. Features ninety-nine poets including Paul Laurence Dunbar, Rita Dove, Langston Hughes, and Alice Walker. 1996.

The Big Bam: The Life and Times of Babe Ruth    RC 63352
by Leigh Montville
read by Erik Synnestvedt
3 cassettes
The author use archives and oral history to pen a biography of professional baseball player Babe Ruth (1895–1948). Chronicles his bleak Baltimore childhood, his success with the Boston Red Sox, and his career with the New York Yankees. Also details his scandalous private life. Strong language. 2006.

In Our Time: Memoir of a Revolution    RC 63353
by Susan Brownmiller
read by Susan McInerney
3 cassettes
Feminist journalist and author of Femininity (RC 20231) chronicles the women’s liberation movement in the United States during the late twentieth century. Highlights leaders including Betty Friedan, Gloria Steinem, and Germaine Greer and discusses social issues such as economic oppression, sexual harassment, and abortion rights. 1999.

Inside My Heart: Choosing to Live with Passion and Purpose    RC 63472
by Robin McGraw
read by Wendie Sakakeeny
2 cassettes
Advice for women from the wife of television’s Dr. Phil. Includes a glimpse of McGraw’s youth in Oklahoma, her thirty-year marriage supporting her husband’s dreams and raising their sons, and her philosophy of life. Encourages women to make deliberate choices and accept God as their guiding light. Bestseller. 2006.

Upon the Altar of the Nation: A Moral History of the American Civil War    RC 63597
by Harry S. Stout
read by Jake Williams
4 cassettes
Using primary sources, Yale professor of religious history documents the belief held by both the North and the South that God was on their side during the Civil War. Analyzes the moral rhetoric behind the battles. Asserts that patriotic ideology created a bloodbath that set the tone for future conflicts. 2006.

The Mind of Bill James: How a Complete Outsider Changed Baseball    RC 63642
by Scott Gray
read by Don Hagen
2 cassettes
Sportswriter discusses what he calls baseball sage Bill James’s "uncommon analytical ability," which James uses to help build winning teams, including the 2004 World Series champions, the Boston Red Sox. Describes how James devises "theories to explain how things in baseball are connected to one another." 2006.

The Souls of Black Folk    RC 63648
by W.E.B. Du Bois
read by Chuck Young
2 cassettes (Reissue)
Fourteen essays and sketches by the early civil rights activist examine African American experiences in the post-Civil War South. Argues that emancipation should have brought immediate racial equality and that racial accommodation policies reflected a sellout. Centennial edition includes 2003 introduction by Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer/historian David Levering Lewis. 1903.

Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid    RC 63654
by Jimmy Carter
read by Geoffrey Centlivre
2 cassettes
Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter provides an overview of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with his own assessment of the reasons for the lack of a lasting peace. Advocates a comprehensive two-state agreement that supports both entities’ right to share the Holy Land and protects civilians from acts of violence. Bestseller. 2006.

Thunder along the Mississippi: The River Battles That Split the Confederacy    RC 63659
by Jack D. Coombe
read by Derald Breneman
2 cassettes
Explains how Civil War naval battles on the Mississippi River led to the North’s victory. Describes the development of ironclads and the creation of a modern navy. Discusses the effects of the halt of western commerce and the seizure of southern ports during the eastern campaigns. 1996.

The Iranians: Persia, Islam, and the Soul of a Nation    RC 63699
by Sandra Mackey
read by Margaret Strom
5 cassettes
Middle East expert and author of Lebanon (RC 62908) and Reckoning (RC 54695) chronicles the development of the Iranian people from the ancient Persian empire to modern times. Highlights the reign of the Shah and Khomeini’s 1979 revolution. Discusses Iran’s uncertain future. Includes a 1998 afterword by the author. 1996.

Curse of the Narrows    RC 63721
by Laura M. MacDonald
read by Madelyn Buzzard
3 cassettes
Uses primary sources to document the December 6, 1917, collision of a WWI munitions ship and a relief vessel in the Canadian port of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Describes the explosion that caused a tsunami, chemical rain, and devastation in the city. Discusses the blizzard that hindered rescue efforts. 2005.

Justice for All: Earl Warren and the Nation He Made    RC 63759
by Jim Newton
read by Bill Wallace
6 cassettes
Award-winning journalist uses archives and personal interviews to portray former chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court Earl Warren (1891–1974). Details Warren’s rise in California politics to the governorship and 1948 Republican Party vice presidential nomination. Highlights Warren’s 1953 appointment to the bench and his legal opinions. Bestseller. 2006.

Freedom    RC 63799
edited by Marc Maurer
read by Michael Scherer
1 cassette
Eight individuals share their experiences with blindness. In the title memoir, Maurer reflects that "blindness must be confronted in unconventional ways if progress in surmounting its disadvantages is to be made." In "Mom, What Does Blind Mean?" Pauletta Feldman answers her nonsighted son’s questions. 2006.

Just One More Thing    RC 63876
by Peter Falk
read by Roy Avers
1 cassette
Autobiography of Emmy Award-winning stage and screen actor from the television show Columbo. Falk discusses his family life, his bout with eye cancer at age three, and the theater training and film experience that led to the role of the eccentric police detective. Some strong language. 2006.

Reluctant Genius: Alexander Graham Bell and the Passion for Invention    RC 63885
by Charlotte Gray
read by Kerry Dukin
3 cassettes
Biography of Alexander Graham Bell (1847–1922), inventor of the telephone and champion of the deaf. Discusses his temperament; creativity; marriage to Mabel Hubbard, who was deaf; family life; and friendship with Helen Keller. Covers his many inventions, years living in Washington, D.C., and association with the National Geographic Society. 2006.

Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships    RC 63894
by Daniel Goleman
read by Anne Flosnik
3 cassettes
The author reports on studies of human relationships and concludes that people are hardwired to interact with others. Posits that social relationships help mold human biology. Presents findings from the emerging field of social neuroscience. Discusses marriage, sex, autism, and more. Companion to Emotional Intelligence (RC 41511). 2006.

The New York Times Guide to Coin Collecting    RC 63897
by Ed Reiter
read by Robert Sams
2 cassettes
History and guidelines on collecting coins by a former numismatics columnist for the New York Times. Includes ways to buy and care for coins, grading information, and descriptions of ten historic American coins. Discusses the United States Mint, the Fifty State Quarters Program, bullion coins, and supply and demand. 2002.

Redemption: The Last Battle of the Civil War    RC 63905
by Nicholas Lemann
read by Erik Synnestvedt
2 cassettes
Chronicles post-Civil War Reconstruction’s degeneration into Jim Crow laws. Describes the 1873 Easter Sunday massacre in Colfax, Louisiana, and the armed campaign of racial violence. Highlights the attempts of former Union general Adelbert Ames, governor of Mississippi, to preserve black civil rights. Violence and some strong language. 2006.

The Best American Spiritual Writing 2006    RC 63909
edited by Philip Zaleski
read by Ted Stoddard
3 cassettes
Thirty-four short stories, essays, and poems. In "Renewing Husbandry" Wendell Berry laments the loss of soul in modern industrial agriculture. In "Are You There, God?" Katherine Paterson describes faith’s role in her work. Also includes selections by Rick Bass, Michael Chabon, Edward Hoagland, Thomas Lynch, John Updike, and others. 2006.

Where Hell Freezes Over: A Story of Amazing Bravery and Survival    RC 63930
by David A. Kearns
read by Butch Hoover
2 cassettes
Reporter chronicles the two-week ordeal of U.S. Navy airmen—including his father—stranded in Antarctica after their plane crashed in December 1946. Describes the shelter the injured survivors created in the wreckage, their use of smoke signals to alert searchers, and the ten-mile trek they endured to reach a rescue seaplane. 2005.

Dragon Sea: A True Tale of Treasure, Archeology, and Greed off the Coast of Vietnam    RC 63934
by Frank Pope
read by Jack Fox
2 cassettes
Maritime archeologist chronicles the excavation of a fifteenth-century shipwreck believed to contain golden-age Vietnamese pottery. Details dive and surface operations and the efforts of Chinese businessman Ong Soo Hin, Oxford University’s Mensun Bound, and the author himself (a project manager) to salvage, preserve, and identify the relics. 2007.

Melville: His World and Work    RC 63940
by Andrew Delbanco
read by Roy Avers
3 cassettes
Columbia University professor, author of Required Reading (RC 45409), examines the autobiographical aspects of Herman Melville’s work. Describes family poverty that forced Melville (1819–1891) to leave school and seek employment at age thirteen, his time at sea during his twenties, his friendship with Nathaniel Hawthorne, and his posthumous fame. 2005.

Enough: The Phony Leaders, Dead-End Movements, and Culture of Failure That Are Undermining Black America—and What We Can Do about It    RC 63947
by Juan Williams
read by Lou Harpenau
2 cassettes
NPR correspondent builds upon Bill Cosby’s controversial 2004 speech to address problems within the African American community. Blames pervasive economic, education, and crime woes on negative role models and self-defeating behavior. Criticizes as misguided the efforts of black leaders, and urges a return to traditional values. Some strong language. 2006.

My Confederate Kinfolk: A Twenty-first-Century Freedwoman Confronts Her Roots    RC 63950
by Thulani Davis
read by Kerry Dukin
3 cassettes
Author describes her search for her family roots. Traces both her white Mississippi forebears and her black, originally African, ancestry. Highlights her freed great-grandmother who lived with a white former slave owner. Depicts the difficult circumstances of blacks after the Civil War. Some violence and some strong language. 2006.

Temptations of the West: How to Be Modern in India, Pakistan, Tibet, and Beyond    RC 64007
by Pankaj Mishra
read by Richard Hauenstein
3 cassettes
North Indian author recounts his journeys through vastly different South Asian countries, all holding on to centuries-old traditions as they face globalization. Interconnected narratives of individual Hindus, Muslims, and Buddhists relate their experiences in the modern world. Covers ethnic, economic, and political issues in the Far East. 2006.

One Hundred Questions and Answers about Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis: A Lahey Clinic Guide    RC 64011
by Andrew S. Warner and Amy E. Barto
read by Butch Hoover
2 cassettes
Gastroenterologists answer the most common patient questions regarding two forms of inflammatory bowel disease. Includes explanations of the symptoms, diagnosis, and complications. Lists pros and cons of treatment options involving drugs, surgery, and diet. Discusses quality of life issues. 2007.

Paula Deen Celebrates! Best Dishes and Best Wishes for the Best Times of Your Life    RC 64012
by Paula Deen
read by Erin Jones
2 cassettes
Host of the Food Network’s Paula’s Home Cooking presents recipes for celebrating an entire year of holidays and special occasions, including New Year’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Elvis’s birthday, Mardi Gras, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Many of the holidays and individual recipes include Paula’s reminiscences and her "Pearls of Wisdom." 2006.

From Stonehenge to Samarkand: An Anthology of Archaeological Travel Writing    RC 64015
by Brian Fagan
read by Lou Harpenau
2 cassettes
Anthropology professor’s anthology of excerpts from some of history’s greatest travel accounts. Includes Herodotus at the pyramids, Mark Twain in Egypt, Hiram Bingham at Machu Picchu, and Paul Theroux on the Nile. Traces the history of archaeological tourism at locations from the Holy Land to the Silk Road. 2006.

The First Year—Rheumatoid Arthritis: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed    RC 64016
by M.E.A. McNeil
read by Kerry Dukin
2 cassettes
A month-by-month guide for people learning to live with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an autoimmune condition characterized by joint inflammation. The author, who has RA, offers advice on choosing medication and alternative therapies, managing stress, exercising, building a support network, traveling, socializing, and adjusting one’s lifestyle to accommodate the condition. 2005.

Blood and Thunder: An Epic of the American West    RC 64017
by Hampton Sides
read by Butch Hoover
4 cassettes
Author documents U.S. government efforts in the nineteenth century to drive Mexico out of the Southwest and California and simultaneously to decimate the Navajo nation. Focuses on the role of frontiersman Kit Carson, a comrade of Native Americans, who became instrumental in their defeat. Some violence. 2006.

Infidel    RC 64022
by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
read by Sabrina Peters
4 cassettes
Author of The Caged Virgin (RC 64046) describes her childhood and upbringing in Africa and Saudi Arabia before she fled to Holland in 1992. Highlights her work with battered women and collaboration with director Theo van Gogh on a 2004 film about domestic violence. Violence. Bestseller. 2007.

Power, Faith, and Fantasy: America in the Middle East, 1776 to the Present    RC 64023
by Michael B. Oren
read by Peter Johnson
5 cassettes
Author of Six Days of War (RC 54459) details U.S. relations with the Middle East from the 1776 attack on U.S. ships by Barbary pirates to the twenty-first-century war in Iraq. Discusses the roles of American explorers, Zionists, diplomats, soldiers, and missionaries. Bestseller. 2007.

A Well-Paid Slave: Curt Flood’s Fight for Free Agency in Professional Sports    RC 64034
by Brad Snyder
read by Bill Quinn
4 cassettes
Attorney and baseball writer details St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Curt Flood’s 1970 lawsuit against major-league baseball. Discusses Flood’s decision to sue rather than be traded, his unsuccessful appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, and the subsequent repeal of the reserve clause binding players to a team for life. 2006.

Sound and Fury: Two Powerful Lives, One Fateful Friendship    RC 64035
by Dave Kindred
read by Ralph Lowenstein
3 cassettes
Sportswriter explores the mutually beneficial relationship between heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali and sportscaster Howard Cosell. Highlights their meeting in 1962 and their many television interviews. Examines their dissimilar backgrounds, their common ground as performers, Ali’s conversion to Islam, and Cosell’s eventual disenchantment with boxing. 2006.

The Caged Virgin: An Emancipation Proclamation for Women and Islam    RC 64046
by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
read by Sabrina Peters
2 cassettes
Somali-born Muslim author who fled to Holland advocates women’s rights in Islamic cultures and condemns such practices as forced marriages, genital mutilation, and honor killings. Describes her 2002 election to the Dutch Parliament and her controversial film Submission that led to the 2004 murder of filmmaker Theo van Gogh. 2006.

The Female Brain    RC 64048
by Louann Brizendine
read by Catherine Byers
2 cassettes
Neuropsychiatrist examines the structure, function, and chemistry of a woman’s brain and their effects on her thought processes, mood, and behavior. Using case studies and clinical research, the author describes the differences between male and female brains and the role hormones play during each phase of a woman’s life. 2006.

Jim Cramer’s Mad Money: Watch TV, Get Rich    RC 64090
by James J. Cramer
read by Ray Childs
2 cassettes
Former hedge-fund manager and author of Jim Cramer’s Real Money (RC 62042) explains how to use the tips given on his television program Mad Money. Cramer breaks down investing concepts and rules and translates show references with the goal of turning his "advice into money in your pocket." Bestseller. 2006.

