Braille Book Review, Vol. 71, No. 4, July-August 2002 Braille Book Review July-August 2002 Volume 71, Number 4 _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 2002 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 Bookshare.org provides books in digital formats Bookshare.org is a new online service that offers more than 8,000 books in digital format for readers who are blind or visually impaired or have disabilities that impede the use of conventional print. Readers must have access to computers with assistive technology such as refreshable braille or synthetic speech and must pay a nominal subscription fee. Bookshare.org relies on volunteers to submit electronic versions of books that have been scanned so they can be digitized and downloaded for the use of subscribers. The service takes advantage of the special exemption in the U.S. copyright law that permits the reproduction of publications in specialized formats with restricted access. Bookshare.org is sponsored by Benetech, a nonprofit company. By providing a central repository, the same texts need not be scanned over again by each person who wants to use the material but, once scanned and uploaded, can be accessed immediately by any member of the service. Bookshare.org will make a vast library of low-cost books in alternative formats readily available--but, because the books are scanned by volunteers, the quality of the books it provides cannot be guaranteed. A rating of the technical quality of each book is available with each title. The current total of around 8,000 books is growing daily as members and volunteers submit new files. U.S. residents who can provide proof of blindness, visual impairment, or other disabilities that prevent the use of print can subscribe to Bookshare.org with a one-time $25 sign-up fee and a $50 annual subscription charge. Individuals who are already registered to receive library service from NLS can provide their own certification by e- mail, providing the name of their cooperating library and authorizing Bookshare.org to verify their eligibility directly with NLS. For more information about the service and subscription requirements, visit the Bookshare.org web site at . Reminder NLS would like to remind patrons that program materials are the property of the United States Government and may not be sold. Such materials include not only playback machines, cassettes, containers, hardcopy braille books, but Web- Braille products as well. As stated in the "limitation of use" document on the main Web-Braille page, "output from these files may not be sold under any circumstances." Violation of these limitations may result in suspension of Web-Braille privileges. 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. Items mentioned, however, are not part of the NLS program, and their listing does not imply endorsement. Information access offered by iNetNow. Wireless data delivery company iNetNow offers blind and visually impaired subscribers Internet information access by telephone. Members may call iNetNow at any time of day, toll-free from anywhere in the United States, and talk with a professional Internet assistant who can read and send e-mails and access virtually anything available on the Internet. In addition to e-mail processing, typical services include finding answers to general information questions, form completion, and sign-up assistance for on-line applications. The iNetNow access plan costs $19.95 per month. The base price includes all e-mails with a 400-character limit per call and most information requests. Some premium services, including application forms, are billed at $0.99 per minute. Substantial incentive reward discounts are available to subscribers who refer new customers. To register, get further information, or sign up for a free trial, phone 1-888-855-8555 or visit the web site . The following additional information is reprinted from Talking Book Topics, July-August 2002. New Choices discontinued New Choices: The Magazine for Your Health, Money & Travel ceased publication after the May 2002 issue. A replacement will be considered. ### _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." _Nonfiction_ An American Album: One Hundred and Fifty Years of _Harper's_ Magazine. BR 13228. edited by Lewis H. Lapham and Ellen Rosenbush. 13 volumes. An anthology of stories, poems, essays, and first person reports selected from each decade of the magazine. Chronicles American cultural history with pieces by such noted authors as Melville, Hawthorne, Theodore Roosevelt, Sandburg, Steinbeck, Richard Wright, Plath, Baldwin, Hofstadter, Tuchman, Alice Walker, Tom Wolfe, and Joyce Carol Oates. 2000. BR 13228. ## Captain Bligh's Portable Nightmare. BR 13398. by John Toohey. 2 volumes. A historian draws from original sources to portray Captain Bligh and his arduous four-thousand-mile sea adventure in an open boat after the mutiny on the _Bounty_. Toohey extrapolates from 200-year-old published records to create dialog and reconstruct Bligh's probable decision-making processes. 1998. BR 13398. ## John Adams. BR 13426. by David McCullough. 7 volumes. Award-winning author chronicles the life and times of America's second president, New Englander John Adams (1735- 1826). Examines his pivotal role as revolutionary, diplomat, and politician as well as his friendship--and rivalry--with Thomas Jefferson. Primary sources detail his relationship with his wife, Abigail, four children, and notable contemporaries. Bestseller 2001. BR 13426. ## You Can't Catch Death: A Daughter's Memoir. BR 13438. by Ianthe Brautigan. 