Braille Book Review November-December 2008 Volume 77, Number 6 _Braille Book Review_ is published bimonthly in large-print, braille, and computer diskette formats and distributed free to blind and physically handicapped individuals who participate in the Library of Congress free reading program. It lists braille magazines and books available through a network of cooperating libraries. The braille edition also lists recorded books, giving abbreviated annotations. News about library services is featured in both editions. The annotated list in this issue is limited to titles recently added to the national collection, which contains thousands of fiction and nonfiction titles, including classics, biographies, gothics, mysteries, and how-to and self-help guides. To learn more about the wide range of books in the national collection, readers may order catalogs and subject bibliographies from cooperating libraries. Librarians can check other resources for titles and answer requests for special materials. Readers can receive _Braille Book Review_ and other information through the Internet by accessing the the NLS home page at http://www.loc.gov/nls. To order books or for subscription changes, contact your local cooperating library. Correspondence regarding editorial matters should be sent to Publications and Media Section, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress, Washington, DC 20542. Library of Congress, Washington 2008 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 53-31800 ISSN 0006-873X Contents: In Brief Books for Adults Nonfiction Fiction Books for Children Nonfiction Fiction Braille Magazines ### 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 September 2008 Volume 4 Issue 3 Northstar Systems Inc. to produce digital audio cartridges for talking-book program On August 22, 2008, the Library of Congress awarded Northstar Systems Inc. of Rancho Cucamonga, California, a contract to manufacture USB flash-memory cartridges for the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), Washington, D.C. The cartridges will be used to record audiobooks that will be distributed to NLS patrons across the country and overseas. The initial contract funding of more than $6.2 million will enable Northstar to manufacture audio flash cartridges on which NLS will record both new and existing titles over the next year. The base contract covers three years with a unilateral government option for four additional years. The books recorded on these cartridges will be distributed to the network of 128 libraries that serve approximately one- half million blind and physically handicapped individuals throughout the United States and its territories. The cartridges purchased under this contract will permit all NLS recorded books to be issued on either 512 MB or 1 GB cartridges. This will enable each recorded book to be contained on a single cartridge, greatly improving the current patron's experience of receiving multiple four- track cassettes. In addition, Northstar is obligated to furnish participating libraries and interested patrons with blank cartridges at prices fixed in the contract. Specific procedures for purchase by these parties are being determined. Northstar has a manufacturing network that includes plants in Ireland, Japan, Taiwan, China, and Singapore, providing a total of one million square feet of production space. The corporation is an active member of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group, SD Association, USB-IF Committee, Compact Flash Organization, and MemoryStick Organization. In June 2008 contracts were signed with Shinano Kenshi Corporation Ltd./Plextor-LLC of Culver City, California, to begin production of digital talking-book players and with LC Industries in Hazlehurst, Mississippi, to produce mailing containers for the cartridges. This Northstar Systems contract is the final agreement necessary for the conversion of the national talking-book program from analog to digital. Player production tc "Player production" Shinano Kenshi is reviewing the pre-production prototypes of the digital talking-book players—designed and produced by Battelle in late 2007—to verify compliance with all NLS design specifications and requirements. Simultaneously, Shinano Kenshi is engaging subcontractors and suppliers to produce plastic and electronic components of the digital talking-book players. Both are critical phases in preparing for mass production of the new digital talking-book players. Training tc "Training" SI International, an information technology solutions provider engaged to develop training strategies for NLS and the network staff, issued