Sharon Osbourne Extreme: My Autobiography    RC 64103
by Sharon Osbourne
read by Anne Hancock
3 cassettes
Autobiography of British music producer, wife of hard-rocker Ozzy, and star of their family reality TV show. Sharon (b. 1952) details her experiences—learning the business from her father, meeting her husband and managing his band, raising three children, and confronting obesity and cancer. Strong language. 2005.

Strange Piece of Paradise    RC 64114
by Terri Jentz
read by Anne Hancock
5 cassettes
Author reconstructs the events of the night in 1977 when she—then nineteen—and a college classmate were attacked in an Oregon campground by an axe-wielding man. Discusses her return to the scene fifteen years later to investigate the crime for which no one was prosecuted. Violence and strong language. 2006.

Between the Lines: A History of Poetry in Letters, 1962–2002    RC 64139
edited by Joseph Parisi and Stephen Young
read by Annie Wauters
4 cassettes
Continues the exchanges between poet and editor and the cultural commentary begun in Dear Editor (RC 57744). The almost five hundred letters from A.R. Ammons, John Ashbery, Elizabeth Bishop, Billy Collins, Allen Ginsberg, Seamus Heaney, Maxine Kumin, and Karl Shapiro, among others, cover their work, private lives, and opinions. 2006.

Through the Children’s Gate: A Home in New York    RC 64142
by Adam Gopnik
read by Ted Stoddard
3 cassettes
The author describes his family’s move back to New York City in the fall of 2000, after five years in Paris. He recounts the joys and frustrations of hunting for an apartment, child-rearing, and life after the September 11 terrorist attacks. Sequel to Paris to the Moon (RC 51276). 2006.

Ghosts among Us: True Stories of Spirit Encounters    RC 64147
by Leslie Rule
read by Mary Kane
2 cassettes
Firsthand accounts of eerie visitations and paranormal experiences, based on interviews with psychics, parapsychologists, historians, and witnesses as well as extensive archival research. Includes reports of hauntings of amusement parks, hotels, and private houses by human and animal spirits. Foreword by crime writer Ann Rule, the author’s mother. 2004.

Betty Crocker Christmas Cookbook    RC 64150
by Betty Crocker
read by Margaret Strom
3 cassettes
Collection of more than 250 recipes for Christmas treats from appetizers to main dishes and from breads to desserts. Also includes holiday decorating tips, make-ahead ideas, food gifts to give, and new twists to standard recipes. 2006.

A Year of Sundays: Taking the Plunge (and Our Cat) to Explore Europe    RC 64156
by Edward D. Webster
read by Alexander Strain
3 cassettes
Recounts author’s year-long 1997 European trip with his visually impaired, menopausal wife Marguerite and sixteen-year-old cat Felicia. Describes putting careers on hold to realize their dream and embarking "on a quest for adventure," exploring eateries, tourist destinations, and romantic locales in France, Greece, Holland, Spain, Germany, Italy, and Austria. 2004.

A Commonwealth of Thieves: The Improbable Birth of Australia    RC 64158
by Thomas Keneally
read by David Cutler
3 cassettes
Author of Schindler’s List (RC 20835) chronicles the 1788–1792 colonization of the British penal colony in Australia by convicts and the officers guarding them. Discusses the first governor, Arthur Phillip, who believed in rehabilitation, and the discord with the Aborigines, who were represented by go-between Woolawarre Bennelong. Some violence. 2006.

But You Can Feel It: A Statement of My Mother When I Returned Empty-Handed Saying, "I Can’t See It"    RC 64162
by Emil B. Fries
read by Steven Carpenter
3 cassettes
Blind author recounts his life, from his boyhood in a log cabin and struggles for an education to international recognition in the field of vocational training for visually impaired persons. Chronicles his establishment in 1949 of the Emil Fries Piano Hospital and Training Center for piano servicing and tuning. 1980.

The First Year: Type 2 Diabetes; an Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed    RC 64186
by Gretchen Becker
read by Kerry Dukin
3 cassettes
Updated edition of Type 2 Diabetes (RC 54748), a guide to managing blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetes, includes treatment options and medications made available since publication of the 2001 edition. Discusses interpreting lab results, preventing complications, dealing with stress, and making lifestyle changes to cope with the disease. 2007.

Being Adopted: The Lifelong Search for Self    RC 64190
by David M. Brodzinsky, Robin Marantz Henig, and Marshall D. Schechter
read by Kerry Dukin
2 cassettes
Psychologist Brodzinsky, psychiatrist Schechter, and medical writer Henig examine ramifications of the adoption experience at each stage of life from the perspective of adoptees themselves. Case studies illuminate adoptees’ unique internal and interpersonal challenges in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, including issues regarding self-identity and a sense of loss. 1992.

A Velvet Revolution: Václav Havel and the Fall of Communism    RC 64197
by John Duberstein
read by Gary Tipton
1 cassette
Biography of Czechoslovakian playwright and human-rights activist Václav Havel (b. 1936). Chronicles his middle-class childhood under Nazi rule, participation in his country’s communist-resistance movement beginning in the 1960s, and 1989 election as the first president of the Czechoslovak Federal (formerly "Socialist") Republic. For junior and senior high readers. 2006.

Prisoner of Trebekistan: A Decade in Jeopardy!    RC 64198
by Bob Harris
read by Barry Bernson
2 cassettes
Five-time Jeopardy! champion recounts his participation on the long-running television quiz show hosted by Alex Trebek. Chronicles his numerous failed auditions before he first became a contestant. Gives minute-by-minute accounts of triumphs and losses in subsequent games. Weaves in tips and buzzer strategies and muses about trivia and memory. 2006.

Meeting the Challenge of Progressive Multiple Sclerosis    RC 64200
by Patricia K. Coyle and June Halper
read by Kerry Dukin
1 cassette
Covers the diagnosis and treatment of multiple sclerosis with the goal of disease modification and symptom reduction. The neurologist and nurse authors discuss managing the symptoms with both pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic interventions. They also deal with the social, psychological, emotional, vocational, and economic consequences of the condition. 2001.

The Ghost Map: The Story of London’s Most Terrifying Epidemic—and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World    RC 64203
by Steven Johnson
read by John Polk
2 cassettes
Chronicles the 1854 London cholera outbreak and the efforts of physician John Snow and clergyman Henry Whitehead to find its cause. Discusses Snow’s search for geographic patterns of death, which led to the contagion’s source—a contaminated water well. Examines the epidemic’s influence on waste disposal and disease control. 2006.

Six Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the U.S. Navy    RC 64205
by Ian W. Toll
read by Lou Harpenau
4 cassettes
Chronicles the development of America’s maritime forces from 1794, when Congress decided to build six frigates to combat piracy in the Mediterranean, to the end of the War of 1812. Recounts conflicts with Tripoli and France and details the key players, politics, and inner workings of the early navy. 2006.

The Wonder Years: Helping Your Baby and Young Child Successfully Negotiate the Major Developmental Milestones    RC 64206
edited by Tanya Remer Altmann
read by Kerry Dukin
2 cassettes
Month-by-month guide to the physical, mental, emotional, and social development of children from newborn to age five. Provides instructions, activities, games, and tips for parents to help children master such skills as grasping, walking, communicating, and toilet training. Includes information on possible concerns and when to consult a pediatrician. 2006.

My Father, My President: A Personal Account of the Life of George H.W. Bush    RC 64211
by Doro Bush Koch
read by Kerry Dukin
4 cassettes
The author uses personal papers, interviews, and recollections to portray her father, George H.W. Bush. Recounts Bush’s life as a husband, father, and son of a senator and his careers as war pilot, Texas oilman, United Nations ambassador, CIA director, vice president, and president. Foreword by Barbara Bush. 2006.

Silent Snow: The Slow Poisoning of the Arctic    RC 64219
by Marla Cone
read by Margaret Strom
2 cassettes
Environmental journalist describes five Arctic countries where communities are heavily exposed to toxic pollutants called polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Praises the traditional survival skills and technologies of Arctic inhabitants and chronicles the damage inflicted on wildlife by the spreading of contaminants around the globe. 2005.

Just Americans: How Japanese Americans Won a War at Home and Abroad; the Story of the 100th Battalion/442d Regimental Combat Team in World War II    RC 64223
by Robert Asahina
read by Robert Sams
3 cassettes
Examines the anti-Japanese hysteria in the United States following the attack on Pearl Harbor that led to President Roosevelt to authorize relocation and internment of Japanese Americans. Discusses the U.S. military service of volunteers from the camps, who formed two segregated units. Describes their heroism in battle and belated recognition. 2006.

A Life in Secrets: Vera Atkins and the Missing Agents of WWII    RC 64224
by Sarah Helm
read by Anne Flosnik
4 cassettes
Award-winning journalist offers a biography of British intelligence agent Vera Atkins (1908–2000), who joined the Special Operations Executive (SOE) in 1941 to help mobilize resistance movements in Nazi-occupied countries. Chronicles Vera’s life and role in clandestine operations, as well as her postwar search for missing agents—including several women. 2005.

The Real Pepsi Challenge: The Inspirational Story of Breaking the Color Barrier in American Business    RC 64241
by Stephanie Capparell
read by Bob Moore
3 cassettes
Wall Street Journal editor chronicles the role of African American businessmen hired by Pepsi-Cola in the 1940s to develop a marketing strategy geared toward black consumers. Recounts the executives’ experiences as they created the campaign. Describes their advertisements’ effect on corporate diversity and discusses the emergence of niche markets. 2007.

My Battle of Algiers: A Memoir    RC 64242
by Ted Morgan
read by Steven Carpenter
2 cassettes
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist describes his service in the 1950s French army during the war in Algeria. Highlights the urban warfare and use of torture he observed during the Battle of Algiers, the first modern insurgency that involved bombings and assassinations. Violence and some descriptions of sex. 2005.

Trevon Jenifer: From the Ground Up    RC 64266
by Trevon Jenifer
read by Bill Quinn
2 cassettes
Autobiography of an African American teen wrestler from Maryland who was born without legs in 1988. Describes his competitive spirit, from his participation in wheelchair sports when he was six years old to his seventeen victorious matches while on his high school’s varsity wrestling team. For senior high readers. 2006.

Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Fight Terrorism and Build Nations . . . One School at a Time    RC 64285
by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
read by Peter Ganim
3 cassettes
Award-winning journalist Relin describes the mission of American humanitarian Greg Mortenson, who established the Central Asia Institute and built schools throughout Taliban-ruled lands. Discusses his childhood in Tanzania and a failed 1993 attempt to climb K2, which resulted in a promise to the Pakistani villagers who saved his life. 2006.

The Somme: Heroism and Horror in the First World War    RC 64298
by Martin Gilbert
read by Annie Wauters
3 cassettes
Chronicles the pivotal four-and-a-half-month 1916 battle between Allied and German forces on the western front in Europe. Discusses the military significance of the first use of tanks and air war and incorporates personal accounts of soldiers, generals, aviators, artillerymen, and nurses. 2006.

To Be Loved: The Music, the Magic, the Memories of Motown; an Autobiography    RC 64300
by Berry Gordy
read by Bob Moore
3 cassettes
Berry Gordy recalls his Detroit upbringing among tight-knit family members from whom he borrowed eight-hundred dollars in 1959 to create Motown Records. Highlights his relationships with recording stars Mary Wells, the Supremes, the Temptations, the Jackson Five, Smokey Robinson, and others and discusses his personal life. Some strong language. 1994.

For the Love of a Dog: Understanding Emotion in You and Your Best Friend    RC 64302
by Patricia B. McConnell
read by Margaret Strom
4 cassettes
Animal behaviorist offers a guide to recognizing canine expressions of fear, anger, joy, and love to help improve relationships between owners and pets, facilitate training, and prevent bad behavior. Discusses the ways dogs perceive and react to their environment and to humans. Includes case studies and practical training advice. 2005.

The Soul of a New Cuisine: A Discovery of the Foods and Flavors of Africa    RC 64306
by Marcus Samuelsson
read by David Cutler
2 cassettes
Swedish-raised, Ethiopian-born celebrity chef of New York City’s Restaurant Aquavit describes his many trips to Africa and discovery of native dishes. Includes travel essays and more than two hundred recipes adapted for the American kitchen, from northern Arab-influenced foods to southern curries. Foreword by Desmond Tutu. 2006.

Wolfgang Puck Makes It Easy: Delicious Recipes for Your Home Kitchen    RC 64307
by Wolfgang Puck
read by Steven Carpenter
2 cassettes
Austrian-born author presents recipes designed for the home cook. Puck provides a list of "kitchen helpers"—important ingredients for a well-stocked pantry and refrigerator—and "easy tips" for preparation. Recipes include breakfast and brunch, soups and salads, pastas, main dishes, side dishes and sauces, and desserts. 2004.

The Beverly Lewis Amish Heritage Cookbook    RC 64311
by Beverly Lewis
read by Faith Potts
1 cassette
Author of numerous novels on Amish life offers a collection of dishes unique to their community, including many from her maternal grandmother. Recipes include shoofly pie, friendship bread, snickerdoodles, apple betty, corn relish, and bread and butter pickles. Also includes kitchen hints and tips, Amish lore, and favorite scriptures. 2004.

MySpace Unraveled: A Parents’ Guide to Teen Social Networking    RC 64322
by Larry Magid and Anne Collier
read by Michael Scherer
1 cassette
Online-safety advocates explain the web site MySpace and other social networking sites and offer parents suggestions on ways to monitor their teens’ use of such pages. Highlights various computer features including blogs, instant messages, and chat rooms and explains how to set up a MySpace account. 2007.

Kicked, Bitten, and Scratched: Life and Lessons at the World’s Premier School for Exotic Animal Trainers    RC 64332
by Amy Sutherland
read by Michele Schaeffer
2 cassettes
Journalist describes her year in the Exotic Animal Training and Management Program at California’s Moorpark College—deemed the "Harvard" of teaching zoos. Follows students as they clean cages, prepare meals, attend classes, handle injuries and other job-related hazards, and learn to work with residents like Schmoo, a temperamental sea lion. 2006.

Bandido: The Death and Resurrection of Oscar "Zeta" Acosta    RC 64346
by Ilan Stavans
read by Mark Delgado
1 cassette
Biographical essay on an El Paso-born activist, attorney, and leading figure in the 1960s and 1970s Chicano civil rights movements. Author uses interviews and Acosta’s published and unpublished writings to recreate his life until his 1974 disappearance in Mexico. Includes 2003 epilog. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. 1995.

A Deadly Affair    RC 64388
by Tom Henderson
read by Richard Hauenstein
3 cassettes
Reporter details the crime and trial of Macomb County, Michigan, attorney Michael "Mick" Fletcher, who murdered his pregnant wife Leann in August 1999. Discusses the police investigation that turned up Fletcher’s extramarital affair with a local judge but botched forensic evidence. Some violence and some strong language. 2001.

Brutal Journey: The Epic Story of the First Crossing of North America    RC 64397
by Paul Schneider
read by Butch Hoover
2 cassettes
History of the 1527 Spanish expedition led by Pánfilo de Narváez that attempted to explore the North American Gulf Coast. Details struggles with disease, hurricanes, cannibalism, and hostile natives that reduced four hundred men to four survivors—including conquistador Cabeza de Vaca-who reached western Mexico eight years later. Some violence. 2006.

