### Talking Book Topics, Vol. 70, No. 6, November-December 2004 Talking Book Topics November-December 2004 Volume 70, Number 6 National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped _Talking Book Topics_ is published bimonthly in large-print, cassette, 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 recorded books and magazines available through a network of cooperating libraries and covers news of developments and activities in library services. 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. To order books, 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 2004 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 60-46157 ISSN 0039-9183 Contents: In Brief Books for Adults Cassettes--Nonfiction Cassettes--Fiction Books for Children Cassettes--Nonfiction Cassettes--Fiction Foreign Language Books Spanish Talking Book Magazines In Brief The following material is reprinted from NLS Flash, November 2004, volume 1, issue 1, a newsletter created to bring current information on NLS progress in digital technology to patrons, library staff, and other interested individuals. Digital technology to bring books to life Since the 1970s, analog cassettes have enabled NLS to deliver reliable and entertaining audio books and magazines to people who are unable to read standard print.Analog technology continues to work, but now it‡s time for something new. NLS has found the answer in technology unavailable thirty years ago. "Digital talking books will bring a great range of benefits to blind and physically handicapped readers," says Frank Kurt Cylke, NLS director. "Many of the marvelous capabilities of the printed book will be combined with the power of computers to create a tool of unprecedented flexibility and power." NLS will use digital technology to enhance the listening experience. What makes digital better than analog? Users can easily navigate through a book. Sound quality will improve. Less handling will be required. And that‡s only the beginning. Fast forward to the future. Each patron will have access to a flash-based playback machine and will be able to download digital books and magazines from the Internet. Digital transformation. After 10 years of research, NLS chose flash memory as the framework for its new system. How will it work? Imagine a lightweight playback device with a removable cartridge that allows for faster access to the content of a book. In 2008, this dream becomes reality. A digital talking book (DTB) will resemble a credit card, only slightly larger. It will be a high-density flash memory cartridge, capable of holding a complete book. Each book's digital master will be compressed to fit the cartridge at a rate that will deliver high-quality audio. The books will be labeled in both large print and braille. In the race to project completion, NLS is off and running. In 2002, NLS began the digital audio book production and conversion process. By 2008, the program will provide players and have a collection of 20,000 digital titles. "The greatest challenge of the digital transition is pulling several long-term and complex projects together to function smoothly," says Jean M. Moss, NLS digital projects coordinator. "It is critical to the successful implementation of the digital program that all key stakeholders--patrons, network libraries and their administering agencies, producers, and staff--be involved, to some extent, in the design and implementation process." NLS will continue to collaborate with stakeholders through user studies and meetings with the Digital Long-Term Planning Group. Book titles expected to be among the most popular 20 percent, which constitute 80 percent of total circulation, are slated to be mass-produced and distributed by network libraries. The remaining titles, constituting 20 percent of total circulation, will be duplicated on demand through a distribution center that will service patrons nationwide. Driving the digital effort is the goal to make the reading experiences for patrons more enjoyable. "The most exciting feature of digital talking books is the reader's ability to easily navigate through the book. All books will include a basic level of navigation that allows the reader to jump to various chapters and sections," says Moss. "The navigation capabilities will vary with the type of book, for example, fiction and non-fiction." The design of the flash-based playback machines will be cost-efficient. The solid-state machines will have no moving parts, which will keep repair costs low. NLS plans to build 60,000 digital playback machines by 2008. "The production quantity of DTB players will be increased in subsequent years to satisfy patron demand," says Moss. Flash benefits. Why should blind and physically handicapped readers get excited about the new technology? Here are a few good reasons: better sound quality in playback; fewer items to keep track of (generally one cartridge instead of several cassettes as required with the cassette system); and no need to flip a switch or the cartridge during playback. Libraries also have compelling reasons to embrace the digital transformation. Flash memory will require less storage space for collections; memory cards can be reused many times without loss of quality; playback devices will be compact, lightweight and durable, and require fewer repairs; and the playback devices are expected to be less expensive. "We've received positive comments on the move to a digital system from network librarians and patrons," says Michael Moodie, NLS deputy director. "The end result of the conversion process will exceed expectations." Digital talking book (DTB) milestones Completed: -Defined and prioritized digital talking book (DTB) features. -Coordinated development and publication of Specifications for the Digital Talking Book (ANSI/NISO Z39.86). -Simulated a DTB player using a personal computer. -Developed a computer-based life-cycle cost analysis (LCC) model for the NLS system and for candidate digital systems. -Developed computer software for DTB production and presentation. -Developed software to test conformance of players and DTBs with the ANSI/NISO standard. Start 6/20/03--Finish 10/1/08 The following ongoing projects, set to conclude in 2008, are shown with start dates in parentheses. -User survey (6/20/03) -Player transition study (11/10/03) -Web-Magazine pilot (1/12/04) -Distribution medium study (7/1/04) -Digital data management system development (11/1/04) -Player and medium design (11/1/04) -Distribution system design and transition planning (12/1/04) -Design DTB containers and labels (6/1/05) -Web-Book pilot (6/1/05) -Prepare for DTB distribution (10/1/05) -Circulation systems design (12/1/05) -Manufacture initial lot of DTB containers and labels (9/1/06) -Distribution system implementation (10/1/06) -Circulation systems implementation (10/1/06) -Media production (3/1/07) -Media duplication (5/1/07) -Full player production (9/1/07) For information on the NLS digital project, contact Jean M. Moss, Digital Projects Coordinator. E-mail: jemo@loc.gov; fax: (202) 707-1690. For the NLS Strategic Business Plan online: www.loc.gov/nls/businessplan2003.html. ### _Books for Adults_ Books listed in this issue of _Talking Book Topics_ were recently sent to cooperating libraries. The complete collection contains books by many authors on fiction and nonfiction subjects, including biographies, classics, gothics, mysteries, romances, and others. Contact your cooperating library to learn more about the wide range of books available in the collection.Cassette books are labeled with the code RC and play at 15/16 ips. To order books, contact your cooperating library. _Note:_ For the information 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 occurrence, as in "some strong language." _Cassettes Nonfiction_ The Healing Power of Pets: Harnessing the Amazing Ability of Pets to Make and Keep People Happy and Healthy. RC 54792. by Marty Becker. read by Bruce Nelson. 3 cassettes. Practicing veterinarian advocates that people with chronic medical conditions reclaim their health by building strong relationships with animals. Combines information from scientific studies with the personal experiences of patients, including autistic children and surgical and Alzheimer's patients. 2002. RC 54792. ## A Quaker Book of Wisdom: Life Lessons in Simplicity, Service, and Common Sense. RC 55164. by Robert Lawrence Smith. read by Peter Lavezzoli. 1 cassette. Smith, a ninth generation Quaker, explores ways to harness our inner light to guide our daily choices. He discusses ten basic Quaker precepts: silence, worship, truth, simplicity, conscience, nonviolence, service, business, education, and family. Concludes with a letter to his grandchildren imparting ten life lessons. 1998. RC 55164. ## The Lives of the Muses: Nine Women and the Artists They Inspired. RC 55457. by Francine Prose. read by Kimberly Schraf. 3 cassettes. Discusses the role of the real-life muse as a connection between eros and artistic creativity. Explores varieties of the inspirational bond in carefully researched studies, probing themes of passion, exploitation, self-sacrifice, and obsession. Includes studies of Alice Liddell and Lewis Carroll, Gala and Salvador Dalí, and Yoko Ono and John Lennon. 2002. RC 55457. ## I Do Not Weep. RC 55809. by Venetta D. Baker. read by Tracy Mickens-Hundley. 1 cassette. Vignettes from the life of a strong black woman who serves as her Florida family's matriarch and caregiver in times of happiness and tragedy. She must decide whether to sell an antique ring, given to her by a former employer to whom she was a trusted confidante, to pay for her medical bills. 2001. RC 55809. ## "Get Out of My Life, but First Could You Drive Me and Cheryl to the Mall?" A Parent's Guide to the New Teenager. RC 56033. by Anthony E. Wolf. read by Terence Aselford. 1 cassette. Clinical psychologist humorously offers advice on disciplining teenagers and confronting such issues as peer pressure, the dangers of the Internet, sexuality, substance abuse, and school problems. Wolf presents typical scenarios and suggests methods of communication that might encourage teens to internalize parental values. Some strong language. 2002. RC 56033. ## Huey Long. RC 56095. by T. Harry Williams. read by Barry Bernson. 7 cassettes in 2 containers (Reissue). A portrait of Louisiana's controversial governor of the 1930s who was known as "The Kingfish." The author recognizes Long as a rare person of power with a potential for "great good or great evil," and presents him as a tragic figure. Some strong language. National Book Award. Pulitzer Prize. 1969. RC 56095. ## Birds off the Perch: Therapy and Training for Your Pet Bird. RC 56222. by Larry Lachman and others. read by Miriam Wagner. 2 cassettes. A guide to understanding and correcting behavior problems like biting, screaming, and feather plucking most often seen in younger birds. The authors emphasize communication, positive reinforcement, and the use of family therapy techniques. Provides important information on choosing a bird, maintaining its good health, and contacting helpful organizations. 2003. RC 56222. ## Moments of Grace: When God Touches Our Lives Unexpectedly. RC 56362. by Neale Donald Walsch. read by Larry Shapiro. 2 cassettes. Collection of real-life stories from readers of the five "Conversations with God" books (_RC 44643, 44644, 47255, 51348_, and _54766_). People share their own experiences of God working in their lives: visits by divine voices, extraordinary coincidental circumstances, and chance utterances of children that bring wisdom straight from God. 2001. RC 56362. ## American Tragedy. RC 56432. by Lawrence Schiller and James Willwerth. read by Michael Scherer. 6 cassettes. Presents an analysis of O.J. Simpson's legal defense team, which he retained during his infamous criminal and civil trials. Examines the skills and limitations of the attorneys on the "dream team," including Johnnie Cochran, F. Lee Bailey, and Robert Shapiro. Some strong language. 1996. RC 56432. ## Only the Strong Survive: The Odyssey of Allen Iverson. RC 56440. by Larry Platt. read by Mark Ashby. 2 cassettes. _Philadelphia_ magazine editor-in-chief presents the tumultuous life of the Philadelphia 76ers' six-foot point guard, from an impoverished childhood in Newport News, Virginia, to success as the NBA's 2001 MVP. Platt portrays Iverson as a misunderstood talent, loyal to family and friends but struggling with his coach, the media, and the law. Strong language. 2002. RC 56440. ## After: How America Confronted the September 12 Era. RC 56587. by Steven Brill. read by Ted Stoddard. 5 cassettes. Stories from a diverse group of Americans who struggled in the year after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Includes recollections of widowed housewife Eileen Simon; Kevin McCabe of the U.S. Customs Service; Sergio Magistri, owner of a baggage-checking company; Bernadine Healy, Red Cross president; and Pennsylvania governor Tom Ridge. 2003. RC 56587. ## The Measure of All Things: The Seven-Year Odyssey and Hidden Error That Transformed the World. RC 56611. by Ken Alder. read by Robert Blumenfeld. 3 cassettes. Historian's account of how the meter was established as a standard measure of length. Retraces the challenging zigzag route taken along a meridian by two Frenchmen in 1792 to determine a geographic basis for the meter. Alder discusses the ramifications of their secret correspondence about unreported discrepancies that he discovered during his research. 2002. RC 56611. ## Ovarian Cancer: Your Guide to Taking Control. RC 56623. by Kristine Conner and Lauren Langford. read by Constance Crawford. 5 cassettes. Resource guide orienting women to the major issues and decisions they are likely to face after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Provides information on finding a gynecologic oncologist, selecting treatments, and questions to ask a doctor. Also includes a list of alternative resources and stories from other women with the disease. 2003. RC 56623. ## By the Grace of the Sea: A Woman's Solo Odyssey around the World. RC 56637. by Pat Henry. read by Anne Hancock. 3 cassettes. Failing in business and personal relationships, forty-eight- year-old Pat Henry set sail on May 4, 1989, for an eight- year-long solo cruise around the world. Her memoirs describe her traverses of oceans and her soul searching for adventure, romance, and the strength to conquer her fears and realize her dreams. 2003. RC 56637. ## Adventuring along the Lewis and Clark Trail. RC 56639. by Elizabeth Grossman. read by Ray Childs. 3 cassettes. Travel guide traces the Corps of Discovery's 1804-1806 route across ten states to the Pacific Ocean. Excerpts from Lewis and Clark's journals provide perspective on ecological changes that have taken place since their expedition. Also includes tips on hiking, biking, canoeing, and kayaking adventures. Gives useful contact information. 2003. RC 56639. ## American Lung Association Seven Steps to a Smoke-Free Life. RC 56645. by Edwin B. Fisher. read by Geoffrey Centlivre. 2 cassettes. Guide to quitting smoking based on the American Lung Association's _Freedom from Smoking_ program. Recommends identifying individual reasons for addiction to personalize a plan that can be used with other cessation techniques. The seven-step process addresses how to cope with cravings, keep off extra weight, avoid setbacks, and survive after "quit day." 1998. RC 56645. ## The Big Fix: How the Pharmaceutical Industry Rips Off American Consumers. RC 56649. by Katharine Greider. read by Dan Bloom. 2 cassettes. Reporter analyzes the aggressive marketing and pricing practices of pharmaceutical companies while also recognizing the enormous benefits of their products in reducing pain and controlling illness. Discusses secret drug price policies, efforts to extend patent protection for high-priced blockbusters, research schemes, and advertising gimmicks that promote prescription drugs and increase health care costs. 2003. RC 56649. ## The Journal. RC 56694. by George Fox. read by Bill Wallace. 4 cassettes (Reissue). Spiritual journal and autobiography of George Fox (1624- 1691), the founder of the Religious Society of Friends-- commonly known as Quakers--dictated during his imprisonment in the mid 1670s. Records his work, hardships, and successes in developing a new spiritual order in England. 1998 introduction by Nigel Smith. 1674. RC 56694. ## John Paul Jones: Sailor, Hero, Father of the American Navy. RC 56700. by Evan Thomas. read by Bill Wallace. 3 cassettes. Biography of the "great sea warrior," born in Scotland in 1747, who went to sea at age thirteen. Describes his career in the fledgling American Continental Navy, his later exploits in Europe and Russia, and his burial in an obscure Paris grave in 1792. 2003. RC 56700. ## Paperboy: Confessions of a Future Engineer. RC 56717. by Henry Petroski. read by Bill Wallace. 3 cassettes. Duke University history and engineering professor, author of _The Book on the Bookshelf (RC 49607)_, reflects on his years as a paperboy in Queens. By recalling his paper route and the work it involved, Petroski provides a glimpse into American life during the 1950s and a foreshadowing of his subsequent career. 2002. RC 56717. ## Napoleon and Wellington: The Battle of Waterloo--and the Great Commanders Who Fought It. RC 56718. by Andrew Roberts. read by Bill Wallace. 3 cassettes. A study of the personal relationship between nineteenth- century rivals French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte and British general Arthur Wellesley, the duke of Wellington. It is also "a study in beliefs and rivalry, propaganda and rancor" that continued long after their last battle at Waterloo. 2001. RC 56718. ## Free (or Almost Free) Prescription Medications: Where and How to Get Them. RC 56723. by David Johnson. read by Ralph Lowenstein. 2 cassettes. The author, a multiple sclerosis patient who lost his health insurance, lists 168 prescription drug assistance programs run by pharmaceutical companies for low-income people not qualifying for state aid. Provides information on each program's eligibility criteria, enrollment instructions, steps required of patients and their doctors, and other details. 2002. RC 56723. ## When Walking Fails: Mobility Problems of Adults with Chronic Conditions. RC 56727. by Lisa I. Iezzoni. read by Jill Ferris. 4 cassettes. A physician with multiple sclerosis researches social and medical factors that might improve the quality of life for people with difficulty walking. Discusses mobility limits, physical and occupational therapy, ambulation aids and how to pay for them, as well as psychological issues. 