recommendations this month for best methods to prepare network library staff for the implementation of the digital talking-book program. After determining the efficacy of these recommendations, NLS will issue a new contract to develop the training program. Newsstand The following announcements 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 items mentioned, however, are not part of the NLS program, and their listing does not imply endorsement. Free reading service for faxed documents ReadThisToMe is a free reading service for blind and low- vision people in the United States and Canada. To use the service, a client faxes a document to be read to the organization's toll-free fax number: 1-877-333-8848. The first page of the fax should include the client's first name and a callback telephone number. A volunteer reader from ReadThisToMe will then call the client back and read the document. More information is available online at www.readthistome.org or by calling 1-877-333-8847. Instructional cassettes for people with low vision Enrichment Audio Resource Services (EARS), through the EARS for Eyes program, offers free audiocassette lessons that teach adaptive daily living skills to visually impaired individuals and their caregivers. The lessons, modeled after blindness rehabilitation techniques, cover topics such as basic kitchen skills, indoor mobility, managing medications, and adaptive devices. To enroll in the program, call the organization's toll-free number at 1-800-843-6816. Additional information is also available at www.earsforeyes.org. National Braille Press celebrates Louis Braille's bicentennial The National Braille Press (NBP) has launched several projects to honor the two-hundredth anniversary of Louis Braille's birth on January 4, 2009. NBP has established a new web site at LouisBrailleBicentennial.com that lists recognition and advocacy events that are being held globally. The organization offers posters that profile Braille's life and depict the braille alphabet available upon request for the cost of shipping and handling. It is also sponsoring a traveling exhibit with biographical images and text that will be on display at sites across the United States from October 2008 through December 2009. More information on these and other bicentennial activities sponsored by NBP is available at LouisBrailleBicentennial.com or by calling 1-800-548-7323. ### _Books for Adults_ The following books were recently produced for the NLS program. To order books, contact your braille-lending library. _Note:_ For the infomation of the reader, a notice may appear immediately following the book description to indicate occurrences of strong language, explicit descriptions of sex, or violence. The word "some" before any of these terms indicates an occasional or infrequent occurence, as in "some strong language." Adult Nonfiction Live Your Best Life: A Treasury of Wisdom, Wit, Advice, Interviews, and Inspiration from O, The Oprah Magazine BR 16429 by O, The Oprah Magazine 5 volumes In articles culled from O, The Oprah Magazine, Oprah offers more than a hundred articles on such topics as diet and exercise, happiness, confidence, spirituality, dating, marriage, sex, and parenthood. Also featured are everyday heroes. Contributors include Dr. Phil, Suze Orman, Harry Connick Jr., and Julie Morgenstern. 2005. BR 16429 ## Send: The Essential Guide to Email for Office and Home BR 17212 by David Shipley and Will Schwalbe 2 volumes Editors from the New York Times and Hyperion Books offer a primer on composing and delivering perfect e-mail messages. Offers guidance on writing effective subject lines and bodies and avoiding legal issues. Includes a short history of the craft and examples of written communication—both bad and good. 2007. BR 17212 ## Live, Love, Eat! The Best of Wolfgang Puck BR 17217 by Wolfgang Puck 2 volumes Over one hundred recipes that reflect what Puck calls his own "passionate approach to living, cooking, and eating" and that are fun to cook and serve. Includes guidelines for how the foods should look, smell, taste, sound, or feel. Includes recipes for appetizers, soups, salads, pizzas, entrees, and desserts. 2002. BR 17217 ## Tales of the Rose Tree: Ravishing Rhododendrons and Their Travels around the World BR 17256 by Jane Brown 3 volumes A British garden historian discusses the global spread of the genus Rhododendron and its 1,025 species. Traces the evolution of the plant into a gardening staple and debates the definition of nonnative plants. Highlights the individuals and arboretums that have showcased the rhododendrons. 