2 volumes. Ianthe was twenty-four when her father, writer Richard Brautigan, committed suicide in 1984. Raised by her father, Ianthe knew a different man from the one portrayed in the obituaries. She relates her progression from loneliness and fear to acceptance as she untangles the confusion left at her father's death. Some strong language. 2000. BR 13438. ## Crazy Horse. BR 13477. by Larry McMurtry. 1 volume. A history buff and prolific writer examines the life and legend of a Sioux warrior who is rarely mentioned in official records. Provides a philosophical portrait of the solitary figure who was known for his acts of charity and for his leadership at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. 1999. BR 13477. ## The Food of Asia: Authentic Recipes from China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. BR 13479. by Kong Foong Ling. 3 volumes. Offers over three hundred recipes and gives an overview of each country, discussing the land, the people, their culture, and their foods. 1998. BR 13479. ## Volcano Cowboys: The Rocky Evolution of a Dangerous Science. BR 13482. by Dick Thompson. 3 volumes. Assesses advances made by the U.S. Geological Survey between the eruption of Washington's Mount Saint Helens in 1980 and the Philippines' Mount Pinatubo in 1991 in the dangerous field of volcanology and predicting disasters. Explores mistakes made during the earlier crisis and how new research was applied a decade later. Some strong language. 2000. BR 13482. ## The Balkans: A Short History. BR 13483. by Mark Mazower. 2 volumes. The author of _Dark Continent: Europe's Twentieth Century (RC 49031)_ reassesses the area of southeastern Europe known as the Balkans. Explains how centuries of peaceful coexistence between diverse religious and cultural populations exploded into nationalist violence following the breakup of the Ottoman empire. 2000. BR 13483. ## How to Be Born Again. BR 13485. by Billy Graham. 2 volumes. Veteran Christian evangelist explains the phrase "born again" as a biblical message that dates back two thousand years. Outlines the steps that can lead to a personal and religious turnabout. 1977. BR 13485. ## Living in the State of Stuck: How Assistive Technology Impacts the Lives of People with Disabilities. BR 13492. by Marcia J. Scherer. 3 volumes. Provides an overview of the issues surrounding people with disabilities and assistive technology. Discusses how the equipment affects the individual and how to successfully match them. Uses vignettes to describe those who use devices and those who tried and abandoned them. 2000. BR 13492. ## Prayer for People Who Think Too Much: A Guide to Everyday, Anywhere Prayer from the World's Faith Traditions. BR 13497. by Mitch Finley. 2 volumes. Exploring the traditional and innovative customs of the world's major religions, an award-winning author defines prayer as a holistic daily practice designed to enrich the body, mind, and spirit. Urges people of all faiths and backgrounds to reevaluate the power of prayer and live each moment in God's presence. 1999. BR 13497. ## Breast Cancer. BR 13509. by Janet Majure. 1 volume. Discusses the symptoms, causes, treatments, and prevention of breast cancer. Also presents a history of the disease and ongoing research while stressing the importance of self- examination and early detection. For senior high and older readers. 2000. BR 13509. ## Bodies in Motion and at Rest. BR 13510. by Thomas Lynch. 2 volumes. Meditative essays on matters of life and death, composed by a poet/funeral director. He explains that he has time on his hands because he doesn't play golf, doesn't drink (anymore), and is "married to an Italian." In "The Way We Are" he discusses his family's addiction--alcoholism. Some strong language. 2000. BR 13510. ## Sometimes, Enough Is Enough: Finding Spiritual Comfort in a Material World. BR 13511. by Marsha Sinetar. 1 volume. Drawing on the Bible and other sources, an educator and author presents a step-by-step approach to a stronger spiritual life. Includes suggestions for relating to the notion of the Divine, managing time, and limiting intrusions by focusing on prayer, meditation, and exercise. Asserts that contemplation leads to greater harmony, self-assurance, and comfort. 2000. BR 13511. ## Not So Funny When It Happened: The Best of Travel Humor and Misadventure. BR 13531. edited by Tim Cahill. 2 volumes. This anthology of humorous travel accounts includes pieces by Anne Lamott, Bill Bryson, J.P. Donleavy, Dave Barry, and Tim Cahill. The incidents occurred in such faraway places as Vietnam, Zimbabwe, Mexico, China, Morocco, Australia, and India, as well as right here in the United States. 2000. BR 13531. ## Living with Cannibals and Other Women's Adventures. BR 13533. by Michele Slung. 2 volumes. Profiles of sixteen female adventurers, paired to contrast past and modern counterparts. Includes Florence Baker--who sought the source of the Nile--with white-water guide Arlene Burns, nineteenth-century globe-trotter Isabella Bird Bishop with twentieth-century bicyclist Dervla Murphy, and aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart with astronaut Shannon Lucid. 2000. BR 13533. ## The Neptune File: A Story of Astronomical Rivalry and the Pioneers of Planet Hunting. BR 13536. by Tom Standage. 