CASSETTE BOOKS 1996 National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped Washington, D.C. 1996 Young Adults Contents Nonfiction Fiction Nonfiction American Dragons: Twenty-five Asian American Voices RC 39409 edited by Laurence Yep read by Gordon Gould 2 cassettes An anthology of twenty-five stories, poems, and essays by Asian Americans that enlighten, probe, and examine the experiences and emotions of young people with roots in Japan, China, India, Korea, and Southeast Asia. Selections are set in the past, present, and future, and most raise questions about identity and about preserving or rejecting the values of ancestors. For junior and senior high readers. 1993. Ask Me if I Care: Voices from an American High School RC 40603 by Nancy J. Rubin read by Catherine Byers 3 cassettes For eighteen years, Nancy Rubin has been teaching a nine-week crash course to help high school students deal with problems in such areas as sexuality, substance abuse, family relationships, stress, and prejudice. To inform other teens and their parents, Rubin discusses these issues here and presents entries from the journals she has her students keep. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. For high school and older readers. 1994. The Black Press and the Struggle for Civil Rights RC 40195 by Carl Senna read by Ralph Lowenstein 1 cassette The role of African American newspapers in the fight for equality. Senna traces the influence of the black press from the birth of _Freedom's Journal_ in 1827 through the antislavery movement before the Civil War and the struggle to end segregation, highlighting the importance of leaders like Frederick Douglass and Ida B. Wells in bringing blacks into the media mainstream. For high school and older readers. 1993. The Breakup of the Soviet Union: Opposing Viewpoints RC 40166 edited by William Barbour and Carol Wekesser read by Peter Johnson 2 cassettes In this volume of the Opposing Viewpoints series, political observers and leaders debate issues related to the collapse of the Soviet Union. They discuss the effect of the breakup on the rest of the world, the response of the United States, and the ethnic conflicts and struggling economies of the republics. For junior and senior high and older readers. 1994. Cleopatra RC 39806 by Don Nardo read by Mary Kane 1 cassette Cleopatra VII, queen of Egypt from 51 to 30 B.C., became a legend in her own time. Her intimate relationships with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, two of the most powerful men of the day, make her controversial. Noting that she was called greedy, dishonest, immoral, and a poor ruler by some and resourceful and an able ruler by others, the author attempts to separate fact from fiction in this biography. For junior and senior high and older readers. 1994. The Diary of a Young Girl: The Definitive Edition RC 40424 by Anne Frank read by Suzanne Toren 2 cassettes This notebook kept by a German-born Jewish girl includes material that was omitted from the first edition in 1947. Begun on her thirteenth birthday, the diary is a personal, sometimes humorous, account of years spent with her family in a Dutch attic hiding from the Nazis. After Anne heard a radio appeal about the importance of such papers, she expanded the scope of her entries. For high school and older readers. 1995. Do or Die RC 40107 by Leon Bing read by Madelyn Buzzard 2 cassettes Account of gang life among the Crips and the Bloods in South Central Los Angeles. Bing visited gang neighborhoods, a juvenile detention camp, and Soledad Prison to get beyond the stereotypes by interviewing gang members and recording their stories in their own words. Violence and strong language. For high school and older readers. 1991. Looking for Your Name: A Collection of Contemporary Poems RC 40715 selected by Paul B. Janeczko read by Jim Zeiger 1 cassette Anthology of poems by contemporary writers. Focusing on conflict in a range of situations, the poems are designed to evoke strong emotions. The opening poem recalls a first-grader's eagerness in raising his hand to be called on for the answer. Other poems deal with such topics as suicide, AIDS, nuclear accidents, and the swift passage of life. Some strong language. For high school and older readers. 1993. Lost in Yonkers RC 41415 by Neil Simon read by Ken Kliban 1 cassette Play set in New York, 1942. After their mother's death, Arty and Jay are visiting their stern grandmother. When their father finishes a private talk with his mother, the boys are shocked to learn he wants them to stay there while he takes a traveling job. Grandmother agrees with the boys that it would be a very bad idea. But childlike Aunt Bella surprises everyone by insisting they remain. For high school and older readers. Pulitzer Prize. 