2003. RC 56727. ## Bittersweet: Diabetes, Insulin, and the Transformation of Illness. RC 56731. by Chris Feudtner. read by Ralph Lowenstein. 2 cassettes. Pediatrician chronicles the twentieth-century history of diabetes mellitus, using the archives of the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston. Focuses on patient's experiences and causality of the disease's symptoms. Describes the discovery of insulin and the complications arising from its long-term use. 2003. RC 56731. ## Bible Code II: The Countdown. RC 56763. by Michael Drosnin. read by Butch Hoover. 2 cassettes. In this sequel to _The Bible Code (RC 44896)_, investigative reporter Drosnin continues his quest for the truth behind an ancient code purportedly embedded in the Bible. The author asserts the code predicted the 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and may warn of impending global catastrophe. 2002. RC 56763. ## Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith. RC 56777. by Jon Krakauer. read by Michael Russotto. 3 cassettes. Traces the origins of Mormonism in an effort to explain certain crimes committed by fundamentalist sect members-- including the 1984 murder of Brenda Lafferty and her baby in Utah. Conveys how Brenda's remorseless brother-in-law Dan and his brother Ron believed God ordered them to kill. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. Bestseller 2003. RC 56777. ## Classic Country: Legends of Country Music. RC 56780. by Charles K. Wolfe. read by Gregory Gorton. 3 cassettes. The author of _A Good-Natured Riot: The Birth of the Grand Ole Opry (RC 50736)_ presents more than fifty portraits of past and present country music notables, based largely on interviews and recollections. Includes obscure performers and studio musicians as well as stars such as Hank Snow and Roy Acuff. 2001. RC 56780. ## The Happy Bottom Riding Club: The Life and Times of Pancho Barnes. RC 56787. by Lauren Kessler. read by Coleen Delany. 3 cassettes. Biography of eccentric pioneering woman aviator. Florence Lowe's grandfather predicted she would be a flier, and in the 1920s Florence raced planes and worked as a movie stunt pilot. She later went through several marriages and lovers-- one of whom gave her the nickname "Pancho"--and several fortunes before dying penniless. 2000. RC 56787. ## The Ideas That Conquered the World: Peace, Democracy, and Free Markets in the Twenty-first Century. RC 56802. by Michael Mandelbaum. read by Steven Carpenter. 4 cassettes. Foreign affairs columnist analyzes how and why three major ideas have transformed world order--peace as the basis for relations between countries, democracy as the optimal method of political organization, and the free market as the system to produce wealth. But Mandelbaum recognizes these principles are neither accepted nor practiced everywhere. 2002. RC 56802. ## Buddhism: A Concise Introduction. RC 56816. by Huston Smith and Philip Novak. read by Mary Kane. 2 cassettes. Describes the history, fundamental teachings, and practices of this Eastern religion. The first half of the book explores the life of the Buddha (born circa 563 B.C.E.), explains the core tenets, and distinguishes between various sects. The final chapters discuss the Western expansion and adaptations of Buddhism, particularly in America. 2003. RC 56816. ## Suddenly Gone: The Kansas Murders of Serial Killer Richard Grissom. RC 56817. by Dan Mitrione. read by Christopher Walker. 2 cassettes. Former FBI agent details the 1989 Kansas crime spree of serial killer Richard Grissom Jr., who kidnapped and tortured young women. Grissom's psychological troubles--and a grisly murder he committed as a youth--were revealed in his juvenile record, and such deviant behavior continued into his adulthood. Violence and strong language. 1995. RC 56817. ## In the Company of Heroes. RC 56819. by Michael J. Durant. read by Gregory Gorton. 3 cassettes. Retired army pilot recounts his harrowing POW experience in Somalia after his Blackhawk helicopter was downed during a 1993 mission to capture warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid. He describes being attacked by a mob, imprisoned, interrogated, and finally released after eleven days. Introduction by the author of _Black Hawk Down (RC 48028)_. Strong language. 2003. RC 56819. ## The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin and Selections from His Other Writings. RC 56823. by Benjamin Franklin. read by Rick Rohan. 2 cassettes (Reissue). Memoirs of the early American newspaperman, scientist, philosopher, and statesman Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), addressed to his son. Describes his intellectual development, wide-ranging interests, and diverse enterprises. Includes selections from his newspaper columns and journal. With an introduction by Stacy Schiff. 2001. RC 56823. ## 'Atta Girl! A Celebration of Women in Sport. RC 56824. by Alexandra Powe Allred. read by Coleen Delany. 2 cassettes. Inspirational anecdotes about women in sports, including the author, a former U.S. women's bobsled team member who also once played professional football. Recounts female athletes' struggle for success and acceptance and explores society's evolving perceptions. For senior high and older readers. 2003. RC 56824. ## Beyond Glory: Medal of Honor Heroes in Their Own Words: Extraordinary Stories of Courage from World War II to Vietnam. RC 56848. by Larry Smith. read by Lou Harpenau. 3 cassettes. Twenty-four recipients of the Medal of Honor recall the deeds and circumstances meriting their citations. Jack Jacobs of the 82nd Airborne during the Vietnam War describes his 1968 rescue actions while wounded and under fire as simply doing what he felt he had to do. Some strong language. 2003. RC 56848. ## When Hollywood Had a King: The Reign of Lew Wasserman, Who Leveraged Talent into Power and Influence. RC 56850. by Connie Bruck. read by Roy Avers. 4 cassettes. Biography of the entertainment industry's most powerful force: the president of Music Corporation of America. Traces Wasserman's career rise from the 1940s to the 1990s. Discusses relationships between Hollywood stars, mobsters, and politicians, as well as the deals Wasserman engineered that reshaped the movie business. Some strong language. Bestseller 2003. RC 56850. ## Worth the Fighting For: A Memoir. RC 56852. by John McCain. read by Butch Hoover. 3 cassettes. Political recollections of former Vietnam POW and Arizona senator John McCain. Beginning where his 1999 memoir _Faith of My Fathers (RC 48807)_ left off, McCain talks candidly about his political career, his understanding of American values, and the role models that have guided him. 2002. RC 56852. ## Making Self-Employment Work for People with Disabilities. RC 56855. by Cary Griffin and David Hammis. read by John Richardson. 3 cassettes. Experienced vocational counselors offer a practical handbook that provides individuals with disabilities information on how to start and maintain a small business. Includes suggestions on preparing a business plan and market strategies, understanding and using government programs, and finding mentors and useful web sites. 2003. RC 56855. ## Insurance Solutions, Plan Well--Live Better: A Workbook for People with a Chronic Disease or Disability. RC 56856. by Laura D. Cooper. read by Kerry Cundiff. 2 cassettes. Emphasizes the importance of advance insurance protection planning to account for the possibility of a chronic illness or disability. Provides work sheets, examples, exercises, and instructions to help people inventory and evaluate their current insurance and improve their health care portfolios. Also suggests strategies for obtaining coverage when traditional sources appear foreclosed. 2002. RC 56856. ## The Kennedy Curse: Why America's First Family Has Been Haunted by Tragedy for One Hundred and Fifty Years. RC 56880. by Edward Klein. read by Michael Scherer. 2 cassettes. Author of _Just Jackie (RC 49210)_ explores the self- destructive behavior patterns of the Kennedy clan that have frequently led to tragedy. Chronicles the ill fortunes of various family members from the first immigrants to America to John Jr. and his "doomed" marriage to Carolyn Bessette. Some strong language. Bestseller 2003. RC 56880. ## What Becomes of the Brokenhearted: A Memoir. RC 56881. by E. Lynn Harris. read by Michael Scherer. 2 cassettes. Autobiography by gay, African American, bestselling author of _Invisible Life (RC 38731)_. Describes his humble beginnings in Arkansas, his career development, failed romantic relationships, bouts with depression, and deep faith in God. Strong language and some violence. Bestseller 2003. RC 56881. ## Paige by Paige: A Year of Trading Spaces. RC 56923. by Paige Davis. read by Kerry Cundiff. 1 cassette. Host of television's popular decorating show _Trading Spaces_ describes a year in the lives of the cast and crew as they crisscross the United States. Beginning in June 2002 with the third season, Paige offers behind-the-scenes information on taping the episodes, various designers, decorating mishaps, and unveiling newly finished rooms. Bestseller 2003. RC 56923. ## King David: The Real Life of the Man Who Ruled Israel. RC 56945. by Jonathan Kirsch. read by Bill Wallace. 3 cassettes. Author of _The Harlot by the Side of the Road (RC 45959)_ and _Moses (RC 47585)_ investigates the reign of David, king of the Jews (c. 1005-965 B.C.E.). Reconstructs David's life and examines incidents related in the Bible, assessing the king's ruthlessness and moral character. 2000. RC 56945. ## Death as a Way of Life: Israel Ten Years after Oslo. RC 56948. by David Grossman. read by Ken Kliban. 1 cassette. Essays by an Israeli author in response to the escalating regional violence in the decade since the signing of the 1993 Oslo Accords--a supposed framework for peace--by Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader Yasir Arafat. Grossman comments on further peace negotiations and disappointments, terrorist attacks, and possibilities for harmonious coexistence. 2003. RC 56948. ## The Pacific War. RC 56949. by John Costello. read by Jake Williams. 7 cassettes in 2 containers. Comprehensive account of political, economic, and military actions in the Pacific during World War II. Examines strategies behind the campaign, from the Allied entry into the war to the decision to use the atomic bomb. Reconstructs internal government affairs by referencing official documents and military records. 1981. RC 56949. ## Memoirs: A Twentieth-Century Journey in Science and Politics. RC 56986. by Edward Teller. read by Bill Wallace. 5 cassettes. Memoir of Hungarian-born scientist Edward Teller's life from 1908 through 2000. Teller chronicles the people and events that shaped his career. He describes his coming to America in 1935, where he worked on nuclear weapons during and after World War II and was instrumental in the development of the hydrogen bomb. 2001. RC 56986. ## Persecution: How Liberals Are Waging War against Christianity. RC 57012. by David Limbaugh. read by Butch Hoover. 3 cassettes. The author of _Absolute Power (RC 52167)_ "chronicles discrimination against Christians in American society." Asserts that the U.S. Constitution's "separation of church and state" is misinterpreted and that liberals practice religious bigotry while preaching "secular humanism." Bestseller 2003. RC 57012. ## Prophecies: 4,000 Years of Prophets, Visionaries, and Predictions. RC 57015. by Tony Allan. read by Janis Gray. 2 cassettes. An overview of prophetic traditions of world cultures. Discusses China's _Yi Jing_, the Aztec calendar, and African divination as well as forecasts from outstanding seers like Nostradamus and the Cumaean Sibyl. Each chapter corresponds to a source of prognostication including divine inspiration, dreams, secular clairvoyance, and logical reasoning. 2002. RC 57015. ## Treason by the Book. RC 57019. by Jonathan D. Spence. read by Lou Harpenau. 3 cassettes. Recalls a case of treason against the Chinese Qing dynasty in 1728, when criticisms of the Manchu emperor Yongzheng were raised by conspirator Zeng Jing. Instead of sentencing the traitor to death, the emperor responded to his protests in a book called _Awakening from Delusion_ that he distributed throughout the country. 2001. RC 57019. ## The Greatest Experiment Ever Performed on Women: Exploding the Estrogen Myth. RC 57023. by Barbara Seaman. read by Kerry Cundiff. 2 cassettes. Cofounder of the National Women's Health Network explains the controversy surrounding the use of hormone replacement drugs--primarily estrogen--for birth control, menopause, and postmenopause. Traces the history of their development, marketing, and use in the twentieth century. Suggests that women are at risk from doctors who view menopause as a disease. 2003. RC 57023. ## A Time to Die: The Untold Story of the _Kursk_ Tragedy. RC 57027. by Robert Moore. read by Butch Hoover. 2 cassettes. British television correspondent recreates the sinking of a Russian nuclear submarine in the Arctic Circle on August 12, 2000, and the disastrous subsequent rescue efforts. Analyzes the failure of Vladimir Putin's government to enlist timely outside help. 2002. RC 57027. ## Living with Shingles: New Hope for an Old Disease. RC 57028. by Mary-Ellen Siegel and Gray Williams. read by Patricia McDermott. 1 cassette. Discusses the symptoms and progression of shingles, a medical problem brought about by reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus that causes chicken pox in childhood. Outlines methods of treatment, complications, and possible prevention in the future through a promising new vaccine. 1998. RC 57028. ## America's Splendid Little Wars: A Short History of U.S. Military Engagements, 1975-2000. RC 57032. by Peter Huchthausen. read by Tom Burch. 2 cassettes. Retired naval officer and author of _K-19: The Widowmaker (RC 55090)_ traces America's post-Vietnam armed conflicts from the 1975 rescue of the hijacked SS _Mayaguez_ in the Gulf of Siam through the 1990s interventions in the Balkans. Includes U.S. failures in Lebanon, Iran, and Somalia and victories in Desert Storm, Grenada, and Panama. 2003. RC 57032. ## Ghosts of Tsavo: Stalking the Mystery Lions of East Africa. RC 57035. by Philip Caputo. read by Fred Major. 2 cassettes. Novelist and travel/adventure writer Caputo explores the nature and terrain of the maneless lions documented and mythologized in J.H. Patterson's 1907 _Man-Eaters of Tsavo (RC 46487)_. Caputo reports on trips to Kenya and interviews with scientists researching the phenomenon of lions that stalk human prey and terrorize local villagers. 2002. RC 57035. ## Don't Mess with My Money: The Dolans' No-Nonsense Lifetime Money Plan. RC 57036. by Ken Dolan and Daria Dolan. read by Jack Fox. 3 cassettes. Practical money guide from the hosts of a top-rated personal finance radio show. The Dolans reveal loopholes and insider secrets as they candidly discuss how to organize financial resources and safeguard capital against unexpected events like layoffs and illness. Other topics include debt reduction, investing, family management, and retirement. 2003. RC 57036. ## I Am a Soldier, Too: The Jessica Lynch Story. RC 57047. by Rick Bragg. read by Margaret Strom. 1 cassette. Relates the experiences of nineteen-year-old U.S. Army private Jessica Lynch, captured during an ambush in March 2003 in southern Iraq and dramatically rescued weeks later, catapulting her into the international spotlight. Describes her West Virginia childhood and adjustment upon returning home wounded. Some violence and some strong language. Bestseller 2003. RC 57047. ## A Journey: The Autobiography of Apolo Anton Ohno. RC 57065. by Apolo Anton Ohno. read by Mark Ashby. 1 cassette. A Japanese American short track ice skater, who won both a silver and a gold medal in the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics at age nineteen, presents an account of his life and career. Ohno describes his upbringing and training, his injuries and illnesses, and his later success. For senior high and older readers. 2002. RC 57065. ## Bushwhacked: Life in George W. Bush's America. RC 57075. by Molly Ivins and Lou Dubose. read by Erin Jones. 2 cassettes. Examines the impact and legacy of Bush administration policy. Critically dissects the two tax cuts, environmental issues, financial scandals, education and foreign policy, civil and workers' rights, and workplace standards. Offers suggestions for economic and political reform. Some strong language. Bestseller 2003. RC 57075. ## Bob Hope: My Life in Jokes. RC 57077. by Bob Hope. read by Jack Fox. 1 cassette. The late comedian, who died in 2003 at one hundred years of age, tells his life story through jokes--organized by decade--revealing his family, experiences, interests, and personal and political thoughts. Reminisces about his long career in show business on the radio, screen, and television--and in the war theaters entertaining American troops. Introduction by daughter Linda. 2003. RC 57077. ## Street Soldier: My Life as an Enforcer for Whitey Bulger and the Boston Irish Mob. RC 57080. by Edward J. MacKenzie and Phyllis Karas. read by Fred Major. 2 cassettes. A former drug dealer for south Boston's Irish mafia head chronicles his violent life of crime. MacKenzie's edgy memoir portrays his abuse in childhood, juvenile delinquency, and the bust that landed him in prison--when mob boss and longtime FBI informant Whitey Bulger turned him in. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2003. RC 57080. ## The Founding Fish. RC 57081. by John McPhee. read by Jack Fox. 3 cassettes. Inspired by obsession, Delaware River fisherman McPhee explores the nature and biology of shad and the historical role of the species in America. He reconstructs the fish's legendary connections to the founding fathers--shad saved George Washington's army from starvation at Valley Forge. Includes McPhee's personal experiences and scientific research. 2002. RC 57081. ## Rogue Nation: American Unilateralism and the Failure of Good Intentions. RC 57090. by Clyde Prestowitz. read by Butch Hoover. 3 cassettes. Economic strategist explores the roots of American unilateralism and its influence on recent policy decisions regarding trade, energy, global warming, arms control, and the Israel-Palestine question. Prestowitz explains how one- sided U.S. actions are frequently misinterpreted by the global community and have increasingly alienated foreign countries. He urges pursuit of multilateral solutions. 