2 volumes. Chronicles events surrounding the 1840s discovery of the eighth planet from the Sun. Describes how British mathematician John Couch Adams deduced Neptune's existence from formulas--in work ignored by Britain's royal astronomer. Then Frenchman Urbain Le Verrier reached a conclusion similar to that of Adams, sparking a race to view the planet. 2000. BR 13536. ## The One Hundred Best Poems of All Time. BR 13554. edited by Leslie Pockell. 2 volumes. A broad selection of poems from around the world and from biblical times to the twentieth century. Short, lyrical verses represent the work of one hundred diverse poets from Homer and Sappho to Lewis Carroll, Pablo Neruda, Dylan Thomas, and Maya Angelou. Some strong language. 2001. BR 13554. ## The Miracle Worker: A Play for Television. BR 13555. by William Gibson. 1 volume. Depicts the beginning of the lifelong relationship between deaf and blind Helen Keller and her tutor, Annie Sullivan. When Annie arrives at the Keller household, she finds a spoiled, fractious child who cannot communicate. Annie teaches Helen to finger spell and searches for a way to show her what different words mean. 1956. BR 13555. ## Jessie De La Cruz: A Profile of a United Farm Worker. BR 13558. by Gary Soto. 1 volume. Describes the life and times of a California migrant worker who joined Cesar Chavez's "La Causa" movement and helped change labor laws. Jessie De La Cruz spent many decades working in the fields, and became the first woman organizer for the National Farm Workers Association. For senior high readers. 2000. BR 13558. ## The Greatest Generation. BR 13580. by Tom Brokaw. 3 volumes. Expanding on his 1984 D-Day anniversary coverage, reporter Brokaw profiles World War II veterans and civilians who sacrificed for their country. He includes people like Thomas Broderick, who founded the Blinded Veterans Association, and businessman Bob Bush, who lost an eye in a heroic rescue mission. Bestseller 1998. BR 13580. ## The Greatest Generation Speaks: Letters and Reflections. BR 13581. by Tom Brokaw. 2 volumes. Collection of letters and other responses Brokaw received in response to _The Greatest Generation (BR 13580)_; offers more accounts of the "heroism, values, friendships, and pain" of the Great Depression and World War II; explores the effects of these two crises on that generation and those that followed. Bestseller 1999. BR 13581. ## The Secret of Happiness. BR 13601. by Billy Graham. 2 volumes. Offers advice on how to apply the simple yet revolutionary formulas of the King James Version of the Beatitudes in everyday life in order to achieve serenity and contentment. 1955. BR 13601. ## Jane Austen. BR 13602. by Carol Shields. 1 volume. In this literary biography, writer Carol Shields throws light on the works of the nineteenth-century English novelist, Jane Austen. Discusses the private woman, describing the quiet personal life of a "stern moralist" who wrote "marriage novels" but never married. 2001. BR 13602. ## Always Faithful: A Memoir of the Marine Dogs of WWII. BR 13614. by William W. Putney. 2 volumes. The 1943 commander, also a veterinarian, of the Marines' Third War Dog Platoon describes the training and duties of the animals he led during World War II. Explains the recruitment and retention of his charges and their handlers and their subsequent action in the Pacific. 2001. BR 13614. ## Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil, and Fundamentalism in Central Asia. BR 13624. by Ahmed Rashid. 4 volumes. Journalist with twenty years' experience covering Afghanistan discusses the origin and rise of the Taliban and its fundamentalist concepts of Islam regarding gender and drugs. Explains the importance of Afghanistan's energy resources for the region and the country's problems with smuggling, civil war, and lack of social services. 2000. BR 13624. ## The New Jackals: Ramzi Yousef, Osama bin Laden, and the Future of Terrorism. BR 13625. by Simon Reeve. 4 volumes. British journalist traces the capture of Pakistan-born Muslim extremist Ramzi Yousef, who masterminded the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center, among other crimes. Examines Yousef's relationship to Osama bin Laden, the creation of the al Qaeda terrorist network, and the dangers of jihad against the West. 1999. BR 13625. ## ### _Fiction_ The Skies of Pern. BR 13351. by Anne McCaffrey. 4 volumes. Thanks to AIVAS, which has allowed Pern inhabitants to alter the orbit of Red Star and eliminate the Thread, Pern is now undergoing its last Threadfall. Therefore dragonriders must find new occupations. But before they do, Pern endures a new threat. Follows _Dragonseye (BR 11187)_. 2001. BR 13351. ## The Sterkarm Handshake. BR 13376. by Susan Price. 4 volumes. Anthropologist Andrea Mitchell's unethical twenty-first- century employer sends her back through a time tunnel to the sixteenth-century English-Scottish border to facilitate a scheme to extract gold and oil from the land. But overweight Andrea falls in love and has to choose between cultures. Some violence. For senior high and older readers. 1998. BR 13376. ## A Good House. BR 13400. by Bonnie Burnard. 3 volumes. Follows the saga of the Chambers family of Stonebrook, Ontario, for five decades. In 1949, Bill and Sylvia enjoy postwar prosperity until Sylvia succumbs to cancer. Their children Patrick, Paul, and Daphne readily accept a stepmother and, later, a half-sister into the family. And all begin their own families. 1999. BR 13400. ## Heart's Blood. BR 13401. by Jane Yolen. 2 volumes. Jakkin, now a free dragon trainer, has his plans abruptly changed when he is asked to infiltrate rebel forces taking hold on the planet. Sequel to _Dragon's Blood (BR 10937)_. For junior and senior high readers. 