1991. Madonna RC 40785 by Nicole Claro read by Suzanne Toren 1 cassette Madonna and her five siblings grew up in an Italian American suburb of Pittsburgh. She dropped out of college to move to New York, hoping to make it as a dancer. Instead she became a pop singer, eventually achieving a record fifteen consecutive top-five singles. Her daring work has broken social and sexual taboos. Madonna's short marriage to Sean Penn and her movie career are also discussed. For junior and senior high and older readers. 1994. Mark Twain: The Man and His Adventures RC 41051 by Richard B. Lyttle read by Christopher Hurt 1 cassette Portrait of a man often cited as the quintessential American author. Lyttle traces the life of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, also known as Mark Twain, from his premature birth in a frontier village in Missouri through his career as a popular writer and a famous speaker. For junior and senior high and older readers. 1994. Sickle Cell Anemia RC 41141 by George Beshore read by Bill Wallace 1 cassette Sickle-cell anemia is an inherited disease in which the red blood cells change from round to sickle-shaped. This condition can cause painful symptoms and may be fatal if not treated. The history, nature, symptoms, and treatment of the disease are discussed, as is research for a cure. For junior and senior high readers. 1994. Sorrow's Kitchen: The Life and Folklore of Zora Neale Hurston RC 41455 by Mary E. Lyons read by Melissa Maxwell 1 cassette Lyons inserts samples of Hurston's fiction, autobiography, and folklore collected in Florida, Louisiana, and the West Indies into this account of the African American anthropologist and Harlem Renaissance writer of stories, plays, essays, and articles. For junior and senior high and older readers. 1990. Stardust otel: Poems RC 39469 by Paul B. Janeczko read by David Palmer 1 cassette Leary, who describes his parents as "flower children, Woodstock lovers," is nearly fifteen. These thirty poems tell of his life, his friends, and the residents of the Stardust otel (the H fell off when he was born and has never been replaced) owned by his parents. For junior and senior high readers. 1993. Teen Prostitution RC 39625 by Joan J. Johnson read by Maggie Welch 1 cassette Analysis of a social problem that the author feels is often overlooked. Johnson examines why kids leave home, how they are recruited for prostitution, and why it is so difficult to escape the lifestyle. She discredits certain stereotypes, including that of the "black pimp," and describes the power of sexual fantasy--which can obscure the risk of AIDS. She also offers possible solutions to the problems. For junior and senior high and older readers. 1992. Voices from the Future: Our Children Tell Us about Violence in America RC 40131 by Children's Express read by Ray Foushee 2 cassettes Children's Express, a news service reported and edited by teenagers, interviewed young people around the country about violence. In their own words, more than forty teenagers describe the impact of violence on their lives, some as criminals, others as victims. They talk about drugs, guns, abuse in the home, and life on the streets. Violence and strong language. For high school and older readers. 1993. The Way of the Earth: Native America and the Environment RC 40635 by John Bierhorst read by Bill Wallace 2 cassettes Scholarly investigation of Native American approaches to safeguarding the environment, which combine beliefs and instinctive customs with a conscious effort. Analytical chapters focus on the unifying themes found in the myths of various tribes. Interspersed are the texts of proverbs and parables illustrating these principles. For high school and older readers. 1994. What If the Moon Didn't Exist? Voyages to Earths That Might Have Been RC 39898 by Neil F. Comins read by Ed Blake 2 cassettes An astronomy professor illustrates the fragility of Earth's habitat by discussing what Earth would be like if it had been formed under different cosmic circumstances or if it were to experience extreme planetary changes. For example, what would Earth be like without an ozone layer, or if it had no moon, or were tilted at a different angle on its axis? For senior high and older readers. 