2003. RC 57090. ## Ball of Fire: The Tumultuous Life and Comic Art of Lucille Ball. RC 57093. by Stefan Kanfer. read by Mitzi Friedlander. 3 cassettes. Details the life and times of comedienne and sit-com star Lucille Ball (1911-1989), beginning with her difficult childhood in upstate New York. Covers her unhappy marriage to Desi Arnaz and the evolution of her career until she became "the first woman with major economic power in postwar Hollywood." Bestseller 2003. RC 57093. ## Before the Change: Taking Charge of Your Perimenopause. RC 57110. by Ann Louise Gittleman. read by Kerry Cundiff. 2 cassettes. Revised edition of 1998 work explains the symptoms of perimenopause, including hypothyroidism. Suggests natural remedies such as dietary changes and herbal and vitamin supplements. Provides sample menus. Also describes how long- term hormone replacement research was halted in 2002 because of the therapy's cancer risk. Bestseller 2003. RC 57110. ## The Great Unraveling: Losing Our Way in the New Century. RC 57113. by Paul Krugman. read by Jake Williams. 3 cassettes. Collection of more than one hundred _New York Times_ columns by the Princeton economist during 2000-2003 criticizing the second Bush administration, especially its financial directions. Krugman lashes out at a "right-wing conspiracy" while analyzing the global economy, the California energy crisis, the federal budget, and the future of Social Security. Bestseller 2003. RC 57113. ## The World according to Mister Rogers: Important Things to Remember. RC 57115. by Fred Rogers. read by Brian Conn. 1 cassette. Words of wisdom by the late Fred Rogers--composer, writer, puppeteer, and beloved host of TV's "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" who dedicated his life to serving children through public television. His stories, anecdotes, and insights on life ultimately speak to being yourself, understanding love, and discovering the rewards of inner discipline. Bestseller 2003. RC 57115. ## The New Joy of Sex. RC 57129. by Alex Comfort. read by Suzanne Toren. 2 cassettes. Updates the classic guide to sex, first published in 1972, stressing the refinements and enjoyment of lovemaking. Describes sexual techniques aimed at adding zest and variety to erotic relations between men and women. Discusses AIDS and other health issues. Companion to _More Joy (RC 57167)_. Explicit descriptions of sex. 1991. RC 57129. ## A Time to Love: Stories from the Old Testament. RC 57134. by Walter Dean Myers. read by Gail Nelson. 1 cassette. A retelling from the perspective of teenage characters of six Bible episodes that explore the complexities of love. Includes the stories of Delilah, Reuben, Naomi, Isaac, Zillah, and Aser. For junior and senior high readers. 2003. RC 57134. ## First among Equals: The Supreme Court in American Life. RC 57142. by Kenneth W. Starr. read by Jake Williams. 2 cassettes. Former solicitor general and independent counsel addresses key Supreme Court decisions made since Chief Justice Earl Warren's 1969 departure. Starr explores the evolution of judicial philosophies and profiles the leadership roles of individual justices. He evaluates the most contentious issues, including abortion, affirmative action, and the 2000 presidential election. 2002. RC 57142. ## The Essential Conversation: What Parents and Teachers Can Learn from Each Other. RC 57143. by Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot. read by Jill Ferris. 3 cassettes. Harvard professor of education examines the dynamics of parent-teacher conferences from the standpoint of both parties, whose relationships are often adversarial and competitive rather than collaborative and empathetic. Suggests ways to make these meetings more productive, especially when broader cultural priorities and values are involved, and to improve home-school connections. 2003. RC 57143. ## Genghis Khan: The Conqueror; Emperor of All Men. RC 57144. by Harold Lamb. read by Gordon Gould. 2 cassettes. The life and times of Mongolian warlord Genghis Khan, who conquered half the world from Armenia to Korea by the early thirteenth century and ruled it by terror. Describes his nomadic origins in the Gobi desert, military conquest of Cathay, takeover of Islamic lands, and the empire's eventual collapse after his death in 1227. 1927. RC 57144. ## In Schools We Trust: Creating Communities of Learning in an Era of Testing and Standardization. RC 57149. by Deborah Meier. read by Jill Ferris. 2 cassettes. Founder of alternative public schools argues strongly that standardized tests are irrelevant and invalid methods of assessment. Offers model solutions in the form of small, intimate communities of learning where trust can evolve between educators, parents, and students. Passionate plea for educational reform. 2002. RC 57149. ## First Great Triumph: How Five Americans Made Their Country a World Power. RC 57156. by Warren Zimmermann. read by Bill Wallace. 4 cassettes. Former Foreign Service officer profiles "the fathers of modern American imperialism": John Hay, Henry Cabot Lodge, Alfred T. Mahan, Theodore Roosevelt, and Elihu Root. He chronicles America's territorial expansion between 1898 and 1903 and analyzes how the acquisitions--including the Philippines and Hawaii--launched the United States into world politics. 2002. RC 57156. ## Getting Away with Murder: The True Story of the Emmett Till Case. RC 57157. by Chris Crowe. read by Bill Wallace. 1 cassette. Account of a fourteen-year-old African American boy from Chicago who was murdered in 1955 while visiting relatives in Mississippi. Emmett Till, accused of flirting with a white woman, was subsequently killed by her husband and brother- in-law, who escaped punishment. Some violence and some strong language. For senior high and older readers. 2003. RC 57157. ## Gordie Howe: My Hockey Memories. RC 57158. by Gordie Howe. read by Jake Williams. 1 cassette. Autobiography by Canadian hockey champion, who joined the Detroit Red Wings in 1946 at the age of eighteen. Howe describes his career on the ice; his most famous games; and the athletes he played with, including his two sons. Some strong language. 1999. RC 57158. ## Nothing about Us without Us: Disability Oppression and Empowerment. RC 57159. by James I. Charlton. read by Jake Williams. 2 cassettes. Analysis by U.S. activist in the global disability rights movement. Drawing on interviews of people with disabilities in ten countries in the Americas, Europe, and Third World, Charlton provides a political, economic, and cultural context to better understand and support an emerging international effort seeking power to resist and end dependency. 1998. RC 57159. ## More Joy: A Lovemaking Companion to _The Joy of Sex_. RC 57167. by Alex Comfort. read by Suzanne Toren. 1 cassette. Emphasizes human relationships between sex partners and considers sexuality as a source of personal growth. Discusses body language, concerns of the elderly or those with special needs, and ways to overcome sexual hangups. Revises and updates original 1973 edition. Companion to _The New Joy of Sex (RC 57129)_. Explicit descriptions of sex. 1986. RC 57167. ## Star-Spangled Manners: In Which Miss Manners Defends American Etiquette (for a Change). RC 57192. by Judith Martin. read by Faith Potts. 2 cassettes. Martin's social history analyzes every aspect of American life of the past two centuries, beginning with the Founding Fathers who, "having toppled a government," imagined "themselves capable of becoming master etiquetteers." Topics include how not to be a nuisance, being yourself, disaster (earthquake, fire, bombings) etiquette, public celebrations, and personal appearance. 2003. RC 57192. ## The Bakke Case: Quotas in College Admissions. RC 57194. by Susan Banfield. read by Robert Sams. 1 cassette. Discusses the 1970s case brought by a white male student challenging the affirmative action policy used in admitting students to the University of California medical school. Reviews the divided Supreme Court ruling in 1978 for Bakke, the continuing debate over preferential admission standards, and remaining unanswered questions. For junior and senior high readers. 1998. RC 57194. ## Everything You Need to Know about Going to the Gynecologist. RC 57269. by Shifra N. Diamond. read by Carol Dines. 1 cassette. Explains to teens and older readers why gynecological exams are important, when to seek them, and what to expect during one. Also discusses reproductive health including diseases, contraception, and common problems. For senior high and older readers. 1999. RC 57269. ## Take Charge of Your Breast Cancer: A Guide to Getting the Best Possible Treatment. RC 57296. by John S. Link. read by Jake Williams. 2 cassettes. In this companion to _The Breast Cancer Survival Manual (RC 47548)_, an oncologist encourages women to learn about their condition and participate in treatment decisions. Explains the development and variations of the disease, the risks and benefits of different therapies, and the importance of open communication with one's physicians. 2002. RC 57296. ## Antiquity: The Civilization of the Ancient World. RC 57301. by Norman F. Cantor. read by Bill Wallace. 2 cassettes. 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. RC 57301. ## Siren's Dance: My Marriage to a Borderline; a Case Study. RC 57310. by Anthony Walker. read by Jim Zeiger. 1 cassette. A psychiatrist's memoir of his brief, "pathological" marriage to a woman with borderline personality disorder. While a medical student, Walker falls in love with a patient hospitalized for a suicide attempt. Relates the chaos in his life and the painful decision to leave someone he cannot help. Strong language. 2003. RC 57310. ## Inner City Miracle. RC 57314. by Greg Mathis. read by Jake Williams. 2 cassettes. Star of his own nationally syndicated television show recounts his transformation from troubled inner-city youth to Detroit district court judge. Mathis chronicles his early exploits on the wrong side of the law to the moment, at age seventeen, he learned his mother had cancer--a revelation that turned his life around. Strong language. 2002. RC 57314. ## Whatever You Say I Am: The Life and Times of Eminem. RC 57318. by Anthony Bozza. read by Bill Quinn. 2 cassettes. Chronicles the career of controversial hip-hop artist Marshall "Eminem" Mathers of Detroit, the foremost award- winning white rapper in America. Traces his rise from poverty to musical and film success as well as his personal struggles. Strong language. For senior high and older readers. 2003. RC 57318. ## The Assassination of Julius Caesar: A People's History of Ancient Rome. RC 57323. by Michael Parenti. read by Bill Wallace. 2 cassettes. Historian views Julius Caesar's murder by Roman senators on March 15, 44 B.C., as motivated by class warfare, not by a desire to restore republican liberties usurped by a despotic ruler. Posits that the emperor supported economic reforms to benefit the masses and was killed by nobles who resisted giving up power. 2003. RC 57323. ## Joyce Ann Brown: Justice Denied. RC 57325. by Joyce Ann Brown. read by Gail Nelson. 2 cassettes. Experiences of an African American Texas woman wrongly convicted of robbery and murder in 1980. Brown recounts the bewildering criminal trial that resulted in a life sentence, her nightmare behind bars, and her nine-year struggle to prove her innocence. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 1990. RC 57325. ## Floating off the Page: The Best Stories from the _Wall Street Journal_'s "Middle Column". RC 57335. edited by Ken Wells. read by Bill Wallace. 2 cassettes. _Wall Street Journal_ feature editor selects over sixty memorable articles from the newspaper's offbeat, front-page column, devoted since 1941 to any staff writer's capricious digression. Often humorous, sometimes serious, and usually under fifteen hundred words, these stories cover various topics from vegetarian pets to the case for short-sleeve dress shirts. 2002. RC 57335. ## The Complete Kama Sutra: The First Unabridged Modern Translation of the Classic Indian Text by Vatsyayana. RC 57344. translated by Alain Daniélou. read by Frank Coffee. 4 cassettes. Classic guide to eroticism, exploring the sexual arts and practices of India, collected in the fourth century B.C. Discusses heterosexual and homosexual relationships with numerous variations. Includes commentary by Indian scholars. Explicit descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. 1994. RC 57344. ## Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet. RC 57345. by Karen Armstrong. read by Ken Kliban. 3 cassettes. Prolific writer on the Middle East examines the religious beliefs of the founder of Islam. Investigates the West's distorted view of the Muslim faith and traces the life of Muhammad. Explains how "Islam shares many of the ideals and visions that have inspired both Judaism and Christianity." 2001 preface by the author. 1992. RC 57345. ## Adventures in Arabia: Among the Bedouins, Druses, Whirling Dervishes, and Yezidee Devil Worshipers. RC 57348. by W.B. Seabrook. read by Gordon Gould. 2 cassettes. In the 1920s an adventurous American and his wife set out for the pleasure of new experiences to wander in the Middle East. Seabrook describes the overland journey and the various ethnic groups encountered--their customs, traditions, stories, and religious practices. 1927. RC 57348. ## Audrey Hepburn: An Elegant Spirit. RC 57351. by Sean Hepburn Ferrer. read by Ken Kliban. 1 cassette. Recollections by the son of actors Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer. Sean Ferrer details his European childhood and provides intimate glimpses of his mother, her strengths, vulnerabilities, family history, later years, and final illness. Describes her devoted work for UNICEF that Ferrer himself continues. Bestseller 2003. RC 57351. ## ### _Cassettes Fiction_ Five Complete Mike Hammer Novels: _I, the Jury_; _Vengeance Is Mine_; _The Big Kill_; _My Gun Is Quick_; _Kiss Me, Deadly_. RC 53637. by Mickey Spillane. read by Conrad Feininger. 6 cassettes. Five detective novels featuring private detective Mike Hammer. In _I, The Jury_, Hammer vows to track down and kill the murderer of his best friend. His search leads him into a lurid and deadly underworld of drugs and prostitution. Violence, some descriptions of sex, and some strong language. 1987. RC 53637. ## Four Blind Mice. RC 55046. by James Patterson. read by Peter Jay Fernandez. 2 cassettes. Alex Cross helps buddy John Sampson investigate the case of an army sergeant framed for serial murder. The pair discover a pattern of wrongful military court convictions around the country, but authorities are uncooperative, and the real killer is ready to strike again. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2002. RC 55046. ## Best of the West: Stories That Inspired Classic Western Films. RC 55165. edited by Bill Pronzini and Martin H. Greenberg. read by Rick Wiseman. 1 cassette. Nine western stories that were made into movies: _The Cisco Kid_, _Face to Face_, _High Noon_, _The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance_, _The Outcasts of Poker Flat_, _Rio Grande_, _Three-Ten to Yuma_, _Town Tamer_, and _Tribute to a Bad Man_. 1986. RC 55165. ## River Road: Callahan Brothers Trilogy, Book 2. RC 55262. by JoAnn Ross. read by Laura Giannarelli. 2 cassettes. FBI agent Finn Callahan, suspended for four weeks, has come home to _Blue Bayou (RC 55261)_. Actress Julia Summers is there to film scenes for her soap opera. Although they have opposite personalities, Finn reluctantly becomes her bodyguard when she receives deadly threats. Strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2002. RC 55262. ## The Lonely Men. RC 55608. by Louis L'Amour. read by Gary Roan. 1 cassette (Reissue). Orrin Sackett's embittered wife Laura inveigles her brother- in-law Tell to journey into the Sierra Madres by claiming her son was kidnapped by the Apaches. Some violence and some strong language. 1969. RC 55608. ## Soul Circus. RC 55736. by George P. Pelecanos. read by Chuck Young. 2 cassettes. Washington, D.C., private investigator Derek Strange tries to save a drug dealer from the death penalty. With partner Terry Quinn he ends up endangering the life of a young mother. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. Bestseller 2003. RC 55736. ## All He Ever Wanted. RC 55765. by Anita Shreve. read by Dennis Boutsikaris. 2 cassettes. New England, early twentieth century. Professor Nicholas Van Tassel first meets Etna Bliss when they escape from a hotel fire. He is immediately drawn to her, and they eventually marry, although she admits she does not really love him. Nicholas's obsessive, one-sided love eventually destroys their family. 2003. RC 55765. ## The Jazz Bird. RC 55791. by Craig Holden. read by Ray Hagen. 2 cassettes. October, 1927. When Cincinnati bootlegger and lawyer George Remus turns himself in after killing his society wife, the question is not whether he did it, but why? Prosecuting attorney Charlie Taft investigates a tale of murder, lust, and betrayal. Based on a true story. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some violence. 2002. RC 55791. ## My Heartbeat. RC 55794. by Garret Freymann-Weyr. read by Mimi Bederman. 1 cassette. Ellen has a crush on James, her older brother Link's best friend. She wonders if Link and James have a sexual relationship and is not sure where she fits into her friendship with James--until the day James kisses her. Some descriptions of sex. For senior high readers. Printz Honor Book. 2002. RC 55794. ## The Cleric Quintet: _Canticle_, _In Sylvan Shadows_, _Night Masks_, _The Fallen Fortress_, _The Chaos Curse_. RC 55855. by R.A. Salvatore. read by Erik Sandvold. 10 cassettes in 2 containers. Collection of five tales. In the land of Faerûn, a malevolent, consuming essence has been uncorked. The cleric Cadderly must put aside his studies at the Edificant Library to battle the evil. This heroic quest tests his powerful priestly magic as well as the character and courage of his companions. Some violence. 1999. RC 55855. ## Must Love Dogs. RC 56004. by Claire Cook. read by Cyn Delafield. 2 cassettes. At the urging of her large family, forty-year-old divorced preschool teacher Sarah Hurlihy turns to the personal ads to find a date. When the first guy turns out to be her own father, she figures things can only get worse, until she borrows her brother's dog as bait. Some strong language. 