Tell Me, Grandmother: Traditions, Stories, and Cultures of Arapaho People    RC 64402
by Virginia Sutter
read by Megan Burnett
1 cassette
Northern Arapaho elder and activist interweaves her own life story with that of her great-grandmother Goes In Lodge. In a series of imagined conversations, the women discuss tribal life and customs and changes undergone by their land and culture over two centuries. 2004.

Selected Poems, 1947–1995    RC 64404
by Allen Ginsberg
read by Fred Major
2 cassettes
Beat Generation poet Allen Ginsberg (1926–1997) presents a half century of verse in a variety of forms and themes including the political, sexual, devotional, and spiritual. Contains selections from Howl, Kaddish, The Fall of America, Plutonian Ode, White Shroud, and others. Descriptions of sex and strong language. 1996.

The Jesus Family Tomb: The Discovery, the Investigation, and the Evidence That Could Change History    RC 64405
by Simcha Jacobovici and Charles Pellegrino
read by Lou Harpenau
2 cassettes
Film director Jacobovici and archaeologist Pellegrino, author of Unearthing Atlantis (RC 35393), chronicle their investigation of a first-century Jewish tomb in Jerusalem containing ossuaries—one inscribed "Jesus, son of Joseph." Using statistical and physical evidence and scripture clues, the authors speculate on Jesus’s life, death, and relationships. Foreword by James Cameron. 2007.

A Reading Diary    RC 64414
by Alberto Manguel
read by Fred Major
2 cassettes
Argentinean-born author chronicles his rereading of twelve personal literary favorites in one year, in a diary that consists, he says, "of notes, reflections, impressions of travel, sketches of friends, of events public and private." Selections include Atwood’s Surfacing (RC 33968), Cervantes’s Don Quixote (RC 57711), and Kipling’s Kim (RC 35722). 2004.

Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith    RC 64417
by Anne Lamott
read by Jill Fox
1 cassette
The author of Traveling Mercies (RC 47831), who is mother of a teenage son and a convert to Christianity, presents twenty-three vignettes on everyday crises of love, family, and work life. She reflects on her path to faith and on growing in grace. 2007.

The Dawn’s Early Light    RC 64421
by Walter Lord
read by Fred Major
2 cassettes (Reissue)
An account of the War of 1812 by the author of Day of Infamy (RC 49907). Describes the capture and burning of Washington, D.C., General Jackson’s victory at New Orleans, and the repulsing of the British at Baltimore, which inspired Francis Scott Key to write "The Star Spangled Banner." 1972.

To the Left of Inspiration: Adventures in Living with Disabilities    RC 64437
by Katherine Schneider
read by Mitzi Friedlander
1 cassette
Psychologist pens memoir, providing opinions and "pearls of wisdom" acquired during some fifty years as a blind woman. Describes contracting fibromyalgia a decade ago. Discusses the impact of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, her career as a clinical psychologist, and personal experiences with guide dogs and grocery stores. 2005.

Jesus of Nazareth: From Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration    RC 64444
by Pope Benedict XVI
read by Don Leslie
3 cassettes
Pope Benedict pens a biography of the flesh-and-blood Jesus as revealed in the Gospels. The pope shares his understanding of Jesus of Nazareth as the central figure of Christianity, who brought God to Earth along with faith, hope, and love. Commercial audiobook. Bestseller. 2007.

The Diana Chronicles    RC 64449
by Tina Brown
read by Rosalyn Landor
4 cassettes
British writer and former editor of the New Yorker interviews colleagues and friends of the late Princess Diana (1961–1997) to provide a personal profile of Her Royal Highness. Discusses Diana’s marriage to Prince Charles, their divorce, and assertions of her manipulation of the press. Commercial audiobook. Bestseller. 2007.

Satan’s Circus: Murder, Vice, Police Corruption, and New York’s Trial of the Century    RC 64457
by Mike Dash
read by Robertson Dean
3 cassettes
Author uses archives and private papers to detail the descent of Charles Becker (1870–1915)—the only New York City police officer to be executed for murder. Discusses Becker’s 1912 trial, 1914 retrial, and electrocution. Depicts the Tenderloin district where Becker worked and the corruptness of the police department. Commercial audiobook. 2006.

Back to Top

Cassettes Fiction

Badger Games: A Detective Sergeant Mulheisen Mystery    RC 63056
by Jon A. Jackson
read by Ray Foushee
2 cassettes
Former mobster Joe Service and his lover Helen Sedlacek, now of Montana, work for Colonel Vernon Tucker’s vigilante group called the Lucani. They are sent after agent Franko Bradovic, who went missing in Kosovo, but an assassin is also on Bradovic’s trail. Violence and strong language. 2002.

Ptolemy’s Gate: The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book 3    RC 63058
by Jonathan Stroud
read by Erin Jones
3 cassettes
Three years after events in The Golem’s Eye (RC 58924), seventeen-year-old magician Nathaniel ranks high in the British government and the djinni Bartimaeus is exhausted from serving him. Their destinies converge once again with Kitty’s as they test the limits of this world. For junior and senior high readers. 2006.

All the Flowers Are Dying: A Matthew Scudder Mystery    RC 63066
by Lawrence Block
read by Ray Foushee
2 cassettes
The serial killer from Hope to Die (RC 54138) escapes imprisonment in Virginia by setting up an innocent man. Back in New York City he stalks ex-cop Matthew Scudder and his wife Elaine for enjoyment and kills Elaine’s best friend. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2005.

Charmed Thirds    RC 63079
by Megan McCafferty
read by Erin Jones
2 cassettes
Jessica Darling, from Second Helpings (RC 58114), attends Columbia University while her boyfriend Marcus is in California. Over the next few college years she dates different types of men, struggles to pay the bills, and grows up. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. For senior high readers. 2006.

The River Midnight    RC 63225
by Lilian Nattel
read by Suzanne Toren
4 cassettes
Jewish residents of a nineteenth-century Polish village, childhood friends Faygela, Zisa-Sara, Hanna-Leah, and Misha reach womanhood, gradually growing apart. Their lives unfold from various perspectives as the town reacts to scandal: unmarried Misha becomes pregnant and refuses to identify the father. Some descriptions of sex and some violence. 1999.

Life Mask    RC 63239
by Emma Donoghue
read by Patricia Kilgarriff
5 cassettes
Late-eighteenth-century England. The lives of actress Eliza Farren, sculptress Anne Damer, and the earl of Derby intersect during great political instability. Marriages and friendships are made and broken as social success, pride, and morality hang in the balance. Some descriptions of sex. 2004.

What I Loved    RC 63251
by Siri Hustvedt
read by Bill Quinn
3 cassettes
New York City, 1970s. After purchasing one of Bill Wechsler’s provocative paintings in a SoHo gallery, art historian Leo Hertzberg befriends the artist. Over the next two decades, the men and their families develop intimate bonds tested by love and tragedy. Explicit descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. 2003.

New Stories from the South: The Year’s Best, 2006    RC 63256
edited by Allan Gurganus
read by Frank Coffee
3 cassettes
Twenty Southern short stories published in U.S. magazines in 2005. Features Wendell Berry’s "Mike," Nanci Kincaid’s "The Currency of Love," Daniel Wallace’s "Justice," and work by J.D. Chapman, Kevin Wilson, and others. Includes introduction and author biographies and commentary. Some descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. 2006.

The Praise Singer    RC 63313
by Mary Renault
read by Ken Kliban
2 cassettes (Reissue)
Greece, sixth century B.C. Historical novel centers on the life of the poet Simonides and the court of the Pisistratids. When the court eventually falls from power, Simonides survives the upheaval and retires to Sicily, where he looks back over his long and eventful life. 1978.

The Wapshot Chronicle    RC 63314
by John Cheever
read by Nick Sullivan
3 cassettes (Reissue)
Follows the fortunes of the Wapshot family of St. Botolphs, a mythical New England seaport. Old captain Leander Wapshot loves his ferryboat, which he keeps losing and regaining. An eccentric aunt wants to give Leander’s sons a fortune—if they marry and produce heirs. Some strong language. National Book Award. 1954.

Where There’s a Will: A Nero Wolfe Mystery    RC 63342
by Rex Stout
read by Conrad Feininger
2 cassettes
Nero Wolfe and sidekick Archie Goodwin investigate the will of the late, wealthy Noel Hawthorne. The deceased forty-nine-year-old’s sisters and widow, furious that he left the bulk of his fortune to his mistress, are further shocked when the police announce that Hawthorne was murdered. Includes 1992 introduction by Dean Koontz. 1940.

After This    RC 63354
by Alice McDermott
read by MaryBeth Wise
2 cassettes
Long Island. Thirty-year-old Mary marries veteran John Keane after World War II. Their four children struggle with the changing times of the 1960s and 1970s—the Vietnam War, unwanted pregnancy, drugs, religious confusion, and other issues that disrupt their parents’ quiet suburban life. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. 2006.

All Aunt Hagar’s Children    RC 63355
by Edward P. Jones
read by Chuck Young
3 cassettes
Fourteen short stories from the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Known World (RC 56918), most set in the African American community of Washington, D.C. In the title piece, a recently discharged Korean War veteran agrees to help his mother’s friend find her son’s killer. Violence and strong language. Bestseller. 2006.

The Poe Shadow    RC 63356
by Matthew Pearl
read by Conrad Feininger
3 cassettes
1849. Writer Edgar Allan Poe’s untimely demise, widely attributed to alcoholism, leaves many unanswered questions for young Baltimore attorney Quentin Hobson Clark. To uncover the truth and restore Poe’s literary reputation, Quentin journeys to France to track down the real-life inspiration for Poe’s fictional detective character, C. Auguste Dupin. 2006.

The Night in Lisbon    RC 63379
by Erich Maria Remarque
read by Michael Kramer
2 cassettes (Reissue)
Lisbon, Portugal; 1942. A German refugee attempting to flee Europe is offered passage on a ship bound for America by a man calling himself Schwarz. Schwarz has one condition: that the man stay with him through the night and hear his own desperate tale of bravery, love, and death. 1961.

Emma Brown    RC 63383
by Clare Boylan and Charlotte Brontë
read by Kate Kiley
3 cassettes
Deposited mysteriously at a provincial boarding school in mid-Victorian England, Matilda refuses to reveal her true identity and is expelled. When the girl takes flight, sympathetic widow Chalfont and her neighbor Mr. Ellin pursue Matilda to London, hoping to unravel her story. Based on a fragment left by Charlotte Brontë. 2003.

My Jim    RC 63517
by Nancy Rawles
read by Tracy Mickens-Hundley
1 cassette
Shreveport, Louisiana; 1884. Sadie, the wife of Jim from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
(RC 57349)
, relates her life under slavery to her granddaughter Marianne. Sadie recalls being sold from Jim and their children in Hannibal, Missouri. Violence and strong language. For senior high and older readers. Alex Award. 2005.

Strivers Row: City of Fire Trilogy, Book 3    RC 63624
by Kevin Baker
read by Richard Hauenstein
4 cassettes
Two black men struggle in tumultuous 1940s Harlem. The Reverend Jonah Dove, a resident of elite Strivers Row, suffers a crisis of faith. Eighteen-year-old hustler Malcolm Little—the future Malcolm X—confronts poverty and prejudice. Sequel to Paradise Alley (RC 56752). Strong language, some explicit descriptions of sex, and some violence. 2006.

If Morning Ever Comes    RC 63647
by Anne Tyler
read by Nicola Daval
2 cassettes (Reissue)
Columbia law student Ben Joe Hawkes rushes home to Sandhill, North Carolina, when he learns that one of his six sisters has left her husband. Restless, Ben Joe renews his acquaintance with the townspeople and spontaneously asks his high school girlfriend to marry him. 1964.

Kiss of Darkness    RC 63673
by Heather Graham
read by Walter Dixon
2 cassettes
Following several international occult murders, Bryan MacAllistair—a professor who battles ancient evil—arrives in New Orleans, where he fears a dark cult is gathering. When a body disappears from the morgue, psychologist Jessica Fraser helps Bryan track a vampire. Some explicit descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. 2006.

The Last Heiress: Friarsgate Inheritance, Book 4    RC 63776
by Bertrice Small
read by Gabriella Cavallero
3 cassettes
1530–1536. Rosamund of Friarsgate despairs of ever marrying off Elizabeth, her youngest daughter. When she reluctantly appears at the court of King Henry VIII, Elizabeth meets dashing Flynn Stewart, although Scotsman Baen MacColl also appeals to her. Sequel to Philippa
(RC 60223)
. Some explicit descriptions of sex. 2005.

The Return of the Player    RC 63778
by Michael Tolkin
read by David Hartley-Margolin
2 cassettes
Fifty-two-year-old Hollywood studio executive Griffin Mill, from The Player (RC 28242), has trouble at work and with his wife and unlikable children. In a rush to make more money, he inveigles a job with sinister billionaire Phil Ginsburg and commits another murder. Strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2006.

Star Wars: The Old Republic; Darth Bane, Path of Destruction    RC 63786
by Drew Karpyshyn
read by Jim Zeiger
3 cassettes
One thousand years before the Republic’s collapse, a young miner named Dessel joins the Sith against their ancient enemies, the Jedi order. Dessel embraces the dark side and his new identity—Bane—to rise to power and forge a new destiny for the Brotherhood of Darkness. Some violence. 2006.

Born in Death: An Eve Dallas Mystery    RC 63794
by J.D. Robb
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
2 cassettes
New York City, 2060. Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her husband Roarke agree to find missing mom-to-be Tandy Willowby for her pregnant friend Mavis Freestone. When high-profile accountants Natalie Copperfield and her fiancé are murdered, the two cases become intertwined. Descriptions of sex, violence, and strong language. 2006.

The Moneychangers    RC 63827
by Upton Sinclair
read by Michael Kramer
2 cassettes
Arriving from New Orleans, Lucy Dupree expects her old friend Allan Montague, a successful lawyer, to introduce her into elite circles. Against a background of the 1907 Wall Street panic, Lucy discovers that glittering New York society is rife with intrigue, rivalry, and an unscrupulous hunger for power. 1908.

Platinum Pohl: The Collected Best Stories    RC 63871
by Frederik Pohl
read by John Polk
6 cassettes
Thirty tales by the science fiction grand master, published from 1949 to 1996. Includes "The Merchants of Venus," featuring the Heechee aliens from Pohl’s prizewinning novel Gateway
(RC 59083)
, and Hugo Award winners "The Meeting" (with C.M. Kornbluth) and "Fermi and Frost," an account of nuclear war. 2005.

Over the Edge    RC 63884
by Suzanne Brockmann
read by Erin Jones
3 cassettes
Terrorists hijack a commercial airliner and force it to land in Kazbekistan. FBI agents, soldiers, and experts—including helicopter pilot Teri Howe and Stan Wolchonok of the elite navy SEAL Team Sixteen Troubleshooters Squad—are deployed to rescue the hostages. Strong language, some explicit descriptions of sex, and some violence. 2001.

