Braille Book Review, Vol. 74, No. 2, March-April 2005 Braille Book Review March-April 2005 Volume 74, Number 2 _Braille Book Review_ is published bimonthly in large-print, braille, and computer diskette formats and distributed free to blind and physically handicapped individuals who participate in the Library of Congress free reading program. It lists braille magazines and books available through a network of cooperating libraries. The braille edition also lists recorded books, giving abbreviated annotations. News about library services is featured in both editions. The annotated list in this issue is limited to titles recently added to the national collection, which contains thousands of fiction and nonfiction titles, including classics, biographies, gothics, mysteries, and how-to and self-help guides. To learn more about the wide range of books in the national collection, readers may order catalogs and subject bibliographies from cooperating libraries. Librarians can check other resources for titles and answer requests for special materials. Readers can receive _Braille Book Review_ and other information through the Internet by accessing the NLS home page at http://www.loc.gov/nls. To order books or for subscription changes, contact your local cooperating library. Correspondence regarding editorial matters should be sent to Publications and Media Section, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress, Washington, DC 20542. Library of Congress, Washington 2005 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 53-31800 ISSN 0006-873X Contents: In Brief Books for Adults Nonfiction Fiction Books for Children Nonfiction Fiction Braille Magazines In Brief The following material is reprinted from NLS Flash, January 2005, volume 1, issue 3, a newsletter developed to bring current information on NLS progress in digital technology to patrons, library staff, and other interested individuals. The download of web books and magazines Wouldn't it be nice to sample a digital talking book (DTB) on your computer before checking it out to read? And nicer still to download the entire book for use right away? The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), Library of Congress, thinks so. For this reason, NLS is exploring ways to make resources downloadable and available to patrons. "We plan to build an NLS online library of digital talking books," says Frank Kurt Cylke, NLS director. "Offering downloadable audiobooks that reflect our collection will enable us to serve our patrons in a new way." NLS first began providing downloadable content six years ago, making braille books and magazines available in electronic form through Web-Braille. "Braille files are smaller than audio files and hosting them was a feasible option for our current system," says Judy Dixon, NLS consumer relations officer. Patrons can sign up for free access to the Web-Braille files. They can search the NLS online catalog or scan the current issue of Braille Book Review for links to the latest titles. Web-Braille files may be read online or downloaded for embossing or reading with a refreshable braille display. "We were able to use an existing archive of digital braille titles to create the original online braille library for NLS patrons," says Dixon. "Since then, it's been a real team effort. We've added music scores, and six of our network libraries have contributed hundreds of titles to the cause." It's been a great success. Nearly 4,000 patrons use Web- Braille to access 7,200 book titles and more than 600 musical scores that range from popular songs to the classical masters. Harpers, Rolling Stone, Martha Stewart Living and twenty-six other magazines are available for download, as are this year's major league baseball schedules and four other sports schedules. Introducing the pilot programs One year ago, NLS launched a Web-Magazine pilot with three audio magazines: U.S. News and World Report, Smart Computing, and selected issues of People. Nearly fifty technically adept patrons are testing the system. Patrons may select magazines by title and issue date. Then they may download the entire magazine or just select articles. The audio magazine files are compressed to accelerate the download process. Readers can then navigate the magazine by article, section, and, in some cases, by subsection. The magazines can be read right on the computer or transferred to a commercially available player that is capable of playing digital talking books. Here's an example of how the magazines are prepared for the NLS web site. Every Monday, an NLS producer acquires a copy of U.S. News and World Report. It is narrated and produced in DTB format on Tuesday and posted on the site by Wednesday. In December 2004, NLS joined the Unabridged project for a one-year pilot to test the usability of downloadable books. At its launch, Unabridged provided a collection of 250 narrated audiobooks. However, plans are to have 400 by the end of 2005. Blind and sighted members of NLS staff are evaluating the use and process of downloadable digital audiobooks, to better understand the needs and wants of patrons, as well as to explore the possibilities related to content protection and distribution. Participation in the NLS portion of the Unabridged project is, at this time, available exclusively to NLS staff. NLS staff as well as patrons in the states participating in the pilot project can download audiobooks to PCs using a Windows Media audio-based content and delivery system from OverDrive, Inc., a digital content solutions