1984. BR 13401. ## The Diagnosis. BR 13414. by Alan Lightman. 3 volumes. Boston businessman Bill Chalmers suffers from a mysterious disease, apparently induced by technological overload in a stressful world with constant e-mail messages. As he deteriorates--without a confirmed medical diagnosis--he feels further pressure from mounting financial obligations, his colleagues, his son, and especially his wife. Some strong language. 2000. BR 13414. ## South Wind. BR 13415. by Don Coldsmith. 4 volumes. A series of historical vignettes portrays the challenges faced by pro-slavery and pro-emancipation settlers in the Kansas Territory before the Civil War. The connected episodes present a saga of westward expansion through 1876. Sequel to _Tallgrass (BR 11501)_. 1998. BR 13415. ## Twenty-Four Hours. BR 13425. by Greg Iles. 3 volumes. Will and Karen Jennings's child is taken by serial kidnapper John Hickey. While his cousin watches five-year-old Abby, and his wife guards Will in his convention hotel room, Hickey plans a night with Karen. Until now the children have not been harmed, but this time Hickey's vengeful. Violence and strong language. Bestseller 2000. BR 13425. ## Leap of Faith. BR 13428. by Danielle Steel. 2 volumes. Marie-Ange's privileged French childhood ends at age eleven, when her parents and brother are killed. Having no other relatives, the girl is sent to an elderly aunt in Iowa, who treats her as a servant. Marie-Ange's only friend is Billy Parker, who stands by her when she faces a devastating betrayal. Bestseller 2001. BR 13428. ## Hollywood Wives: The New Generation. BR 13429. by Jackie Collins. 4 volumes. In this follow-up to _Hollywood Wives (BR 11051)_, the women in the California movie industry still covet fame, fortune, and power. Forty-year-old superstar Lissa Roman maintains a successful career, but is on her fourth divorce when her nineteen-year-old daughter, Nicci, is kidnapped. Explicit descriptions of sex and strong language. 2001. BR 13429. ## A Traitor to Memory. BR 13431. by Elizabeth George. 7 volumes. Is there a connection between a woman killed in a hit-and- run accident on a rainy night in London and a violinist who has recently lost his ability to play? It is up to Detective Inspector Lynley to solve the mystery. Strong language, some descriptions of sex, and some violence. Bestseller 2001. BR 13431. ## So Far Back. BR 13435. by Pam Durban. 2 volumes. Sixty-five-year-old spinster Louisa Hilliard Marion discovers old family diaries after her mother's death in their ancestral Charleston, South Carolina, home. Learning how cruelly her ancestors treated slaves, Louisa tries to make amends--especially since slave ghosts haunt the house. Some strong language. 2000. BR 13435. ## The Wrong Dog: A Rachel Alexander and Dash Mystery. BR 13436. by Carol Lea Benjamin. 2 volumes. Private detective Rachel Alexander is hired by Sophie Gordon to track down a dog-cloning company that, after providing a flawed replacement puppy for Sophie's beloved service dog, has disappeared. But soon Sophie is murdered, and Rachel and her pit bull, Dashiell, investigate. Some violence and some strong language. 2000. BR 13436. ## Summer Gone. BR 13439. by David Macfarlane. 2 volumes. Middle-aged Caz Newling recalls the ill-fated canoe trip he took when he was twelve with his divorced father, Bay. Stories within stories within stories unfold as father and son camp out in the Canadian wilderness, bringing to mind Bay's favorite summers and their impact on major events in his life. 1999. BR 13439. ## Laura. BR 13440. by Larry Watson. 3 volumes. Paul Finley was eleven when he met Laura Pettit, twenty-two, for the first time. Laura, a poet, had come to his family's Vermont home with thoughts of seducing his father--her editor. Through his parents' divorce, his father's death, and his own marriage, Paul remains obsessed with Laura. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. 2000. BR 13440. ## Hayati, My Life. BR 13443. by Miriam Cooke. 1 volume. Traces three generations of Palestinian women while they struggle with personal problems and political turmoil from 1946 through 1990. Samya lives in Jerusalem and, along with her daughter Assia and granddaughters Maryam and Afaf, survives wars, exile, imprisonment, rape, and poverty. Some descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. 2000. BR 13443. ## A Pure Clear Light. BR 13444. by Madeleine St. John. 2 volumes. British director Simon Beaufort meets his future mistress while his wife, Flora, and three children are on holiday. Meanwhile Flora, a lapsed Catholic, renews her spiritual life and converts to the Anglican church. Simon tries to pursue his new love and preserve his family. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. 1996. BR 13444. ## Blue Avenger Cracks the Code. BR 13445. by Norma Howe. 2 volumes. In his identity as Blue Avenger, sixteen-year-old David visits Venice, Italy, and continues to pursue various crusades, including trying to solve the mystery of who really wrote Shakespeare's works. Sequel to _The Adventures of Blue Avenger (BR 12318)_. For junior and senior high readers. 2000. BR 13445. ## The Bostonians. BR 13463. by Henry James. 4 volumes. Satirical comedy involving impressionable young suffragette Verena Tarrant, who struggles to reconcile her love for Basil Ransom, a charming southern lawyer, with the demands of her patron, Olive Chancellor, a domineering Boston feminist who hates men. 1886. BR 13463. ## Fool's Gold: The Skinners of Goldfield, Book 1. BR 13468. by Stephen Bly. 2 volumes. 