Yukon Quest    RC 63902
by Tracie Peterson
read by Michele Schaeffer
5 cassettes
Three women find solace in God. In Treasures of the North, Grace travels to Alaska in 1897 to escape an arranged marriage. The following year, Karen, in Ashes and Ice, transports her two elderly wards to the goldfields while Miranda, in Rivers of Gold, finds love with a stranger. 2001.

The Grays    RC 63903
by Whitley Strieber
read by Michael Scherer
2 cassettes
Extraterrestrials, called the grays, hope to save their species and humanity by engineering child prodigy Conner Callaghan. When rogue agent Michael Wilkes tries to destroy the grays by killing Conner, colonels Rob Langford and Lauren Glass fight back. Some descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. 2006.

The Best American Mystery Stories, 2006    RC 63911
edited by Scott Turow
read by Colleen Delany
3 cassettes
Annual collection features twenty-one tales of mystery, crime, and suspense. Includes stories by C.J. Box, James Lee Burke, Jeffery Deaver, Laura Lippman, Ed McBain, Walter Mosley, Joyce Carol Oates, Sue Pike, and others. Selected and introduced by Scott Turow. Some descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. 2006.

The Attack    RC 63918
by Yasmina Khadra
read by Jack Fox
2 cassettes
After working to save victims of an explosion in a Tel Aviv restaurant, naturalized Israeli Dr. Amin Jaafari learns that his wife Sihem was the suicide bomber responsible. He searches for the people who recruited Sihem to learn why she committed such an act. Violence and some strong language. 2005.

Shantaram    RC 63923
by Gregory David Roberts
read by Alec Volz
7 cassettes (in 2 containers)
An Australian bank robber escapes from prison and flees under an assumed name to Bombay, India, where he hides in the slums. Aided by tour guide Prabaker, Lindsay becomes part of the city’s Mafia and falls in love with Karla, an emotionally damaged young woman. Violence and strong language. 2003.

The Road to Home    RC 63928
by Vanessa Del Fabbro
read by Jill Fox
2 cassettes
White South African journalist Monica Brunetti, severely wounded during a carjacking in Soweto, is taken to an all-black hospital. Monica befriends Ella Nkhoma, the young woman in the next bed. With the help of Ella and other patients, Monica rediscovers her faith. Christy Award. 2005.

Half of a Yellow Sun    RC 63931
by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
read by Jill Fox
3 cassettes
As the Biafran war erupts in 1960s Nigeria, three people are caught up in the turbulence: thirteen-year-old houseboy Ugwu; his master’s mistress Olanna; and Richard, a shy young Englishman. Their ideals and loyalties are tested as they flee from advancing Nigerian troops. Some descriptions of sex. 2006.

Richard Temple    RC 63932
by Patrick O’Brian
read by Ray Foushee
2 cassettes
Captured British spy Richard Temple retreats into his memories to survive Nazi imprisonment. He recalls his bleak childhood, his days as a student painter, and the poverty that forced him to become an art forger before joining the army at his socialite patron’s instigation. Some violence and some strong language. 1962.

You Have the Right to Remain Puzzled: A Puzzle Lady Mystery    RC 63933
by Parnell Hall
read by Mitzi Friedlander
2 cassettes
Puzzle Lady Cora Felton, the public face of her niece Sherry’s crossword creations, finds herself arrested for murder. The victim—Benny Southstreet, a small-time gambler and crossword-puzzle writer—had accused Cora of plagiarism. Cora works to clear her name without revealing her secret partnership with Sherry. Some strong language. 2006.

Angels    RC 63939
by Marian Keyes
read by Jill Fox
3 cassettes
After losing her job and leaving her husband, Dubliner Maggie Walsh joins her best friend Emily in Los Angeles. Maggie reinvents herself in the entertainment scene by writing scripts and experimenting with new lovers, but she reconsiders ending her marriage. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2002.

Armageddon’s Children    RC 63948
by Terry Brooks
read by Jack Fox
3 cassettes
In a world ravaged by ecological disasters, plagues, and war, Knight of the Word Logan Tom seeks the magical gypsy morph destined to save humanity. Meanwhile, fellow knight Angel Perez undertakes her own mission, and a tribe of youths struggles to survive against demons and mutated once-men. Some violence. 2006.

Manassas: A Novel of the War    RC 63949
by Upton Sinclair
read by Gary Tipton
3 cassettes
The author of The Jungle (RC 52961) portrays Allan Montague, a young southerner who, after living in Boston, becomes an abolitionist and joins the Union army. Montague first sees action in the Battle of Manassas on July 21, 1861. Introduction by Kent Gramm. Violence. 1904.

The Sisterhood of Blackberry Corner    RC 64001
by Andrea Smith
read by Jill Fox
2 cassettes
Canaan Creek, South Carolina; 1957. Bonnie Wilder and her church friends help women who give birth to unwanted infants by putting the children up for adoption without government interference. Thirty years later one of the children returns seeking her birth mother. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. 2006.

Midnight at the Dragon Café    RC 64002
by Judy Fong Bates
read by Erin Jones
2 cassettes
1957. Su-Jen "Annie" Chou and her mother leave China to help Su-Jen’s elderly father run a restaurant in a small Canadian town. Su-Jen is gradually integrated into the society, while her mother becomes isolated, eventually having an affair that shatters the family. Alex Award. 2005.

Warrior Woman    RC 64004
by James Alexander Thom and Dark Rain Thom
read by Jill Fox
4 cassettes
Fictionalized account of Shawnee women’s peace chief Nonhelema, who attempts to negotiate an armistice with both the Americans and British during the Revolutionary War. Nonhelema’s loyalties are divided as her white allies betray her and she is alienated from her people. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some violence. 2003.

The Silent Harp: The House of Winslow, Book 33    RC 64005
by Gilbert Morris
read by Mitzi Friedlander
2 cassettes
Wealthy socialite Sharon Winslow is devastated by the death of her fiancé in World War I. Deciding marriage is not for her, Sharon develops her artistic abilities. When she finds herself in a dangerous situation and Temple Smith rescues her, Sharon begins to love again. 2004.

The Right Attitude to Rain: An Isabel Dalhousie Novel    RC 64006
by Alexander McCall Smith
read by Mitzi Friedlander
2 cassettes
When her American cousins arrive in Edinburgh with friends, Isabel Dalhousie suspects that one of the women is marrying for money, not love. Meanwhile, the fortyish Isabel ponders her feelings toward a younger man who is a former beau of her niece Cat. 2006.

Stork Naked: Xanth    RC 64008
by Piers Anthony
read by Brian Conn
3 cassettes
Stymy Stork refuses to deliver Surprise Golem’s baby—because of her youth and the dictates of the Adult Conspiracy—and flees with the child into another reality. Surprise, the two bratty half-demon children she’s babysitting, and the pet peeve—an obnoxious bird—set out to retrieve the infant. For senior high readers. 2006.

Strange Candy    RC 64009
by Laurell K. Hamilton
read by Jill Fox
2 cassettes
Fourteen supernatural tales dating back to the 1980s. Includes Hamilton’s only completed science fiction story "Here Be Dragons," the very first Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter story "Those Who Seek Forgiveness," and selections set in the Nightseer world, each with a brief introduction. Violence and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2006.

Command Decision: Vatta’s War, Book 4    RC 64013
by Elizabeth Moon
read by Erin Jones
3 cassettes
Interstellar shipping scion and spaceship captain Kylara Vatta continues her quest to avenge the destruction of her family and merchant empire by recruiting allies to battle marauding pirates. Meanwhile, Ky’s cousin Stella attempts to rebuild the corporation, but treachery undermines her efforts. Sequel to Engaging the Enemy (RC 63466). 2007.

There Is a Season: Cheney and Shiloh; the Inheritance, Book 3    RC 64032
by Lynn Morris and Gilbert Morris
read by Aimee Jolson
3 cassettes
1870s. Shiloh Irons-Winslow and his physician wife Cheney travel to a Florida plantation for a vacation. On arrival they find the estate in disarray and owner Louis Grider dead. The couple uncovers disturbing secrets and analyzes Louis’s will for clues. Sequel to The Moon by Night
(RC 62941)
. 2005.

The Golden Age: A Romance of the Far Future; the Golden Age, Book 1    RC 64033
by John C. Wright
read by J.P. Linton
3 cassettes
At a party celebrating the High Transcendence, Phaethon Prime of Rhadamanth meets several visitors—including a being from Neptune who claims to be an old friend—who lead him to doubt his identity. Phaethon sets out to find his memories, risking exile from his utopian, immortal society, Golden Oecumene. 2002.

Golden Country    RC 64036
by Jennifer Gilmore
read by Peter Ganim
3 cassettes
Three Jewish immigrant families become intertwined during the early and middle twentieth century. Salesman Joseph Brodsky is embarrassed when his brother Solomon becomes a Mafia bootlegger. Seymour Bloom joins Solomon before becoming a Broadway producer, while starlet Frances Verdonik’s husband invents television. Some descriptions of sex. 2006.

The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette    RC 64037
by Carolly Erickson
read by Suzanne Toren
2 cassettes
Fictional journal of Marie Antoinette (1754–1793), in which she describes her childhood as an Austrian archduchess, her marriage to Louis XVI, and her life as queen. Marie records her captivity during the French Revolution and her thoughts from prison as she awaits execution. Some violence and some strong language. 2005.

Cracking India    RC 64039
by Bapsi Sidhwa
read by Yolande Bavan
2 cassettes
1947. Eight-year-old Lenny worries about events occurring in her affluent region of India. Lenny’s carefree days with her parents and nanny, or ayah, are quickly disappearing as tensions increase among Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Parsees. When her ayah is kidnapped, Lenny’s life changes forever. Violence and strong language. 1991.

The Secret River    RC 64041
by Kate Grenville
read by George Holmes
3 cassettes
Australia, 1806. Exiled to the penal colony at New South Wales for stealing, William Thornhill, along with his wife and baby, eventually escapes servitude, acquires land of his own, and prospers. But clashes between the white settlers and nomadic Aborigines lead inexorably to tragedy. Some violence. Commonwealth Prize. 2005.

Sky Burial: An Epic Love Story of Tibet    RC 64042
by Xinran
read by Catherine Byers
1 cassette
China, 1950s. Doctors Kejun and Wen are newlyweds when husband Kejun joins the People’s Liberation Army and travels to Tibet. Two months later, news of Kejun’s death drives Wen to search for him. She spends thirty harsh years in Tibet before finally learning Kejun’s fate. Some violence. 2004.

The Ruby in Her Navel: A Novel of Love and Intrigue in the Twelfth Century    RC 64047
by Barry Unsworth
read by Ken Kliban
3 cassettes
Medieval Italy. Thurstan Beauchamp dreams of knighthood and love while working for the Norman king, the ruler of a multicultural society of Christians, Muslims, and Jews. Thurstan’s ambitions entangle him in a murder plot and force him to choose between the lady Alicia and the belly dancer Nesrin. 2006.

The Suspect    RC 64052
by John Lescroart
read by Gabra Zackman
3 cassettes
California. When Dr. Caryn Dryden is found murdered in a hot tub, suspicion falls on her husband, writer Stuart Gorman. Dismas Hardy’s partner, attorney Gina Roake, represents Stuart, while homicide detective Devin Juhle and PI Wyatt Hunt, from The Hunt Club (RC 61996), investigate. Strong language and some violence. 2007.

The Barefoot Princess: The Lost Princesses, Book 2    RC 64055
by Christina Dodd
read by Patricia Kilgarriff
2 cassettes
England, 1810. Exiled princess Amy Rosabel kidnaps Jermyn Edmondson, marquess of Northcliff, to avenge the mishandling and neglect of his subjects. Amy keeps Jermyn chained in a cellar while awaiting ransom payment from his uncle but inadvertently falls in love with her handsome hostage. Some explicit descriptions of sex. 2006.

Whiteoak Heritage: Whiteoak Chronicles, Book 5    RC 64056
by Mazo de la Roche
read by Terry Donnelly
3 cassettes (Reissue)
Fortunes of the Whiteoak family of Canada after World War I. Renny returns home to find his one-time love still unforgiving and his brother involved with an older woman. 1940.

Death of a Glutton: A Hamish Macbeth Mystery    RC 64057
by M.C. Beaton
read by Graeme Malcolm
1 cassette
The Scottish Highlands. Maria Worth brings eight of her most difficult singles-club clients to the Tommel Castle Hotel, run by Constable Hamish Macbeth’s crush, Priscilla Halburton-Smythe. But the matchmaking is disrupted by the unexpected arrival of Maria’s obnoxious business partner Peta Gore. Someone murders Gore and Macbeth investigates. 1993.

Code Name: Blondie    RC 64059
by Christina Skye
read by Catherine Byers
2 cassettes
A plane crash leaves photographer Miki Fortune on an island with Navy SEAL Max Preston, who’s searching for rogue agent Enrique Cruz. Max suspects Miki is connected to Enrique and tries to uncover the truth, while Enrique—and a cyclone—prepare to strike. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some violence. 2006.

Good Morning, Midnight: A Dalziel/Pascoe Mystery    RC 64060
by Reginald Hill
read by George Holmes
3 cassettes
Yorkshire. Before killing himself, Pal Maciver tape-records a statement blaming his stepmother for his father’s suicide and alleging police misconduct in the investigation—and naming inspector Peter Pascoe’s superior, Andrew Dalziel. Pascoe questions Dalziel’s motives and his connection to both cases. Strong language, some descriptions of sex, and some violence. 2004.

The Dangerous Protector: Puffin Harbor, Book 2    RC 64061
by Janet Chapman
read by Catherine Byers
2 cassettes
Willow Foster, Maine’s assistant attorney general, returns to Puffin Harbor to help solve the mystery behind a worrisome lobster catch. She is determined to avoid being with Duncan Ross after their one-night fling eighteen months ago, but Duncan has other ideas. Explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2005.

Strangled Prose: A Claire Malloy Mystery    RC 64062
by Joan Hess
read by Suzanne Toren
2 cassettes
Bookstore owner Claire Malloy hosts a reception celebrating the release of her friend Mildred Twiller’s trashy new romance novel. During the party, excerpts reveal Mildred has libeled many of the attendees. Soon after, Mildred is found strangled to death, and Claire herself joins the suspect list. Some strong language. 1986.

Knots and Crosses: A John Rebus Mystery    RC 64063
by Ian Rankin
read by Graeme Malcolm
1 cassette
A serial killer targets young girls in Edinburgh, Scotland. Detective John Rebus receives taunting letters that he dismisses as coincidence—until they threaten his daughter. Reporter Jim Stevens, who is investigating Rebus’s brother for drug trafficking, suspects Rebus is involved. Some descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. 1987.

Beast Master’s Ark    RC 64064
by Andre Norton and Lyn McConchie
read by Gabra Zackman
2 cassettes
A mysterious killer stalks Arzor, threatening to incite war among human and native inhabitants. Hosteen Storm, a Navajo Indian who can communicate telepathically with animals, sets out to save his adopted world with help from genetic engineer Tani, who must first embrace her own beast-master abilities. Some violence. 2002.