2004. BR 17256 ## Planning for Uncertainty: Living Wills and Other Advance Directives for You and Your Family BR 17272 by David John Doukas and William Reichel 2 volumes Physicians offer advice on making and communicating medical and legal decisions concerning end-of-life care. Uses a question-and-answer format to explain proxies, advance directives, living wills, and the Patient Self- Determination Act. Emphasizes the connection between values and treatment preferences. Includes resources and web sites for obtaining legal forms. 2007. BR 17272 ## Midstream: My Later Life BR 17301 by Helen Keller 3 volumes Helen Keller (1880–1968) continues her autobiography following The Story of My Life (BR 14704). Describes her life after her sophomore year at Radcliffe College, including her writing, lecturing, acting, and work on behalf of blind people. Discusses her friendships with Mark Twain, Alexander Graham Bell, and the Carnegies. 1929. BR 17301 ## Antiquity: The Civilization of the Ancient World BR 17306 by Norman F. 3 volumes Survey of major Mediterranean empires from the birth of the Sumerians around 3500 B.C. in the Tigris-Euphrates valley to the fall of the Roman Empire in A.D. 453. Discusses principles of religion, philosophy, politics, health, and law developed in this period and their continuing influence on modern culture. 2003. BR 17306 ## James Monroe BR 17311 by Gary Hart 2 volumes Details the life of America's fifth president James Monroe (1758–1831), who is known primarily for the doctrine that bears his name. Traces Monroe's career as a soldier, diplomat, and politician who created a standing military and a national bank. Highlights the signing of the Missouri Compromise that regulated slavery. 2005. BR 17311 ## Stealing Your Life: The Ultimate Identity Theft Prevention Plan BR 17324 by Frank W. 2 volumes Former criminal, now a fraud expert, provides a guide to safeguarding personal information. Exposes criminal tactics and offers a twenty-step prevention plan with tips including using a shredder, avoiding questionable web sites and ATMs, and consolidating credit cards. 2007. BR 17324 ## Summer at Tiffany BR 17371 by Marjorie Hart 2 volumes Eighty-three-year-old author recalls the summer of 1945 when she and Marty, her best friend from the University of Iowa, worked as the first female pages at Manhattan's Tiffany & Co. Reminisces about her romance with a navy midshipman and the VJ Day celebration in Times Square. 2007. BR 17371 ## Independent Movement and Travel in Blind Children: A Promotion Model BR 17388 by Joseph Cutter 2 volumes Advocates a team approach to creating a positive learning environment that fosters mobility and self-reliance in blind children. Discusses the philosophy of cane travel, including the appropriate time to begin teaching cane use and ways to encourage the development of cane travel skills for home, school, and community. 2007. BR 17388 ## Notes of a Native Son BR 17402 by James Baldwin 2 volumes Collection of autobiographical essays depicting the author's early life in Harlem and his later experiences as an African American living abroad. The selections reflect his personal focus on the black experience, calling it "the gate I had to unlock before I could hope to write about anything else." 1955. BR 17402 ## Reading Judas: The Gospel of Judas and the Shaping of Christianity BR 17479 by Elaine Pagels and Karen L. King 2 volumes Interpretation of The Gospel of Judas from Codex Tchacos (BR 16708), discovered in Egypt in the 1970s and published by the National Geographic Society in 2006. Authors examine the ancient text's explanation of the actions of Jesus's followers and Judas's betrayal. 2007. BR 17479 ## A Great and Godly Adventure: The Pilgrims and the Myth of the First Thanksgiving BR 17482 by Godfrey Hodgson 2 volumes British professor examines the origins of the Massachusetts colony. Analyzes the effects of the Reformation on world history and the motives that drove the Pilgrims, radical Protestants, to immigrate from England to Holland and then to the New World. Describes the creation and the symbolism of the Thanksgiving holiday. 2006. BR 17482 ## Why Size Matters: From Bacteria to Blue Whales BR 17485 by John Tyler Bonner 1 volume Biologist contends that size rules life. Examines how size differences in animals and plants affect their biological shape, complexity, division of labor, evolution, abundance in nature, metabolic rates, life cycles, speed of movement, and pitch of voice. 2006. BR 17485 ## Sisters: The Lives of America's Suffragists BR 17487 by Jean H. 3 volumes Profiles the private and public lives of five women who championed women's right to vote: Lucy Stone, Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Frances Willard, and Alice Paul. Examines the histories and backgrounds that motivated their activism, including their families, friends, lovers, companions, education, and accomplishments. 