1993. Fiction Al Capsella Takes a Vacation RC 40648 by J. Clarke read by Gary Telles 1 cassette Sequel to _Al Capsella and the Watchdogs (RC 37551)_. Sixteen-year-old Al and his friend Lou don't want to take the usual holiday vacation with their families. Instead, they decide to go alone to Scutchthorpe, a town highly recommended by a friend. Arriving by bus, the boys are horrified to find themselves in the country, far from the promised beaches and party life. How will they ever live this down? For junior and senior high readers. 1992. Among the Volcanoes RC 40369 by Omar S. Casta¤eda read by Ilona Dulaski 1 cassette Isabel Pacay, the eldest daughter of a Mayan family in Guatemala, has a dream--to stay in school and become a teacher. While many of her friends are married with families, she feels too young to marry. When her mother becomes ill, Isabel's dreams are shattered as she quits school to care for her. The _sanjorin_ has been unable to cure Mrs. Pacay, but her family fears consulting an American medical student. For junior and senior high readers. 1991. Brother to Shadows RC 41082 by Andre Norton read by Vanessa Maroney 3 cassettes Cast out from the Shadow Brotherhood to which he has dedicated his life, young Jofre wanders Asborgan alone until he meets Zurzal, a reptilian off-worlder on a quest for powerful knowledge. Jofre decides to seek his fortune as Zurzal's bodyguard and soon finds his job difficult because many in the galaxy want to acquire Zurzal's secrets for their own evil purposes. For high school and older readers. 1993. Captain Hawaii RC 40472 by Anthony Dana Arkin read by John Polk 2 cassettes Captain Dan's Zodiac Pirate Tours sound exciting to Arron, who is a nature lover. Unlike his parents, he didn't come to Hawaii just to sit by the pool. And he is pleased that Kate, the captain's daughter, is pretty too. But then events erupt when a rival tour company tries to put Captain Dan out of business, involving Kate and Arron in the process. For junior and senior high readers. 1994. Child of an Ancient City RC 40466 by Tad Williams and Nina Kiriki Hoffman read by James DeLotel 1 cassette During a banquet, Masrur al-Adan is encouraged to tell a story. Since his old friend Ibn Fahad is there, he tells of a trip they took many years earlier. A caravan of treasures they were escorting was attacked, and they were forced to return home. On the way, they were attacked again, this time by the vampyr. Masrur tells how they escaped death through all-night storytelling. For junior and senior high readers. 1992. Cold Sassy Tree RC 39112 by Olive Ann Burns read by Dennis Bateman 3 cassettes (Reissue) Just three weeks after Granny's death, Will Tweedy's Grandpa marries the pretty, thirtyish town milliner, Miss Love Simpson. It's 1906 and the town of Cold Sassy, Georgia, is shocked. Fourteen-year-old Will takes it all in--his Grandpa's rejuvenation and Cold Sassy's reaction--while he experiences some major life changes of his own. For high school and older readers. 1984. A Cup of Christmas Tea RC 40835 by Tom Hegg read by Terence Aselford 1 cassette Shortly before Christmas a young man receives a letter from a great-aunt asking that he stop in for a cup of Christmas tea. Although he doesn't want to replace his childhood memories of her with what she might be like now, he reluctantly accepts. For senior high and older readers. 1982. Dinosaur Fantastic RC 40540 by Mike Resnick and Martin H. Greenberg read by John Stratton 2 cassettes Twenty-five original short stories relating to dinosaurs. Pat Cadigan's "Dino Trend" describes the Age of the Nanosecond where people dress as dinosaurs and go to dino clubs. In "Wise One's Tale" by Josepha Sherman, Wise One, a Winged Hunter, explains how his people got their wings. In "Betrayal" by Susan Casper, a man ultimately betrays a mosasaur who once befriended him. For high school and older readers. 1993. Double Date RC 41050 by R.L. Stine read by Michael Pinney 1 cassette Bobby Newkirk might be good-looking and an excellent guitarist, but he is also extremely conceited. He has dated all of the cheerleaders and now has plans to date both of the Wade twins, who are new in town. Bree is quiet and shy while Samantha is bold and sexy, so it should be easy to tell them apart. But Bobby soon begins to wonder just who is who. For junior and senior high readers. 1994. Dreamers and Desperadoes: Contemporary Short Fiction of the American West RC 40192 edited by Craig Lesley and Katheryn Stavrakis read by Christopher Hurt 4 cassettes Short stories featuring working people in the West. "Winter of '19" tells how two sheep ranchers save their flock during a blizzard. "Do You Hear Your Mother Talking?" tells of a millworker and a lumberjack's romance. And "Sleepwalkers" tells of a hotel maid's adjustment to the guests' schedules. Strong language. For high school and older readers. 