Heart-Shaped Box    RC 64088
by Joe Hill
read by John Haag
2 cassettes
Middle-aged rock star Judas Coyne collects morbid curios. He buys a haunted suit online and discovers that it belonged to Craddock McDermott, the deceased stepfather of one of Coyne’s groupies. Over time, both Coyne’s own motives and those of McDermott’s ghost are revealed. Violence and strong language. Bestseller. 2007.

Halo: Ghosts of Onyx    RC 64089
by Eric Nylund
read by Ray Childs
3 cassettes
Twenty-sixth century. The Office of Naval Intelligence creates a top-secret team of elite Spartan soldiers to battle alien Covenant forces intent on annihilating humanity. The Spartans train on the nearly abandoned planet Onyx, where they awaken an ancient technology that could change the course of the war. Violence. Bestseller. 2006.

Love, Cajun Style    RC 64097
by Diane Les Becquets
read by Anne Hancock
2 cassettes
Lucy Beauregard and her friends grow up in Sweetbay, Louisiana, a quiet, sleepy place—until one hot summer when the whole town seems to fall in love. Seventeen-year-old Lucy falls for a newcomer, musician Dewey Savoi, while avoiding unwanted advances from her handsome drama teacher. For senior high readers. 2005.

Articles of War    RC 64100
by Nick Arvin
read by Walter Dixon
1 cassette
1944. Iowa farm boy George Tilson, nicknamed Heck because he never swears, fights on the Normandy battlefront. Surrounded by death and destruction, cowardly Heck hopes to escape war by being wounded. But he is selected for a horrifying mission—on a firing squad. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2005.

Mission Flats    RC 64101
by Bill Landay
read by Pat Bottino
3 cassettes
Versailles, Maine, police chief Ben Truman discovers a Boston assistant district attorney’s body in a lakeside cabin. Boston authorities suspect drug dealer Harold Braxton from one of their city’s toughest neighborhoods, Mission Flats. Unconvinced of Harold’s guilt, Ben travels to Boston. Violence, strong language, and some descriptions of sex. 2003.

Finding Noel    RC 64105
by Richard Paul Evans
read by Ray Childs
2 cassettes
Mark Smart has just lost his mother, his college scholarship, and his girlfriend when he meets Macy Wood at a Salt Lake City coffee shop. Waitress Macy has left an abusive adoptive home and is searching for her long-lost sister Noel. Despite obtacles, Mark and Macy fall in love. 2006.

The Pox Party: The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume 1; Taken from Accounts by His Own Hand and Other Sundry Sources—Collected by Mr. M.T. Anderson of Boston    RC 64106
by M.T. Anderson
read by Dan Bloom
2 cassettes
Eighteenth-century Boston. Sixteen-year-old slave Octavian, the son of an African princess, is educated as part of a scientific experiment researching the intelligence of African Americans. When the experiments change, Octavian escapes and joins the fight against the British. Some violence. For senior high and older readers. National Book Award. 2006.

Feeling Very Strange: The Slipstream Anthology    RC 64111
edited by James Patrick Kelly and John Kessel
read by Ray Childs
3 cassettes
Nineteen surreal tales combining elements of fantasy, magic realism, and science fiction. In Michael Chabon’s "The God of Dark Laughter" (2001) two Indiana boys discover a dead circus clown. Also includes work by Karen Joy Fowler, Jonathan Lethem, George Saunders, and others. Strong language and some violence. 2006.

Indecision    RC 64113
by Benjamin Kunkel
read by Dan Bloom
2 cassettes
Twenty-eight-year-old New Yorker Dwight Wilmerding is chronically unable to make up his mind. Dwight tries an experimental drug before visiting his prep school sweetheart Natasha in Ecuador, hoping the treatment will help him decide between Natasha and his current fling Vaneetha. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. 2005.

Upstairs, Downstairs    RC 64119
by John Hawkesworth
read by Anne Hancock
2 cassettes (Reissue)
Based on the popular television series, this novel follows the intertwined lives and loves of the upper-class Bellamy family and their loyal servants in Edwardian London as Europe teeters on the brink of World War I. 1971.

True Evil    RC 64120
by Greg Iles
read by Ray Childs
4 cassettes
FBI agent Alexandra Morse learns at her sister Grace’s deathbed that Grace’s husband killed her. Alex suspects the involvement of a divorce lawyer who arranges murders for money. His next target, Mississippi doctor Chris Shepard, helps Alex plan a trap. Explicit descriptions of sex, strong language, and some violence. 2006.

A Family Affair    RC 64122
by Marcus Major
read by John Haag
2 cassettes
The extended Moore family faces its share of personal and professional problems, which are compounded when rebellious teenage cousin Jasmine moves in. As the families cope, a secret comes to light that stuns them all. Sequel to Good Peoples (RC 63490). Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2004.

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Checkmate; a Splinter Cell Adventure    RC 64124
by David Michaels
read by Ray Childs
2 cassettes
Special agent Sam Fisher, a splinter cell with the covert NSA subdivision Third Echelon, intercepts a freighter carrying radioactive material headed for the U.S. coast. Meanwhile, thousands of residents of a remote New Mexico town are fatally poisoned. Fisher races to find the mastermind behind the attacks. Some violence. 2006.

Dublin Noir: The Celtic Tiger vs. the Ugly American    RC 64135
edited by Ken Bruen
read by John Haag
2 cassettes
Nineteen short crime stories set in the Irish capital. In Laura Lippman’s "The Honor Bar" a scorned American tourist exacts revenge on her ex-boyfriend with a new conquest. Also includes selections by Gary Phillips, Ray Banks, Jim Fusilli, and others. Descriptions of sex, violence, and strong language. 2006.

Red Chrysanthemum: A Sano Ichiro Mystery, Book 11    RC 64137
by Laura Joh Rowland
read by Robert Sams
2 cassettes
Japan, 1698. Sano Ichiro, now a chamberlain, doubts his pregnant wife Reiko’s innocence when she’s found bloody beside the corpse of a treasonous nobleman. As Ichiro investigates he battles his political enemies and fights for his family’s honor and their very lives. Violence and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2006.

The Stranger in Her Bed: The Loggers, Book 2    RC 64144
by Janet Chapman
read by Colleen Delany
2 cassettes
Ethan Knight, from The Seduction of His Wife (RC 62874), is fired by foreman Anna Segee on his first day of work in a Maine sawmill. Anna, back from Canada with a new name, remembers Ethan from childhood and falls in love. Descriptions of sex and strong language. 2007.

The Dream-Maker’s Magic: The Safe-Keepers, Book 3    RC 64145
by Sharon Shinn
read by Laura Giannarelli
2 cassettes
Kellen’s mother insists that Kellen be raised as a boy and therefore sends her to school. Kellen becomes friends with Gryffin, a quick-minded boy who is physically disabled. As their feelings deepen, a new dreammaker is discovered, and Kellen and Gryffin are separated. For junior and senior high readers. 2006.

The Brethren: Annie’s People, Book 3    RC 64146
by Beverly Lewis
read by Mary Kane
2 cassettes
Amish preacher’s daughter Annie Zook, from The Englisher (RC 62875), still feels torn between her family’s way of life and her dreams to become an artist and to pursue her love for non-Amish Ben Martin. Meanwhile Ben discovers he’s adopted and sets out to uncover his surprising true identity. 2006.

The Defiant: Sons of Texas, Book 6    RC 64149
by Tom Early
read by Robert Sams
2 cassettes
Concluding volume of frontier family saga. In 1842, violence sweeps across south Texas as marauding Comanches resume their raids and the Mexican army attacks San Antonio. The Lewis brothers once again take up arms to defend their beloved republic. Violence, some descriptions of sex, and some strong language. 1993.

The Bold: Sons of Texas, Book 5    RC 64152
by Tom Early
read by Robert Sams
2 cassettes
Texas republic, 1840. Texas Ranger James Lewis organizes a volunteer company against marauding Comanche war parties. But while much of the Lewis clan is off fighting Indians, Kiowa raiders attack the family homestead and kidnap young Angeline. Violence, some explicit descriptions of sex, and some strong language. 1992.

Infernal Devices: The Hungry City Chronicles, Book 3    RC 64153
by Philip Reeve
read by Vanessa Maroney
2 cassettes
Sixteen years after Predator’s Gold (RC 59779), Tom, Hester, and fifteen-year-old daughter Wren are settled in Anchorage. Wren, longing for adventure, is kidnapped after agreeing to steal a mysterious book of lost warfare technology. Her parents search for her among the traction cities. For junior and senior high readers. 2005.

First Dawn: Freedom’s Path, Book 1    RC 64154
by Judith Miller
read by Michele Schaeffer
2 cassettes
Kansas, 1870s. Drawn by the promise of free land, African American sharecropper Ezekiel Harban and his three daughters settle in Nicodemus despite the harsh conditions. Samuel Boyle, a white physician, moves his family to nearby Hill City. With the help of God, the two families prosper and become friends. 2005.

Short Straw    RC 64157
by Stuart Woods
read by Gregory Gorton
2 cassettes
New Mexico attorney Ed Eagle, from Santa Fe Rules (RC 58179), discovers that his wife Barbara has emptied their bank accounts and fled to Mexico. Ed recruits two PIs to help, but Barbara will do anything—even kill—to keep the money. Strong language, some descriptions of sex, and some violence. 2006.

God Don’t Play    RC 64159
by Mary Monroe
read by Victoria Gordon
2 cassettes
Annette, from God Still Don’t Like Ugly (RC 59849), has achieved the American dream: husband, daughter, job, and house. When she starts to receive threatening letters and calls, she turns to old friend Rhoda to help her uncover the culprit. Explicit descriptions of sex, strong language, and some violence. 2006.

The Grand Sophy    RC 64160
by Georgette Heyer
read by Anne Flosnik
3 cassettes (Reissue)
Widower Sir Horace Stanton-Lacy journeys to South America on a diplomatic mission, leaving his twenty-year-old daughter Sophy in the care of his sister. Sophy soon sets out to solve her cousins’ problems but unexpectedly encounters romantic woes of her own. Includes 2003 foreword by Catherine Coulter. 1950.

Stripped    RC 64161
by Brian Freeman
read by Michael Scherer
3 cassettes
Las Vegas newcomer Jonathan Stride, of Immoral (RC 61116), investigates a playboy’s slaying while Stride’s lover, detective Serena Dial, handles two killings, including a hit-and-run. They link the three deaths to an exotic dancer’s murder that occurred decades ago. Strong language, some explicit descriptions of sex, and some violence. 2006.

The Lay of the Land    RC 64163
by Richard Ford
read by Steven Carpenter
4 cassettes
New Jersey, 2000. Realtor Frank Bascombe, from Independence Day (RC 44192), spends the week before Thanksgiving bemoaning the contested presidential election, his pending divorce, and his bout with prostate cancer. He is also anxious about the upcoming holiday with his abrasive grown son and bisexual daughter. Strong language. 2006.

The Marriage Lesson: Effington Family, Book 3    RC 64164
by Victoria Alexander
read by Corrie James
2 cassettes
London, 1819. Thomas Effington, the marquess of Helmsley, hosts his brother-in-law’s three sisters for the season, among them Marianne Shelton. After an unforeseen tryst, Thomas makes an honorable offer of marriage, but Marianne refuses. Thomas enlists the aid of Marianne’s sisters to sway her. Some explicit descriptions of sex. 2001.

Deadly Gamble: A Mojo Sheepshanks Novel    RC 64165
by Linda Lael Miller
read by Annie Wauters
2 cassettes
Arizona. Mojo Sheepshanks contends with the ghosts of her late husband and cat as she sustains relationships with her two former foster sisters, an undercover police boyfriend, and a man who claims to be her uncle. Meanwhile her murderous half-brother stalks her. Some violence and some strong language. 2006.

McKettrick’s Luck: The McKettricks, Book 1    RC 64173
by Linda Lael Miller
read by Madelyn Buzzard
2 cassettes
The modern-day descendants of the McKettrick clan, from the McKettrick Brothers series, experience turmoil in business and love. Cheyenne Bridges returns to Indian Rock, Arizona, to persuade her old flame, gambler Jesse McKettrick, to sell some land for development. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. Bestseller. 2007.

Nineteen Minutes    RC 64175
by Jodi Picoult
read by Madelyn Buzzard
4 cassettes
Bullied teenager Peter Houghton takes multiple weapons to his New Hampshire high school and kills ten classmates—sparing the life of his former friend Josie Cormier. Josie’s mother Alex, a judge, has been assigned to Peter’s case, while attorney Jordan McAfee defends him. Strong language and some violence. Bestseller. 2007.

Storm Runners    RC 64176
by T. Jefferson Parker
read by Jack Fox
2 cassettes
Disabled-cop-turned-private-detective Matt Stromsoe, still mourning the murders of his wife and son, takes a job guarding San Diego weather announcer Frankie Hatfield. Someone is after her family secret that controls rainfall. While investigating, Matt falls for Frankie. Violence and strong language. Bestseller. 2007.

The Pattern of Her Heart: Lights of Lowell, Book 3    RC 64177
by Tracie Peterson and Judith Miller
read by Mitzi Friedlander
2 cassettes
1857. Tragedy forces Jasmine Houston and her husband Nolan to leave their Lowell, Massachusetts, horse farm and return to her family’s Mississippi plantation to oversee the final cotton harvest. Jasmine’s plans to free the slaves have unintended consequences. Sequel to A Love Woven True (RC 60451). 2005.

The Virtuous Woman: The House of Winslow, Book 34    RC 64178
by Gilbert Morris
read by Mitzi Friedlander
2 cassettes
New York, 1935. When Cara and Phil Winslow learn their daughter, who they thought died in infancy, is alive, they hire detectives to bring her home. Now twenty, Grace cannot adjust to her new life and runs away. Brother Kevin, a scarred recluse, searches for her. 2005.

The Assassin King: The Symphony of Ages, Volume 6    RC 64179
by Elizabeth Haydon
read by Erin Jones
3 cassettes
When the dragon Llauron dies, a human council convenes to prepare for a war that could destroy the known world. Meanwhile a demon hunter stalks Firbolg king Achmed, once called the Assassin King. Sequel to Elegy for a Lost Star (RC 59724). Some descriptions of sex and some violence. 2006.

Aerie: Dragon Jousters, Book 4    RC 64181
by Mercedes Lackey
read by Richard Hauenstein
2 cassettes
With Sanctuary overflowing with Tian and Altan peoples, dragon jouster Kiron and his companions move to Aerie, an abandoned cliff city. Kiron juggles demands of students, dragons, and his lover Aket-ten, and faces an evil that may be the work of the long-subdued Magi. Sequel to Sanctuary (RC 60690). 2006.