2005. BR 17487 ## Making It Work: Educating the Blind/Visually Impaired Student in the Regular School BR 17492 by Carol Castellano 3 volumes This practical guide offers techniques for making the public-school experience successful for blind and visually impaired children. Covers skills, tools, and principles for constructing an effective program in the classroom. 2005. BR 17492 ## The Smart Traveler's Passport: Three Hundred Ninety-nine Tips from Seasoned Travelers BR 17496 by Erik Torkells 1 volume Budget Travel magazine editor in chief offers advice to make traveling more efficient, comfortable, and fun. Includes tips on planning and packing, safeguarding money and personal belongings, finding lodging, using public transportation, spending wisely, and sightseeing. Suggests clever uses of everyday items such as Ziploc bags and dental floss. 2007. BR 17496 ## We Know Who We Are: A History of the Blind in Challenging Educational and Socially Constructed Policies; a Study in Policy Archeology BR 17501 by Ronald J. 3 volumes Author explains the Foucauldian archaeological investigation approach and applies it to policy matters related to blindness, including professionalization, federal legislation, accreditation, and confronting discrimination. Uses the perspective of organizations of blind people, particularly the National Federation of the Blind (NFB). 2001. BR 17501 ## American Political Parties and Elections: A Very Short Introduction BR 17647 by L. Sandy Maisel 2 volumes Distills the American electoral process and critiques its imperfections. Surveys the history of political parties, the electoral college system, presidential campaigns, and state party organizations. Author laments low voter turnout, the lack of competition among political parties, and the state of campaign financing. 2007. BR 17647 ## ### Adult Fiction The Mask of Apollo BR 16662 by Mary Renault 3 volumes Greece, fourth century B.C. As actor Nikeratos rises to fame, he meets and is enchanted by Dion, a distinguished politician of Syracuse and pupil of Plato. When King Dionysios dies, Nikeratos watches as political turmoil erupts into violence and Dion vies for the throne. 1966. BR 16662 ## Where There's a Will BR 16670 by Margie Walker and Bridget Anderson 3 volumes In four different stories the daughters of deceased African American PI Henry Chambers of Liberty, Georgia, begin to close his cases. As Maxine, Samantha, Morgan, and Taylor investigate and uncover town and family secrets, their lives become threatened. Some descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. 2004. BR 16670 ## The Hallowed Hunt BR 17219 by Lois McMaster Bujold 4 volumes Ingrey escorts Ijada into custody after she murders Prince Boleso in self-defense. But with the aging, hallowed king's throne unsecured, Ingrey must save the kingdom as well as Ijada, whom he has grown to love. Sequel to Paladin of Souls (BR 16837). Some descriptions of sex and some violence. 2005. BR 17219 ## 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 BR 17254 by M.T. Anderson 2 volumes 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. BR 17254 ## Firestorm: The Caretaker Trilogy, Book 1 BR 17258 by David Klass 3 volumes Eighteen-year-old high school senior Jack Danielson learns that he's been sent from the future to prevent ecological disaster on Earth. Jack's only allies are Gisco, a dog who communicates telepathically, and Eko, a shape-shifting ninja girl who teaches him to avoid the Dark Army. For senior high readers. 2006. BR 17258 ## Queen of Swords: Wilderness Series, Book 5 BR 17260 by Sara Donati 5 volumes The Maytrees BR 17269 by Annie Dillard 2 volumes Provincetown, Cape Cod. Poet Toby Maytree returns after World War II and marries Lou Bigelow. Together they have a son, Petie. Their bohemian and seashore lifestyles fit well together—until Toby runs off with Deary Hightoe. Decades later, when Deary becomes ill, Toby and Deary return to Lou's house. Bestseller. 2007. BR 17269 ## Westerns of the 40s: Classics from the Great Pulps BR 17307 edited by Damon Knight 3 volumes Compilation of sixteen short western stories from magazines of the 1940s. Includes works by John D. MacDonald, Tom Roan, Roy M. O'Mara, James Shaffer, Cliff Farrell, and others. Contains tales of revenge, range wars, roving saddle bums, and ladies of the night. Some violence. 