1905. The Skinner family heads to California, where they plan to settle down near Mr. Skinner's brother. But a detour into the town of Goldfield, Nevada, for supplies changes their plans. They quickly discover that this gold-rush boomtown needs some Christian fellowship. Followed by _Hidden Treasure (BR 13469)_. 2000. BR 13468. ## Terry and the Pirates. BR 13474. by Julian F. Thompson. 2 volumes. Sixteen-year-old Terry stows away on a yacht that was stolen by young Mick and is sailing south. Mick is washed overboard during a tropical storm. Terry is rescued and held for ransom by an eccentric pirate family that is looking for buried treasure. For senior high readers. 2000. BR 13474. ## Wild Life. BR 13481. by Molly Gloss. 2 volumes. Washington state, 1905. Ardent feminist Charlotte Drummond, writer of penny novels, lives by the Columbia River with her five sons. When her housekeeper's granddaughter goes missing in the woods, Charlotte joins the search. But she becomes lost herself and encounters a Sasquatch family. Some descriptions of sex and some violence. 2000. BR 13481. ## Dancing with an Alien. BR 13491. by Mary Logue. 1 volume. Branko, a teenage boy from outer space, travels to Earth to help save his planet from extinction by bringing back a female. Then he meets six-foot-tall Tonia, ultimately falls in love, and puts his mission at risk. For junior and senior high readers. 2000. BR 13491. ## Being with Henry. BR 13496. by Martha Brooks. 1 volume. After an altercation with his stepfather, sixteen-year-old Laker is kicked out by his mother. Laker hops a bus and lives on the streets for a few weeks, until eighty-three- year-old widower Henry offers him a home. Over time, the two begin to develop a deep friendship. For senior high readers. 2000. BR 13496. ## The Red Tent. BR 13498. by Anita Diamant. 3 volumes. Dinah, the only daughter of Leah and Jacob in Genesis, departs from the biblical saga to recount her story and that of the women around her. The red tent is where women retreat for childbirth and young girls learn about adulthood. But Dinah is unprepared for her brothers' cruelty. Some violence and some descriptions of sex. Bestseller 1997. BR 13498. ## The Wind Done Gone. BR 13501. by Alice Randall. 2 volumes. Characters from _Gone with the Wind (BR 11427)_ are recreated in a novel that examines plantation life and nineteenth-century southern society through the eyes of a biracial woman. Cynara resents her privileged, legitimate, white half-sister, but during Reconstruction she comes into her own as an independent woman. Some strong language. Bestseller 2001. BR 13501. ## Other People's Rules. BR 13504. by Julia Hamilton. 3 volumes. When powerful Earl Ivar Gatehouse is accused of the twenty- year-old murder of a rock star's daughter, solicitor Lucy Diamond's fears awaken. As a teen Lucy had succumbed to Gatehouse's advances, and she had learned of his incest with his daughter. She also witnessed a fight. Strong language and some violence. 2000. BR 13504. ## Honor's Pledge. BR 13505. by Kristen Heitzmann. 2 volumes. Seventeen-year-old Abigail Martin falls in love with southerner Montgomery Farrel, who has moved to Colorado after the Civil War. He returns her love but is committed by oath to another. Abigail trusts in God to find a solution. Some violence. For senior high and older readers. 1998. BR 13505. ## Butterfly. BR 13506. by Sharon Sala. 2 volumes. At twenty-six, China Brown finds herself alone, pregnant, and homeless. As she searches for shelter, suddenly China not only witnesses a shooting, but becomes a victim. Detective Ben English, however, is determined to improve her life. Some explicit descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. 2000. BR 13506. ## My Life on a Plate. BR 13514. by India Knight. 2 volumes. Part-time magazine writer Clara Hutt lives in London with her busy fashion-magazine-editor husband and their two young sons. Alternately relieved and jealous that she is not living the single life her friends are, Clara humorously observes her current situation. Strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2000. BR 13514. ## Buster's Diaries: A True Story of a Dog and His Man. BR 13519. by Roy Hattersley. 1 volume. Buster, an abandoned London dog who is part bull terrier, keeps a diary of his life. He is eventually adopted from an animal shelter by "the Man" but makes the mistake of killing one of the queen's geese in a public park. The ensuing uproar leaves Buster a very famous canine. 1998. BR 13519. ## Return to Promise. BR 13521. by Debbie Macomber. 2 volumes. Promise, Texas. Cal Patterson and his physician wife, Jane, are happily married with two young children. When Jane takes their son and daughter to California, because of her father's failing health, their separation causes problems. To make matters worse, an attractive new woman in town has her sights set on Cal. 2000. BR 13521. ## What's in a Name. BR 13532. by Ellen Wittlinger. 1 volume. Ten vignettes describe how high school students join the debate over changing the name of their New England town. They must make choices as they struggle with their own identities--black, white, poor, rich, popular, geeky, and immigrant. Some strong language. For senior high readers. 2000. BR 13532. ## The Music at Long Verney: Twenty Stories. BR 13535. by Sylvia Townsend Warner. 