Irish Crystal: A Nuala Anne McGrail Novel    RC 64182
by Andrew M. Greeley
read by Jack Fox
2 cassettes
Nuala Anne McGrail has had a nightmare foretelling evil. But is it the Homeland Security agents who want to deport her, or the neighbors who dislike her wolfhounds, or recent acquaintances, the Currans? Following an explosion, Nuala and husband Dermot search an ancient manuscript for answers. Strong language. 2006.

Find Me: A Kathleen Mallory Mystery    RC 64183
by Carol O’Connell
read by Madelyn Buzzard
3 cassettes
Renegade detective Kathy Mallory leaves New York to track down a serial killer who has murdered more than one hundred children along Route 66. When Mallory’s partner Riker and psychologist Butler find a body in Mallory’s apartment, they set out after her. Some violence and some strong language. 2006.

Princess on the Brink: The Princess Diaries, Book 8    RC 64185
by Meg Cabot
read by Madelyn Buzzard
1 cassette
Princess Mia’s junior year at New York’s Albert Einstein High School is off to a disastrous start. Michael, her college-age boyfriend, plans to leave for a year to build robots in Japan, and Mia is caught kissing her classmate Lilly’s boyfriend. For junior and senior high readers. 2007.

Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood    RC 64188
by Ann Brashares
read by Erin Jones
2 cassettes
Carmen, Lena, Bridget, and Tibby, from Girls in Pants (RC 59737), share the magic blue jeans during the summer after their freshman year in college. The four relish their long friendship while experiencing grown-up dilemmas and romance. Some descriptions of sex. For senior high readers. 2007.

The Outfit: A Parker Novel    RC 64191
by Richard Stark
read by John Polk
1 cassette
The Outfit, a criminal organization headed by Arthur Bronson, puts a contract out on Parker for a long-standing dispute over stolen money. While Parker’s associates target Outfit operations, Parker—with a new identity and a new face thanks to plastic surgery—sets out to even the score with Bronson himself. 1963.

Odyssey: Engines of God, Book 5    RC 64192
by Jack McDevitt
read by Roy Avers
3 cassettes
Journalist Gregory MacAllister spearheads a campaign to cut funding to the Academy’s interstellar program. In a desperate move to stop him, Priscilla "Hutch" Hutchins, from Omega (RC 57357), invites Gregory to join a space mission to investigate mysterious lights called "moonriders." The crew makes some unexpected discoveries. 2006.

Tersias the Oracle    RC 64194
by G.P. Taylor
read by John Polk
2 cassettes
Tersias, a twelve-year-old blind boy who predicts the future, is held captive for his powers. Jonah and his friends—a band of young thieves—seek to rescue Tersias but become embroiled in the machinations of the lunatic Solomon. Sequel to Wormwood (RC 59385). For junior and senior high readers. 2005.

Get a Life    RC 64196
by Nadine Gordimer
read by Megan Burnette
1 cassette
Thirty-five-year-old white South African Paul Bannerman is diagnosed with cancer. Paul’s treatment makes him a radioactive threat to his wife and young son, so he moves into an isolated wing at his parents’ house. While recuperating, Paul, an ecologist, contemplates his life. Meanwhile, his parents review their own past. 2005.

The Pushcart Prize XXXI: Best of the Small Presses, 2007    RC 64201
edited by Bill Henderson
read by Roy Avers
4 cassettes
Sixty-three short stories, essays, and poems from literary magazines, online and print journals, and small presses. Includes Wendell Berry’s "The Way of Ignorance," Kate Braverman’s "Cocktail Hour," Louise Glück’s "Persephone the Wanderer," and Stephen Dunn’s "Salvation." Some descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. 2007.

The Gypsy Moon: The House of Winslow, Book 35    RC 64213
by Gilbert Morris
read by Mitzi Friedlander
2 cassettes
Following her parents’ deaths, Gabby Winslow joins her aunt and uncle in the Netherlands, eventually becoming a doctor. She helps the Dutch underground to smuggle German Jews to safety and later teams up with a British agent to get her uncle out of Berlin. 2005.

The Wrong Man    RC 64226
by John Katzenbach
read by Colleen Delany
4 cassettes
New England. Graduate student Ashley Freeman’s one-time fling Michael O’Connell resurfaces and stalks her with disturbing messages. Ashley’s father Scott turns to his ex-wife Sally and her lesbian partner Hope to stop Michael. When lawful methods fail, the trio resorts to extreme measures. Some violence and some strong language. 2006.

When We Meet Again: Effington Family    RC 64230
by Victoria Alexander
read by Corrie James
2 cassettes
In 1818 Venice, Pamela Effington allowed herself to be seduced by Prince Alexei’s charm, knowing she would never see him again. Four years later, fate intervenes: Pamela inherits a house in London and discovers Prince Alexei in residence. Some explicit descriptions of sex. 2005.

No More Playas    RC 64232
by Brenda Jackson
read by Michael Scherer
2 cassettes
Chicago. Breaking the rules of his own bachelor manifesto, The Playa’s Handbook (RC 63546), Lance Montgomery decides he is in love with a former fling, fellow relationship psychologist Asia Fowler. Lance sets out to win her back from her current fiancé. Explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2005.

Wind Rider’s Oath: Bahzell Trilogy, Book 3    RC 64233
by David Weber
read by Michael Scherer
4 cassettes
Bahzell Bahnakson, champion of the war god Tomanak, attempts to persuade the Sothoii people to help fight against the Dark Gods. Bahzell joins the elite wind riders and their mystical horse-like coursers, while the Dark Gods plot his demise. Sequel to The War God’s Own (RC 63011). Violence. 2004.

Daylight Comes: Freedom’s Path, Book 3    RC 64234
by Judith Miller
read by Michele Schaeffer
2 cassettes
Kansas, 1882. African American homesteader Moses Wyman decides to run for state auditor, but a victory would mean uprooting his pregnant wife Truth from family and friends and their beloved hometown of Nicodemus. Meanwhile in Hill City, young Macia Boyle, fresh from a European holiday, deliberates about two suitors. 2006.

Wilderness Trek    RC 64235
by Zane Grey
read by Michael Russotto
2 cassettes (Reissue)
American cowboys Sterling Hazelton and Red Krehl sail to Australia, where they join a three-thousand-mile cattle drive across the outback. The Dann family—including beautiful Beryl—rides along on the perilous two-year journey, during which they encounter hostile natives and rustlers and confront betrayal and death. 1944.

The Whole World Over    RC 64236
by Julia Glass
read by Faith Potts
4 cassettes
New York City bookstore owner Fenno McLeod, from Three Junes (RC 55525), says goodbye to pastry chef Greenie and her son when they leave for New Mexico. Meanwhile Greenie’s psychotherapist husband befriends a woman suffering from memory loss, and Greenie’s friend Walter meets a new man. Some strong language. 2006.

Sugar Daddy    RC 64237
by Lisa Kleypas
read by Michele Schaeffer
2 cassettes
Beautician Liberty Jones is struggling to raise her half sister in Houston when wealthy client Churchill Travis hires her as his personal assistant. Churchill’s son Gage falls in love with Liberty, but she still longs for childhood-love Hardy Cates. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2007.

Obsession    RC 64239
by Karen Robards
read by Colleen Delany
3 cassettes
When CIA employee Katharine Lawrence is viciously attacked, neighbor Dr. Dan Howard takes her to the hospital—where she wakes up with partial amnesia and a new face. After another attempt on her life, the two go on the run. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2007.

Scavenger    RC 64245
by David Morrell
read by Joe Peck
2 cassettes
History professor Adrian Murdock sends Frank Balenger, from Creepers (RC 62011), to find a time capsule—the Sepulcher of Worldly Desires. Meanwhile Frank’s lover Amanda Evert and five others are kidnapped and have only forty hours to solve the mystery of the device. Violence and strong language. 2007.

We Shall Not Sleep: A World War I Novel    RC 64248
by Anne Perry
read by Corrie James
3 cassettes
Siblings Matthew, Joseph, and Judith Reavley wind up in Flanders at the close of the war. A German officer agrees to go to England and expose the Peacemaker, a spy who had the Reavleys’ parents murdered. Sequel to At Some Disputed Barricade (RC 64441). Some violence. 2007.

The Richlands    RC 64249
by Agnes Sligh Turnbull
read by Faith Potts
2 cassettes (Reissue)
Pennsylvania, early 1900s. Love for the Richlands sets Jim Ryall on a different path from the law career his father intended. While Jim farms the land, his life revolves around his brothers, a servant with a secret, Aunt Polly, his wife Peggy, and Phoebe, who cares for his children. 1974.

Final Curtain: An Inspector Roderick Alleyn Mystery    RC 64254
by Ngaio Marsh
read by Patricia Kilgarriff
2 cassettes (Reissue)
Troy Alleyn, wife of Inspector Roderick Alleyn, paints a portrait of Shakespearean actor Sir Henry Ancred, a patriarch preparing to marry a young chorus girl. After a tense birthday dinner, Henry is found dead. Troy, finally reunited with Roderick after a prolonged separation, suspects poisoning and enlists Roderick’s aid. 1947.

The Whiteoak Brothers: Jalna—1923; Whiteoak Chronicles, Book 6    RC 64255
by Mazo de la Roche
read by Terry Donnelly
2 cassettes (Reissue)
Adeline Whiteoak, elderly matriarch of her Canadian family, has reached her ninety-eighth year and her grandson Renny is now head of the household at Jalna. Renny’s half-brother Eden nearly bankrupts the family by investing in a fake gold mine, while his other half-brother Piers begins a controversial romance. 1953.

Evanly Bodies: A Constable Evans Mystery    RC 64259
by Rhys Bowen
read by Robert Blumenfeld
2 cassettes
In Llanfair, Wales, Constable Evan Evans contends with a dense supervisor while investigating three murders that appear to have been committed by the same person. Evans’s schoolteacher wife Bronwen helps him search for a missing teenage Muslim girl whose radical brother wants her to return to Pakistan to marry. 2006.

A Christmas Secret    RC 64292
by Anne Perry
read by Vanessa Maroney
1 cassette
December, 1890. London vicar Dominic Corde and his wife Clarice spend Christmas in an isolated village where Dominic substitutes for the Reverend Wynter, who has taken a last-minute holiday. But Wynter isn’t on vacation at all. Dominic and Clarice investigate but soon find themselves in danger. 2006.

Marrow    RC 64293
by Robert Reed
read by Michael Scherer
3 cassettes
A planet—dubbed Marrow—is discovered in the cargo hold of a vast, ancient spacecraft called the Great Ship. A disaster maroons an expedition team on the planet and triggers a course of events that will eventually threaten the Great Ship’s existence. Strong language, some descriptions of sex, and some violence. 2000.

Tanner’s Twelve Swingers: An Evan Tanner Mystery    RC 64295
by Lawrence Block
read by Gregory Gorton
1 cassette
Insomniac spy Evan Tanner seeks a friend’s long-lost love in Latvia by way of Yugoslavia, Hungary, and Russia. Evan soon acquires other companions—an elderly political author, a young Lithuanian heiress, and twelve Latvian gymnasts—who all wish to be smuggled to America. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. 1967.

The Baby Merchant    RC 64338
by Kit Reed
read by Margaret Strom
3 cassettes
Tom Starbird is planning to quit his illicit business of placing "unwanted" children with wealthy clients when he gets one last job: journalist Jake Zorn, who threatens to expose Tom unless Tom finds him a baby. Tom targets pregnant, unwed artist Sasha Egan, but has second thoughts. Strong language. 2006.

The Staggerford Murders and The Life and Death of Nancy Clancy’s Nephew    RC 64368
by Jon Hassler
read by Ray Childs
2 cassettes
Two novellas. In The Staggerford Murders Minnesota hotel residents investigate the nine-year-old case of Chamber of Commerce head Neddy Nichols’s murder and the disappearance of his wife. In The Life and Death of Nancy Clancy’s Nephew elderly W.D. Nestor pays a long-overdue visit to his centenarian aunt Nancy Clancy. 2004.

Case Histories: A Jackson Brodie Mystery    RC 64391
by Kate Atkinson
read by Fred Major
2 cassettes
Cambridge, England. Cop-turned-PI Jackson Brodie investigates multiple cold cases. Two middle-aged sisters follow up the childhood disappearance of their sibling, a retired attorney seeks his daughter’s killer, and an ax murderer’s sister searches for her niece. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2004.

Old Twentieth    RC 64392
by Joe Haldeman
read by Richard Hauenstein
2 cassettes
Jacob Brewer, a virtuality engineer, joins the crew of Aspera on a thousand-year spaceflight during which voyagers seek amusement on twentieth-century Earth using the ship’s time machine. But while investigating deadly malfunctions, Jacob discovers the machine has become sentient. Strong language, some descriptions of sex, and some violence. 2005.

A Separate War and Other Stories    RC 64395
by Joe Haldeman
read by Erin Jones
2 cassettes
Fifteen science fiction tales published between 1969 and 2005 by the award-winning author. Includes "Out of Phase," the first story Haldeman sold; its sequel "Power Complex;" and the title work, featuring Marygay Potter from The Forever War (RC 48659). Some descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. 2006.

Redemption    RC 64398
by Frederick Turner
read by Barry Bernson
2 cassettes
New Orleans, 1913. Francis "Fast-Mail" Muldoon becomes vice lord Tom Anderson’s assistant in Storyville after his police career ends in gunfire. The Parker brothers tread on Anderson’s territory and complicate life when they hire Anderson’s former stepdaughter/lover to sing. Strong language, some explicit descriptions of sex, and some violence. 2006.

On Tall Pine Lake    RC 64399
by Dorothy Garlock
read by Mitzi Friedlander
2 cassettes
Arkansas, 1980. Orphan Nona Conrad takes a job managing an Ozark fishing camp—and brings along her fourteen-year-old sister Maggie. A package from their half brother Harold leads to danger, while Nona falls in love with the camp owner. Some explicit descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. 2007.

Too Big a Storm    RC 64401
by Marsha Qualey
read by Erin Jones
2 cassettes
Minneapolis, 1969. Eighteen-year-old Brady Callahan feels conflicted about the Vietnam War because her brother went AWOL there, her new friend is active in the antiwar movement, and she herself fell in love with a veteran. When tragedy strikes, Brady must form her own beliefs. For senior high readers. 2004.

One Good Turn: A Jackson Brodie Mystery    RC 64403
by Kate Atkinson
read by Fred Major
3 cassettes
After receiving an inheritance, British PI Jackson Brodie, from Case Histories (RC 64391), retires and moves to France. While visiting his girlfriend in Edinburgh, Scotland, Brodie witnesses a road-rage accident. Later, as the bystanders are menaced, he investigates the incident. Strong language and some violence. 2006.

The Fugitive Wife    RC 64406
by Peter C. Brown
read by Erin Jones
2 cassettes
1900. After her son’s death, Esther Crummey flees her Minnesota farm and volatile husband Leonard and joins a prospecting company headed for Nome, Alaska. Esther befriends foreman Nate Deaton, unaware that Leonard has set out to find her. Strong language, some explicit descriptions of sex, and some violence. 2006.