1977. BR 17307 ## The Rawhide Knot and Other Stories BR 17308 by Conrad Richter 2 volumes Pulitzer Prize-winning author presents eight tales of pioneers who are ambushed by love and the challenge of frontier life. In the title story, a group of men bent on devilment attempt to "hatch up a marriage" between an old maid and a young lawyer from back East. 1935. BR 17308 ## Blind Spot BR 17309 by Terri Persons 3 volumes FBI agent Bernadette Saint Clare's unusual gift enables her to see crime scenes through the killers' eyes. On Bernadette's latest assignment in St. Paul, Minnesota, colleague Tony Garcia questions her skills while her neighbor offers a clue to a murder. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2007. BR 17309 ## The Lost Diary of Don Juan: An Account of the True Arts of Passion and the Perilous Adventure of Love BR 17313 by Douglas Carlton Abrams 3 volumes Abandoned Juan Tenorio, raised by nuns in Spain, loves and worships all women and has an affair with one of the sisters. He keeps a diary of his activities including spying for the Marquis de la Mota, fleeing from the Inquisition, and falling in love. Some descriptions of sex. 2007. BR 17313 ## The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories Featuring Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, and Mr. Parker Pyne BR 17317 by Agatha Christie 2 volumes Eight short detective tales and one of semisupernatural drama. In the title story, Mr. Parker Pyne seeks a thief when a diamond goes missing from a yachting party. In "Yellow Iris" Hercule Poirot solves one crime and thwarts another at a dinner party. Miss Marple shares a mystery tale. 1934. BR 17317 ## After Dark BR 17318 by Haruki Murakami 2 volumes Tokyo. At a late-night Denny's, trombonist Tetsuya reintroduces himself to student Mari, the sister of fashion model Eri. Later, the manager of a "love hotel" approaches Mari to translate for a Chinese prostitute who was brutalized by a businessman. Secrets and needs draw these strangers together. Some strong language. 2004. BR 17318 ## Harlem Summer BR 17320 by Walter Dean Myers 1 volume Harlem, 1925. Sixteen-year-old saxophone-playing Mark Purvis is hired by an African American magazine one summer. But when he does a shady delivery job for his idol, musical genius Fats Waller, something goes wrong and gangster Dutch Schultz comes after Mark for money. For senior high readers. 2007. BR 17320 ## Car Trouble BR 17322 by Jeanne DuPrau 2 volumes Seventeen-year-old computer nerd Duffy Pringle is heading for work in California when his car breaks down. Finding another job ferrying a vintage Chevy, Duff is accompanied by hitchhiking Stu. Teenage Bonnie joins them in St. Louis, and they embark unaware that thieves are in pursuit. For senior high readers. 2005. BR 17322 ## Burning Bright BR 17342 by Tracy Chevalier 3 volumes Georgian London, 1790s. At the behest of circus impresario Philip Astley, the Kellaway family moves from the country and becomes neighbors to artist, poet, and free-thinker William Blake. Young Jem Kellaway falls in love with feisty city girl Maggie Butterfield, and both succumb to Blake's spell. 2007. BR 17342 ## T Is for Trespass: A Kinsey Millhone Mystery BR 17389 by Sue Grafton 3 volumes 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. Strong language and some violence. Bestseller. 2007. BR 17389 ## Dark of the Moon BR 17391 by John Sandford 3 volumes The night that Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension's Virgil Flowers arrives in a small town to investigate the murder of an elderly couple, an old man is burned to death. Flowers must find the link before more bodies pile up. Explicit descriptions of sex, violence, and strong language. Bestseller. 2007. BR 17391 ## The Darkest Evening of the Year BR 17392 by Dean Koontz 3 volumes Southern California. Amy Redwing's personal mission is to rescue abused and abandoned golden retrievers, including the rambunctious Nickie. Widower Brian McCarthy suspects that Amy is hiding something. Things turn uncanny when someone begins stalking Amy and her charges. Some descriptions of sex and some violence. Bestseller. 2007. BR 17392 ## Duma Key BR 17475 by Stephen King 5 volumes An accident left self-made construction millionaire Edgar Freemantle brain damaged and without an arm. When Edgar's rage results in divorce, his therapist suggests he spend a year painting in Florida. With his phantom arm's help, Edgar soon produces incredible, but dangerous, artwork. Violence and strong language. Bestseller. 2008. BR 17475 ## Dancing Shoes and Honky-Tonk Blues BR 17480 by LuAnn McLane 2 volumes Kentucky waitress Abby Harper enters a television ballroom dance contest to win prize money for her family. Dance- studio owner Rio Martin is embarrassed to be on the show but needs the publicity. Soon sparks fly between them. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2007. BR 17480 ## Returning to Earth BR 17481 by Jim Harrison 2 volumes Upper Peninsula, Michigan. Donald, a forty-five-year-old Finnish Chippewa man dying of Lou Gehrig's disease, dictates his family history to his wife Cynthia to preserve for their children Clare and Herald. After Donald's death all the family members mourn him in their own way. Some strong language. 2007. BR 17481 ## Twisted BR 17488 by Laurie Halse Anderson 2 volumes Bullied Tyler Miller becomes infamous after vandalizing the school and being sentenced to community service. Returning for senior year, Tyler is accused of posting a classmate's nude pictures on the Internet. Life spirals downward until Tyler takes charge—at home and at school. Some strong language. For senior high readers. 2007. BR 17488 ## Love, Stargirl BR 17489 by Jerry Spinelli 2 volumes Stargirl and her parents have moved away, but the homeschooled free spirit still misses her Arizona boyfriend Leo, who dumped her. She begins writing him "the world's longest letter," describing her new neighbors and her feelings. Sequel to Stargirl (BR 12801). For junior and senior high readers. 2007. BR 17489 ## You've Been Warned BR 17493 by James Patterson and Howard Roughan 2 volumes Kristin is a nanny and an aspiring photographer. She loves her charges, hates their stepmother, and is having an affair with their father. Kristin begins to have a recurring nightmare about dead people, which might be a premonition. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2007. BR 17493 ## An Unexpected Family: Ladies of Covington BR 17495 by Joan Medlicott 2 volumes North Carolina. Photographer Amelia Declose is shocked when a British woman, Miriam Declose-Smith, shows up on her doorstep claiming that Amelia's late husband Thomas was her father. Miriam is fleeing an abusive husband, and the Ladies of Covington rally around to help—unaware of the danger. 2007. BR 17495 ## A Wanted Man: A Stone Creek Novel BR 17497 by Linda Lael Miller 3 volumes Arizona territory, 1905. Ranger Sam O'Ballivan, from The Man from Stone Creek (BR 17193), hires Rowdy Rhodes to catch train robbers—even Rowdy's own father. Meanwhile, schoolmarm Lark Morgan is hiding from an abusive husband when she falls in love with Rowdy. Explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2007. BR 17497 ## Pale Horse, Pale Rider: Three Short Novels BR 17498 by Katherine Anne Porter 2 volumes In Old Mortality girls Maria and Miranda learn about the young woman pictured in an old framed photograph at their grandmother's house. Noon Wine is about Olaf Helton, who hires on at a Texas dairy farm. The title piece recounts a grown-up Miranda's tragic love affair with a soldier. 1939. BR 17498 ## Death of an Addict: A Hamish Macbeth Mystery BR 17502 by M.C. 2 volumes Scottish Highlands. Recovering heroin user Tommy Jarret dies from an apparent overdose. Constable Hamish Macbeth goes undercover as a drug lord to investigate possible links to a religious cult and the illicit drug trade. Beautiful Glasgow detective Olivia Chater joins Hamish's search, posing as his wife. 1999. BR 17502 ## The Uncommon Reader BR 17649 by Alan Bennett 1 volume England. When the royal dogs stray into a mobile library parked near the palace, the Queen feels obligated to borrow a book. She soon develops an obsession with reading that changes her worldview, distracts her from official duties, and prompts her to write her own masterpiece—with surprising consequences. Bestseller. 2007. BR 17649 ## Honor Thyself BR 17696 by Danielle Steel 3 volumes Fifty-year-old actress Carole Barber travels to Paris to do research for a book she is writing. After a terrorist attack, Carole suffers from amnesia. While her friends, grown children, and ex-husband try to help her remember, a former lover stirs memories and opens doors to the future. Bestseller. 2008. BR 17696 ## ### _Books for Children_ The following books were recently produced for the NLS program. To order books, contact your braille-lending library. Children's Nonfiction Pet Cats BR 17314 by Julia Barnes 1 volume Provides an overview of the history of household cats. Gives reasons cats make good pets. Covers their characteristics and behaviors and lists different feline breeds. Offers tips for new cat owners. For grades 3-6. 