2 volumes. Satirical British short stories from the _New Yorker_. In the title piece, an old couple move to the gamekeeper's cottage and rent out the ancestral mansion to "new money." In "Maternal Devotion," a young lady sends her unwanted beau to her mother, whose conversation rattles them both. 2001. BR 13535. ## The Dying Animal. BR 13538. by Philip Roth. 1 volume. Sixtyish New York cultural critic David Kepesh is already struggling with his own mortality when a former favorite young lover, Cuban Consuela Castillo, returns in ill health to see him again. Explicit descriptions of sex and strong language. Bestseller 2001. BR 13538. ## Death Is Not the End: An Inspector Rebus Novella. BR 13556. by Ian Rankin. 1 volume. Inspector John Rebus from Edinburgh, Scotland, investigates the disappearance of his childhood friend's son from a local nightclub. During his search, Rebus uncovers an illegal gambling ring. Some strong language. 1998. BR 13556. ## Shane. BR 13561. by Jack Schaefer. 1 volume (Reissue). Wyoming territory, 1889. A mysterious stranger named Shane rides into the Starretts' ranch and learns of the trouble between cattle baron Fletcher and the homesteaders. Shane decides to stay and help the family keep their stake. Some violence. For senior high and older readers. 1949. BR 13561. ## Head: Stories. BR 13562. by William Tester. 1 volume. Stories exploring a boy's childhood and adolescence in rural Florida and early adulthood in New York City. In "Wet," a stepfather forces Nim and his brother to build a barbed-wire fence around a swamp in the midst of a thunderstorm. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. Mary McCarthy Prize. 2000. BR 13562. ## If Only It Were True. BR 13596. by Marc Levy. 2 volumes. After an automobile accident, San Francisco medical intern Lauren enters a deep coma. Her spirit returns to her old apartment. Arthur, the new occupant, discovers Lauren and gradually they fall in love. But Lauren's mother decides to pull the plug. Some strong language. 2000. BR 13596. ## The Return. BR 13603. by Dinah McCall. 2 volumes. In 1973 an event at Pulpit Rock in Camarune, Kentucky, changed the lives of two feuding families--the Joslins and the Blairs. Now twenty-five years later, a young woman-- considered a witch--born during the tragedy returns to town, bringing the fight to a shocking conclusion. Some strong language. 2000. BR 13603. ## The Vault. BR 13604. by Peter Lovesey. 3 volumes. Detective Superintendent Peter Diamond of Bath, England, is presented a bony hand found in the Roman baths beneath Mary Shelley's house. He assumes it is of ancient origin until the pathologist reports that the bones probably date from the 1980s, meaning Diamond has a case to investigate. 1999. BR 13604. ## Confessions of a Fallen Standard-Bearer. BR 13607. by Andreď Makine. 1 volume. In a letter to his childhood companion, a Russian emigrant celebrates their idealistic time together as Pioneers (Communist scouts). He recalls the friendships between their families and the horror of their parents' World War II experiences, contrasting their quiet heroism with the Soviet party line. 2000. BR 13607. ## Aiding and Abetting. BR 13608. by Muriel Spark. 1 volume. Psychiatrist Hildegard Wolf tries to determine which of two patients is the real Lord Lucan, who murdered his children's nanny and battered his wife twenty-five years ago. Meanwhile the earls want to extort money from Dr. Wolf to keep secret about her fraudulent past. 2001. BR 13608. ## The Killer's Cousin. BR 13609. by Nancy Werlin. 2 volumes. High school senior David Yaffe is exiled to his uncle's house after being acquitted of murder. There he is haunted by his dead cousin, Kathy, and harassed by her eleven-year- old sister, Lily. He learns there is another killer in the house. Some strong language. For senior high readers. 1998. BR 13609. ## The Twylight Tower: An Elizabeth I Mystery. BR 13610. by Karen Harper. 2 volumes. London, 1560. Young Queen Elizabeth I is besotted with her married horse master, Robert Dudley. But when her favorite musician and then Dudley's wife die mysteriously, Elizabeth and her loyal staff begin a quiet investigation of the incidents. Sequel to _The Tidal Poole (BR 13219)_. Some violence. 2001. BR 13610. ## ### _Books for Children_ The following books were recently produced for the NLS program. To order books, contact your braille-lending library. _Nonfiction_ The Place My Words Are Looking For: What Poets Say about and through Their Work. BR 13513. selected by Paul B. Janeczko. 1 volume. A collection of poems by thirty-nine poets who also comment on why they write--their inspiration, memories, and enjoyment of playing with words. For grades 4-7. 1990. BR 13513. ## The Day the Rabbi Disappeared: Jewish Holiday Tales of Magic. BR 13525. retold by Howard Schwartz. 1 volume. A noted folklorist presents twelve Jewish tales from around the world. Each combines elements of magic with a link to a Jewish holiday; includes Rosh Hodesh, which celebrates the appearance of the new moon, and the Sabbath, a day of joy and rest. For grades 3-6. 2000. BR 13525. ## Europe. BR 13537. by April Pulley Sayre. 1 volume. Surveys geographical characteristics of the European continent, including its flora and fauna, nine climate types, variations in landscape, and waterways. Discusses environmental concerns and sources of pollution. For grades 5-8. 