provider for publishers and retailers. Participating network libraries include the Mid-Illinois Talking Book Center, the Colorado Talking Book Library, the Delaware Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, the Talking Book Program of the New Hampshire State Library, and the Oregon State Library, Talking Book and Braille Services. NLS is also pursuing a venture with the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) to test their NetLibrary product as a means of accessing downloadable audiobooks. As with the Unabridged project, use will be limited to NLS staff. "The NetLibrary pilot is another example of how NLS is testing web delivery options for capacity and usability," says Neil Bernstein, NLS information technology specialist. NetLibrary currently houses 405 audiobook titles-including 78 language sets. Up next In discussion with vendors now, NLS is searching for a partner with a proven track record of delivering audiobooks over the Internet. "The final offering will build on the knowledge gained from Web-Braille, Web-Magazines, and the other internal pilot projects," says Michael Moodie, NLS deputy director. NLS is building downloadable offerings through the analog- to-digital conversion project, which involves converting existing audiocassette books to digital format, as well as producing new titles. When ready, the NLS download system will provide a large and diverse collection of titles that will allow a cross section of users access to downloadable digital books. NLS plans include a digital collection of 20,000 book titles, and a wide selection of magazines by 2008. "NLS recognizes the importance of quality technical support and is committed to providing it," says Jean M. Moss, NLS digital projects coordinator. "Now that the plan for downloadable audiobooks and magazines is in motion, we are pursuing an aggressive schedule to test and develop the best online products for our patrons." Please note: Participants for NLS pilot programs have already been identified. Public participation will be available after testing is completed. Finding out what patrons want NLS is seeking information from all aspects of these projects to guide its development process. What is to be determined? Some examples are: - How do patrons use the system? - How many books do individuals download? - What kinds of books are checked out? - What time of day is download occurring? - Is a high-speed connection or a dial-up modem used? NLS also wishes to understand the demographics of the participants. - Are they younger or older? And how will patrons read the books once downloaded? - On a computer or on portable playback devices? - Where are books read? - What kind of computer equipment is used? In addition, NLS will obtain information on the accessibility and usability of the different download systems. 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 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. - User survey - Player transition study - Distribution medium study Start 1/12/04-finish 10/1/08: The following ongoing projects, set to conclude by 2008, are shown with start dates in parentheses. - Web-Magazine pilot (1/12/04) - 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) - Preparation 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 A reminder Free subscriptions to Reader's Digest in braille, Reader's Digest on cassette, and Newsweek on cassette are available from the American Printing House for the Blind by calling 1- 800-223-1839. ### _Books for Adults_ The following books were recently produced for the NLS program. To order books, contact your braille-lending 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 occurence, as in "some strong language." _Nonfiction_ Piano Notes: The World of the Pianist. BR 14787. by Charles Rosen. 2 volumes. Distinguished concert pianist and music critic sheds light on essential aspects of playing this demanding and rewarding instrument. Rosen discusses the aesthetics, acoustics, and techniques of performance and recording as well as performers' styles and manners. Includes little-known lore and insights about famous musicians. Also includes musical examples. 2002. BR 14787. ## Young Person's Occupational Outlook Handbook. BR 14794. by Susan Pines. 3 volumes. Describes over 260 careers based on the U.S. Department of Labor's research. Explains the education needed, the duties and skills of the employee, subjects to study, earning potential, and future outlook for each given profession. For junior and senior high readers. 2003. BR 14794. ## The Yale Guide to Women's Reproductive Health: From Menarche to Menopause. BR 14831. by Mary Jane Minkin and Carol V. Wright. 5 volumes. Discusses gynecological issues and reproductive system events, including menstruation, menopause, contraception, pregnancy, abortion, miscarriage, sexually transmitted diseases, cancer, and other conditions. Also reviews some lifestyle issues affecting general health. 2003. BR 14831. ## All the Stops: The Glorious Pipe Organ and Its American Masters. BR 14916. by Craig R. Whitney. 3 volumes. A cultural history of the pipe organ, describing its central role in American musical life in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Explores the development of the electrified organ in the mid-twentieth century and discusses the contrasting views of builders, performers, and advocates of mechanical and electronic instruments. 2003. BR 14916. ## Seabiscuit: An American Legend. BR 14930. by Laura Hillenbrand. 