2002. RC 56004. ## Drum's Ring. RC 56008. by Richard S. Wheeler. read by Mimi Bederman. 2 cassettes. Widow Angie Drum runs a one-woman newspaper in Opportunity, Kansas, where her son, Martin, is the mayor. Tracking a story of an unlikely suicide, Angie discovers the city leader is corrupt. She wrestles with her conscience over whether to expose her son and his cronies. Some strong language. 2001. RC 56008. ## Red Thunder. RC 56119. by John Varley. read by Robert Sams. 3 cassettes. To keep China from beating America to Mars, an ex-astronaut, his brilliant unconventional cousin, and four young Floridians build their own spaceship--_Red Thunder_--to get there first. Their journey becomes a rescue mission for U.S. spacecraft _Ares Seven_, marooned in space. Some descriptions of sex. 2003. RC 56119. ## Late for the Wedding. RC 56251. by Amanda Quick. read by Gabriella Cavallero. 2 cassettes. Regency England. London private detectives Tobias March and Lavinia Lake accept an invitation to a country house party hoping to spend romantic time together. Instead they investigate a murder resembling earlier killings-for-hire and uncover other suspicious deaths, all apparently linked by someone's desire to prevent marriages. Some descriptions of sex. 2003. RC 56251. ## Moon Medicine. RC 56340. by Mike Blakely. read by Chuck Benson. 3 cassettes. In 1927, ninety-nine-year-old Honoré Greenwood, aka Moon Medicine, relates his rollicking adventures accompanying the rise and fall of Fort Adobe in Texas. He recalls his loves, and also tells of trading with the Comanche, fighting battles, and ransoming children from captivity. Some descriptions of sex and some violence. 2001. RC 56340. ## Ranger's Trail. RC 56377. by Elmer Kelton. read by Ted Stoddard. 2 cassettes. 1874. Former Texas Ranger Rusty Shannon is set to marry Josie Monahan, but in a tragic incident, she is murdered by outlaws. Rusty is bent on revenge and searches for Corey Bascom, the man he thinks killed Josie. Some strong language. 2002. RC 56377. ## Beyond Suspicion. RC 56556. by James Grippando. read by Ray Foushee. 2 cassettes. Attorney Jack Swyteck--last seen in _The Pardon (RC 41625)_- -is scammed by a former lover into taking and winning an insurance case that the Russian Mafia is involved in. When she ends up dead in his bathtub, Jack is framed for her murder. Violence, strong language, and some descriptions of sex. 2002. RC 56556. ## Sorority Sisters. RC 56618. by Tajuana "TJ" Butler. read by Nanette Savard. 2 cassettes. Five sophisticated African American college coeds struggle with relationships, campus life, and the rigors of rushing a prestigious sorority. Cajen, Stephanie, Malena, Tiara, and Chancey search for sisterhood and find lasting friendship during the pledge process. Companion to _Hand-Me-Down Heartache (RC 56619)_. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. 1998. RC 56618. ## Hand-Me-Down Heartache. RC 56619. by Tajuana "TJ" Butler. read by Nanette Savard. 2 cassettes. After college graduation, Nina Lander leaves her friends from _Sorority Sisters (RC 56618)_ and returns to Atlanta to pursue a sports reporting career. She begins a relationship with an abusive basketball player but also dates a budding rap artist. She must choose between them. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2001. RC 56619. ## Eyes of the Calculor. RC 56636. by Sean McMullen. read by Ray Childs. 5 cassettes. Australica, A.D. 3961. The Call ceases, the orbiting Mirrorsun fails, and electronics self-destruct. To save Australica, misguided Dragon Librarians begin rebuilding the human-powered Calculor computer. But when North American Princess Samondel is shot down, she disguises herself as a student to save humanity. Some descriptions of sex and some violence. 2001. RC 56636. ## A Man Most Worthy. RC 56640. by Marcus Major. read by Constance Crawford. 2 cassettes. John Sebastian is a successful thirty-six-year-old African American businessman who has everything--money, cars, a trophy girlfriend--but is still unsatisfied. Business brings him back to his hometown and to Josephine, an old flame and the love of his life. Unfortunately, she's married. Strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2003. RC 56640. ## Moon over Manhattan: Mystery and Mayhem. RC 56644. by Larry King and Thomas H. Cook. read by Ray Childs. 2 cassettes. Wealthy teenager Allison Vandameer, daughter of a liberal television commentator in New York City, plots a fake elopement to blackmail dad into letting her attend film school. The plan goes awry when her dim-witted boyfriend, Goonie, gets confused. Further schemes involve Goonie, a doorman, a reporter, and other hustlers. Some strong language. 2003. RC 56644. ## The Enemy Has a Face. RC 56652. by Gloria D. Miklowitz. read by Anne Hancock. 1 cassette. Middle schooler Netta Hofman and her family have temporarily moved to Los Angeles from Israel when her seventeen-year-old brother disappears. Netta becomes convinced that Arab terrorists are involved, even as she befriends a Palestinian boy at school. For junior and senior high readers. 2003. RC 56652. ## Avenger: Star Trek; Odyssey, Book 3. RC 56719. by William Shatner. read by Bob Askey. 2 cassettes. A virus lethal to plant life threatens to starve the Federation. Picard and his crew oversee a quarantine, and Kirk--believed dead--suspects the plague may be artificial. Meanwhile, Spock, seeking the truth behind his father Sarek's death, takes a journey that will reunite him with a long-lost friend. Sequel to _The Return (RC 56702)_. 1997. RC 56719. ## This Side of Paradise. RC 56720. by F. Scott Fitzgerald. read by Gordon Gould. 2 cassettes (Reissue). The author's first novel, published in 1920, is a semiautobiographical piece about a self-indulgent young man and his superficial life. At Princeton University prior to World War I, midwesterner Amory Blaine experiences fleeting relationships and is later unprepared for the real world. 1920. RC 56720. ## False Claims at the Little Stephen Mine. RC 56743. by Stephen Bly. read by Jack Fox. 1 cassette. Gunmen fire at Stuart Brannon and Englishman Edwin Fletcher while they are expecting their tardy partner Everett Davis, who's been filing claim on the gold mine they've discovered. Now Brannon learns first-hand about the greed and violence that accompanies gold prospecting. 1992. RC 56743. ## Paradise Alley: City of Fire Trilogy, Book 2. RC 56752. by Kevin Baker. read by Richard Hauenstein. 5 cassettes. In the waterfront slums of New York City in 1863, three working-class women wait out riots against a military draft decree. Recreates the Irish experience and racial tensions of Civil War-era New York. Sequel to _Dreamland (RC 50727)_. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2002. RC 56752. ## The Rock Rats: Asteroid Wars, Book 2. RC 56767. by Ben Bova. read by Jack Fox. 2 cassettes. Battle for corporate control of the asteroid belt rages on as Astro Manufacturing competes against seditious rival Humphries Space Systems. Murder and sabotage prevail as the conniving Humphries seeks to recover a lost and reluctant love. Sequel to _The Precipice (RC 56733)_. Some descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. 2002. RC 56767. ## A Body to Die For. RC 56769. by Kate White. read by Madelyn Buzzard. 2 cassettes. After solving the murder of her employer's nanny in _If Looks Could Kill (RC 54169)_, Bailey Weggins is relaxing at the Cedar Inn. There she discovers a body in the spa, is attracted to the investigating detective, and becomes the killer's next target. Some violence and some strong language. 2003. RC 56769. ## Gone Too Far. RC 56772. retold by Suzanne Brockmann. read by Barbara Pinolini. 4 cassettes. When Navy SEAL Sam Starrett arrives at his wife's Florida home to finalize their divorce, he finds a woman murdered and his infant daughter missing. FBI agent Alyssa Locke-- Sam's former lover--heads an investigation possibly linked to the terrorist plot in _Into the Night (RC 55522)_. Strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. Bestseller 2003. RC 56772. ## Not Guilty. RC 56778. by Patricia MacDonald. read by Margaret Strom. 3 cassettes. Keely Weaver is shocked when her second husband drowns in their pool. She is stunned when her teenage son, Dylan, is accused of his stepfather's murder and also that of his father years ago. Keely uses all her resources to find the real killer. Some violence and some strong language. 2002. RC 56778. ## Drum. RC 56779. by Kyle Onstott. read by Robert Sams. 4 cassettes (Reissue). Author of _Mandingo (RC 49298)_ portrays the hardships of three generations of African slaves. The saga begins when Tamboura is given to traders by his brother and taken to Cuba. His son and grandson are raised in New Orleans. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 1962. RC 56779. ## Shards of Empire. RC 56782. by Susan Shwartz. read by Corrie James. 4 cassettes. Tenth-century Byzantium. Leo Ducas, a young aristocratic soldier in the service of the emperor and Christ, is betrayed in battle by his own kinsmen. Seeking solace, he travels the length of the empire, eventually meeting Asherah, a Jewess who may hold the key to uniting the people of Asia Minor. Some violence. 1996. RC 56782. ## The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight. RC 56786. by Jimmy Breslin. read by Robert Sams. 2 cassettes (Reissue). Satirical tale of a Brooklyn Mafia family's turf wars. Boss Anthony "Baccala" Pastrumo Sr. organizes a bike race to give restless gangster Kid Sally Palumbo a chance to make some real money, but the scheme veers wildly out of control. Some strong language. 1969. RC 56786. ## Blood of Victory. RC 56799. by Alan Furst. read by Rick Rohan. 2 cassettes. In 1940 Russian émigré writer I.A. Serebin, trapped in Paris in his fifth war, spies for the Allies with his lover Marie- Galante Labonniere, a diplomat's wife. Serebin travels throughout the Balkans trying to prevent Romanian oil from reaching Germany by barge. Violence and strong language. 2002. RC 56799. ## One Man's Bible. RC 56800. by Gao Xingjian. read by Robert Sams. 3 cassettes. Nobel Prize-winning expatriate's fictionalized autobiographical account of life during China's Cultural Revolution. A dissident artist and intellectual revisits memories of labor-reform school, several love affairs, and the political turmoil of Mao's brutal Communist regime. Some explicit descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. 1999. RC 56800. ## The Feast of the Goat. RC 56801. by Mario Vargas Llosa. read by Annie Wauters. 4 cassettes. Urania Cabral, returning to the Dominican Republic where her father is terminally ill, recalls her youth during the brutal dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo. Called "the Goat" for his depravity with women, Trujillo was the reason for her forty-year estrangement from her father. Strong language and some violence. 2000. RC 56801. ## Leaving Missouri. RC 56825. by Ellen Recknor. read by Michele Schaeffer. 2 cassettes. Missouri, late nineteenth century. The Jukeses are the lowest of the low--inbred and infamous--and Clutie Mae knows she is meant for something better than life on the family farm. After being forced to marry her cousin, she fights her way to a new life. Violence, some descriptions of sex, and some strong language. 1997. RC 56825. ## Remember Me. RC 56835. by Laura Hendrie. read by Annie Wauters. 3 cassettes. Like most people in Queduro, New Mexico, twenty-nine-year- old Rose Devonic makes a living selling embroidery to tourists. She is an outcast, however, accepted only by her elderly landlord, and when he has a stroke, she is forced to face her tragic past. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. 1999. RC 56835. ## In Her Shoes. RC 56836. by Jennifer Weiner. read by Margaret Strom. 3 cassettes. Estranged sisters Maggie, who is dyslexic, and Rose Feller, an attorney, were left motherless as children and haven't seen their maternal grandmother, Ella Hirsch, in twenty years. Widowed Ella searches for her granddaughters, and the three attempt to become a family again. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2002. RC 56836. ## The Son of Tarzan. RC 56843. by Edgar Rice Burroughs. read by L.J. Ganser. 2 cassettes (Reissue). Tarzan's son is lured away from London by his father's archenemy, but manages to escape to the savage African jungles. He comes to be known as Korak the Killer, a fighter almost as mighty as his father. Sequel to _The Beasts of Tarzan (RC 56842)_. Some violence. 1917. RC 56843. ## Tarzan the Untamed. RC 56846. by Edgar Rice Burroughs. read by L.J. Ganser. 2 cassettes. Following the short story collection _Jungle Tales of Tarzan (RC 56845)_, Tarzan's tale continues as he returns to his jungle home during World War I to find his farm in shambles and his wife dead. Swearing vengeance, he sets out to track down those responsible. Some violence. 1920. RC 56846. ## Tarzan the Terrible. RC 56847. by Edgar Rice Burroughs. read by L.J. Ganser. 2 cassettes. In this sequel to _Tarzan the Untamed (RC 56846)_, Tarzan learns that Jane is alive and being held captive by the Germans. He searches for months and almost gives up hope until he stumbles upon an unexplored region of the jungle. Some violence. 1921. RC 56847. ## Maneater. RC 56849. by Gigi Levangie Grazer. read by Erin Jones. 2 cassettes. Clarissa Alpert is a well-connected Hollywood woman-about- town who claims to be twenty-eight and has marriage on her agenda. Aaron Mason, a fabulously wealthy bachelor and would-be producer recently arrived from Georgia, is her willing groom. But Clarissa's husband is not the real Aaron Mason. Strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. Bestseller 2003. RC 56849. ## Blindside: An FBI Thriller. RC 56851. by Catherine Coulter. read by Roy Avers. 2 cassettes. Married FBI agents Lacey Sherlock and Dillon Savich are searching for the serial murderer of math teachers. Meanwhile six-year-old Sam Kettering, son of retired agent Miles, is kidnapped but manages to escape and seeks help from Tennessee sheriff Katie Benedict. Strong language and some violence. Bestseller 2003. RC 56851. ## The Bridal Season. RC 56853. by Connie Brockway. read by Erin Jones. 2 cassettes. Victorian England. Runaway music hall performer Letty Potts finds a train ticket and travels to Little Bidewell, Northumberland. She is mistaken for wedding planner Lady Agatha Whyte, and manages to orchestrate a high society nuptial. Sir Elliot March, despite his suspicions, falls in love with Letty. Prequel to _Bridal Favors (RC 56854)_. Explicit descriptions of sex. 2001. RC 56853. ## Bridal Favors. RC 56854. by Connie Brockway. read by Erin Jones. 2 cassettes. England, 1895. Twenty-five-year-old Evelyn Whyte has taken over Aunt Agatha's wedding planning business. She borrows a country estate for from Justin Powell a nuptial. Justin, however, is a spy who falls in love with Evelyn, placing her in danger. Sequel to _Bridal Season (RC 56853)_. Explicit descriptions of sex. 2002. RC 56854. ## Blowing Smoke. RC 56858. by Barbara Block. read by Madelyn Buzzard. 2 cassettes. Syracuse pet store owner and sleuth Robin Light is hired by the children of wealthy Rose Taylor to investigate pet psychic Pat Humphrey, who is supposedly conning their mother. Robin is on the case when Pat disappears and Rose's nurse is murdered. Strong language and some violence. 2001. RC 56858. ## To Sir Phillip, with Love. RC 56868. by Julia Quinn. read by Kristin Allison. 2 cassettes. Gloucestershire, 1820s. A series of letters between Eloise Bridgerton and Sir Phillip Crane, begun when she sent condolences after his wife's death, leads Phillip to invite Eloise to visit his estate--to determine their suitability for marriage. But is a spirited London lady prepared for country life and a ready-made family? Some descriptions of sex. 2003. RC 56868. ## The Killing Hour. RC 56869. by Lisa Gardner. read by Madelyn Buzzard. 3 cassettes. New FBI agent Kimberly Quincy, daughter of former agent Pierce in _The Next Accident (RC 54334)_, finds a woman's body on the grounds of the Quantico, Virginia, FBI training facility. The "Eco-Killer" from Georgia has struck after five-year dormancy, and Special Agent Mac McCormack arrives to help. Violence and strong language. 2003. RC 56869. ## The War of the Flowers. RC 56871. by Tad Williams. read by Gary Tipton. 5 cassettes. Theo Vilmos is a rock musician whose world is crashing down around him. His girlfriend had a miscarriage and left him, his mother died, and he is having nightmares. When he discovers a book written by a long-dead uncle, Theo's nightmares become real--he is transported to the land of Faerie. Strong language. 2003. RC 56871. ## The Teeth of the Tiger. RC 56873. by Tom Clancy. read by David Hartley-Margolin. 3 cassettes. President Jack Ryan's son, Jack Jr., and Jack Jr.'s cousins Dominic, an FBI agent, and Brian, a marine, join a secret vigilante group that fights terrorism by any means. Together they thwart Islamic and Columbian terrorists aiming to kill innocent Americans at home. Violence and strong language. Bestseller 2003. RC 56873. ## The Sinner. RC 56875. by Tess Gerritsen. read by Chuck Benson. 2 cassettes. Boston police detective Jane Rizzoli from _The Apprentice (RC 54928)_ and medical examiner Dr. Maura Isles--both lapsed Catholics--gather evidence after two nuns are murdered in a convent. Meanwhile, Maura's ex-husband shows up, Jane learns that she's pregnant, and another woman is found dead. Violence, strong language, and some descriptions of sex. Bestseller 2003. RC 56875. ## Tom Clancy's Op-Center: Sea of Fire. RC 56878. by Jeff Rovin. read by Jim Zeiger. 3 cassettes. When a half-dead Singapore pirate bearing traces of radiation is found floating in the western Pacific, investigating Australian officials seek assistance from Op- Center. Discovery of an empty concrete block at a nuclear waste disposal site indicates illegal trafficking of the dangerous materials. Some violence. Bestseller 2003. RC 56878. ## Ilium. RC 56883. by Dan Simmons. read by Fred Major. 5 cassettes. Twentieth-century professor Thomas Hockenberry has been resurrected by the gods of Mars's Olympos Mons and forced to observe the Trojan War. Aphrodite then assigns him another task--to spy on the other gods and kill her rival, Athena. Violence, some descriptions of sex, and some strong language. 2003. RC 56883. ## The Center of Everything. RC 56884. by Laura Moriarty. read by Margaret Strom. 