1993. Dreams Underfoot: The Newford Collection RC 40507 by Charles de Lint read by Mary Woods 3 cassettes Collection of nineteen interrelated short stories set in the imaginary city of Newford. Populating these urban myths are recurring characters who encounter monsters, goblins, ghosts, wizards, conjure men, and Bigfoot in city streets, music clubs, and restaurants. Some strong language. For high school and older readers. 1993. Fast Talk on a Slow Track RC 40486 by Rita Williams-Garcia read by Barry Bernson 1 cassette Denzel Watson is headed for Princeton, and he expects to do just fine. After all, he was valedictorian of his senior class, and he never had to study very much. But he has had to spend six weeks of the summer attending the Princeton Experience program for minorities, and now Denzel wonders if he is cut out for college. However, his job for the remainder of the summer will help him see life from a new perspective. For junior and senior high readers. 1991. Godspeed RC 39724 by Charles Sheffield read by David Palmer 2 cassettes Godspeed Drive starships have not landed at the planet Erin of Maveen's Forty Worlds for many years. Thus Erin has become isolated. But when spaceman Paddy Enderton visits Molly Hara and gives her young son, Jay, science trinkets never seen before, Jay finds himself searching space for a Godspeed Drive ship. On the way, he must contend with artificial intelligence and mutiny. For high school and older readers. 1993. Hexwood RC 41065 by Diana Wynne Jones read by Graeme Malcolm 2 cassettes A young boy wanders into Banners Wood near London and suddenly finds himself in another world with a robot and a dragon. Ann, who lives close to Banners Wood and Hexwood Farm, watches people go into a barn never to return. And in another galaxy, a controller gets a message about the old computer in the archival library at Hexwood Farm. Soon the lives of all these characters will merge. For junior and senior high and older readers. 1993. High Steel RC 40489 by Jack C. Haldeman and Jack Dann read by James DeLotel 2 cassettes Native American John Stranger is conscripted by the Trans-United Space Engineering Corporation to help build an industrial complex in orbit above Earth. But even in this high-tech environment, John retains his tribal spirituality and exhibits special powers of mind that may be the key to Earth's freedom from the megacorporations. Strong language and descriptions of sex. For senior high and older readers. 1993. The Italian Garden RC 40157 by Judith Lennox read by Barbara Caruso 4 cassettes In early sixteenth-century Italy, Joanna Zulian is abandoned by her father and goes to live with her artist uncle. Uncle Taddeo makes use of Joanna's talents as a painter but gives her no credit for her work. Pursued by several suitors and barred from an art career because of her sex, Joanna finds an acceptable way to use her talents: she creates a garden depicting four kinds of love she has known. For high school and older readers. 1993. The Jaguar Princess RC 40480 by Clare Bell read by Bruce Huntey 3 cassettes Stolen from her people as a child, Mixcatl ends up in Tenochtitlan at the center of the Aztec empire. She works as a slave in a school for priests, but when her talent for glyph-writing emerges, she is made an apprentice scribe. A descendant of the Children of the Jaguar, Mixcatl discovers other unusual powers that will tie her destiny to powerful men who wish to transform the Aztec civilization. For high school and older readers. 1993. Just for Kicks RC 40754 by Paul Baczewski read by Gregory Gorton 1 cassette Brandon Lewis, narrator of this satire on sports, is manager of a high school football team on which one brother is the star quarterback, another is an offensive lineman, and a sister is the punter and field-goal kicker. The coach is an unpredictable fanatic who can be brutal. But Brandon decides to call a few plays of his own, putting his neck on the line and gambling with the state championship. For high school and older readers. 1990. Keeping Christina RC 39896 by Sue Ellen Bridgers read by Nona Pipes 1 cassette Annie and Jill have been best friends forever, so when Annie befriends new student Christina, Jill is not happy. Christina begins spending time with Annie's family after play rehearsals while she waits for her ride home. After Annie has run-ins with both her boyfriend and Jill, she spends even more time with Christina. But things her new friend says and does begin to bother Annie. Was Jill right about her? For junior and senior high and older readers. 