The White Tyger    RC 64407
by Paul Park
read by Jill Fox
2 cassettes
After magical transportation from contemporary Massachusetts to an alternative eighteenth-century world, Miranda and her friend Peter de Graz are captured by the mad baroness Ceausescu, who wants to steal the political role of white tyger and rule Roumania. Sequel to The Tourmaline (RC 64427). For senior high readers. 2007.

Walk Proud, Stand Tall: A Western Story    RC 64408
by Johnny D. Boggs
read by Jack Fox
2 cassettes
Seventy-year-old former Arizona lawman Lin Garrett learns his nemesis Ollie Sinclair has robbed a train. Garrett and his onetime deputy Ol’ Corb set out after the outlaw. The aging duo believes Sinclair is headed for the home of Holly Mossman, whom both Garrett and Sinclair once loved. 2006.

Love Walked In    RC 64413
by Marisa de los Santos
read by Jill Fox
2 cassettes
One day Martin Grace walks into the life of Cornelia Brown, a thirty-one-year-old Philadelphia café manager, and a brief romance follows. When Martin introduces Cornelia to his estranged ten-year-old daughter Clare, whose unstable mother has disappeared, Cornelia’s maternal instincts emerge. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2005.

When Death Comes Stealing: A Tamara Hayle Mystery    RC 64426
by Valerie Wilson Wesley
read by Madelyn Buzzard
2 cassettes
Newark. African American cop-turned-PI Tamara Hayle receives a phone call from her ex-husband DeWayne, who informs her that his son by another woman has died. When DeWayne confides that this is the second suspicious death among his children, Tamara investigates. Strong language, some descriptions of sex, and some violence. 1994.

Camouflage    RC 64434
by Joe Haldeman
read by John Polk
2 cassettes
Samoa, 2019. Marine biologist Russell Sutton discovers an undersea relic that, once recovered, summons two aliens who have lived among humans for millennia. One is a peaceable changeling, the other a chameleon bent on eliminating competition. Some explicit descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. Nebula Award. 2004.

The Cleaner    RC 64446
by Brett Battles
read by Scott Brick
3 cassettes
Loner Jonathan Quinn makes his living as a professional cleaner—disposing of unwanted bodies. But when he’s dispatched to a Colorado cabin to investigate an arson case, Quinn finds his life in danger. He hopes a woman from his past can help. Commercial audiobook. 2007.

The Pesthouse    RC 64450
by Jim Crace
read by Michael Kramer
2 cassettes
After America is turned into a barren, lawless wasteland, people flee to Europe. Franklin Lopez is stopping to recover from an injury when he meets Margaret at a pesthouse—where she’s suffering from a deadly infection. The two gradually fall in love and seek refuge together. Commercial audiobook. 2007.

On Chesil Beach    RC 64458
by Ian McEwan
read by Ian McEwan
1 cassette
England, 1962. Twenty-two-year-old musician Florence Ponting and twenty-three-year-old history student Edward Mayhew, both sexually innocent, fall in love and travel to the Dorset coast for their honeymoon. A momentary misunderstanding on their wedding night changes everything. Commercial audiobook. 2007.

Sun Kissed: The Coulter Family, Book 7    RC 64470
by Catherine Anderson
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
2 cassettes
Rancher Samantha Harrigan and veterinarian Tucker Coulter meet while protecting a horse from its drunken owner. When her own horses are poisoned, Samantha suspects her ex-husband. But authorities think that Samantha—the insurance beneficiary—is involved. Tucker helps prove her innocence. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. Bestseller. 2007.

Shopaholic and Baby    RC 64471
by Sophie Kinsella
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
2 cassettes
After discovering that she has a half-sibling in Shopaholic and Sister (RC 58896), Becky learns that she is pregnant and has baby shopping to do. She hires celebrity obstetrician Venetia Carter and later realizes that the doctor is her husband Luke’s old college flame. Some strong language. Bestseller. 2007.

Innocent in Death: An Eve Dallas Mystery    RC 64472
by J.D. Robb
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
2 cassettes
New York City, 2060. History teacher Craig Foster dies after eating a ricin-laced lunch. As Lieutenant Eve Dallas investigates Foster’s death, another teacher is murdered and a beautiful criminal—the ex-girlfriend of Eve’s husband Roarke—reappears. Explicit descriptions of sex, violence, and strong language. Bestseller. 2007.

The 6th Target: A Women’s Murder Club Mystery    RC 64498
by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
read by Carolyn McCormick
2 cassettes
San Francisco. When a mass shooting on a ferry wounds Women’s Murder Club member Claire Washburn, Sergeant Lindsay Boxer investigates and attorney Yuki Castellano prosecutes. Lindsay also delves into a child kidnapping case involving a dead nanny. Strong language, some descriptions of sex, and some violence. Bestseller. 2007.

Nails: A Gabriel Du Pré Mystery    RC 64595
by Peter Bowen
read by Robert Sams
2 cassettes
Toussaint, Montana. Métis Indian Gabriel Du Pré is guiding Jesuit priest Van Den Heuvel into the Wolf Mountains when he discovers the body of a young girl. Meanwhile, a fundamentalist sect moves into town bent on converting the community. Eventually Gabriel connects the two events. Strong language and some violence. 2006.

Emako Blue    RC 64625
by Brenda Woods
read by Erin Jones
1 cassette
Los Angeles. African American classmates Monterey, Jamal, and Eddie remember their friend Emako, who was accidentally shot and killed. Having bonded with her through a mutual interest in singing, they reminisce about the talented vocalist. Some violence. For senior high readers. 2004.

T Is for Trespass: A Kinsey Millhone Mystery    RC 65338
by Sue Grafton
read by Judy Kaye
3 cassettes
Santa Teresa, California. After PI Kinsey Millhone’s elderly neighbor Gus Vronsky falls, his great-niece hires nurse Solana Rojas to care for him. Kinsey investigates Solana’s background, but doesn’t learn until much later that Solana is a sociopath who is abusing and robbing Gus. Commercial audiobook. Strong language and some violence. Bestseller. 2007.

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Books for Children

Cassettes Nonfiction

A Whale Biologist at Work    RC 63782
by Sneed B. Collard III
read by Bill Wallace
1 cassette
Explains the work of marine biologist John Calambokidis, who studies humpback and blue whales off the coast of California. Discusses the scientist and his team’s investigations of whale behaviors, relationships, and feeding habits. Covers commercial whale hunting and whale populations and birth rates. For grades 3-6. 2000.

Sparks Fly High: The Legend of Dancing Point    RC 63783
retold by Mary Quattlebaum
read by Erik Sandvold
1 cassette
Colonial Virginia. Proud Colonel Lightfoot accepts the devil’s challenge to dance for control of some land along the James River, with surprising results for both of them. Retelling of the legend of Dancing Point. For grades 2-4. 2006.

Langston Hughes    RC 63798
edited by Arnold Rampersad and David Roessel
read by Chuck Young
1 cassette
Twenty-six poems by African American writer Langston Hughes (1902–1967), whose work reflects the language and heritage of his people. "Aunt Sue’s Stories" celebrates oral tradition while "I Dream a World" expresses a hope for all mankind. Includes explanatory notes and a biographical essay. For grades 4-7 and older readers. 2006.

Bronzeville Boys and Girls    RC 63916
by Gwendolyn Brooks
read by Tracy Mickens-Hundley
1 cassette (Reissue)
In these thirty-four poems Pulitzer Prize winner Gwendolyn Brooks (1917–2000) celebrates childhood in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago. Poem topics range from Mexie and Bridie’s tiny tea party to Andre’s dream parents, Beulah at church, Michael’s fear of a storm, and Vern’s snuggly pup. For grades 3-6. 1956.

The American Story: One Hundred True Tales from American History    RC 64003
by Jennifer Armstrong
read by Alec Volz
2 cassettes
U.S. history—from 1565 to 2000—expressed in portraits of people and events. Describes tragedies, such as the Chicago Fire and the eruption of Mount Saint Helens, and triumphs, including completion of the transcontinental railway and the first moon landing. Profiles Benjamin Franklin, Elvis Presley, and others. For grades 4-7. 2006.

Stories from the Silk Road    RC 64108
retold by Cherry Gilchrist
read by Walter Dixon
1 cassette
Seven folktales—about camels, demons, dragons, and horses—from places along the ancient trade route between the old Chinese capital city Chang’an and Samarkand. "The Bride with the Horse’s Head" tells how a kindhearted Chinese girl, betrothed to a horse, became the goddess of silk. For grades 3-6 and older readers. 1999.

Lugalbanda: The Boy Who Got Caught Up in a War    RC 64155
by Kathy Henderson
read by Anne Flosnik
1 cassette
Little prince Lugalbanda accompanies his seven older and stronger warrior brothers to attack Aratta, but falls ill along the way and nearly dies. Using his wits and courage—and a wish granted by the Anzu bird—Lugalbanda survives and saves the king’s army. Ancient Sumerian folktale. For grades 3-6. 2006.

Amazing Tigers!    RC 64184
by Sarah L. Thomson
read by Gary Tipton
1 cassette
Presents facts about tigers and their cubs—the reason they have stripes, the ways they hunt, and why they are disappearing from the wild. For grades K-3. 2004.

Cooking Rocks! Rachael Ray Thirty-Minute Meals for Kids    RC 64199
by Rachael Ray
read by Erin Jones
1 cassette
Recipes for sandwiches, soups, one-dish meals, and desserts suitable for preparation by children in various age groups. Sections on beverages, snacks, and big subs are for all ages. Includes kitchen basics and tips for grown-up helpers. For grades 4-7 and older readers. 2004.

John Smith Escapes Again!    RC 64207
by Rosalyn Schanzer
read by Gary Tipton
1 cassette
Biography of English explorer John Smith (1580–1631) featuring his travels and dangerous adventures. Discusses his European journeys involving pirates, shipwrecks, and enslavement—all before his twenty-sixth birthday and voyage to the colony of Virginia. Covers his encounters with Native Americans and exploration of New England. For grades 4-7. 2006.

Beowulf    RC 64317
retold by Michael Morpurgo
read by Robert Sams
1 cassette
A retelling in prose of the Anglo-Saxon epic about the great warrior Beowulf’s heroic efforts to save the people of Heorot Hall from several terrifying monsters, including Grendel; Grendel’s mother, an old sea-hag; and the death-dragon of the deep. For grades 6-9. 2006.

Scholastic Atlas of Space    RC 64321
read by Colleen Delany
1 cassette
Provides an overview of facts about the universe. Covers galaxies, the Milky Way, the sun and moon, stars, planets, asteroids, comets, meteors, and space exploration. Includes three activities and a glossary. For grades 3-6. 2004.

More than Man’s Best Friend: The Story of Working Dogs    RC 64323
by Robyn O’Sullivan
read by Michele Schaeffer
1 cassette
Explains the jobs that some dogs are trained to do to help people. Covers guide, service, customs, herding, and search-and-rescue dogs. Includes a glossary and a list of resources. For grades 2-4. 2006.

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Cassettes Fiction

Mr. Chickee’s Funny Money: Flint Future Detectives, Book 1    RC 60758
by Christopher Paul Curtis
read by Rick Wiseman
1 cassette
Mr. Chickee, the blind neighbor of Flint Future Club member Steven, gives him a quadrillion dollar bill, which pictures soul singer James Brown. Treasury agent Fondoo chases Steven, his friend Russell, and Russell’s dog Zoopy in order to retrieve the money. For grades 4-7. 2005.

Spacer and Rat    RC 62076
by Margaret Bechard
read by Peter Lavezzoli
1 cassette
Jack’s predictable existence on Freedom space station changes when he meets Kit, an Earthie rat. Kit possesses an illegal sentient robot, modified by her father, that the Company wants. Spacer Jack finds himself protecting the rat and her bot. For grades 6-9. 2005.

Rowan Farm    RC 63341
by Margot Benary-Isbert
read by Laura Giannarelli
2 cassettes
Western Germany, 1948. The refugee Lechow family, first met in The Ark (RC 16794), are reunited in their converted railroad-car home on Rowan Farm. Sixteen-year-old Margret manages the household, copes with her siblings’ problems, and rescues a Shetland pony. For grades 5-8. 1954.

When Shlemiel Went to Warsaw and Other Stories    RC 63351
by Isaac Bashevis Singer
read by Barbara Rappaport
1 cassette
Eight tales based on traditional Jewish themes from Eastern Europe and filled with fools and wise men, witches, demons, and devils. In the title story, Shlemiel is so stubborn that he won’t believe his own eyes. For grades 4-7 and older readers. Newbery Honor Book. 1968.

Pay the Piper: A Rock ‘n’ Roll Fairy Tale    RC 63376
by Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple
read by Victoria Gordon
1 cassette
After Callie interviews Gringras, the flute player of the Brass Rat band, for her school newspaper, she feels uneasy. When her younger brother Nick and all the other children in town disappear on Halloween, Callie follows her hunch to rescue them, journeying into Faerie realm. For grades 5-8. 2005.

Stormbreaker: An Alex Rider Adventure    RC 63401
by Anthony Horowitz
read by Michael Russotto
1 cassette
After the murder of his guardian Uncle Ian, fourteen-year-old Alex Rider is blackmailed into completing Ian’s dangerous undercover work for MI6, Britain’s intelligence agency. The boy’s assignment is to infiltrate computer millionaire Herod Sayle’s business and search for viruses. For grades 6-9. 2000.

Fairest    RC 63518
by Gail Carson Levine
read by Celeste Lawson
2 cassettes
In Ayortha, where singing and beauty are prized above all else, Aza’s voice soars, but her looks are homely. While discovering her true self, Aza encounters a mysterious magical mirror, a romantic prince, a queen’s treachery, and ogres. For grades 6-9. 2006.

Point Blank: An Alex Rider Adventure    RC 63559
by Anthony Horowitz
read by Michael Russotto
2 cassettes
Fourteen-year-old Alex Rider’s espionage work for British MI6 takes him to the French Alps. On his mission there to investigate an exclusive boarding school for delinquent sons of wealthy parents, Alex discovers brainwashed clones and evil headmaster Dr. Grief. For grades 6-9. 2001.

The End: A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 13    RC 63646
by Lemony Snicket
read by Laura Giannarelli
2 cassettes
Lost at sea, the Baudelaire orphans wash up on the shore of an island along with the evil Count Olaf. Sequel to The Penultimate Peril (RC 61167) and the last book in a Series of Unfortunate Events. For grades 4-7. 2006.

Peter Pan in Scarlet    RC 63702
by Geraldine McCaughrean
read by Laura Giannarelli
2 cassettes
England, 1926. A now-grown-up Mrs. Wendy realizes that dreams are leaking out of Neverland. Fearing for Peter Pan’s life, Wendy and the Lost Boys return to Neverland with fairy Fireflyer’s assistance. Authorized sequel to Peter Pan (RC 59430)—the boy who never grows up. For grades 5-8. 2006.