3 cassettes. Young Evelyn Bucknow lives in a small Kansas town with her immature single mother, Tina. When Evelyn is ten, Tina's affair with her married boss dissolves, leaving her financially and emotionally devastated--and pregnant. Evelyn initially tries to distance herself but learns during high school that people aren't all good or bad. Some strong language. 2003. RC 56884. ## Inflating a Dog: The Story of Ella's Lunch Launch. RC 56887. by Eric Kraft. read by Michael Scherer. 2 cassettes. Peter Leroy recalls an entrepreneurial adventure of his mother: her summer purchase of a clam boat to sell refreshments along the bay. _Arcinella_, however, is slowly sinking despite the secret efforts of thirteen-year-old Peter and his sweetheart, Patti, to keep the boat and his mother's dreams afloat. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2002. RC 56887. ## Bleachers. RC 56894. by John Grisham. read by Nick Sullivan. 1 cassette. After fifteen years former high school quarterback Neely Crenshaw returns to his hometown, where he learns that legendary football coach Eddie Rake lies dying. With other Spartans he reminisces about the "glory days" of their youth while contemplating his own lost potential. Some strong language. Bestseller 2003. RC 56894. ## Fatal Tide. RC 56902. by Iris Johansen. read by Kristin Allison. 2 cassettes. After the apparent death of her foster father, dolphin researcher Melis Nemid continues his search for a legendary underwater city believed to harbor powerful technological secrets. Assisting her is ex-Navy SEAL Jed Kelby, who finds the opportunity--and Melis--irresistible. So does a killer. Some descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. 2003. RC 56902. ## Last Car to Elysian Fields. RC 56931. by James Lee Burke. read by Bruce Huntey. 2 cassettes. One seemingly unrelated crime leads to another for New Iberia, Louisiana, homicide detective Dave Robicheaux. A Catholic priest is beaten, an alcohol-related car accident kills three teenage girls, and a man is murdered. Robicheaux investigates a New Orleans porn operation, a fugitive, and a long-missing blues guitarist. Violence and strong language. Bestseller 2003. RC 56931. ## The Namesake. RC 56937. by Jhumpa Lahiri. read by Yolande Bavan. 3 cassettes. Thirty years in the life of Gogol Ganguli, born to Calcutta immigrants shortly after their 1960s arrival in Boston. Gogol's name is a constant burden to him, so he legally changes it to Nikhil. Yet as a first-generation American stumbling along the path to maturity, he remains defined by the name Gogol. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. Bestseller 2003. RC 56937. ## Sunday Jews. RC 56942. by Hortense Calisher. read by Martha Harmon Pardee. 5 cassettes. Though Jewish Zipporah "Zoe" Zangwill is married to a Catholic, Charles Duffy, the New York City family considers itself culturally Jewish. The five children share in each other's lives through adulthood. Zoe, meanwhile, cherishes the potential future of her favorite grandson, Bert--who becomes a rabbi. 2002. RC 56942. ## Pen Pals. RC 56943. by Olivia Goldsmith. read by Martha Harmon Pardee. 3 cassettes. Wall Street hot shot Jennifer Spencer agrees to take the fall for her boss's insider trading until she is imprisoned in a harsh female correctional facility. Vowing revenge, she enlists the help of her former company's accountant and some fellow inmates, all the while learning about injustice and suffering. Strong language. 2002. RC 56943. ## Goldfinger: A James Bond Novel. RC 56944. by Ian Fleming. read by Jim Zeiger. 2 cassettes (Reissue). British secret service agent James Bond is pitted against Auric Goldfinger--one of the world's richest men, who is obsessed with gold. Bond infiltrates Goldfinger's organization and foils a plan to rob Fort Knox. Some violence and some strong language. 1959. RC 56944. ## The Count of Monte Cristo. RC 56946. by Alexandre Dumas. read by Robert Blumenfeld. 8 cassettes in 2 containers (Reissue). Young sailor Edmond Dantès, unjustly accused of helping the exiled Napoleon in 1815, escapes from jail after fourteen years to take revenge on the four men who caused his imprisonment. Now wealthy after recovering a buried treasure, Dantès assumes a new identity and plots the ruin of his accusers. 1845. RC 56946. ## The Final Country. RC 56947. by James Crumley. read by Jim Zeiger. 2 cassettes. Milo Milodragovitch, hard-living Texas private eye, gets tangled up with an ex-con who has just committed murder. Milo's burden becomes heavier when his newest client becomes his latest conquest. Strong language, some descriptions of sex, and some violence. 2001. RC 56947. ## The Far Tribes: Skye's West. RC 56988. by Richard S. Wheeler. read by David Hartley-Margolin. 3 cassettes. Elkanah Morse came west with his wife and daughter to study the ways of the far tribes. But only one man is capable of guiding them safely along this dangerous journey and making sure they return alive--the legendary Barnaby Skye. Violence and some descriptions of sex. 1990. RC 56988. ## Bitterroot: Skye's West. RC 56989. by Richard S. Wheeler. read by David Hartley-Margolin. 3 cassettes. In 1853, eager to earn good money, Barnaby Skye agrees-- against his better judgment--to guide a pacifist Quaker family into hostile Blackfeet territory. The challenge proves greater than anticipated. Some strong language. 1991. RC 56989. ## Light on Lucrezia. RC 56990. by Jean Plaidy. read by Gabriella Cavallero. 3 cassettes. In this sequel to _Madonna of the Seven Hills (RC 55369)_, Lucrezia Borgia, the illegitimate, divorced daughter of Pope Alexander VI, and a member of one of medieval Italy's most powerful and ruthless families, is used as a pawn in a political struggle for power. 1958. RC 56990. ## The Paris Option. RC 56991. by Robert Ludlum and Gayle Lynds. read by Bob Askey. 3 cassettes. After Dr. Émile Chambord is killed by an explosion at the famed Pasteur Institute in Paris, his research on creating a DNA computer is missing--either destroyed or stolen. Covert- One agent Jon Smith goes to France to make sure the technology hasn't fallen into enemy hands. Some violence. 2002. RC 56991. ## And Justice There Is None. RC 56992. by Deborah Crombie. read by Barbara Caruso. 3 cassettes. When antiques dealer Dawn Arrowood is murdered in Notting Hill, both her husband and her lover become suspects. Inspector Duncan Kincaid and his pregnant mistress, Gemma James--last seen in _A Finer End (RC 55014)_--investigate a prior death, suspecting that a serial killer is targeting the area. Strong language. 2002. RC 56992. ## Maigret Hesitates. RC 56993. by Georges Simenon. read by Gordon Gould. 1 cassette. In Paris, Inspector Maigret receives a strange letter warning of a future murder. He traces the expensive stationary to the household of lawyer Emile Parendon. Maigret interviews the family and staff but does not find the culprit before someone is killed. 1969. RC 56993. ## Five Complete Miss Marple Novels. RC 56994. by Agatha Christie. read by Patricia Kilgarriff. 6 cassettes. Five classic mysteries featuring Miss Marple, including _The Mirror Crack'd_, _A Caribbean Mystery_, _Nemesis_, _What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw!_ (published in England as _4:50 from Paddington_), and _The Body in the Library_. 1980. RC 56994. ## The Further Observations of Lady Whistledown. RC 56997. by Julia Quinn and others. read by Kristin Allison. 2 cassettes. Gossip columnist Lady Whistledown of _Romancing Mister Bridgerton (RC 54583)_ recounts the adventures of London's social set near Valentine's Day in 1814. Four novellas portray a series of English lords and ladies who flirt mischievously and pretend dislike before finally succumbing to marriage. Some descriptions of sex. 2003. RC 56997. ## Shadowsinger: The Spellsong Cycle, Book 5. RC 56998. by L.E. Modesitt. read by Kristin Allison. 3 cassettes. Secca, now sorceress protector of the East, finds romance with fellow sorcerer Alcaren. Together they wield their powers against their greatest challengers, from invading Sturinnese to menacing Sea-Priests. Sequel to _The Shadow Sorceress (RC 56999)_. Some violence. For senior high and older readers. 2002. RC 56998. ## The Shadow Sorceress: The Spellsong Cycle, Book 4. RC 56999. by L.E. Modesitt. read by Kristin Allison. 3 cassettes. Her mentor's death thrusts young sorceress Secca into a leadership role before she has completed her training. The kingdom at stake, Secca endures chauvinism while mastering the sorcery and diplomatic skills needed to guide her allies. Sequel to _Darksong Rising (RC 51327)_. Some violence. For senior high and older readers. 2001. RC 56999. ## The Clockwork Testament; or, Enderby's End. RC 57000. by Anthony Burgess. read by Graeme Malcolm. 1 cassette (Reissue). A British poet teaching in New York City is attacked by students and journalists outraged by his film script--based on a Gerard Manley Hopkins poem--that Hollywood has turned into an X-rated movie. Burgess aims satirical barbs at American culture and the protest movements of the 1970s. Descriptions of sex and strong language. 1974. RC 57000. ## About Face. RC 57010. by Fern Michaels. read by Sharon Murray. 2 cassettes. After ten years in an asylum, twenty-eight-year-old amnesia patient Casey Edwards joins her mother's new family at a Sweetwater Island estate. As memories trickling back reveal a horrifying past, Casey and a new love search for answers-- despite someone who will do anything to hide the truth. Explicit descriptions of sex, violence, and strong language. 2003. RC 57010. ## A Twist at the End: A Novel of O. Henry. RC 57016. by Steven Saylor. read by Barry Bernson. 3 cassettes. Historical mystery novel constructed around grisly serial murders committed in 1885 while Will Porter, the short story writer O. Henry, lived in Austin, Texas. Reveals the racial bigotry and political scandals of post-Civil War Texas, as well as Porter's incarceration for embezzlement. Some strong language. 2000. RC 57016. ## Hard News. RC 57018. by Jeffery Deaver. read by Madelyn Buzzard. 2 cassettes. To further her career and free an innocent convict, spunky New York camerawoman Rune does the story of an inmate's conviction for murdering the former network news head. Once she starts investigating, it becomes clear that someone wants the piece killed--and possibly Rune herself. Strong language and some violence. 1991. RC 57018. ## Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea. RC 57020. by Jules Verne. read by Fred Major. 3 cassettes (Reissue). Classic of nineteenth-century speculative fiction relates the adventures of a French professor and his two companions as they sail beneath the world's oceans as prisoners of the fabulous electric submarine _Nautilus_ under the command of the deranged Captain Nemo. 1869. RC 57020. ## Praying for Sleep. RC 57021. by Jeffery Deaver. read by Ray Foushee. 3 cassettes. Flood warnings accompany news that mental patient Michael Hrubek has escaped--and may be pursuing teacher Lis Atcheson, a key witness at his murder trial. As Lis awaits the storm and her ex-marine/lawyer husband hunts for Hrubek, the truth behind the murder is revealed. Strong language, some explicit descriptions of sex, and some violence. 1994. RC 57021. ## The Renegade. RC 57025. by Cliff Farrell. read by Jack Fox. 1 cassette. Former army officer-turned-prospector Mike McVey feels obliged to help when his friend Esau Solomon, a freed slave, kidnaps an army bride-to-be, Nancy, in retaliation for the death of his Cheyenne wife. While attempting to rescue Nancy and aid Esau, Mike learns of an Indian plot to ambush the soldiers at a nearby fort. 1970. RC 57025. ## The Lesson of Her Death. RC 57029. by Jeffery Deaver. read by Alec Volz. 3 cassettes. The discovery of a college coed's body, then her roommate's body, indicates the presence of a serial murderer in New Lebanon, Indiana. Detective Bill Corde questions professors and students while his nine-year-old daughter, Sarah--who struggles with severe learning disabilities--is secretly befriended by the killer. Strong language, some descriptions of sex, and some violence. 1993. RC 57029. ## A Family Reunion. RC 57034. by Brenda Jackson. read by Erin Jones. 3 cassettes. Four African American cousins meet for the first time in fifteen years at the Bennett family reunion in Georgia. The bond they once had is severely tested as hidden desires and long-kept secrets are revealed. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2001. RC 57034. ## Still Life with Crows. RC 57038. by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. read by John Polk. 3 cassettes. FBI agent Pendergast, last seen in _The Cabinet of Curiosities (RC 54730)_, is summoned to Medicine Creek, Kansas, a sleepy farm town menaced by a gruesome serial killer. Somehow the murders are connected to the community's outlaw past, and Pendergast has to discover the connection. Violence and some strong language. 2003. RC 57038. ## Ten Thousand Islands. RC 57039. by Randy Wayne White. read by Michael Russotto. 2 cassettes. Doc Ford agrees to help a woman whose teenage daughter's grave has been desecrated. Fifteen years earlier, the girl had discovered an ancient Calusa Indian medallion before committing suicide. Now someone wants it enough to go to murderous lengths. Strong language, some explicit descriptions of sex, and some violence. 2000. RC 57039. ## The Proposal: The English Garden, Book 1. RC 57040. by Lori Wick. read by Vanessa Maroney. 2 cassettes. England, 1810. William Jennings has never wished for the companionship of marriage, but when he becomes the guardian of three children, his life changes entirely. With his sister's help William not only learns how to care for the children, but finds love and faith in God. Prequel to _The Rescue (RC 57044)_. 2002. RC 57040. ## Crazy in Berlin. RC 57041. by Thomas Berger. read by Mark Ashby. 3 cassettes. Carlo Reinhart, an army medic in occupied Berlin, is a German American appalled by the Holocaust and postwar disarray. He falls into many misadventures--bizarre, poignant, and comic--during his tour and eventually spends time in a psycho ward before returning home. Some strong language. Followed by _Reinhart in Love (RC 57045)_. 1958. RC 57041. ## Death by Hollywood. RC 57046. by Steven Bochco. read by Gregory Gorton. 1 cassette. Screenwriter Bobby Newman witnesses a murder while spying on his neighbors. Hoping to create a movie script about the crime, he doesn't tell the cops but instead befriends both lead detective Dennis Farentino and the killer. That decision turns out deadly for Bobby. Strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. Bestseller 2003. RC 57046. ## Forever and Always. RC 57049. by Jude Deveraux. read by Michele Schaeffer. 2 cassettes. In this sequel to _Forever...(RC 55065)_, the love of Darci Montgomery's life, her husband Adam, mysteriously disappears. While Darci tries to locate him by using her psychic powers, she also helps an African American Hollywood actor search for his missing son on a haunted plantation. Some explicit descriptions of sex. 2003. RC 57049. ## The Visitor: The English Garden, Book 3. RC 57052. by Lori Wick. read by Vanessa Maroney. 2 cassettes. London, 1812. Temporarily blinded by a fall, Alexander Tate has doctor's orders to rest and allow God's healing to work. Tate heads for his Aunt Harriet's country home in Collingbourne. When Cassandra Steele begins reading to Tate, love blossoms. Cassandra's sister Lizzy also finds love. Sequel to _The Rescue (RC 57044)_. 2003. RC 57052. ## Blow Fly. RC 57073. by Patricia Cornwell. read by Madelyn Buzzard. 3 cassettes. Dr. Kay Scarpetta, forensics consultant, investigates the eight-year-old murder of a Louisiana socialite. Now a serial killer is operating there. Death-row maniac Jean-Baptiste Chandonne from _The Last Precinct (RC 50875)_ knows something about both situations and lures Kay to visit him. Violence, strong language, and some descriptions of sex. Bestseller 2003. RC 57073. ## Lawless. RC 57074. by Nora Roberts. read by Mitzi Friedlander. 2 cassettes. Sarah Conway travels from Philadelphia to Lone Bluff, Arizona, to reunite with her father after twelve years, but on her arrival learns he has died. Determined to tame both the wildness of the Old West and of half-Apache Jake Redman, she unravels the mystery of her father's death. Some descriptions of sex. Bestseller 1989. RC 57074. ## The Last Mountain Man: Mountain Man, Book 1. RC 57076. by William W. Johnstone. read by Jack Fox. 1 cassette. 1865. Sixteen-year-old Kirby Jensen and his father, home from the Civil War, leave their Missouri farm and head west. Two years later Kirby's father is killed, and Kirby--now called Smoke--is out for revenge. Under the tutelage of an old mountain man named Preacher, Smoke begins his journey to becoming a legend. 1984. RC 57076. ## Big If. RC 57079. by Mark Costello. read by Jill Fox. 3 cassettes. After her father's death, twenty-five-year-old Vi Asplund becomes a Secret Service bodyguard. Her software engineer brother dreams of marketing BigIf, an Internet war game. Personal lives unfold when Vi joins a team protecting the vice president. Strong language, some explicit descriptions of sex, and some violence. National Book Award Finalist. 2002. RC 57079. ## Orbital Resonance. RC 57085. by John Barnes. read by Erin Jones. 2 cassettes. Space, 2025. Melpomene Murray is a typical teenager who happens to live on an asteroid colony. When classmate Theophilus Harrison arrives from the devastated Earth, she begins to care about the future of her ancestral planet while some plans for her future develop. Some strong language. For senior high and older readers. 1991. RC 57085. ## Preacher's Peace: The First Mountain Man. RC 57088. by William W. Johnstone. read by John Polk. 2 cassettes. 1824. Art, a young mountain man, is betrayed while leading a trapping party up the Missouri River to make peace and then imprisoned by vengeful Blackfeet Indians. But the night before he is about to die, Art wins the respect of his captors, his freedom, and a new name--Preacher. Some violence. 2003. RC 57088. ## Quinn's Complete Seduction. RC 57094. by Sandra Steffen. read by Mitzi Friedlander. 2 cassettes. More than a year ago Nathan Quinn's wife died. As spring blossoms, he considers that it is time to find a new woman to help raise his daughter, Holly. Crystal Galloway, new to Jasper Gulch, South Dakota, is also searching for something, but not a husband. 2001. RC 57094. ## Full Speed. RC 57096. by Janet Evanovich and Charlotte Hughes. read by Colleen Delany. 