Braille Book Review

March-April 2004

Books for Children

Fiction

Cinderella BR 14047
retold by Ruth Sanderson
1 volume
Although mistreated by her stepmother and stepsisters, kindhearted Cinderella manages to attend the palace ball with help of her fairy godmother. A retelling based on the French version by Charles Perrault, with some elements from the Brothers Grimm. PRINT/BRAILLE. For grades K-3. 2002.

Stage Fright on a Summer Night: Magic Tree House, Book 25 BR 14359
by Mary Pope Osborne
1 volume
When the magic tree house takes Jack and Annie back to London in 1600, they meet William Shakespeare. He needs two boys to be actors in his play A Midsummer Night's Dream. Jack is chosen, but has a bad case of stage fright. For grades 2-4. 2002.

Summerland BR 14395
by Michael Chabon
3 volumes
Eleven-year-old Ethan Feld, the least gifted ballplayer on Clam Island, is recruited to be a hero and defend the fairy-like ferishers in Summerland against giants, goblins, and a tough baseball team. He is assisted by his resolute friend, Jennifer T. Rideout, and assorted creatures. For grades 5-8 and older readers. Bestseller 2002.

ChaseR: A Novel in E-Mails BR 14409
by Michael J. Rosen
1 volume
Fourteen-year-old Chase Riley moves from Columbus, Ohio, to a farm where he encounters people and practices that seem strange. In a series of e-mails to his friends and sister, who is at college, he mocks his new surroundings. Gradually his perspectives change and he makes new friends. For grades 6-9. 2002.

Trouble at Fort La Pointe BR 14503
by Kathleen Ernst
1 volume
In 1732 twelve-year-old Suzette, an Ojibwe French girl living along Lake Superior, hopes her father wins the trapping contest so that he can quit being a voyageur--a pelt collector for the French fur-trading companies--and stay home. When he is accused of stealing, Suzette investigates to find the real thief. For grades 4-7. 2000.

Mystery at Chilkoot Pass BR 14504
by Barbara Steiner
1 volume
At the start of the Klondike gold rush in 1897, twelve-year-old Hetty travels to the Canadian mines with her family and their friends. But someone along the trail is stealing things from her family, and Hetty becomes determined to find the thief. For grades 4-7. 2002.

The Field of the Dogs BR 14509
by Katherine Paterson
1 volume
Josh feels like an outsider everywhere. Being a newcomer to Vermont with his mother, stepfather, and new baby brother, he's being bullied by a neighborhood boy. Then he discovers that his dog, Manch (whom he thinks he hears talking with other dogs), faces a bully of his own. For grades 3-6. 2001.

Blubber BR 14511
by Judy Blume
1 volume (Reissue)
Jill goes along with the rest of the fifth-grade class in tormenting an overweight classmate they nickname Blubber. Then Jill finds out what it's like to be the outsider when she also becomes a target. For grades 4-7. 1974.

Thanksgiving on Thursday: Magic Tree House, Book 27 BR 14513
by Mary Pope Osborne
1 volume
The magic tree house takes Jack and Annie back to the Pilgrims' first Thanksgiving celebration with the Wampanoag Indians. Preparing for the feast is harder than Annie and Jack realize and makes them even more thankful for living in modern times. For grades 2-4. 2002.

Hush BR 14515
by Jacqueline Woodson
1 volume
When Toswiah Green's family enter the witness protection program, they are uprooted from a comfortable life in Denver, breaking all ties with their past. They each respond to this identity crisis in different ways, while trying to start a new existence in unfamiliar circumstances. For grades 6-9. National Book Award finalist. 2002.

Happy Birthday, Danny and the Dinosaur! BR 14584
by Syd Hoff
1 volume
Danny invites his dinosaur friend to come to his sixth birthday party. When the dinosaur tells Danny that he is a hundred million years and one day old, they share the party. For grades K-3. 1995.

On the Run: Left Behind--the Kids, Volume 10 BR 14591
by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye
1 volume
In this sequel to The Search (BR 14260), tragic news about friends sends Judd and Ryan to Israel to discover the truth. Back home, Vicki, Lionel, and the Young Trib Force plan another dangerous mission at Nicolae High. For grades 5-8. 2000.

Into the Storm: Left Behind--the Kids, Volume 11 BR 14592
by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye
1 volume
A grief-stricken Young Trib Force hears scary details about the future in this sequel to On the Run (BR 14591). While Judd hides, the others search for secret documents to use against the Global Community. For grades 5-8. 2000.

Earthquake! Left Behind--the Kids, Volume 12 BR 14593
by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye
1 volume
This sequel to Into the Storm (BR 14592) depicts events foretold in the Book of Revelation. The great "wrath of the Lamb" earthquake strikes the globe, and the friends in the Young Trib Force are scattered, wondering if they will ever reunite. For grades 5-8. 2000.

The Showdown: Left Behind--the Kids, Volume 13 BR 14594
by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye
1 volume
The death toll rises as the tremors subside in this sequel to Earthquake! (BR 14593). Victims--including Judd, Vicki, Lionel, and Ryan--struggle to reunite with family and friends. For grades 5-8. 2001.

Crispin: The Cross of Lead BR 14606
by Avi
2 volumes
In 1377 England, the manor steward falsely accuses a thirteen- year-old orphan of murder. Before he runs away, the boy learns his name from the village priest. On the road with Bear, a juggler, Crispin learns who his father is--and the reason the steward wants him dead. For grades 6-9. Newbery Medal. 2002.

Kaya's Escape! A Survival Story BR 14607
by Janet Shaw
1 volume
Fall 1764. After Kaya and her blind sister, Speaking Rain, are kidnapped from their Nez Perce village by enemy horse raiders, she tries to find a way to escape back home. Sequel to Meet Kaya (BR14539). For grades 2-4. 2002.

Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy BR 14624
by L.A. Meyer
2 volumes
England, 1797. Mary begs on the streets of London with a gang of fellow orphans. At thirteen she disguises herself as a boy and joins a British warship setting sail to search for pirates. Mary maintains her deception--even battling buccaneers. For grades 6- 9. 2002.

My Father's Hands BR 15006
by Joanne Ryder
1 volume
A young girl enjoys examining the small creatures that her father finds in the garden and brings to her cupped in his hands. They share the wonders of a pink worm, a round beetle, a snail, and a praying mantis. PRINT/BRAILLE. For preschool-grade 2. 1994.

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble BR 15008
by William Steig
1 volume (Reissue)
Frightened by an approaching lion, Sylvester the donkey asks his magic pebble to turn him into a rock. Afterwards, Sylvester is unable to grasp the pebble and wish himself back to normal. PRINT/BRAILLE. For grades K-3. Caldecott Medal. 1969.


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