Things Hoped For    RC 63723
by Andrew Clements
read by Megan Burnett
1 cassette
Seventeen-year-old violin prodigy Gwen lives with her ailing grandfather in Manhattan while attending a music academy on a scholarship. As Gwen prepares to audition for a prestigious college, her grandfather disappears. Fellow musician Robert—Bobby, from Things Not Seen
(RC 54713)
—provides help and friendship. For grades 6-9. 2006.

Crispin: At the Edge of the World    RC 63729
by Avi
read by Alec Volz
1 cassette
Fourteenth-century England. This sequel to Crispin: The Cross of Lead (RC 55295) finds Crispin and Bear, the enormous red-haired juggler, fleeing for their lives from a rebel brotherhood. When Bear is wounded, Crispin relies on an ancient healer and a disfigured girl for help. For grades 6-9. 2006.

Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony    RC 63818
by Eoin Colfer
read by Michele Schaeffer
2 cassettes
Artemis solves temporal equations to detect demon presence and prevent catastrophe. But someone else completes the complex mathematical calculations—a twelve-year-old girl who may be as smart as Artemis, which makes her a formidable new foe. Sequel to Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception (RC 60583). For grades 5-8. 2006.

The Eternal Flame: The Great Tree of Avalon, Book 3    RC 64014
by T.A. Barron
read by Megan Burnett
2 cassettes
Merlin’s grandson Tamwyn, the priestess Elli, and the eagleman Scree set out on separate quests to stop warlord Rhita Gawr and his army of deathless warriors from destroying Avalon. Sequel to Shadow on the Stars (RC 62081). For grades 6-9. 2006.

Twelve Travelers, Twenty Horses    RC 64049
by Harriette Gillem Robinet
read by Bill Quinn
1 cassette
In an 1860 Kentucky slave auction, thirteen-year-old Jacob is reunited with his mother and eight friends by a kind master who is newly and suspiciously rich. As the group journeys toward California, Jacob foils a robbery of a stagecoach carrying election results and Pony Express wages. For grades 4-7. 2003.

Martin Bridge: Blazing Ahead!    RC 64086
by Jessica Scott Kerrin
read by Madelyn Buzzard
1 cassette
Martin looks forward to the Junior Badgers’ first overnight camping trip, while his friend Alex, king of pranks, has prepared some slime that looks like relish. In a second story, "Lightning Bolts," Martin finds a special way to thank his father for teaching him about tools. For grades 2-4. 2006.

The Black Stallion and Satan    RC 64094
by Walter Farley
read by Constance Crawford
1 cassette (Reissue)
Alec Ramsay enters Satan, a Triple Crown champion, and the Black Stallion, Satan’s sire, in a competition against each other for the first time at the International Cup. But unexpected events place the stallions in the path of a forest fire and a race for their lives. For grades 4-7. 1949.

Probably the World’s Best Story about a Dog and the Girl Who Loved Me    RC 64096
by D. James Smith
read by Geoffrey Centlivre
1 cassette
California, 1951. Twelve-year-old Paolo, his six-year-old brother Georgie, and their nine-year-old deaf cousin Billy try to find their missing dog, cope with a new paper route, and discover romance in their small hometown. Sequel to The Boys of San Joaquin (RC 63488). For grades 5-8. 2006.

Worlds Apart    RC 64098
by Kathleen Karr
read by Geoffrey Centlivre
1 cassette
Carolina Colony, 1670. Soon after arriving from England, fifteen-year-old Christopher West strikes up a friendship with Asha-po, a Sewee Indian youth. During the year, they exchange language lessons and learn some hard lessons about survival, slavery, and friendship. For grades 5-8. 2005.

Soccer Chick Rules    RC 64118
by Dawn FitzGerald
read by Constance Crawford
1 cassette
For Tess, being on the soccer team is the best part of middle school. When she learns that all school sports programs will be stopped unless a community tax levy is passed, Tess becomes involved in local politics. For grades 5-8. 2006.

Mercy Watson Fights Crime: Mercy Watson, Book 3    RC 64121
by Kate DiCamillo
read by Anne Hancock
1 cassette
Mercy, a pig, loves buttered toast. One night her cravings lead her to the kitchen, where she finds a thief trying to steal the Watson’s toaster. Beginning chapter book. Sequel to Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride (RC 62778). For grades K-3. 2006.

Voyage of Slaves: A Tale from the Castaways of the Flying Dutchman    RC 64187
by Brian Jacques
read by Jack Fox
2 cassettes
The Mediterranean Sea, 1703. Continuing their adventures from The Angel’s Command
(RC 56068)
, Ben and his loyal dog Ned are again shipwrecked and separated. Ned is rescued by a troupe of traveling entertainers, but Ben falls into the clutches of slave lord Al Misurata. For grades 5-8. 2006.

Among the Free: The Shadow Children    RC 64193
by Margaret Peterson Haddix
read by Brian Conn
1 cassette
In this series conclusion, thirteen-year-old Shadow Child Luke Garner unwittingly sets off a rebellion that ousts the Population Police from power. Quickly realizing that the new regime is corrupt, Luke may hold the only key to true freedom. Sequel to Among the Enemy (RC 63366). For grades 5-8. 2006.

Water Street    RC 64195
by Patricia Reilly Giff
read by Erin Jones
1 cassette
Brooklyn, 1875. Twelve-year-old Bridget "Bird" Mallon and her new upstairs neighbor Thomas Neary take turns recounting their Irish American family happenings—the drinking, the illegal backroom boxing, midwifing, and dreams of overcoming their working-class lives—while the Brooklyn Bridge is built. Sequel to Maggie’s Door (RC 57807). For grades 5-8. 2006.

Ghost Dog    RC 64222
by Eleanor Allen
read by Michele Schaeffer
1 cassette
When Kim’s family moves into a new house, her parents don’t want to bother with a dog. One night Kim spots a big black guard dog chasing a thief in the garden, but she soon realizes that the dog is a ghost. For grades 2-4. 1996.

My Face to the Wind: The Diary of Sarah Jane Price, a Prairie Teacher    RC 64231
by Jim Murphy
read by Kimberly Schraf
1 cassette
Broken Bow, Nebraska; 1881. After her schoolteacher-father’s death from black diphtheria, fourteen-year-old Sarah Jane has limited prospects. She must live in the faraway Orphan Girls Asylum with six-day work weeks or convince the town school board to hire her as their new teacher. For grades 5-8. 2001.

Shakespeare’s Secret    RC 64246
by Elise Broach
read by Michele Schaeffer
1 cassette
Named after a character in a Shakespeare play, misfit sixth-grader Hero becomes interested in exploring this connection and other puzzling matters: a valuable diamond supposedly hidden in her house, an intriguing neighbor, and the unexpected attention of the most popular boy in school. For grades 4-7. 2005.

Probuditi!    RC 64320
by Chris Van Allsburg
read by Michele Schaeffer
1 cassette
On his birthday, Calvin takes his best friend Rodney, rather than his sister Trudy, to a magician’s show. Back home the boys hypnotize Trudy to act like a dog and are alarmed when they cannot snap her out of it. But Trudy gets the last laugh. For grades K-3. 2006.

Worth    RC 64359
by A. LaFaye
read by Ray Childs
1 cassette
Nebraska, late nineteenth century. After eleven-year-old Nate’s leg is crushed in a barn accident, his father adopts "orphan train" boy John Worth to help with farm chores. Nate and John gradually overcome their mutual distrust, bonding during a feud between the farmers and ranchers. For grades 4-7. 2004.

Gooney the Fabulous    RC 64379
by Lois Lowry
read by Anne Hancock
1 cassette
While Mrs. Pidgeon teaches her second-grade class about Aesop’s fables, Gooney Bird has a fabulous idea. Students will make up a fable based on an animal that begins with the same letter as their first name. Sequel to Gooney Bird and the Room Mother (RC 61256). For grades 2-4. 2007.

Adam Canfield of the Slash    RC 64390
by Michael Winerip
read by Gary Tipton
2 cassettes
Middle-schoolers Jennifer and Adam, coeditors of the school newspaper, are on the lookout for front-page news. But it’s third-grader Phoebe who delivers a major scoop to Adam—leading to an investigation of the principal. For grades 5-8. 2005.

A Dirty Deed    RC 64410
by Ted Stenhouse
read by Gary Tipton
1 cassette
Canada, 1952. Old Man Howe, the town’s richest citizen, beats an Indian teen. The only witnesses are Will, a white boy, and his friend Arthur, a Blackfoot Indian. The boys’ search for the truth uncovers Howe’s dirty dealings. Sequel to Across the Steel River (RC 63927). For grades 5-8. 2003.

Murder on the Ridge    RC 64420
by Ted Stenhouse
read by Brian Conn
1 cassette
Canada, 1952. Best friends Arthur, a Blackfoot Indian, and Will, a white boy, from A Dirty Deed (RC 64410), investigate the death of a Blackfoot soldier in World War I after they read a letter that suggests he was murdered and not killed by enemy fire. For grades 5-8. 2006.

Ivy and Bean, Book 1    RC 64440
by Annie Barrows
read by Jill Fox
1 cassette
Adventurous seven-year-old Bean does not want to be friends with quiet Ivy, the new girl across the street. But when Bean’s trick on her eleven-year-old sister Nancy backfires, Ivy comes to Bean’s rescue with a secret hiding place. Soon Ivy and Bean are having fun together. For grades 2-4. 2006.

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Foreign Language Books

Spanish

Inés del Alma Mía (Inés of My Soul)    RC 61061
por Isabel Allende
leído por María Pino
3 cassettes
1580. A través de las crónicas que Doña Inés Suárez deja a su hija, conoceremos la historia que la convirtió en heroína de la conquista chilena. Cuenta sobre su vida en España, su llegada al Nuevo Mundo, y su romance con el valiente conquistador Pedro de Valdivia, quien fundó la ciudad de Santiago y libró la guerra sangrienta contra los indígenas chilenos. Algunas descripciones de índole sexual. (1580. Doña Inés Suárez chronicles for her daughter the life that made her one of Chile’s heroines. She recounts her early years and marriage in Spain, arrival in Peru, and long affair with conquistador Pedro Valdivia, with whom she conquered Chile and founded Santiago. Some descriptions of sex.) 2006.

La Telaraña de Carlota (Charlotte’s Web)    RC 61062
por E.B. White
leído por María Pino
1 cassette
Fern, una niña que entiende los animales, quiere mucho a Wilbur, un cerdito bobo, y a Carlota, una hermosaaraña gris que teje palabras alentadoras en sus telarañas. Para grados 3 a 6. (Fern, a young girl with a unique understanding of animals, shares a special friendship with Wilbur, a foolish little pig, and Charlotte, a beautiful gray spider who weaves encouraging words in her web. For grades 3-6.) 2005.

La Familia: La Verdadera Historia de la Dinastía Bush (The Family: The Real Story of the Bush Dynasty)    RC 61066
por Kitty Kelley
leído por María Pino
7 cassettes en 2 cajas
La autora es biógrafo "no autorizado" de muchas personas famosas. Edita este libro sobre la dinastía Bush amasando casi mil entrevistas con amigos, ex-empleados, condiscípulos, parientes, y asocios de negocios del Presidente Bush, lo que revela secretos personales, financieros, y políticos. (Critical Bush family portrait by the "unauthorized" biographer of many celebrities. The author claims that her nearly one thousand interviews with Bush friends, former employees, classmates, business associates, and relatives unearth personal, financial, and political secrets.) 2004.

El Demonio y la Señorita Prym (The Devil and Miss Prym)    RC 61067
por Paulo Coelho
leído por Peter Pereyra
1 cassette
Un forastero llega al pueblo de Viscos acompañado por el Diablo. Trae consigo once barras de oro, y ofrece darles la fortuna a los habitantes del pueblo si aceptan la propuesta de asesinar a alguien. La joven Chantal Prym y los otros del pueblo se afligen al enfrentarse con un dilema moral entre el Bien y el Mal. (A stranger arrives in the village of Viscos with the devil, eleven gold bars, and a proposition: he will give the townspeople the fortune if they commit murder. Young Chantal Prym and others struggle with the moral dilemma.) 2001.

La Habitación de los Reptiles: Una Serie de Catastróficas Desdichas, Segundo Libro (The Reptile Room: A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 2)    RC 61068
por Lemony Snicket
leído por María Pino
1 cassette
Después de escaparse de las desgracias que sufrieron a manos del malvado Conde Olaf, como se narraron en Un Mal Principio (RC 61045), ahora los huérfanos Baudelaire llegan a vivir con el divertido Tío Monty, un herpetólogo que tiene unos reptiles interesantes. Por un tiempo, están contentos, pero el Conde Olaf no acaba con sus amenazas. Lenguaje injurioso. Para grados 4 a 7. (After narrowly escaping the menacing clutches of the dastardly Count Olaf in Un Mal Principio (RC 61045), the Baudelaire orphans go to live with Uncle Monty, a kindly herpetologist. For a brief time they are happy, but then Count Olaf reappears. Some strong language. For grades 4-7.) 2000.

Charles Darwin    RC 61069
por José Luis Martínez Sanz y Ana María González Martín
leído por María Pino
2 cassettes
Biografía del famoso naturalista británico del siglo XIX. En 1831 Darwin participa en un viaje de exploración científica de cinco años a bordo del bergantín Beagle. Como resultado de sus investigaciones, fomenta su famosa teoría de la evolución con la publicación del Origen de las Especies en 1859, la cual todavía produce controversías y divisiones en las comunidades científicas y religiosas de hoy. (Biography of the famous nineteenth-century British naturalist. After a five-year voyage of scientific exploration aboard the HMS Beagle, begun in 1831, Darwin developed his famous theory of evolution and published The Origin of Species in 1859, which remains a source of scientific and religious controversies.) 2004.

María Magdalena (Mary Magdalene)    RC 61070
por Enrique Fernández
leído por María Pino
2 cassettes
María Magdalena, discípula de Jesús, es pintado por la historia como prostituta arrepentida y penitente. Con pretensión de devolverle un poco de honor, el autor recorre la historia y la leyenda de María Magdalena, enfatizando su influencia en la Iglesia y en el arte, desde la antigüedad hasta la modernidad. (Mary Magdalene, a follower of Christ, is often depicted by history as a repentant prostitute. The author questions this judgment and strives to uplift Mary Magdalene by reviewing her story in history and legend and emphasizing her influence in religion and art from antiquity to modern times.) 2005.

Rafi y Rosi (Rafi and Rosi)    RC 61072
por Lulu Delacre
leído por María Pino
1 cassette
Tres cuentos de dos coquíes borinqueños, el travieso Rafi y su hermana menor Rosi, que viven en Puerto Rico. El chistoso Rafi enseña a Rosi acerca de la arena de la playa, del alga que brilla, y de los cangrejos ermitaños. Para grados K a 3. (Three short stories about two tree frogs, mischievous Rafi and his younger sister Rosi, who live in Puerto Rico. As Rafi teases Rosi, he also teaches her about beach sand, algae that make the water sparkle, and hermit crabs. For grades K-3.) 2006.


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Posted on 2011-01-10