2 cassettes. Newspaper editor Jamie Swift and millionaire playboy Max Holt team up--Jamie with her new dog called Fleas, Max with his artificial intelligence system, Muffin--to break a corruption ring involving an itinerant minister and the mob. Some descriptions of sex and some violence. Bestseller 2003. RC 57096. ## The Great Fire. RC 57098. by Shirley Hazzard. read by Steven Crossley. 2 cassettes. 1947. Thirty-two-year-old British major Aldred Leith comes from China to Occupied Japan to report on conditions at Hiroshima. Postwar loneliness haunts him and his friend Peter Exley, who saved his life in battle. Leith falls in love with teenaged Australian Helen Driscoll, who is also struggling to recover from personal trauma. National Book Award. 2003. RC 57098. ## Safe Harbour. RC 57100. by Danielle Steel. read by Gabriella Cavallero. 2 cassettes. After losing her husband and son, Ophélie Mackenzie and her eleven-year-old daughter, Pip, spend a summer at the beach where Pip befriends lonely artist Matt Bowles. Matt and Ophélie find solace together through heartache and betrayal until romance replaces their grief. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. Bestseller 2003. RC 57100. ## Temptation. RC 57101. by Nora Roberts. read by Sharon Murray. 1 cassette. Once pampered, wealthy, and engaged to be married, Eden Carlbough is now unattached and in financial straits when her father dies. With her scant savings Eden and a friend start Camp Liberty, and a new romance blossoms. Some descriptions of sex. Bestseller 1987. RC 57101. ## Popped: A Regan Reilly Mystery. RC 57104. by Carol Higgins Clark. read by Martha Harmon Pardee. 2 cassettes. Los Angeles private investigator Regan Reilly sojourns to Las Vegas to help school chum Danny Madley win a hot-air balloon contest that could lead to a television sitcom. Someone is sabotaging the show, and Regan keeps busy checking out the contestants, old girlfriends, and showbiz types. 2003. RC 57104. ## Mysterious. RC 57108. by Nora Roberts. read by Madelyn Buzzard. 4 cassettes. Each heroine in this trio of novels meets a man of mystery. In "This Magic Moment," an illusionist yearns for a show promoter. In "Search for Love," an American inherits an estate in France. In "The Right Path," a woman encounters a man wielding a knife. Some descriptions of sex. Bestseller 2003. RC 57108. ## Sullivan's Woman. RC 57109. by Nora Roberts. read by Madelyn Buzzard. 1 cassette. San Francisco. Cassidy St. John needs a job to sustain her while she pursues her dream of writing. She accepts an offer from painter Colin Sullivan to model for him--and has trouble ignoring his charm. Some descriptions of sex. Bestseller 1984. RC 57109. ## Dune: The Machine Crusade; Legends of Dune, Volume 2. RC 57121. by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. read by J.P. Linton. 5 cassettes. Several decades after _Dune: The Butlerian Jihad (RC 54949)_, the crusade against the thinking machines continues as billions of lives are lost. As the machines conquer more colonies, Jihad spiritual leader Serena Butler travels to Corrin to try compromising with Omnius. Meanwhile scientist Norma Cenva has discovered a way to "fold" space. 2003. RC 57121. ## Vanishing Act. RC 57124. by Thomas Perry. read by Martha Harmon Pardee. 2 cassettes. Jane Whitefield provides people with new identities. But when ex-cop John Felker needs her services, business turns risky. Jane draws from her Seneca heritage to uncover the truth about her mysterious client. Some descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. 1995. RC 57124. ## The Riddle of Ramrod Ridge. RC 57125. by William Colt MacDonald. read by Bob Askey. 2 cassettes. Sharpshooter Nogales Scott and his companion Caliper Maxwell rescue Jiménez, a Mexican being tortured for information by scoundrel Deacon Trumbull and his sidekicks. Jiménez knows more than he's saying about Fred Vincent's riding out of Ramrod Ridge with $30,000 in gold and disappearing into thin air. Some strong language. 1941. RC 57125. ## Rabbit-Proof Fence. RC 57127. by Doris Pilkington. read by Lisette Lecat. 1 cassette. Australia, 1931. Novelization of the trip on foot across Australia by three part-Aboriginal girls, who run away from their inhumane government resettlement school to return home. Molly, Daisy, and Gracie trek through the wilderness to be reunited with their families. 1996. RC 57127. ## The Mocking Program. RC 57128. by Alan Dean Foster. read by L.J. Ganser. 2 cassettes. After thirty years working the Montezuma Strip, Inspector Cardenas knows his current homicide is anything but routine, particularly because the dead man has two identities. When the victim's wife and daughter mysteriously disappear, Cardenas's investigation becomes a mission to find and protect them. Some violence and some strong language. 2002. RC 57128. ## Singing the Dogstar Blues. RC 57131. by Alison Goodman. read by Norma Lana. 1 cassette. Joss Aaronson is close to being expelled from the university where she studies time travel. Mavkel, a newly arrived telepathic student from another planet, then selects her as his study partner and roommate. When Joss discovers she is being stalked by an assassin, the two combine skills to search for reasons. For senior high readers. 1998. RC 57131. ## Windtalkers. RC 57132. by Max Allan Collins. read by J.P. Linton. 2 cassettes. War-torn Pacific, World War II. Sergeant Enders is assigned to protect Navajo "codetalker" Ben Yahzee, an expert in the secret military code based on his own language. Amidst brutalities of war, they must keep the code out of Japanese hands. Based on the screenplay of a major film. Violence and strong language. 2001. RC 57132. ## The Heaven of Mercury. RC 57135. by Brad Watson. read by Frank Coffee. 2 cassettes. Mercury, Mississippi, radio announcer and newspaperman Finus Bates has loved Birdie since 1917, when he spied her doing a naked cartwheel. Despite mutual attraction, both married others. Now an investigation into the decades-old death of Birdie's husband illuminates the past. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2002. RC 57135. ## Permanence. RC 57136. by Karl Schroeder. read by Martha Harmon Pardee. 3 cassettes. Fleeing her abusive half-brother, Rue Cassels steals a shuttle from her mining station and heads for Treya. Along the way, she inadvertently lays claim to an abandoned starship, a find that will make her rich--or dead. Some strong language. For senior high and older readers. 2002. RC 57136. ## The Shadows of Power. RC 57138. by James W. Huston. read by Richard Davidson. 3 cassettes. When Lieutenant Stovic is called a hero for shooting down an Algerian fighter plane, the enraged brother of the slain pilot, a student in the United States, turns to terrorism to exact revenge. CIA agent Rathman and National Security Advisor Sarah St. John work to uncover the plot. Some violence and some strong language. 2002. RC 57138. ## The Haunted Wizard: A Wizard in Rhyme, Book 6. RC 57140. by Christopher Stasheff. read by Erik Sandvold. 3 cassettes. The king and queen of Bretanglia are outraged when their son and heir apparent to the throne is murdered in a Merovence tavern brawl--exacerbating already tense relations. To prevent a war, royal wizard Matthew Mantrell volunteers to track the killer. Sequel to _My Son, the Wizard (RC 48841)_. 2000. RC 57140. ## Good Cop, Bad Cop. RC 57147. by Barbara D'Amato. read by Martha Harmon Pardee. 2 cassettes. Chicago police superintendent Nick Bertolucci and his brother, misfit patrolman Aldo, have been enemies since childhood thanks to their abusive policeman father, Nico. After Nico's death Aldo finds evidence linking Nick to the Black Panther massacre of 1969 and decides to ruin him. Violence and strong language. 1998. RC 57147. ## McNally's Folly. RC 57148. by Lawrence Sanders and Vincent Lardo. read by Chuck Benson. 2 cassettes. Richard Holmes, husband of Hollywood golden girl Desdemona Darling--the star of an upcoming Palm Beach theater production--hires Archy McNally, a local law firm's head of discreet inquiries, to investigate DeeDee's psychic. DeeDee then recruits Archy to direct the play, but the real drama unfolds when Richard is poisoned. 2000. RC 57148. ## Success to the Brave: Richard Bolitho Novels, Volume 15. RC 57151. by Alexander Kent. read by Jim Zeiger. 2 cassettes (Reissue). In 1802 Vice-Admiral Richard Bolitho is ordered to supervise the return of the island of San Felipe to the French. Bolitho reluctantly leaves his pregnant wife, but when he arrives in the Caribbean, the island's corrupt governor refuses to cooperate. Sequel to _A Tradition of Victory (RC 49930)_. 1983. RC 57151. ## Into the Woods: The De Beers Family, Volume 4. RC 57154. by V.C. Andrews. read by Kristin Allison. 2 cassettes. After her father's death, teenager Grace Houston and her mother, Jackie, move to Palm Beach, Florida. As Grace struggles with her own loss, Jackie becomes consumed by an extravagant lifestyle that leaves innocent Grace vulnerable. Sequel to _Twisted Roots (RC 55059)_. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some violence. 2003. RC 57154. ## Death of a Dustman. RC 57161. by M.C. Beaton. read by John Horton. 1 cassette. Police sergeant Hamish Macbeth of Lochdubh, Scotland, investigates the murder of the tyrannical garbage collector, Fergus Macleod, shortly after he is promoted to an environment officer. Macbeth uncovers blackmail, abuse, and another murder. 2001. RC 57161. ## An Experiment in Treason. RC 57163. by Bruce Alexander. read by George Holmes. 2 cassettes. London, 1773. Blind Sir John Fielding and his assistant, Jeremy Proctor, investigate the burglary of the house of the secretary of state for the American colonies. The crime, the theft of a packet of letters, and subsequent murder of one of the culprits, leads to the famous Dr. Benjamin Franklin. 2002. RC 57163. ## Imitation in Death. RC 57165. by J.D. Robb. read by Martha Harmon Pardee. 2 cassettes. 2059. NYPD lieutenant Eve Dallas, investigating a gruesome murder resembling Jack the Ripper's style, finds a taunting note signed "Jack." At a second homicide scene, another note, signed "Al," appears reminiscent of Albert DeSalvo, the Boston Strangler. Eve scours the country for clues. Some descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. Bestseller 2003. RC 57165. ## Ventus. RC 57168. by Karl Schroeder. read by Martha Harmon Pardee. 4 cassettes. Lady Calandria May arrives on Ventus to destroy an entity known as Armiger. She needs the help of young Jordan Mason, who has visions linked to the god-like "Winds" that rule the planet. Some descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. For senior high and older readers. 2000. RC 57168. ## Hello, Darkness. RC 57173. by Sandra Brown. read by Martha Harmon Pardee. 3 cassettes. Paris Gibson, host of a popular Austin radio program, receives a call from a man planning to kill the girlfriend who left him on Paris's advice. The hunt is on with the help of Paris's old flame. But are they looking for the right man? Strong language and some descriptions of sex. Bestseller 2003. RC 57173. ## The Body in the Lighthouse: A Faith Fairchild Mystery. RC 57193. by Katherine Hall Page. read by Suzanne Toren. 2 cassettes. Faith Fairchild and her family are vacationing at their seaside Maine cabin when they become embroiled in a feud between developers and islanders. After a real estate agent is poisoned and a builder is murdered, Faith risks her own life to find the culprit. 2003. RC 57193. ## Chickahominy Fever: A Civil War Mystery. RC 57197. by Ann McMillan. read by Annie Wauters. 2 cassettes. Richmond, Virginia; 1862. Narcissa Powers and freedwoman Judah Daniel nurse the sick and wounded while war rages around the Confederate capital. Meanwhile, spies posing as servants infiltrate president Jefferson Davis's household and steal plans for the defense of the city. Some strong language. 2003. RC 57197. ## An Eye of the Fleet: A Nathaniel Drinkwater Novel, Book 1. RC 57218. by Richard Woodman. read by Steven Carpenter. 2 cassettes. Midshipman Nathaniel Drinkwater first sees action aboard HMS _Cyclops_ during the Moonlight Battle of 1780. While gaining experience, he deals with the tyranny of a senior midshipman, meets and falls in love with a vicar's daughter, and faces battles in America. Prequel to _A King's Cutter (RC 57219)_. Some violence and some strong language. 1981. RC 57218. ## Alchemy. RC 57236. by Margaret Mahy. read by Gary Tipton. 2 cassettes. Seventeen-year-old Roland is blackmailed by his teacher, Mr. Hudson, to spy on unpopular girl classmate Jess Ferret. Roland discovers that she is studying alchemy and that their destinies are linked with that of a power-hungry magician. Some strong language. For senior high readers. 2003. RC 57236. ## Morality for Beautiful Girls. RC 57246. by Alexander McCall Smith. read by Mitzi Friedlander. 2 cassettes. Mma Ramotswe, the owner of the Number One Ladies' Detective Agency in Botswana, is asked by an important government official to investigate the poisoning of his brother's family. Meanwhile, she gets a call to verify the moral virtues of young ladies in a "beauty and integrity" pageant. 2001. RC 57246. ## Roger Zelazny's The Dawn of Amber: The New Amber Trilogy, Book 1. RC 57289. by John Gregory Betancourt. read by John Horton. 2 cassettes. An attack from hell-creatures leaves Oberon's lady dead, his homeland in ruins, and many questions. A search for answers reveals his mystical heritage and a powerful family legacy as ancient rivals in the Courts of Chaos plot their revenge. Prequel to _Chaos and Amber (RC 57321)_. Some violence. 2002. RC 57289. ## Out on a Limb: A Claire Malloy Mystery. RC 57291. by Joan Hess. read by Suzanne Toren. 2 cassettes. While Arkansas bookseller Claire Malloy tries to help an elderly environmentalist protesting developer Anthony Armstrong's new housing project plans, Armstrong's unmarried daughter Daphne leaves her baby on Claire's doorstep. After Armstrong is found dead and Daphne is arrested for murder, Claire sets out to uncover the truth. Some strong language. 2002. RC 57291. ## Not Quite Kosher. RC 57293. by Stuart M. Kaminsky. read by Richard Davidson. 2 cassettes. Chicago cop Abe Lieberman investigates a jewelry store robbery that ended in murder. Meanwhile, he's stuck paying for his grandson's bar mitzvah, and partner Bill Hanrahan finally decides to marry his Chinese girlfriend. Some violence and some strong language. 2002. RC 57293. ## Hidden Leaves: The DeBeers Family, Volume 5. RC 57294. by V.C. Andrews. read by Kristin Allison. 1 cassette. Two stories about Willow DeBeers and her family. In the title work, Willow learns from her late psychiatrist father's personal diary about his secret affair with her real mother. "Dark Seed" relates Willow's early years in South Carolina with a cruel adoptive mother. Sequel to _Into the Woods (RC 57154)_. 2003. RC 57294. ## Agatha Raisin and the Day the Floods Came. RC 57297. by M.C. Beaton. read by Patricia Kilgarriff. 2 cassettes. Miserable after her failed marriage, Agatha finds solace on an island vacation. Returning home, she spies the body of a young bride floating in a river. Curiosity aroused, Agatha investigates with help from her mystery writer neighbor. Sequel to _Agatha Raisin and the Love from Hell (RC 54470)_. 2002. RC 57297. ## In the Bedroom: Seven Stories. RC 57303. by Andre Dubus. read by Gordon Gould. 1 cassette. Tales of pivotal moments in people's lives. In "Killings" a grief-stricken father tries to assuage his wife's sorrow by confronting their son's murderer--who is out on bail. This story inspired the screenplay for the movie _In the Bedroom_. Some strong language. 2002. RC 57303. ## One Shot. RC 57304. by Susan Glick. read by Catherine Byers. 1 cassette. Fifteen-year-old Lorrie Taylor returns to Maryland to live with her dad and new stepmother. She finds a summer job helping elderly, famous photographer Molly Price. Inspired by Molly's work, Lorrie pursues her own interest in taking pictures while reconnecting with old friends. For senior high readers. 2003. RC 57304. ## Harlem Redux. RC 57306. by Persia Walker. read by Bill Quinn. 3 cassettes. Harlem, 1920s. Lawyer David McKay returns home when he learns of his sister Lilian's suicide. David becomes suspicious when Lilian's husband, Jameson Sweet, takes over the family home and fortune. When Sweet is murdered, David becomes the prime suspect. Some explicit descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. 2000. RC 57306. ## High Heat. RC 57311. by Carl Deuker. read by Nick Sullivan. 2 cassettes. Seattle sophomore and baseball pitching phenom Shane Hunter finds his affluent life at an end when his father is arrested for money laundering. After he moves into city housing with his mother and sister, Shane transfers from private to public school and almost loses his love for the game. For senior high readers. 2003. RC 57311. ## Chaos and Amber: The New Amber Trilogy, Book 2. RC 57321. by John Gregory Betancourt. read by John Horton. 2 cassettes. After surviving attacks on his family in _The Dawn of Amber (RC 57289)_, Lord Oberon accompanies his half-brother, Aber, and his father, Dworkin, to petition the Courts of Chaos. When Dworkin disappears, Oberon and Aber forge alliances that lead to a dreaded betrothal and a deadly duel. Some descriptions of sex and some violence. 2003. RC 57321. ## Train. RC 57474. by Pete Dexter. read by Richard Davidson. 2 cassettes. Los Angeles, 1953. Cop Miller Packard encourages black caddy Lional "Train" Walk to improve his golf game. Packard marries wealthy widow Norah, a member of the country club, after investigating her husband's murder. But violence and racism fill their lives. Explicit descriptions of sex, violence, and strong language. Bestseller 2003. RC 57474. ## No Graves as Yet: A Novel of World War I. RC 57506. by Anne Perry. read by George Holmes. 3 cassettes. England, June 1914. Reverend Joseph Reavley, a professor at Cambridge, and his brother Matthew, an intelligence officer, investigate their parents' suspicious deaths. Their father, a former politician, had alerted them that he possessed a secret document--now missing. Meanwhile, a pacifist student at the university is murdered amidst rumors of war. 2003. RC 57506. ## In the Country of the Young. RC 57517. by Lisa Carey. read by Terry Donnelly. 2 cassettes. Reclusive artist Oisin MacDara, of Irish heritage and gifted in his youth with second sight, yearns to encounter the spirit of his twin sister, Nieve, who died at fifteen. Instead, Aisling--the ghost of a young girl--enters his home and his heart. Some explicit descriptions of sex. 2000. RC 57517. ## Nighttime Is My Time. RC 57585. by Mary Higgins Clark. read by Annie Wauters. 