4 volumes. Recounts the rise of an "undersized, crooked-legged" thoroughbred horse who in 1938 was the year's number-one newsmaker over Franklin Roosevelt, Hitler, and Lou Gehrig. Hillenbrand tells Seabiscuit's story through the three men who made a true long shot into a winner: owner Charles Howard, trainer Tom Smith, and jockey Red Pollard. Bestseller 2001. BR 14930. ## Real Stew: Three Hundred Recipes for Authentic Home-Cooked Cassoulet, Gumbo, Chili, Curry, Minestrone, Bouillabaisse, Stroganoff, Goulash, Chowder, and Much More. BR 14944. by Clifford A. Wright. 5 volumes. Collection of three hundred recipes for one-pot meals gathered from around the world. They include stews--dishes cooked gently for hours--made from beef, veal, lamb, pork, poultry, rabbit, fish, shellfish, and vegetables. Includes certain recipes' origins, such as octopus stew from the island of Djerba, once thought to be the lotus-eater land Homer made famous. 2002. BR 14944. ## Baghdad Diaries: A Woman's Chronicle of War and Exile. BR 14983. by Nuha al-Radi. 2 volumes. Western-educated Iraqi artist depicts her life in Baghdad during the 1991 Gulf War and her virtual exile in the years thereafter. Al-Radi records the everyday struggles of her relatives and friends to keep going in the face of bombing raids, the subsequent UN embargo, and other fallouts of the war. 1998. BR 14983. ## That Man: An Insider's Portrait of Franklin D. Roosevelt. BR 15114. by Robert H. Jackson. 4 volumes. Nineteen-fifties memoir of President Franklin D. Roosevelt by Supreme Court justice Robert Houghwout Jackson (1892- 1954). Under FDR Jackson also held the positions of solicitor general, attorney general, U.S. chief prosecutor of the Nazi war criminals, as well as confidant and friend. Introduced and edited by John Q. Barrett. 2003. BR 15114. ## Deaf-Blind Infants and Children: A Developmental Guide. BR 15140. by J.M. McInnes and J.A. Treffry. 3 volumes. Guide for parents, teachers, and other professionals working with multisensory-deprived (MSD) children. Discusses the problems associated with MSD and offers ways to aid the development of social, emotional, cognitive-conceptual, perceptual, and mobility skills. 1993. BR 15140. ## Mayo Clinic on Osteoporosis. BR 15168. edited by Stephen Hodgson. 2 volumes. Physician at the Mayo Clinic discusses how to keep bones healthy and strong to reduce the risk of fracture. Explains screening and diagnosis of osteoporosis, its prevention and treatment, as well as medication, exercise, diet, and home safety issues. 2003. BR 15168. ## Radar, Hula Hoops, and Playful Pigs: Sixty-seven Digestible Commentaries on the Fascinating Chemistry of Everyday Life. BR 15172. by Joe Schwarcz. 3 volumes. A science professor good humoredly discusses the science and historic background of ordinary substances we readily encounter or ingest. In "It's Always Tea Time," Schwarcz comments on the benefits of drinking tea, the origins of this custom, and a 1993 study linking tea consumption to decreasing cardiovascular disease. 1999. BR 15172. ## Bringing Elizabeth Home: A Journey of Faith and Hope. BR 15179. by Ed Smart and Lois Smart. 2 volumes. Mormon parents' describe their ordeal when their fourteen- year-old daughter, Elizabeth, was kidnapped in June 2002 and their joy when she was found alive in March 2003. The Smarts recall the deep faith in God that sustained their family and to which they attribute Elizabeth's miraculous return. Bestseller 2003. BR 15179. ## The Seashell on the Mountaintop: A Story of Science, Sainthood, and the Humble Genius Who Discovered a New History of the Earth. BR 15199. by Alan Cutler. 2 volumes. Biography of the seventeenth-century Danish scientist Nicolaus Steno, the world's first geologist, who challenged the conventional timetable stated in the Bible for creation of the earth. Discusses the intellectual ferment caused by his discovery that the earth's crust contains layers of rock strata and fossil remains that explain its ancient history. 2003. BR 15199. ## "My Heart Became Attached": The Strange Journey of John Walker Lindh. BR 15207. by Mark Kukis. 2 volumes. Biography of the "American Taliban," the first U.S. citizen charged under the Patriot Act. Traces Lindh's odyssey from affluent California childhood through Arabic studies in Yemen, terrorist training in Pakistan, and combat alongside the Taliban in the Afghanistan war to his eventual U.S. trial as an enemy combatant. Research included copious author interviews. 2003. BR 15207. ## Bush v. Gore: Controversial Presidential Election Case. BR 15216. by Diana K. Sergis. 1 volume. Discusses the landmark 2000 Supreme Court decision that resulted in Texas governor George W. Bush becoming the forty-third U.S. president. Describes the contested ballot recounts in Florida, battles in state and federal courts, and constitutional arguments presented to the nation's highest court by Bush and his challenger, Vice President Albert Gore. For senior high and older readers. 2003. BR 15216. ## A Man Called Peter: The Story of Peter Marshall. BR 15217. by Catherine Marshall. 3 volumes. Widow writes the biography of her husband, a poor Scottish immigrant who became the senior minister at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in the nation's capital and chaplain of the U.S. Senate. Fiftieth anniversary edition includes additional selections of his prayers and sermons with a foreword by Marshall's son. 2001. BR 15217. ## Facing the Lion: Growing Up Maasai on the African Savanna. BR 15221. by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton. 1 volume. Virginia teacher recounts his childhood as a nomadic tribe member in northern Kenya. Describes running from lions, tending cattle, being circumcised at thirteen to become a "warrior," attending boarding school, searching for his wandering village during vacations, and leaving home to study in the United States. For junior and senior high readers. 