1998. BR 13537. ## The World at Her Fingertips: The Story of Helen Keller. BR 13552. by Joan Dash. 2 volumes. A biography of the woman who overcame her disabilities to be an inspirational public figure. Discusses the cause of Helen Keller's blindness and deafness, her determination to lead a useful life, and the importance of her teacher--Annie Sullivan--throughout Helen's life. For grades 5-8. 2001. BR 13552. ## Dinosaurs at the Ends of the Earth: The Story of the Central Asiatic Expeditions. BR 13612. by Brian Floca. 1 volume. Relates the adventures of Roy Chapman Andrews's 1920s expeditions into the Gobi Desert in Mongolia. Describes the difficulties of packing dinosaur fossils to send back to American museums and the first discovery of dinosaur eggs. For grades 3-6. 2000. BR 13612. ## Malcolm X: A Fire Burning Brightly. BR 13616. by Walter Dean Myers. 1 volume. A short biography of the controversial twentieth-century African American leader. Describes the crucial stages in Malcolm X's life. Includes quotes from his speeches and writings, and a chronology. For grades 4-7 and older readers. 2000. BR 13616. ## The Fairies' Ring: A Book of Fairy Stories and Poems. BR 13619. compiled by Jane Yolen. 1 volume. The poets range from Shakespeare and Ben Johnson to W.B. Yeats and Robert Graves. The poetry is intermingled with fairy tales from Scotland, Persia, England, Wales, France, Greece, New Zealand, and South Africa. For grades 3-6 and older readers. 1999. BR 13619. ## The Making of My Special Hand: Madison's Story. BR 14001. by Jamee Riggio Heelan. 1 volume. Madison, a little girl born with one hand, tells about having a helper hand made specially for her. She explains all the stages involved in fitting her for a battery- operated prosthesis that allows her to open and close her new hand. PRINT/BRAILLE. For grades K-3. 1998. BR 14001. ## A Picture Book of Louis Braille. BR 14002. by David A. Adler. 1 volume. Presents the life of the nineteenth-century Frenchman who was accidentally blinded as a child. Louis Braille originated the raised dot system of reading and writing used throughout the world by visually impaired individuals. PRINT/BRAILLE. For grades K-3. 1997. BR 14002. ## ### _Fiction_ Different Just like Me. BR 13095. by Lori Mitchell. 1 volume. While preparing for a visit to her grandmother, a young girl notices that, like the flowers in Grammie's garden, people who are different from one another also share similarities, and it's okay to like them all. PRINT/BRAILLE. For grades K- 3 and older readers. 1999. BR 13095. ## The Hickory Chair. BR 13096. by Lisa Rowe Fraustino. 1 volume. A blind boy tells of his warm relationship with his grandmother. After she dies, every family member--except him--finds notes on special things she has left for them. He chooses her favorite chair as a remembrance, and years later, his grandchild finds a note inside--for him. PRINT/BRAILLE. For grades K-3. 2001. BR 13096. ## Car Wash. BR 13097. by Sandra Steen and Susan Steen. 1 volume. On the way to lunch, a father drives through a muddy puddle and stops at the car wash first. His two children imagine deep-sea adventures as the machines whir around outside the windows. But after their meal, dad wishes he had waited to have the car cleaned. PRINT/BRAILLE. For preschool-grade 2. 2001. BR 13097. ## Wings. BR 13100. by Christopher Myers. 1 volume. Ikarus Jackson, the new boy in school, can really fly. The other children pick on him because his wings make him different. Then one girl recognizes his loneliness and praises his special ability, renewing his spirit. PRINT/BRAILLE. For grades K-3. 2000. BR 13100. ## Homecoming. BR 13290. by Cynthia Voigt. 3 volumes (Reissue). After their mother abandons Dicey, James, Maybeth, and Sammy at a shopping mall, it is up to thirteen-year-old Dicey to take care of her siblings and keep them together. Dicey wants to reach Bridgeport, Connecticut, where their great- aunt lives, even though it means walking for several days. For grades 5-8. 1981. BR 13290. ## Over Sea, under Stone. BR 13419. by Susan Cooper. 2 volumes. The three Drew children find a crumbling old map that may lead to an ancient treasure linked with King Arthur and possessing strength more powerful than life itself. Followed by _The Dark Is Rising (BR 13420)_. For grades 4-7 and older readers. 1965. BR 13419. ## The Dark Is Rising. BR 13420. by Susan Cooper. 2 volumes. Will Stanton, eleven, learns that he is the last of the Old Ones--immortals dedicated to controlling the forces of evil. Will's quest is to find the Signs of Light to defeat the Dark. Sequel to _Over Sea, under Stone (BR 13419)_. For grades 4-7 and older readers. Newbery Honor. 1973. BR 13420. ## Greenwitch. BR 13421. by Susan Cooper. 1 volume. Despite the dangers, the Drew children and Will Stanton must retrieve the golden grail that the forces of the Dark have stolen. And Jane Drew receives a strange gift from the Greenwitch after witnessing a nightlong ceremony. Sequel to _The Dark Is Rising (BR 13420)_. For grades 4-7 and older readers. 1974. BR 13421. ## The Grey King. BR 13423. by Susan Cooper. 2 volumes (Reissue). While visiting in Wales, Will Stanton is challenged to find a golden harp to rouse the sleepers needed for the battle against the Dark. Sequel to _Greenwitch (BR 13421)_. For grades 4-7 and older readers. Newbery Medal. 1975. BR 13423. ## Artemis Fowl. BR 13430. by Eoin Colfer. 2 volumes. Twelve-year-old mastermind Artemis plans to restore his family fortune by obtaining some of the fairies' gold. The first step involves blackmailing an alcoholic fairy to photograph her "Book," containing her race's secrets but written in an ancient tongue. Some violence. For grades 5-8. Bestseller 2001. BR 13430. ## The Phantom Tollbooth. BR 13442. by Norton Juster. 