2 cassettes. History professor and author Dr. Jean Sheridan attends her twentieth prep school reunion, especially to honor a friend who has been murdered. Once there she realizes that several other women from her graduating class have mysteriously died. Jean becomes the next target of the reunion's serial killer. 2004. RC 57585. ## ### _Books for Children_ Books listed in this issue of _Talking Book Topics_ were recently sent to cooperating libraries. The complete collection contains books by many authors on fiction and nonfiction subjects, including animals, geography, nature, mystery, sports, and others. Contact your cooperating library to learn more about the wide range of books available in the collection. Cassette books are labeled with the code RC and play at 15/16 ips. To order books, contact your cooperating library. _Cassettes Nonfiction_ The Great Lakes. RC 55152. by Sharon Katz. read by Graci Ragsdale. 1 cassette. Describes the formation of the five Great Lakes located between the United States and Canada. Examines the life forms found there and the threats to this environment. Includes two science activities. For grades 5-8. 1999. RC 55152. ## The Rain Forests of the Pacific Northwest. RC 55159. edited by Deborah A. Behler. read by Miriam Wagner. 1 cassette. Provides an overview of the temperate rain forest that stretches northwest through Washington state; British Columbia, Canada; and Alaska. Examines the different habitats found at each layer of the ecosystem, discusses wildlife and plants living there, and describes threats the area faces. Includes two science activities. For grades 5-8. 2001. RC 55159. ## Aero and Officer Mike: Police Partners. RC 55796. by Joan Plummer Russell. read by Marilyn Gleason. 1 cassette. Describes how policeman Mike and his K-9 partner Aero, a German shepherd, work, train, and play together. Explains how the dog's special skills--sense of smell, speed, and strength--help Officer Mike perform his duties. For grades K-3. 2001. RC 55796. ## Top Ten Physically Challenged Athletes. RC 55813. by Jeff Savage. read by Maxine Wasserman. 1 cassette. Profiles ten athletes who have made sports history. Includes baseball pitcher Jim Abbott, born without a right hand; golfer Ben Hogan, whose legs were injured in a car crash; and track star Jackie Joyner-Kersee, who ran despite asthma. For grades 4-7. 2000. RC 55813. ## Six Days in October: The Stock Market Crash of 1929. RC 56003. by Karen Blumenthal. read by Marilyn Gleason. 1 cassette. Chronicles the events and mistakes behind the stock market crash that started on October 24, 1929--Black Thursday. Discusses the optimism of 1928 and 1929 that led to reckless investments, describes the devastating losses for companies and individuals, and explores some of the personalities involved. For grades 6-9. Sibert Honor Book. 2002. RC 56003. ## Dr. Jenner and the Speckled Monster: The Search for the Smallpox Vaccine. RC 56012. by Albert Marrin. read by Miriam Wagner. 1 cassette. Discusses the dreaded disease smallpox, feared for centuries until an English doctor applied scientific thinking and experimentation to the problem. Explains that Dr. Jenner's results, published in 1798, led to medical acceptance of vaccination but that smallpox is again a threat in the twenty-first century. For grades 5-8 and older readers. 2002. RC 56012. ## As Far as the Eye Can Reach: Lewis and Clark's Westward Quest. RC 56367. by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel. read by Gary Roan. 1 cassette. An account of the 1804-1806 journey by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark across the United States' newly acquired Louisiana Territory--an unexplored wilderness west of the Mississippi River--to the Pacific Ocean. Describes the expedition's adventures and discoveries. For grades 4-7. 2003. RC 56367. ## Days of Jubilee: The End of Slavery in the United States. RC 56729. by Patricia C. McKissack and Frederick L. McKissack. read by Kristin Allison. 1 cassette. Drawing on slave narratives, letters, diaries, and other documents, the authors chronicle the steps that led to the emancipation of slaves in America. They review events and issues from colonial times through the Civil War in 1861- 1865 and the following Reconstruction era. For grades 5-8. 2003. RC 56729. ## Special Olympics. RC 56862. by Mike Kennedy. read by Carol Dines. 1 cassette. Short history of Special Olympics--the winter and summer athletic games held every four years for competitors who are mentally challenged. Discusses this condition and explains how these special participants are chosen. For grades 3-6. 2002. RC 56862. ## Coping with Dyslexia. RC 56890. by Karen Donnelly. read by Margaret Strom. 1 cassette. Discusses what is known about dyslexia and related language problems. Offers advice to students with this condition on learning strategies and ways of preparing for college or a career. For grades 6-9. 2000. RC 56890. ## The Diary of a Young Girl. RC 57022. by Anne Frank. read by Jill Fox. 2 cassettes (Reissue). In a remarkable account begun on her thirteenth birthday in 1942, a Jewish girl in German-occupied Amsterdam records her hopes, fears, and growing pains during two years of close confinement with her family hiding from the Nazis in a secret apartment. Original version edited by her father. For grades 6-9 and older readers. 1947. RC 57022. ## Moonbeams, Dumplings, and Dragon Boats: A Treasury of Chinese Holiday Tales, Activities, and Recipes. RC 57026. by Nina Simonds and Leslie Swartz. read by Janis Gray. 1 cassette. Presents background, related stories, traditional foods, and activities for five Chinese celebrations--Chinese New Year, the Lantern Festival, Qing Ming (honoring ancestors), the Dragon Boat Festival, and the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival. For grades 4-7. 2002. RC 57026. ## Head and Brain Injuries. RC 57082. by Elaine Landau. read by Carol Dines. 1 cassette. Discusses the history of brain injuries and treatments from primitive medical care to modern techniques. Explains how traumatic brain injury (TBI) can occur, the damage it may cause, and the benefits of rehabilitative therapy. Provides many relevant personal examples. For grades 5-8. 2002. RC 57082. ## How Hockey Works. RC 57091. by Keltie Thomas. read by Alec Volz. 1 cassette. Provides technical information about ice hockey, including the physics of skating, explosive moves (slapshot and body check), sports medicine, and what makes ice slippery and a hockey stick feel right. Includes tips on scoring and practicing, and discusses how the rules came about. For grades 4-7. 2002. RC 57091. ## Magnificent Voyage: An American Adventurer on Captain James Cook's Final Expedition. RC 57145. by Laurie Lawlor. read by Jake Williams. 2 cassettes. An account of English explorer James Cook's last voyage-- begun in 1776 to search for the Northwest Passage--that led to the discovery of the Hawaiian Islands and Cook's grisly murder. Based on the journals of John Ledyard, a twenty- four-year-old American marine who joined the trip. For grades 6-9 and older readers. 2002. RC 57145. ## The United Nations. RC 57166. by Stewart Ross. read by Jake Williams. 1 cassette. A brief history of the United Nations and its goals to promote peace and human rights in all countries. Discusses its functions, structure, and role in various international conflicts. Also reviews the work of some particular UN agencies, such as the World Health Organization. For grades 6-9. 2003. RC 57166. ## Coming to America: A Muslim Family's Story. RC 57207. by Bernard Wolf. read by Coleen Delany. 1 cassette. An account of the joys and hardships encountered by second grader Rowan Mahmoud and her family, who moved to New York City from Alexandria, Egypt, hoping to make a better life for themselves. Discusses their religion--Islam--and its role in their daily activities. For grades 2-4. 2003. RC 57207. ## Navajo Long Walk: The Tragic Story of a Proud People's Forced March from Their Homeland. RC 57242. by Joseph Bruchac. read by Alec Volz. 1 cassette. Discusses the expulsion of the Navajos from their homeland in 1864 by U.S. army troops under Colonel Kit Carson and their 470-mile forced march to a New Mexico reservation. Provides a brief history of the Diné, as the Navajos call themselves, and the treaty permitting their return home in 1868. For grades 5-8. 2002. RC 57242. ## At the Plate with--Ichiro. RC 57250. by Glenn Stout. read by Alec Volz. 1 cassette. Describes how Japanese baseball star Ichiro Suzuki left his native country in 2001 to turn pro in the United States. Ichiro eventually won the American League's Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year awards as a Seattle Mariner that same year. For grades 4-7. 2003. RC 57250. ## Athletes with Disabilities. RC 57300. by Deborah Kent. read by Ralph Lowenstein. 1 cassette. Discusses the history of athletic events for people with disabilities, including the Paralympics and the Special Olympics. Also profiles several individuals who have competed in them. For grades 4-7. 2003. RC 57300. ## September 11, 2001: Attack on New York City. RC 57305. by Wilborn Hampton. read by Ralph Lowenstein. 1 cassette. Describes the September 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center and relates personal experiences of New Yorkers who lived through the collapse of the Twin Towers, including blind Omar Rivera, who walked down from the seventy-first floor with his guide dog to safety. For grades 6-9. 2003. RC 57305. ## Who Came First? New Clues to Prehistoric Americans. RC 57320. by Patricia Lauber. read by Ralph Lowenstein. 1 cassette. Presents recent discoveries about the first settlers in North and South America--how they traveled and from what continents. Discusses the Kennewick Man, the Clovis culture of 13,500 years ago, and carbon-14 dating, among other topics. For grades 4-7. 2003. RC 57320. ## ### _Cassettes Fiction_ Little House on the Prairie. RC 50922. by Laura Ingalls Wilder. read by Laura Giannarelli. 1 cassette (Reissue). The Ingalls family moves westward from Wisconsin in a covered wagon and builds a cabin on the Kansas prairie, only to discover they are located in Indian territory. Sequel to _Little House in the Big Woods (RC 50921)_. For grades 4-7 and older readers. 1935. RC 50922. ## The Hero of Ticonderoga. RC 54643. by Gail Gauthier. read by Gillian Green. 2 cassettes. Vermont, 1966. A substitute teacher gives average student Thérèse LeClerc the honor of researching state hero Ethan Allen. With the encouragement of her family, she excels in giving humorous oral recitations--shocking the good students and her regular instructor. Some strong language. For grades 6-9. 2001. RC 54643. ## Twister on Tuesday: Magic Tree House, Book 23. RC 54852. by Mary Pope Osborne. read by Gillian Green. 1 cassette. When Jack and Annie travel back to the Kansas prairie at the time of the earliest railroad trains, they discover the hardships of the pioneers. And they experience the terror of a tornado. For grades 2-4. 2001. RC 54852. ## Earthquake in the Early Morning: Magic Tree House, Book 24. RC 54853. by Mary Pope Osborne. read by Gillian Green. 1 cassette. The magic tree house carries Jack and Annie back to San Francisco in 1906, where they experience one of the biggest earthquakes ever in the United States. For grades 2-4. 2001. RC 54853. ## Good Morning, Gorillas: Magic Tree House, Book 26. RC 54855. by Mary Pope Osborne. read by Gillian Green. 1 cassette. The magic tree house takes Jack and Annie to a misty rain forest in Central Africa. They meet a young gorilla and spend time with the entire family, finding ways to communicate. For grades 2-4. 2002. RC 54855. ## Thanksgiving on Thursday: Magic Tree House, Book 27. RC 55024. by Mary Pope Osborne. read by Gillian Green. 1 cassette. 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. RC 55024. ## Parvana's Journey. RC 55612. by Deborah Ellis. read by Peggy Gilleland. 1 cassette. In this sequel to _The Breadwinner (RC 53938)_, Parvana, now thirteen and still disguised as a boy, wanders through Afghanistan searching for her mother and siblings. Along the way, she encounters other homeless children. Together they search for sanctuary as the Taliban's bombs fall all around them. Some violence. For grades 5-8. 2002. RC 55612. ## Half-Human. RC 55769. edited by Bruce Coville. read by Jennifer Mendenhall. 1 cassette. Nine stories and a poem about such creatures as mermaids and centaurs. Part human and part animal, they struggle to understand their true identities. In "Water's Edge," a contemporary tale about seal people, Laura discovers a special bond with her grandmother. For grades 6-9. 2001. RC 55769. ## Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great. RC 55792. by Judy Blume. read by Simone Siekaly. 1 cassette (Reissue). Sheila pretends to be knowledgeable, witty, and afraid of nothing. In reality dogs, spiders, pools, thunder, ghosts, and the dark scare her. When she spends a summer away from home, all her fears are exposed. For grades 4-7. 1972. RC 55792. ## Wild Man Island. RC 55793. by Will Hobbs. read by Gary Roan. 1 cassette. Fourteen-year-old Andy slips away from his kayaking group in Alaska to visit the wilderness site where his archaeologist father died. Stranded on an island by a storm and injured, Andy is rescued by a Newfoundland dog and his owner--who live in a cave. For grades 6-9. 2002. RC 55793. ## Hannah's Helping Hands. RC 55798. by Jean Van Leeuwen. read by Mimi Bederman. 1 cassette. 1779. In this sequel to _Hannah of Fairfield (RC 55797)_, the Revolutionary War is drawing closer to the Perley's home in Connecticut. Hannah and her family keep busy with farm chores and try not to worry about Ben, a soldier in the colonial army. For grades 2-4. 1999. RC 55798. ## Hannah's Winter of Hope. RC 55799. by Jean Van Leeuwen. read by Mimi Bederman. 1 cassette. Fairfield, Connecticut. In the winter of 1780, Hannah hopes for the safe return of her brother Ben, a colonial soldier imprisoned by the British, as she helps her family rebuild their home. Sequel to _Hannah's Helping Hands (RC 55798)_. For grades 2-4. 2000. RC 55799. ## Henry and Mudge: The First Book of Their Adventures. RC 55800. by Cynthia Rylant. read by Marilyn Gleason. 1 cassette. Henry's parents agree to give their only child a puppy named Mudge, which quickly grows to 180 pounds. Henry and Mudge are constant companions except for one day when Mudge is lost. For grades K-3. 1987. RC 55800. ## Henry and Mudge in Puddle Trouble: The Second Book of Their Adventures. RC 55801. by Cynthia Rylant. read by Miriam Wagner. 1 cassette. In the spring, Henry and his big dog, Mudge, enjoy being outside. They find a pretty flower, play in a giant mud puddle, and make friends with a litter of kittens. For grades K-3. 1987. RC 55801. ## Henry and Mudge and Annie's Good Move: The Eighteenth Book of Their Adventures. RC 55804. by Cynthia Rylant. read by Simone Siekaly. 1 cassette. Annie is nervous about moving even though she is happy the new house is next door to her cousin Henry's. Henry and his big friendly dog, Mudge, help Annie calm down on moving day. For grades K-3. 1998. RC 55804. ## Henry and Mudge and Annie's Perfect Pet: The Twentieth Book of Their Adventures. RC 55805. by Cynthia Rylant. read by Marilyn Gleason. 1 cassette. Although Henry's cousin Annie likes Henry's dog, Mudge, she wants to have a pet of her own. Annie chooses a bunny as the perfect pet for herself. For grades K-3. 2000. RC 55805. ## Surviving the Applewhites. RC 55806. by Stephanie S. Tolan. read by Gillian Green. 1 cassette. Kicked out of several public schools, Jake winds up being home schooled with an eccentric family of artists at the Applewhite's Creative Academy. When the whole clan becomes involved in producing _The Sound of Music_, Jake discovers a few positive traits and talents of his own. For grades 5-8. 2002. RC 55806. ## Viking It and Liking It. RC 56283. by Jon Scieszka. read by Ray Hagen. 1 cassette. Joe, Fred, and Sam, all from Brooklyn, are transported back one thousand years to Viking times where they meet Leif Eriksson and his buddies. When the three steal a longboat and try to escape, the Norse explorers chase after them. For grades 3-6. 2002. RC 56283. ## The Angel Factory. RC 56358. by Terence Blacker. read by Ray DiZefalo. 2 cassettes. Twelve-year-old Thomas confides to his best friend, Gip, that his family life is too perfect. Gip presses him to do some sleuthing, and Thomas uncovers two upsetting family secrets: he was adopted, and his too-good-to-be-true family is part of an other-worldly organization. For grades 5-8. 2001. RC 56358. ## The Winter People. RC 56646. by Joseph Bruchac. read by Ray Childs. 1 cassette. As the French and Indian War rages on in October of 1759, Saxso, a fourteen-year-old Abenaki boy, pursues the English rangers who have attacked his Quebec village and taken his mother and sisters hostage. Some violence. For grades 6-9. 2002. RC 56646. ## I Got a "D" in Salami: Hank Zipzer, the Mostly True Confessions of the World's Best Underachiever, Book 2. RC 56647. by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver. read by Ray Childs. 1 cassette. When Hank Zipzer sees that he has a D in each of his major subjects, he wishes his report card would disappear. So it does--into the meat grinder at his mother's deli, ruining a batch of salami for a new customer. But Hank thinks he has a solution. For grades 3-6. 2003. RC 56647. ## Dying to Win: Jennie McGrady Mystery, Book 6. RC 56688. by Patricia H. Rushford. read by Catherine Byers. 1 cassette. Jennie McGrady investigates the disappearance of her troubled classmate Courtney Evans. The police believe she's a runaway, but Jennie suspects drugs. Meanwhile fledging journalist Gavin Winslow follows Jennie hoping for a scoop. Sequel to _Without a Trace (RC 56605)_. For grades 6-9. 1995. RC 56688. ## In Too Deep: Jennie McGrady Mystery, Book 8. RC 56706. by Patricia H. Rushford. read by Catherine Byers. 1 cassette. Jennie McGrady's chemistry teacher dies from a drug overdose, and then fellow student Gavin Winslow disappears. Jennie helps investigate while police lieutenant Nate Rastovski romances her mother and the truth about her missing father emerges. For grades 6-9. 1996. RC 56706. ## Over the Edge: Jennie McGrady Mystery, Book 9. RC 56715. by Patricia H. Rushford. read by Catherine Byers. 