1993. Love Is the Crooked Thing RC 39066 by Barbara Wersba read by Barbara Rappaport 1 cassette In the sequel to _Fat (RC 28806)_, Rita Formica, seventeen, is searching for her eccentric lover, Arnold Bromberg, thirty-three, who has gone to Europe. He sends her romantic postcards with no return address. Rita determines, against her family's wishes, to find Arnold and bring him back to Sag Harbor. To finance her plan, she turns to writing pot-boiler, romantic novels. Descriptions of sex and some strong language. For high school and older readers. 1987. Miriam's Well RC 40564 by Lois Ruby read by John Polk 2 cassettes Miriam Pelham's religious beliefs do not allow her to wear makeup or jewelry or to allow medical intervention during illnesses. Adam Bergen, a Jewish classmate, is not keen on religion. When their English teacher assigns them to work together on a poetry assignment and Miriam has a fainting spell in class that lands her in the hospital, both Adam and Miriam begin to question their beliefs. For high school and older readers. 1993. On Fortune's Wheel RC 39439 by Cynthia Voigt read by David Palmer 2 cassettes Two generations after _Jackaroo (RC 23883)_, another innkeeper's daughter, Birle, fourteen, tries to stop a boat thief, but becomes his passenger instead as he flees downriver. The thief, however, is Lord Orien, the next ruler of the Kingdom, leaving because he doubts his leadership abilities. Marooned on an island and rescued by slavers, Orien is sold to a cruel master while Birle becomes the assistant to a philosopher. For junior and senior high readers. 1990. People of the Wolf: The First North Americans, Volume 1 RC 41113 by W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O'Neal Gear read by Jim Zeiger 3 cassettes The authors, archaeologists, look at North America through the eyes of a people who forged a path from the old world into the new. This account begins as the Ice Age ends and the People are led into new and plentiful hunting grounds by the Wolf Dreamer. Prequel to _People of the Fire (RC 41114)_. Violence, some strong language, and some descriptions of sex. For high school and older readers. 1990. Red Sky at Morning RC 37376 by Richard Bradford read by Larry Shapiro 2 cassettes (Reissue) A boy of seventeen accompanies his mother to their summer home in New Mexico while his father is serving in World War II. He describes their life in the remote mountain village and the comic escapades that occur. Through it all runs the strain of holding the family together. For high school and older readers. 1968. Risky Assignment: Live! from Brentwood High, Book 1 RC 40727 by Judy Baer read by Erik Sandvold 1 cassette Darby Ellison dreams of becoming a news reporter, so she is thrilled to join a high school program producing stories about other teens and teen issues and airing them on TV. Darby's group focuses on a teenaged emergency medical technician, and Darby gets to know the team members, especially Jake Saunders. For high school and older readers. 1994. Saying Goodbye RC 40654 by Marie G. Lee read by Laura Giannarelli 1 cassette In this sequel to _Finding My Voice (RC 37265)_, Ellen Sung is a freshman at Harvard. She learns to balance her desire to excel in her premed studies with her interest in writing, but racism creates a harder challenge. Will she betray her African American roommate by opposing an anti-Korean rap star? Some strong language. For junior and senior high and older readers. 1994. Shadowmaker RC 41280 by Joan Lowery Nixon read by Cecelia Riddett 1 cassette Katie Gillian and her mom, Eve, an investigative reporter, have moved to the small town of Kluney, Texas, so Eve can write a novel and escape the trouble they have had since Eve wrote a series of articles about toxic waste dumps. But trouble seems to follow Katie and her mom. They discover there is a toxic waste dump in Kluney, and two murders take place. Is there a connection? For junior and senior high readers. 1994. A Sudden Silence RC 38908 by Eve Bunting read by Phil Regensdorf 1 cassette Jesse searches for the hit-and-run driver who killed his brother Bry. Jesse thinks that if he finds the driver, his own feelings of guilt will be eased. For Bry, who was deaf, could not hear the screeching brakes or Jesse's shouts of warning before he leaped to safety. For junior and senior high and older readers. 