2003. BR 15221. ## My Prison without Bars. BR 15222. by Pete Rose. 3 volumes. Autobiography by former Cincinnati Reds baseball star banned from the sport in 1989 after gambling allegations. Rose describes his rise to fame as a record-breaking hitter and team manager, five-month prison stay for tax evasion, and bid in 2002 for reinstatement to baseball by admitting bets on his team. Strong language. Bestseller 2004. BR 15222. ## Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip. BR 15229. by Dayton Duncan. 1 volume. Account of the first cross-country automobile trip in the United States. In 1903 Horatio Jackson, a thirty-one-year- old Vermont doctor, bet fifty dollars that he could drive from San Francisco to New York despite only 150 miles of paved roadway in the entire nation. Introduction by Ken Burns, maker of a companion PBS documentary. 2003. BR 15229. ## Israelis and Palestinians: Why Do They Fight? Can They Stop?. BR 15231. by Bernard Wasserstein. 2 volumes. History professor offers reasons for the conflict in Israel other than ethnic and religious differences. Posits that neither Jews nor Arabs "are animated by crazed psychopathy" but rather fight over definable interests. Suggests that multifaceted analysis of demographic, socioeconomic, environmental, and territorial dimensions of the struggle may facilitate a peaceful resolution. 2003. BR 15231. ## Running Around in Family Circles with Friends in Pursuit. BR 15247. by Georgia Griffith. 1 volume. Author, born blind, recalls her life from childhood in the 1930s through the 1990s. Griffith discusses growing up in a sighted family, attending a school for the blind, obtaining a degree in music education, becoming a braille music proofreader for the National Library Service, and organizing and managing computer discussion groups for CompuServe. 2003. BR 15247. ## Tests of Time. BR 15283. by William H. Gass. 3 volumes. The award-winning writer of both fiction and nonfiction presents fourteen essays exploring literature, culture, and politics and their reciprocating influences. Discusses famous authors' encounters with censorship in various guises and explores the universal appeal of a good narrative. National Book Critics Circle Award. 2002. BR 15283. ## John Brown's Body. BR 15287. by Stephen Vincent Benét. 4 volumes (Reissue). Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1929, this long narrative poem in rhyme and blank verse is a rank-and-file history of the Civil War, or "the rich man's war and the poor man's fight." Portrays the lives of soldiers, leaders, and civilians on both sides of the conflict, North and South. 1928. BR 15287. ## Murdering McKinley: The Making of Theodore Roosevelt's America. BR 15344. by Eric Rauchway. 3 volumes. Study of William McKinley's assassination in 1901 and Theodore Roosevelt's ascent to the presidency. Focuses on assassin Leon Czolgosz's upbringing, motives, mental health, and trial to explain the country's reaction to the crime. Asserts that the new president's political astuteness shaped his response to the murder through social reform. 2003. BR 15344. ## Essential Camping for Teens. BR 15350. by Kristine Hooks. 1 volume. Beginners' guide to selecting and setting up a camp site, keeping warm and dry, preparing food, handling emergencies, and having fun. Discusses where to learn the necessary outdoor skills and what gear to purchase. Grade 1 braille. For junior and senior high readers. 2000. BR 15350. ## ### _Fiction_ I Am the Cheese. BR 14796. by Robert Cormier. 2 volumes. Chilling tale of fourteen-year-old Adam Farmer's desperate search for his father and for a mysterious past that he must not remember if he is to remain alive. Some strong language. For junior and senior high readers. 1977. BR 14796. ## In Her Shoes. BR 14928. by Jennifer Weiner. 3 volumes. 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. BR 14928. ## Beachcomber. BR 14931. by Karen Robards. 3 volumes. Christy Petrino quits her job when she discovers that the law firm she works for and her fiancé are involved with the mob. Now, with her life at stake, she must deliver a package to Ocracoke Island, North Carolina, where she faces more danger--a serial killer. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. 2003. BR 14931. ## Blow Fly. BR 14976. by Patricia Cornwell. 3 volumes. 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 (BR 12803)_ knows something about both situations and lures Kay to visit him. Violence, strong language, and some descriptions of sex. Bestseller 2003. BR 14976. ## The Great Fire. BR 15103. by Shirley Hazzard. 3 volumes. 1947. Thirty-two-year-old British major Aldred Leith comes from China to Occupied Japan to report on Hiroshima conditions. 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. BR 15103. ## The Murder Room. BR 15105. by P.D. James. 3 volumes. When museum trustee Neville Dupayne votes to close the institution he is murdered in a gruesome way that mimics one of the exhibits. Commander Adam Dalgliesh, still in love with Emma Lavenham from _Death in Holy Orders (BR 13402)_, investigates. But more deaths occur. Bestseller 2003. BR 15105. ## Lucca. BR 15141. by Jens Christian Grondahl. 