1 cassette. Jennie McGrady is visiting her grandmother on the Oregon coast when the mayor's teenage daughter is murdered. After the girl's boyfriend is accused of the crime, Jennie helps him clear his name. Sequel to _In Too Deep (RC 56706)_. For grades 6-9. 1997. RC 56715. ## The Captain Contest: Matt Christopher Soccer 'Cats, Book 1. RC 56716. by Stephanie Peters. read by Erik Sandvold. 1 cassette. Dewey loves to draw and wants to enter the soccer team logo design contest. But he does not want to win the grand prize- -being team captain. For grades 2-4. 1999. RC 56716. ## Out of the Deep. RC 56721. by Gloria Skurzynski and Alane Ferguson. read by Catherine Byers. 1 cassette. Jack and Ashley Landon accompany their family to Acadia National Park in Maine. A baby humpback whale is the latest marine animal to become stranded, and the kids stumble onto who's responsible. For grades 4-7. 2002. RC 56721. ## From the Ashes: Jennie McGrady Mystery, Book 10. RC 56724. by Patricia H. Rushford. read by Catherine Byers. 1 cassette. After Jennie McGrady's church and school are destroyed by arson, the prime suspect is the janitor. But Jennie saw a troubled teenager running from the scene and is determined to uncover the truth. Sequel to _Over the Edge (RC 56715)_. For grades 6-9. 1997. RC 56724. ## Running Scared. RC 56725. by Gloria Skurzynski and Alane Ferguson. read by Catherine Byers. 1 cassette. Ashley and Jack Landon become lost in a cave in Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Among their adventures they discover some robbers and find out why the bat population is dwindling, For grades 4-7. 2002. RC 56725. ## Buried Alive. RC 56728. by Gloria Skurzynski and Alane Ferguson. read by Catherine Byers. 1 cassette. Jack and Ashley accompany their mother, wildlife veterinarian Olivia Landon, to investigate the death of wolverines in Denali National Park in Alaska. There the siblings take a dogsled ride and get lost in the freezing wilderness. For grades 4-7. 2003. RC 56728. ## Patiently Alice. RC 56861. by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. read by Kerry Cundiff. 1 cassette. Alice and her friends work as assistant counselors at a camp for disadvantaged children during the summer after ninth grade, coping with their charges' problems. At home, Alice's father plans to remarry while her brother decides to move out. Sequel to _Alice Alone (RC 53488)_. Some strong language. For grades 6-9. 2003. RC 56861. ## Tadpole. RC 57030. by Ruth White. read by Jill Fox. 1 cassette. Kentucky, 1955. Ten-year-old Carolina tells about the summer her favorite cousin, thirteen-year-old Tadpole, runs away from his abusive uncle to visit her family. Learning that the orphaned boy is being whipped, the family tries to figure out how to keep him. For grades 5-8. 2003. RC 57030. ## The Matchlock Gun. RC 57031. by Walter D. Edmonds. read by Jack Fox. 1 cassette (Reissue). While his father is away fighting during the French and Indian War in 1756, ten-year-old Edward Van Alstyne helps his mother ward off an Indian attack by firing an ancient Spanish musket. For grades 3-6. Newbery Medal. 1941. RC 57031. ## Among the Barons. RC 57037. by Margaret Peterson Haddix. read by Brian Conn. 1 cassette. Luke, an illegal third child from _Among the Betrayed (RC 55629)_, has assumed a false identity and attends boarding school. When Smits, the younger brother of his namesake, appears, Luke's existence may be again threatened by the Population Police. And Smits thinks his real brother was murdered. For grades 5-8. 2003. RC 57037. ## Because of Anya. RC 57084. by Margaret Peterson Haddix. read by Carol Dines. 1 cassette. Ten-year-old Anya suddenly loses all her hair due to an uncommon disease and must wear a wig. Her schoolmates are curious about her condition. When the wig falls off one day in gym class, Anya is paralyzed with shame and refuses to return to school. Keely, a kind classmate, helps Anya feel better about herself. For grades 3-6. 2002. RC 57084. ## Crossing the Panther's Path. RC 57089. by Elizabeth Alder. read by Bruce Huntey. 2 cassettes. In the 1790s when American Indians are losing their midwestern lands to American settlers, teenaged Billy Calder, son of a British officer and a Mohawk mother, leaves school to join Shawnee chief Tecumseh in his efforts to unite the Indians. For grades 6-9. 2002. RC 57089. ## Cairo Kelly and the Mann. RC 57092. by Kristin Butcher. read by John Polk. 1 cassette. Cairo and Midge, mischief-making baseball players, have been sent to their middle school principal's office fifty-five times in one year. But when they learn that their favorite umpire, Harold Mann, can't read, they rally to help him pass the sports league's new test. For grades 4-7. 2002. RC 57092. ## Overboard. RC 57126. by Elizabeth Fama. read by Catherine Byers. 1 cassette. Fourteen-year-old Emily runs away from her doctor parents on the Indonesian island of Sumatra to visit her uncle. When the ferryboat sinks, Emily swims for hours in shark-infested water while assisting a Muslim boy, whose faith sustains him. For grades 5-8. 2002. RC 57126. ## The Man with the Silver Oar. RC 57133. by Robin Moore. read by Jeremy Gage. 1 cassette. In 1718, fifteen-year-old Quaker Daniel Collins leaves his uncle's household in colonial Philadelphia to stow away on a ship whose mission is to track down a notorious pirate. Daniel is later surprised to discover the buccaneer's true identity. For grades 5-8. 2002. RC 57133. ## To the Edge of the World. RC 57141. by Michele Torrey. read by Jonathan Davis. 2 cassettes. Orphaned at fourteen in Spain, Mateo Macías is hired as a cabin boy for Ferdinand Magellan's expedition launched in 1519 to search for a western route to the fabled Spice Islands. Sea disasters, attempted mutiny, and other dangers- -but also friendships--abound during the two-year voyage. Some violence. For grades 6-9. 2003. RC 57141. ## Someday. RC 57146. by Jackie French Koller. read by Kristin Allison. 1 cassette. Massachusetts, 1938. Fourteen-year-old Celie Wheeler and her family have to abandon their home when the government decides to flood the Swift River Valley to create a new reservoir for Boston. Celie copes with despair over leaving and losing her friends while also falling in love. For grades 6-9. 2002. RC 57146. ## Shadows and Moonshine. RC 57152. by Joan Aiken. read by Barbara Caruso. 1 cassette. Thirteen of the author's favorite stories, many involving witches or wolves. In "John Sculpin and the Witches," young John lives among so many witches that he cannot outsmart all of them. In "Cat's Cradle," a sailor is tricked into marriage but rescued by a mermaid. For grades 5-8. 2001. RC 57152. ## Midwinter Nightingale. RC 57160. by Joan Aiken. read by Kristin Allison. 1 cassette. The Wolves Chronicles continue as Dido and her friend Simon, Duke of Battersea, have many perilous adventures trying to protect the ailing King James from the plotting of the evil Baron Magnus. The baron is determined that his brutish son, Lothar, will be the next king of England. For grades 5-8. 2003. RC 57160. ## Minuk: Ashes in the Pathway. RC 57162. by Kirkpatrick Hill. read by Catherine Byers. 1 cassette. Minuk's traditional Eskimo way of life changes in the 1890s when Christian missionaries arrive in her Alaskan village. After an influenza epidemic sweeps through the area killing most of Minuk's family, she must choose whether or not to leave with the white people. For grades 6-9. 2002. RC 57162. ## Disappearing Act. RC 57186. by Sid Fleischman. read by Erik Synnestvedt. 1 cassette. Twelve-year-old Kevin and his opera-singing older sister, Holly, flee from their Albuquerque home after their archaeologist mom disappears in Mexico and they begin to be stalked by a mysterious man. The two wind up as street performers in Venice, California, until they are discovered by their unknown nemesis. For grades 4-7. 2003. RC 57186. ## Under the Same Sky. RC 57189. by Cynthia DeFelice. read by Michael Scherer. 1 cassette. While trying to earn money for a motor bike, fourteen-year- old Joe Pedersen becomes involved with Mexican migrant laborers on his father's farm. He learns to appreciate their hard work and gains a new understanding of his father. For grades 6-9. 2003. RC 57189. ## Annabel the Actress Starring in _Hound of the Barkervilles_. RC 57191. by Ellen Conford. read by Annie Wauters. 1 cassette. Annabel gets the part of the butler's daughter in a mystery play for adults. She copes with an enormous, drooling Newfoundland dog named Binky, pink bunny pajamas for a costume, and the heckling of her lifelong enemy Lowell in the audience on opening night. Beginning chapter book. For grades 2-4. 2002. RC 57191. ## Ruby Electric. RC 57195. by Theresa Nelson. read by Annie Wauters. 1 cassette. Twelve-year-old movie buff Ruby Miller writes screen plays in her head all the time, only to have real life interfere-- with mysteries. Such as what happened to her little brother Pete's woolly mammoth puppet and why her father has been absent for five years. For grades 5-8. 2003. RC 57195. ## The Pirates of Pompeii: The Roman Mysteries, Book 3. RC 57213. by Caroline Lawrence. read by Michele Schaeffer. 1 cassette. In the chaos after Mt. Vesuvius has erupted, burying Pompeii, Flavia Gemina and her friends seek shelter in a refugee camp where children begin disappearing. Flavia's investigations reveal that a powerful citizen may be involved. Sequel to _The Secrets of Vesuvius (RC 57214)_. For grades 5-8. 2002. RC 57213. ## The Secrets of Vesuvius: The Roman Mysteries, Book 2. RC 57214. by Caroline Lawrence. read by Michele Schaeffer. 1 cassette. Flavia Gemina, from _The Thieves of Ostia (RC 55246)___, and her companions journey to her uncle's farm after rescuing Roman admiral Pliny from a capsized boat. On the farm there is a riddle to solve and signs that nearby Mt. Vesuvius will soon erupt. For grades 5-8. 2001. RC 57214. ## Haunted Castle on Hallows Eve: Magic Tree House, Book 30. RC 57233. by Mary Pope Osborne. read by Gillian Green. 1 cassette. After climbing into their magic tree house, Jack and Annie are invited by master magician Merlin to King Arthur's realm where invisible beings, giant ravens, and haunted spells have put a duke's castle in an uproar on Halloween night. For grades 2-4. 2003. RC 57233. ## Amanda Pig and the Awful, Scary Monster. RC 57241. by Jean Van Leeuwen. read by Terry Hayes Sales. 1 cassette. Amanda Pig sees monsters at night, so her parents and brother, Oliver, keep reassuring her that there are no such things. Beginning chapter reader. For grades K-3. 2003. RC 57241. ## The Strange Case of Baby H. RC 57251. by Kathryn Reiss. read by Carol Dines. 1 cassette. After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, twelve-year-old Clara finds a baby on the doorstep of her family's boarding house. Clara sets about unraveling the mystery of the little girl's arrival--especially since she is disguised as a boy and is believed to have been kidnapped. For grades 4-7. 2002. RC 57251. ## The Wind Singer: An Adventure; Wind on Fire, Book 1. RC 57290. by William Nicholson. read by Kristin Allison. 2 cassettes. In the stifled society of Aramanth, rebellious youngsters Kestrel, her twin brother Bowman, and schoolmate Mumpo, escape the city walls in quest of the wind singer's legendary voice. They follow an ancient map, confront monsters, and restore harmony at home. Prequel to _Slaves of the Mastery (RC 57317). _For grades 6-9. 2000. RC 57290. ## The Tower at the End of the World. RC 57295. by Brad Strickland. read by Erik Sandvold. 1 cassette. Lewis Barnavelt and his friends from _The House with a Clock in Its Walls (RC 45943)_ are invited to vacation on an island in Lake Superior. They encounter evil sorcerer Ishmael Izard and have to find his doomsday clock before he destroys the world. For grades 5-8. 2001. RC 57295. ## The Adventures of Midnight Son. RC 57307. by Denise Lewis Patrick. read by Bill Quinn. 1 cassette. After his parents help him escape from slavery in Texas at the start of the Civil War, thirteen-year-old Midnight finds freedom in Mexico and becomes a cowboy on a cattle drive to Kansas. For grades 4-7. 1997. RC 57307. ## When Catherine the Great and I Were Eight!. RC 57316. by Cari Best. read by Catherine Byers. 1 cassette. When Sara's Russian grandmother was eight, she liked to float like a flower in the sea. One hot summer day when Sara is eight, Grandma takes a group on an outing to the ocean in Mr. Minsky's old car. Sequel to _Three Cheers for Catherine the Great! (RC 50354)_. For grades K-3. 2003. RC 57316. ## Spider Spins a Story: Fourteen Legends from Native America. RC 57328. edited by Jill Max. read by Catherine Byers. 1 cassette. Presents folk tales from various native peoples including the Kiowa, Zuni, Cherokee, Hopi, Navajo, and Muskogee, all featuring the spider character. In "Iktomi and Buzzard: A Lakota Legend," the arrogant spider figure learns the importance of kindness and humility. For grades 3-6 and older readers. 1997. RC 57328. ## Mama Had to Work on Christmas. RC 57516. by Carolyn Marsden. read by Gabriella Cavallero. 1 cassette. Nine-year-old Gloria resents having to accompany her mother to work at a hotel on Christmas. But later when they cross the border to Mexico to visit her grandmother for Feliz Navidad her family's love helps her overcome her bad feelings. For grades 2-4. 2003. RC 57516. ## ### _Foreign Language Books_ The following titles are available in the languages designated. _Spanish_ La República de East L.A.: Cuentos (The Republic of East L.A.: Stories). RC 54983. por Luis J. Rodríguez. leído por Juan Ramírez. 2 cassettes. Una colección de cuentos sobre la vida en East Los Angeles que pintan a personas relucientes de esperanzas, vitalidad, y humor a pesar del ambiente de violenica, pobreza y racismo del barrio. En el cuento "Mi Carro, Mi Revolución," un joven chófer de limusina piensa filosóficamente sobre la vida mientras sueña con el éxito de su banda de rap-metal. (Collection of short stories about life in East Los Angeles. Depicts individuals brimming with hope, vitality, and humor amid the poverty, crime, and racism of the barrio. In the story "Mi Carro, Mi Revolución," a young limousine driver philosophizes about life and dreams his rap-metal band will succeed.) 2003. RC 54983. ## Tramposos del Saloon (The Card Sharp). RC 56957. por Ralph Barby. leído por Juan Ramírez. 1 cassette. El tejano Leo Carter está convencido que la hermosa jugador de póker, Bárbara McNeal, es responsable por la desaparicón de David Racy, el amigo de Leo que llevaba un gran cantidad de dinero. Sin poder alistar la ayuda del sheriff de Borger City, el tejano investiga por su propria cuenta--y encuentra peligro. (Texan Leo Carter is convinced that beautiful poker player Barbara McNeal is involved in the disappearance of his friend David Racy, who was carrying a large sum of money. Getting no help from the sheriff of Borger City, he investigates on his own and finds danger.) 1988. RC 56957. ## Lástima que No Te Ducharas (You Should Have Showered). RC 56958. por Ralph Barby. leído por Juan Ramírez. 1 cassette. El ruin millonario Leonardo Santoaria y varios de sus huespedes mueren cuando su yate estalla y hunde. El detective Tob Duncan investiga a la viuda Santoaria y a la hermosa cuñada para saber si el caso se trata de asesinato. (Villainous millionaire Leonardo Santoaria and several of his guests are killed when his yacht explodes and sinks. Private investigator Tob Duncan investigates the dead man's widow and beautiful sister-in-law to determine if foul play was involved.) 1981. RC 56958. ## Un Verano Bien Caliente (One Hot Summer). RC 56961. por Carolina García-Aguilera. leído por María Pino. 2 cassettes. Después del nacimiento de su hijo, Margarita Santos Silva, un exitoso abogado cubano-americano, trata de decidir si debe regresar al trabajo o quedarse en casa criando su hijo. Pero cuando un antiguo enamorado se presenta inesperadamente, la vida de Margarita se vuelve patas arriba, y tiene más de una decisión crítica que tomar, y solamente un verano bien caliente para hacerlo. (While on maternity leave, successful Cuban American lawyer Margarita Santos Silva struggles to decide whether to return to work or stay at home and raise her child. But this decision pales in comparison to the decision she must make when an old flame comes back into her life.) 2003. RC 56961. ## ### Talking Book Magazines Cassette For a free subscription to these magazines, contact your cooperating library. American Heritage (8 issues) Analog Science Fiction and Fact (11 issues) Asimov's Science Fiction (11 issues) The Atlantic Monthly (11 issues; combined issue July-August) Das Beste aus Reader's Digest (German; 12 issues) Bon Appétit (monthly) Buenhogar (Spanish; monthly) Choice Magazine Listening (on loan from cooperating libraries, bimonthly) Consumer Reports (monthly) Contemporary Sound Track: A Review of Pop, Jazz, Rock, and Country (bimonthly) Cricket (for children, on one cassette with National Geographic Kids, monthly) Diabetes Forecast (monthly) Discover (monthly) Ebony (monthly) Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine (11 issues) Foreign Affairs (6 issues) Good Housekeeping (monthly plus special issues) Health and Nutrition Newsletters (includes Dr. Andrew Weil's Self Healing, The Johns Hopkins Medical Letter--Health after Fifty, Mayo Clinic Health Letter, and Nutrition Action Healthletter, monthly) Horticulture (6 issues) Journal Français (French; monthly) Magazine of the Month (monthly) Money (monthly plus special issues) The Musical Mainstream (quarterly) The Nation (47 issues) National Geographic (monthly) National Geographic Kids (for children and teens, on one cassette with Cricket, monthly) National Review (25 issues) The New York Times Book Review (weekly) Outdoor Life (10 issues; combined issues June-July, December- January) People Weekly (weekly plus special issues) QST (monthly) Quarterly Music Magazine (quarterly) Selecciones del Reader's Digest (Spanish; monthly) Sélections du Reader's Digest (French; monthly) Smart Computing (monthly) Sound & Vision (10 issues) Spider: The Magazine for Children (monthly) Sports Illustrated (weekly plus special issues) Sports Illustrated for Kids (monthly) Talking Book Topics (bimonthly, also contains selections from NLS News irregularly) Teen People (10 issues) Travel & Leisure (monthly) True West (monthly) U.S. News and World Report (weekly) The Writer (12 issues) Young Adult Magazine of the Month (monthly)