1988. That Year of Our War RC 39268 by Gloria Goldreich read by Mikel Lambert 3 cassettes Following her mother's death from leukemia on D-Day, Sharon Grossberg lives with relatives while her doctor father serves overseas. She feels guilty enjoying summer with her young, wealthy aunt and uncle and her new friends in Woodstock. And each piece of news from the battlefields brings a mixture of sadness and guilty relief when her father is not among those killed. Some descriptions of sex. For high school and older readers. 1994. The Tiger Orchard RC 40377 by Joyce Sweeney read by John Polk 2 cassettes Zack Lloyd is an outstanding senior. But when he begins having nightmares and seems to be losing all the confidence he used to have in himself, Zack starts seeing a therapist. Counseling sessions help Zack uncover long-suppressed memories of his father, who he learns is still alive. A new girlfriend and a trip to find his father help Zack put his life into perspective. Some strong language. For junior and senior high readers. 1993. Torn Away RC 39756 by James Heneghan read by John Lescault 1 cassette Thirteen-year-old Declan is a wild Irish boy seeking revenge for family deaths. Declan's terrorist activities have persuaded the British authorities that the place for him is in Canada with an uncle who is offering him a fresh start. Declan slips out of the handcuffs that restrain him on the flight out of Belfast. He continues to resist, determined as he is to find a way back, until he learns the truth. For junior and senior high readers. 1994. The Weekend Was _Murder_! RC 39695 by Joan Lowery Nixon read by Madelyn Buzzard 1 cassette In the sequel to _The Dark and Deadly Pool (RC 29619)_, young Mary Elizabeth and her coworkers at Ridley Hotel are asked to act out small parts in a murder mystery weekend. The "murder scene" is to be in a suite that many of the hotel workers consider haunted. When Mary Elizabeth discovers an actual corpse in the room, a real murder investigation becomes tangled in the make-believe one. For junior and senior high and older readers. 1992. Whatever Happened to Janie? RC 38978 by Caroline B. Cooney read by June Carter 1 cassette In this sequel to _The Face on the Milk Carton (RC 36957)_, Janie Johnson (n‚e Jennie Spring)--an illegally adopted child who learns of the existence of her natural parents twelve years after her kidnapping--has contacted her real mother and father, who reclaim her. Janie reluctantly agrees to leave her beloved adoptive parents to live with her birth family, but her struggle to adjust is upsetting to both families. For junior and senior high readers. 1993. Windleaf RC 41148 by Josepha Sherman read by Erik Sandvold 1 cassette Eighteen-year-old Count Thierry rescues a mysterious young woman named Glinfinial from the ancient forests that surround his estate. They fall in love and want to get married, but Glinfinial's father turns out to be the powerful Faerie Lord Tiernathal, who prohibits the marriage and spirits his daughter back into the forest. To win Glinfinial, Thierry must undertake a dangerous quest against powerful magic. For high school and older readers. 1993. The Wings of a Falcon RC 40468 by Cynthia Voigt read by David Palmer 3 cassettes A nameless boy and his loyal friend Griff endure a harsh captivity on the Damall's island, but the boy takes strength in believing he has a great destiny. He names himself Oriel and escapes with Griff. They work for a saltmaker for three years and then are captured by barbarian invaders. Escaping once more, they pursue Oriel's destiny. Sequel to _On Fortune's Wheel (RC 39439)_. Some violence. For junior and senior high readers. 1993. Wishing Season RC 40094 by Esther M. Friesner read by Jack Fox 1 cassette Khalid, one of the smartest genies in his class, receives an early chance to earn a lamp of his own. His first master is a scraggly black cat whose requests are simple: "Food. Clean fur. Loving home." But Khalid soon discovers a cat doesn't qualify as a master, and he returns to offer three wishes to the cat's new owner, Haroun. Trouble arises when impatient Khalid forgets to inform Haroun of the limit on wishes. For high school and older readers. 1993. Wolf by the Ears RC 39516 by Ann Rinaldi read by Gail Nelson 2 cassettes Young Harriet Hemings, a slave at Monticello, has a chance for freedom, but she's afraid to leave the plantation she grew up on. Though her mother, Sally Hemings, is pushing her, Harriet cannot bear to think of leaving her family and friends. Then there's Master Thomas Jefferson, Harriet's gentle benefactor, who some believe may be her father. For junior and senior high and older readers. 1991.