3 volumes. Thirty-two-year-old actress Lucca Montale loses her sight in a near-fatal car accident. Over time she becomes close to her recently divorced doctor, Robert. The two fall in love while reliving tense family relationships and troubled romances from the past. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 1998. BR 15141. ## Warrior's Woman. BR 15160. by Johanna Lindsey. 3 volumes. Amazonian Tedra De Arr flies to the world of the Sha-Ka'ari warriors to enlist support in saving her planet from evil ruler Crad Ce Moerr. But Tedra meets Challen Ly-San-Ter and is shaken by her attraction to this magnificent barbarian. Prequel to _Keeper of the Heart (BR 9471)_. Descriptions of sex and strong language. 1990. BR 15160. ## So Wild a Heart. BR 15166. by Candace Camp. 3 volumes. Devin Aincourt, earl of Ravenscar, needs money to save his family estate and pay his gambling debts. Miranda Upshaw, a strong-willed American heiress, wants his estate and social status. The result is a marriage of convenience that turns deadly for Miranda. Prequel to _Hidden Heart (BR 14565)_. Some descriptions of sex. 2002. BR 15166. ## Secrets of the Heart. BR 15167. by Candace Camp. 3 volumes. Seven years ago Rachel Aincourt tried to elope with another man on the eve of her marriage to Michael, the earl of Westhampton. Now, as she begins to love Michael, she discovers he leads a double life. Suddenly both existences are endangered. Sequel to _The Hidden Heart (BR 14565)_. Some descriptions of sex. 2003. BR 15167. ## This Vast Land: A Young Man's Journal of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. BR 15180. by Stephen E. Ambrose. 2 volumes. Fictionalized diary of eighteen-year-old George Shannon, the youngest member of the exploration crew. During the journey to the Pacific Northwest, Shannon records becoming lost for two weeks and falling in love with a Native American woman. Some descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. For senior high readers. 2003. BR 15180. ## The Amateur Marriage. BR 15181. by Anne Tyler. 3 volumes. Baltimore residents Michael Anton and Pauline Barclay fall in love at first sight at the start of World War II and marry impulsively. Remaining completely incompatible despite increasing prosperity, they spend the next five decades making themselves, and their three children, miserable. Bestseller 2004. BR 15181. ## Holidays on Ice. BR 15182. by David Sedaris. 1 volume. Six short Christmas tales by humorist, playwright, and National Public Radio commentator. Sedaris relives his stint as a department store elf in "SantaLand Diaries." In "Seasons Greetings to Our Friends and Family!!!," a housewife facing homicide charges updates loved ones in her annual holiday newsletter. Bestseller 1997. BR 15182. ## The Last Male Virgin. BR 15210. by Katherine Deauxville. 2 volumes. Anthropologist Peter Havistock has written a book about being raised by the Antorok tribe in Papua New Guinea. Leslie Hall-Grumman, representing her family's sponsoring foundation, escorts Peter on his book tour. But Leslie is unprepared when Peter announces that he is a virgin on the hunt. Some descriptions of sex. 2002. BR 15210. ## Lunch at the Piccadilly. BR 15212. by Clyde Edgerton. 2 volumes. Bachelor Carl Turnage visits his favorite aunt during her convalescence at a North Carolina nursing home. But Aunt Lil and some friends there crave adventure and find it when they steal a car. Meanwhile Carl joins a preacher's band at the home and attempts romance with a social worker. Some strong language. 2003. BR 15212. ## The Cemetery Yew. BR 15214. by Cynthia Riggs. 2 volumes. Elderly Victoria Trumbull of Martha's Vineyard becomes involved in a case of empty graves and missing coffins as well as a mysterious boarder with secrets to hide. Events lead to murder and smuggling. Some violence and some strong language. 2003. BR 15214. ## The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. BR 15215. by Mark Haddon. 2 volumes. Fifteen-year-old Christopher, who exhibits behavioral problems associated with autism, investigates the murder of his neighbor's dog. His severely logical approach leads him down an unexpected path, bringing him face to face with the dissolution of his parent's marriage while providing insight into the workings of his mind. Some strong language. Bestseller 2002. BR 15215. ## Christmas, Present. BR 15220. by Jacquelyn Mitchard. 1 volume. Elliott Banner and his wife, Laura, are driving home after celebrating their fourteenth wedding anniversary on December 23 when Laura experiences a painful headache. At the hospital, they learn Laura suffered a brain aneurysm and has only hours to live. Their family gathers around her bedside for a last Christmas Eve together. 2003. BR 15220. ## Cybele, with Bluebonnets. BR 15224. by Charles L. Harness. 2 volumes. Depression-era Texas. Joe Barnes falls in love with his high school chemistry teacher, Cybele Wilson. After Joe graduates, they have a fantastic romance, cut short by her early death. But his enchantment with Cybele--and her spirit--linger throughout his life, which seems to be guided by miraculous and supernatural events. 2002. BR 15224. ## The Secret Life of Bees. BR 15225. by Sue Monk Kidd. 3 volumes. South Carolina, 1964. Fourteen-year-old Lily rescues her African American housekeeper--and substitute mother-- Rosaleen, from the hospital. Rosaleen had been beaten for trying to register to vote. They flee to a safe place where Lily's battered late mother had also fled--a beekeeping operation run by three black sisters. Some strong language. 