1 volume (Reissue). Feeling bored and unhappy, Milo is surprised to find in his room an enormous package containing a genuine turnpike tollbooth. When he drives his toy car through it, Milo arrives in a magical world. A fantasy for those who enjoy word play. For grades 5-8. 1961. BR 13442. ## Chasing Bears: A Canoe Country Adventure. BR 13475. by Earl Fleck. 1 volume. Twelve-year-old Danny joins his competitive older brother and reckless father on a canoeing trip into the Canadian wilderness. The bears, bad storms, and difficult portages frighten him, but when the older guys are injured in a freak accident, it is up to Danny to find help. For grades 5-8. 1999. BR 13475. ## Stick and Whittle. BR 13490. by Sid Hite. 1 volume. Texas, 1872. Melvin "Stick" Fitchett, a Civil War veteran, runs into sixteen-year-old Melvin "Whittle" Smyte on the lonesome prairie. The two become partners while Stick searches for his long-lost sweetheart, Evelyn. When they find out that she has been kidnapped, they ride to the rescue. For grades 6-9. 2000. BR 13490. ## Oliver and Albert, Friends Forever. BR 13493. by Jean Van Leeuwen. 1 volume. Albert, the new student in Oliver's school, is taller than his pig classmates, and he can read. But at recess, Oliver and his friends realize that Albert can't play kickball and that he likes bugs. Soon the whole class is studying the critters. For grades K-3. 2000. BR 13493. ## Molly's Pilgrim. BR 13495. by Barbara Cohen. 1 volume (Reissue). Molly is an immigrant Jewish girl from Russia. Molly's mother helps her make a Pilgrim doll for a Thanksgiving school assignment, but dresses it as she dressed in Russia before fleeing religious persecution. Molly is at first embarrassed about the doll, but learns there are many kinds of pilgrims. For grades 2-4 and older readers. 1983. BR 13495. ## Navajo Summer. BR 13526. by Jennifer Owings Dewey. 1 volume. In this companion to the autobiographical _Cowgirl Dreams (BR 10632)_, twelve-year-old Jamie recalls running away from home in the summer of 1953. Hoping to escape the tension and conflict of her divorcing parents, she stays with longtime friends, a loving Navajo family. For grades 4-7. 1998. BR 13526. ## The Magic Pretzel: The Werewolf Club, Book 1. BR 13565. by Daniel Pinkwater. 1 volume. Norman Gnormal believes his parents really wanted a dog because they trained him like a puppy. The barking, howling fourth grader joins the Werewolf Club and makes his first friends. Together they help their sponsor, Mr. Talbot, who is stuck between being a wolf and a man. For grades 2-4. 2000. BR 13565. ## Blueberries for Sal. BR 13566. by Robert McCloskey. 1 volume. One day in Maine, Little Sal goes blueberry picking with her mother. Little Bear also comes with his mother to eat blueberries on the other side of the hill. There is quite a mix up when the little ones stray from their mothers. For preschool-grade 2. Caldecott Honor. 1948. BR 13566. ## The Kid Coach. BR 13567. by Fred Bowen. 1 volume. When their baseball coach quits at the beginning of the season, the team decides that Scott could coach and play at the same time. After some disagreements, the teammates pull together and have a winning season. For grades 3-6. 1996. BR 13567. ## Katy and the Big Snow. BR 13606. by Virginia Lee Burton. 1 volume. Katy, the red crawler tractor, is big and strong. When the entire city is buried under a blizzard and all the other snowplows break down, the people count on Katy to save them. For grades K-3. 1943. BR 13606. ## Hold My Hand and Run. BR 13613. by Margaret McAllister. 1 volume. England, 1628. After her stepmother dies, thirteen-year-old Kazy takes her younger half-sister, Beth, and runs away from their father's comfortable home, seeking refuge from the beatings of her viciously abusive aunt. But the two girls encounter harsh weather, illness, and hungry peasants before they find safety and hope. For grades 5-8. 1999. BR 13613. ## The Bad Beginning: A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 1. BR 13626. by Lemony Snicket. 1 volume. The Baudelaire siblings--Violet, fourteen; Klaus, twelve; and Sunny, a teething toddler--are charming and clever, but "magnets for misfortune." In short order, they are orphaned, denied access to their inheritance until Violet comes of age, and sent to live with a repulsive relative, Count Olaf. For grades 4-7. Bestseller 1999. BR 13626. ## The Reptile Room: A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 2. BR 13627. by Lemony Snicket. 1 volume. After narrowly escaping the menacing clutches of the dastardly Count Olaf in _The Bad Beginning (BR 13626)_, 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. Bestseller 1999. BR 13627. ## The Case of the Dog Camp Mystery: The New Adventures of Mary-Kate and Ashley. BR 13677. by Judy Katschke. 1 volume. Detective twins Ashley and Mary-Kate take Clue, their bassett hound, with them to Camp Barkaway. Clue disappears from their cabin, however, and the girls are afraid she's been stolen. But who has a motive? For grades 4-7. Bestseller 2001. BR 13677. ## Two Little Trains. BR 14004. by Margaret Wise Brown. 1 volume. Two little trains, one streamlined, the other old-fashioned, puff, puff, puff, and chug, chug, chug on their way west. PRINT/BRAILLE. For preschool-grade 2. 1949. BR 14004. ## ### 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