2007. BR 17314 ## Harriet Tubman, Secret Agent: How Daring Slaves and Free Blacks Spied for the Union during the Civil War BR 17315 by Thomas B. 1 volume Discusses Harriet Tubman's life (1820–1913), escape from slavery, heroic trips back into slave states to conduct others to freedom, and dangerous role as a spy for the Union during the Civil War. Explains her work in the context of the abolitionist movement. For grades 6-9. 2006. BR 17315 ## Leonardo's Horse BR 17547 by Jean Fritz 1 volume Explains American Charles Dent's efforts to complete the unrealized dream of Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci (1452– 1519) to cast a twenty-four-foot statue of a horse in bronze. Discusses the difficulties Leonardo faced five hundred years ago and Dent's use of modern casting and reinforcing techniques. For grades 3-6. 2001. BR 17547 ## ### Children's Fiction Hoot BR 17274 by Carl Hiaasen 2 volumes Middle school student Roy has just moved from Montana to south Florida. He befriends a boy named Mullet Fingers and his stepsister, who are trying to prevent a pancake-house chain from building a restaurant over a colony of burrowing owls. For grades 6-9. Newbery Honor Book. 2002. BR 17274 ## The Dragon of Never-Was BR 17323 by Ann Downer 2 volumes Twelve-year-old Theodora wants to return to a normal life after her adventures with wizards in Hatching Magic (BR 16893). But a dragon's scale and a vacation to a Scottish island with her biologist father involve Theodora in the world of magic once again. For grades 4-7. 2006. BR 17323 ## Pictures of Hollis Woods BR 17398 by Patricia Reilly Giff 1 volume A troublesome foster child, Hollis loves to draw pictures. Her favorite is one in which she fits in—with a father, mother, brother, and herself. Now Hollis lives with an artist, but still longs for the summer family that wanted to keep her. For grades 5-8. Newbery Honor Book. 2002. BR 17398 ## Miss Spitfire: Reaching Helen Keller BR 17490 by Sarah Miller 2 volumes Alabama, 1887. Twenty-year-old Annie Sullivan, newly hired to teach a six-year-old deaf, blind, and thoroughly spoiled girl, Helen Keller, finds she must contend with Helen's indulgent parents as well. Sign language finally becomes communication when Helen makes her first breakthrough. For grades 5-8 and older readers. 2007. BR 17490 ## Red Moon at Sharpsburg BR 17491 by Rosemary Wells 2 volumes Virginia, 1861. Twelve-year-old India Moody's world changes when the Civil War breaks out. After her ailing father returns to the front as the Union Army advances, India summons her courage and plunges into the tragic Battle of Sharpsburg to take him medicine. Some violence. For grades 6-9. 2007. BR 17491 ## Reaching for Sun BR 17651 by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer 1 volume Josie, born with cerebral palsy, lives with her mother and grandmother, who both love gardening. When a lonely boy, Jordan, moves in nearby, he and Josie relate through their interest in nature, and Josie makes her first friend. For grades 4-7. Schneider Family Book Award. 2007. BR 17651 ## ### Braille Magazines The following is a list of braille magazines in the Library of Congress program. Readers may obtain free personal subscriptions to these magazines. For information on the availability of specific magazines, consult the library that send you braille materials. Boys' Life (for children and teens, monthly) Braille Book Review (bimonthly) Braille Chess Magazine (British quarterly) Braille Music Magazine (British monthly) Conundrum (British monthly) Cooking Light (10 issues) ESPN: The Magazine (biweekly) Harper's (literary; monthly) Health Newsletters (includes Harvard Health Letter, Mayo Clinic Health Letter, and University of California at Berkeley Wellness Letter, monthly) Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine (monthly) Ladies' Home Journal (monthly) Martha Stewart Living (home and entertaining; 10 issues) Muse (for children; 10 issues) The Musical Mainstream (quarterly) National Geographic (monthly) The New York Times Large Type Weekly (weekly) News (NLS quarterly) Parenting (monthly except January and July) PC World (personal computing; monthly) Playboy (monthly) Poetry (11 issues) Popular Communications (monthly) Popular Mechanics (monthly) Popular Music Lead Sheets (irregular) Rolling Stone (popular culture; 24 issues) Science News (weekly) Seventeen (for teens; monthly) Short Stories (British monthly) Spider: The Magazine for Children (monthly) Stone Soup (children's writings; 5 issues) Update (NLS quarterly) The Washington Post Book World (weekly) The following sports schedules are also available: American Baseball League Schedule National Baseball League Schedule National Basketball Association Schedule National Football League Schedule National Hockey League Schedule Women's National Basketball Association Schedule ###