2002. BR 15225. ## Mahalia. BR 15232. by Joanne Horniman. 2 volumes. Australian teens Matt and Emmy drop out of school and have a baby girl, Mahalia. After five months Emmy is overwhelmed and leaves Matt, a musician, struggling as a single father. He and Mahalia forge a life together. Then Emmy returns. Some strong language. For senior high readers. 2001. BR 15232. ## Shooting Monarchs. BR 15249. by John Halliday. 1 volume. Macy, a sociopathic killer abused as a child, forces sixteen-year-old Leah Hoffman into his car trunk but waits to murder her. Leah is saved by Danny Driscoll, a classmate with an untreated spinal condition who secretly loves her. The rescue ends in tragedy for Danny. Some violence. For senior high readers. 2003. BR 15249. ## 3rd Degree. BR 15251. by James Patterson and Andrew Gross. 2 volumes. The Women's Murder Club, last seen in _2nd Chance (BR 14209)_, reconvenes to stop domestic terrorist attacks in San Francisco. Detective Lindsay Boxer, lawyer Jill Bernhardt, physician Claire Washburn, and reporter Cindy Thomas assist Joe Molinari of Homeland Security, who falls for Lindsay. Violence and strong language. Bestseller 2004. BR 15251. ## Ransom. BR 15262. by Danielle Steel. 3 volumes. After recently widowed Fernanda Barnes's youngest child is abducted San Francisco detective Ted Lee arrives to run the police operation. The kidnappers, ex-cons Peter Morgan and Carl Waters, mistakenly believe that Fernanda was left wealthy--but she can't come up with the money they demand. Some strong language. Bestseller 2004. BR 15262. ## The Bishop Goes to the University: A Blackie Ryan Story. BR 15281. by Andrew M. Greeley. 2 volumes. Bishop Blackwood "Blackie" Ryan investigates the murder of a visiting Russian Orthodox monk in the monk's office at a southside Chicago university. Suspects include four other professors, but intelligence agents, foreign gangsters, and even the Vatican may be involved. 2003. BR 15281. ## Farewell, My Queen. BR 15282. by Chantal Thomas. 2 volumes. Exiled Agathe-Sidonie Laborde reminisces about her years at Versailles when she was a reader to Queen Marie-Antoinette. She recalls the elegance, isolation, and physical discomfort of the palace, remaining loyal to her mistress to the very end. 2002. BR 15282. ## Reunion. BR 15284. by Alan Lightman. 2 volumes. Charles, a professor, attends his thirtieth college reunion where he encounters a vision of his twenty-two-year-old self. Overwhelmed by memories of his idyllic love for a ballerina, Charles relives a series of tragic events that would forever change his life. Strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2003. BR 15284. ## Dreams of Rescue. BR 15285. by Laura Shaine Cunningham. 3 volumes. After being attacked by her husband, actress Juliana Smythe escapes to her isolated mountain home--built for an heiress's 1899 wedding--and prepares to sue him. While Juliana relives her marital horrors, she is terrorized by a stalker and survives only by unraveling the mystery of the Victorian bride's death. Some violence. 2003. BR 15285. ## Breakout. BR 15286. by Paul Fleischman. 1 volume. Twenty-five-year-old Del writes a play describing her time as a runaway teenage foster child who finds herself in a massive traffic jam on a Los Angeles freeway. Some strong language. For senior high readers. 2003. BR 15286. ## Brownsville. BR 15288. by Oscar Casares. 2 volumes. Nine short stories about poverty, resourcefulness, and the cultural chasm existing in the U.S.-Mexican border town of Brownsville, Texas. Characters confront an array of situations, contradictions, and solutions, from youth learning lessons about money and neighborhood disputes over barking dogs to finding meaning in a depressed world. 2003. BR 15288. ## Revenge of the Middle-Aged Woman. BR 15289. by Elizabeth Buchan. 3 volumes. After twenty-five years of domestic bliss, Rose Lloyd loses both her husband and her job at a London newspaper to her young assistant. Devastated, Rose reexamines life, motherhood, and love as she fights to move on with her unexpected independence. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2002. BR 15289. ## The Man in My Basement. BR 15291. by Walter Mosley. 2 volumes. Thirty-three-year-old Sag Harbor embezzler Charles Blakey is about to lose his late mother's ancestral home when a white man makes him an offer he can't refuse: mysterious Anniston Bennet gives Charles a small fortune to rent the basement for a few weeks, with certain conditions. Some strong language. 2004. BR 15291. ## Glorious Appearing: The End of Days. BR 15335. by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. 3 volumes. Seven years after the Rapture, millions of people, Global Community members, and the Tribulation Force are gathering in the Middle East. Nicolae Carpathia still believes his ultimate triumph is close at hand, until Jesus arrives in his Glorious Appearing. Sequel to _Armageddon (BR 14702)_. Violence. Bestseller 2004. BR 15335. ## _The_ _Devil and Daniel Webster_ and Other Stories. BR 15337. by Stephen Vincent Benét. 1 volume. Three short tales by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet. In the title piece, a New Hampshire farmer sells the devil his soul for a prosperous decade but implores Daniel Webster to defend him when the devil comes to collect. Also includes "By the Waters of Babylon" and "Johnny Pyre and the Fool- Killer." 1936. BR 15337. ## Abandon: A Romance. BR 15340. by Pico Iyer. 3 volumes. In Damascus studying Sufi poets, California graduate student John Macmillan hears rumors that elusive manuscripts of the Islamic mystical sect exist. In search of the texts, he becomes inextricably linked to a woman who could hold the key to his poetic illumination--and his heart. Some descriptions of sex. 2003. BR 15340. ## A Christmas Journey. BR 15343. by Anne Perry. 1 volume. Lady Vespasia Cumming-Gould, a budding sleuth from the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt mysteries, attends a holiday party at which her friend Isobel cruelly insults a young widow who commits suicide later that night. Feeling guilty, Isobel goes with Vespasia to visit the victim's mother in Scotland where they uncover a shocking secret. 2003. BR 15343. ## R Is for Ricochet. BR 15394. by Sue Grafton. 3 volumes. Convicted embezzler Reba Lafferty's dying father hires P.I. Kinsey Millhone to keep Reba out of trouble upon her release from prison. But the wealthy thirty-two-year-old party girl resumes her previous lifestyle and involves Kinsey in burglary, revenge, and eventually murder. Strong language and some violence. Bestseller 2004. BR 15394. ## ### _Books for Children_ The following books were recently produced for the NLS program. To order books, contact your braille-lending library. _Nonfiction_ The Man Who Walked between the Towers. BR 15045. by Mordicai Gerstein. 1 volume. Tells of Frenchman Philippe Petit's 1974 tightrope walk between the unfinished World Trade Center Towers in New York City. Discusses the sentence he received for this illegal act. PRINT/BRAILLE. For grades 2-4 and older readers. Caldecott Medal. 2003. BR 15045. ## Sleep and Dreams. BR 15117. by Andrew T. McPhee. 1 volume. Discusses the nature of sleep and dreams, the causes and treatments of sleep disorders, and the possible meaning of common dreams. The chapter "Toward a More Restful Sleep" offers advice on various techniques to overcome problems of falling asleep. For grades 6-9. 2001. BR 15117. ## Pocket Pets. BR 15175. by Alvin Silverstein and others. 1 volume. Describes ten small pets and how to raise them. Includes common animals such as guinea pigs and rabbits and some unusual ones, among them the degu and the duprasi. For grades 4-7. 2000. BR 15175. ## One Hundred and One Questions about Food and Digestion That Have Been Eating at You--Until Now. BR 15178. by Faith Hickman Brynie. 2 volumes. Questions and answers explain the human digestive system and how it uses food for nutrition. Covers such topics as amino acids, anorexia nervosa, burping, cholesterol, diabetes, food poisoning, genetic modification, glucose, herbal supplements, obesity, pica (consuming nonfoods like clay), and vegetarians. For grades 6-9 and older readers. 2002. BR 15178. ## Christmas around the World, Volume 2. BR 15264. by Emily Kelley. 1 volume. This companion to _Christmas around the World (BR 8233)_ describes holiday celebrations in eight countries--Mexico, Ethiopia, China, Germany, Lebanon, Sweden, Australia, and Russia--that mostly were not included in the earlier volume. Also contains jokes, tongue twisters, and a recipe. Beginning chapter book. For grades 2-4. 2004. BR 15264. ## America Votes: How Our President Is Elected. BR 15268. by Linda Granfield. 1 volume. Explains the U.S. presidential election process including its history, the role of political parties, becoming a candidate, campaign finance, voting fraud, the electoral college, and casting ballots. Emphasizes the right and the responsibility of citizens to vote. For grades 4-7. 2003. BR 15268. ## A Tree Is a Plant. BR 15347. by Clyde Robert Bulla. 1 volume. Follows an apple plant from seed to sprout to tree, explaining the functions of roots, trunk, branches, leaves, and blossoms that lead to fruit. Also describes the cycle of seasonal changes. Includes two simple science projects. For grades 2-4. 1960. BR 15347. ## ### _Fiction_ The Water Gift and the Pig of the Pig. BR 15037. by Jacqueline Briggs Martin. 1 volume. An orphan girl discovers that she shares her grandfather's gift for finding lost things when their very clever pig disappears. PRINT/BRAILLE. For preschool-grade 2. 2003. BR 15037. ## On Noah's Ark. BR 15038. by Jan Brett. 1 volume. Noah's granddaughter helps him get the animals on the ark before the big rain, calms them down, and separates them so that they can sleep peacefully. After forty days and nights they arrive in a new land. PRINT/BRAILLE. For preschool- grade 2. 2003. BR 15038. ## Loamhedge. BR 15102. by Brian Jacques. 4 volumes. A group of adventurers from Redwall looking for the ancient abbey of Loamhedge seek a cure for haremaid Martha's paralysis. Meanwhile a band of vermin led by a rat named Raga Bol lay seige to Redwall in order to steal a magic scimitar. For grades 5-8. 2003. BR 15102. ## It Only Looks Easy. BR 15122. by Pamela Curtis Swallow. 1 volume. On the first day of seventh grade Kat takes someone else's bicycle to visit her dog at the animal hospital. When the bike is stolen Kat's reputation at school is ruined, especially when more bicycles disappear. She also learns responsibility and compassion during her struggles. For grades 4-7. 2003. BR 15122. ## The Dream Bearer. BR 15173. by Walter Dean Myers. 1 volume. Twelve-year-old David seeks refuge in his Harlem neighborhood park from his mentally unstable father and unruly teenage brother. David and his best friend, Loren, meet elderly eccentric, Moses Littlejohn, who becomes their mentor with stories about his visions. For grades 5-8. 2003. BR 15173. ## Attack of Apollyon: Left Behind--The Kids, Book 19. BR 15184. by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye. 1 volume. In this sequel to _Darkening Skies (BR 14604)_, freezing temperatures are enveloping the world. As Judd and Lionel decide their next move, Vicki brings the kids together in the schoolhouse. Then a strange star falls to earth and suddenly there are locusts everywhere. For grades 5-8. 2002. BR 15184. ## Secrets of New Babylon: Left Behind--The Kids, Book 21. BR 15186. by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye. 1 volume. In this sequel to _A Dangerous Plan (BR 15185)_ Vicki and her followers, discovered by members of the Global Community, fear being arrested. Judd, Lionel, and Sam have traveled to New Babylon, accompanied by Nada, to visit Judd's dangerously ill friend, Pavel. For grades 5-8. 2002. BR 15186. ## Little Bear's Visit. BR 15233. by Else Holmelund Minarik. 1 volume. Four episodes about Little Bear, who while visiting his grandparents hears stories about his mother when she was a little girl. Beginning chapter book. For grades K-3. 1961. BR 15233. ## Tigger Comes to the Forest. BR 15248. by A.A. Milne. 1 volume. Pooh tries to find out what his new friend Tigger likes to eat for breakfast. They go around to visit Piglet, next Eeyore, and then Christopher Robin. Finally at Kanga's home, Tigger finds something he likes. For grades 2-4. 2002. BR 15248. ## Brundibar. BR 15253. retold by Tony Kushner. 1 volume. Aninku and Pepicek need milk for their sick mother. Brundibar sings for money in the village square but won't let the brother and sister earn a few coins, too. It takes the collective effort of many people to overcome the bully and help the children. Adapted from a 1938 concentration- camp opera. For grades 4-7. 2003. BR 15253. ## The Canning Season. BR 15263. by Polly Horvath. 2 volumes. Thirteen-year-old Ratchet's summer visit in Maine with her eccentric great-aunts, Tilly and Penpen, is filled with their strange stories from the past and unusual, colorful characters stopping by. Ratchet feels so at home that she stays for many annual cannings of blueberry jam. For grades 6-9. National Book Award. 2003. BR 15263. ## Olive's Ocean. BR 15265. by Kevin Henkes. 1 volume. After Olive's death, twelve-year-old Martha reads an excerpt from Olive's journal and mourns her barely known classmate. Later, at her grandmother's beach house, Martha experiences loss, love, betrayal, and a renewed connection to her family. For grades 5-8. 2003. BR 15265. ## Sword of the Rightful King: A Novel of King Arthur. BR 15280. by Jane Yolen. 2 volumes. Merlinnus, a magician, devises a way for King Arthur to prove himself the rightful king of England--by pulling a sword from a stone. But trouble arises when someone else removes the sword first. For grades 6-9. 2003. BR 15280. ## The Warhorse. BR 15336. by Don Bolognese. 1 volume. Renaissance Italy. Fifteen-year-old Lorenzo, the son of the duke's armor maker, is forbidden by his father to become a warrior. When their city-state is attacked, Lorenzo and his prized warhorse join in the fray and experience the horror of war. For grades 5-8. 2003. BR 15336. ## The Journal of Scott Pendleton Collins: A World War II Soldier. BR 15339. by Walter Dean Myers. 1 volume. Europe, 1944. American teenage soldier Scott Collins describes the Omaha Beach invasion, in which many men in his company are killed. Writing home, he details his experiences as he fights across France, receives a promotion, and suffers a wound. For grades 4-7. 1999. BR 15339. ## Father Bear Comes Home. BR 15341. by Else Holmelund Minarik. 1 volume. Four episodes about Little Bear in which he waits impatiently for his father to come home from a day of fishing, has the hiccups, meets a mermaid, and plays with Owl. Beginning chapter book. For grades K-3. 1959. BR 15341. ## ### Braille Magazines The following is a list of braille magazines in the Library of Congress program. Readers may obtain free personal subscriptions to these magazines. For information on the availability of specific magazines, consult the library that send you braille materials. Boys' Life (for children and teens, monthly) Braille Book Review (bimonthly) Braille Chess Magazine (British quarterly) Braille Music Magazine (British monthly) Conundrum (British monthly) Cooking Light (10 issues) ESPN: The Magazine (biweekly) Harper's (literary; monthly) Health Newsletters (includes Harvard Health Letter, Mayo Clinic Health Letter, and University of California at Berkeley Wellness Letter, monthly) Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine (monthly) Ladies' Home Journal (monthly) Martha Stewart Living (home and entertaining; 10 issues) Muse (for children; 10 issues) The Musical Mainstream (quarterly) National Geographic (monthly) The New York Times Large Type Weekly (weekly) News (NLS quarterly) Parenting (monthly except January and July) PC World (personal computing; monthly) Playboy (monthly) Poetry (11 issues) Popular Communications (monthly) Popular Mechanics (monthly) Popular Music Lead Sheets (irregular) Rolling Stone (popular culture; 24 issues) Science News (weekly) Seventeen (for teens; monthly) Short Stories (British monthly) Spider: The Magazine for Children (monthly) Stone Soup (children's writings; 5 issues) Update (NLS quarterly) The Washington Post Book World (weekly) The following sports schedules are also available: American Baseball League Schedule National Baseball League Schedule National Basketball Association Schedule National Football League Schedule National Hockey League Schedule Women's National Basketball Association Schedule