Braille Book Review, Vol. 67, No. 2, March-April 1998 Braille Book Review March-April 1998 Volume 67, 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 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 1998 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_ _BANA announces plans for 1998_ The Braille Authority of North America (BANA) met in Atlanta, Georgia, December 8-9, 1997, and elected officers, adopted new codes, and formed new committees. Serving in 1998 are Dolores Ferrara-Godzieba of Associated Services for the Blind, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, chairperson; Betty Niceley of the National Federation of the Blind, Baltimore, Maryland, vice chairperson; Phyllis Campana of the American Printing House for the Blind, Louisville, Kentucky, secretary; and Charlotte Begley of the Clovernook Center of Cincinnati, Ohio, treasurer. In addition, the BANA Board approved the official use of the following braille codes: --_Braille Formats: Principles of Print to Braille Transcription_ (formerly the _Code of Braille Textbook Formats and Techniques_) -- the International Supplement for Braille Music Notation, which will be incorporated into the _Manual of Braille Music Notation, American Edition 1998. _ (The new code book will be available in print, in braille, and on CD- ROM.) -- the Braille Code for Chemical Notation (based on the _Nemeth Code of Braille Mathematics and Scientific Notation 1965_) The BANA Board is developing a specifications manual to be used when preparing codes for publication. BANA has also announced plans for a website to be available by the spring. The group formed an Ad Hoc Committee on Braille Signage and a new BANA Technical Committee on Tactile Graphics. The Spring BANA meeting will be in Washington, D.C., April 27-28, 1998. _Reliability Study Postponed_ _Braille Book Review _January-February 1998 carried a story on the National Literary Braille Competency Test in which people interested in participating in the reliability portion of the study were asked to call the Human Resources Research Organization (HumRRO). The response has been overwhelming. Revisions of the test, however, will take longer than originally anticipated. Therefore, the reliability portion of the study will not begin this summer. Anyone interested in participating or wishing more information about the test and related study should wait for future announcements. Please do not contact HumRRO at this time. _Braille Bibliography Features Books on Well-Known Personalities_ The braille version of _Entertainers_, a bibliography listing books available from the NLS collection about the lives of film, television, and recording stars will be released this spring. Patrons and libraries who requested the publication on their annual order forms should automatically receive their copies in the mail. Others may request _Entertainers_ from their local cooperating libraries. It is also available through the Internet by accessing the NLS home page at http://www.loc.gov/nls The following information is reprinted from _Talking Book Topics, _March-April 1998_. _NLS _News_ Articles Now on Cassette_ Beginning with this issue, _Talking Book Topics (TBT)_ on cassette will include selected articles from _News_, a quarterly newsletter from NLS. _News_ reports programs, services, research, and developments in library service for blind and physically handicapped persons. Articles cover news of a national scope, and a Network Exchange section focuses on information about activities at local cooperating libraries. The International Briefs section highlights trends and projects in libraries around the world. Four times a year, "Selections from _News_" will be located on side four of the cassette following the text of _TBT_. No changes in subscription are necessary to receive the newsletter. _News_ is also available on subscription in regular print and in braille and from the NLS Internet site in electronic form. __Cassette Books 1996_ Recorded Edition Published_ _Cassette Books 1996_ has been produced by NLS in flexible- disc format. The catalog describes flexible-disc and cassette books for adults produced in 1996. It lists fiction and nonfiction books by subject category and also includes sections on bestsellers, young adult books, and Spanish books. _Cassette Books 1996_ was mailed directly to patrons who had previously ordered _Cassette Books 1995_. The catalog can also be obtained from your cooperating library. A cassette version is available on loan from cooperating libraries as RC 43228. ### _Books for Adults_ Books listed in this issue of _Braille Book Review_ 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. 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." ### _Nonfiction_ The Guide for Brownie Girl Scout Leaders. BR 10676. by Girl Scouts of the U.S.A.. read by 4 volumes. The basic Girl-Scouting resource for adult leaders who work with girls ages six to eight. Explains the organization, goals, and program standards of Scouting. Contains a complete edition of the Brownie Girl Scout Handbook, featuring stories and interactive activities. 1993.. A handbook for adult leaders in Girl Scouting. BR 10676. ## The Guide for Junior Girl Scout Leaders. BR 10757. by Girl Scouts of the U.S.A.. 4 volumes. A Girl-Scouting handbook for adult leaders who work with girls ages eight to eleven. Provides basic information on the history, goals, and organization of Girl Scouting. Contains a complete edition of the Junior Girl Scout Handbook, featuring chapters on safety and health, life skills, leadership, and activities. 1994. BR 10757. ## Hit Me with Music: How to Start, Manage, Record, and Perform with Your Own Rock Band. BR 10833. by Stephanie Powell. 1 volume. Handbook on organizing and managing one's own rock music group. Powell offers both creative and technical tips on all phases of the music business: using public address systems, mixing live music, utilizing recording studios, promoting a band, negotiating contracts, and avoiding the perils of the business. For junior and senior high readers. 1995. BR 10833. ## The Road Less Traveled and Beyond: Spiritual Growth in an Age of Anxiety. BR 10853. by M. Scott Peck. 3 volumes. In this sequel to _Further along the Road Less Traveled (BR 9391)_, Peck offers additional ways in which people can lead more fulfilling lives in a world full of stress and anxiety and discusses how "we can come to exist in a closer relationship to the Holy." 1997. BR 10853. ## Witnessing America: The Library of Congress Book of Firsthand Accounts of Life in America, 1600-1900. BR 10913. edited by Noel Rae. 6 volumes. Compendium of narratives--taken from letters, diaries, memoirs, court records, pamphlets, and periodicals--documenting three centuries of the American experience. Each chapter addresses a theme: arriving, upbringing, pairing, working, housing, eating, playing, praying, erring, ailing, and departing. Some violence and some strong language. 1996. BR 10913. ## Tolstoy's Dictaphone: Technology and the Muse. BR 10922. edited by Sven Birkerts. 3 volumes. Essays by nineteen writers presenting disparate perspectives on the effects of digital technology on individuals and society. Viewpoints range from optimism that e-mail will promote social cohesion to dismal predictions of the demise of literary culture. 1996. BR 10922. ## Romeo and Juliet. BR 10925. by William Shakespeare. 3 volumes. A sixteenth-century romantic tragedy of two teenagers from rival families who fall in love. A sentence of exile and an impending arranged marriage force the two to flee. A friar suggests a ruse to accomplish their union, but miscommunication causes it to backfire. 1993. BR 10925. ## Empire of Light: A History of Discovery in Science and Art. BR 10926. by Sidney Perkowitz. 2 volumes. A physicist explores the phenomenon of light in science and art. Recounts key research and discoveries through history, leading to the contemporary theories of relativity and quantum physics. Discusses light as both a pervasive force in human life and an aesthetic medium in art. 1996. BR 10926. ## The Astonishing Hypothesis: The Scientific Search for the Soul. BR 10927. by Francis Crick. 3 volumes. Nobel laureate Crick presents his study of the brain and the nature of human consciousness. Beginning with the hypothesis that each person's identity is nothing more than "the behaviour of a vast assembly of nerve cells and the associated molecules," Crick approaches his study through visual awareness and concludes that his hypothesis is plausible but more research is needed for proof. 1994. BR 10927. ## _Reflections on a Gift of Watermelon Pickle_ and Other Modern Verse. BR 10940. compiled by Stephen Dunning and others. 1 volume. More than one hundred poems on a variety of topics. Includes "How to Eat a Poem" by Eve Merriam; "Dreams" by Langston Hughes; "Lost" by Carl Sandburg; "Sonic Boom" by John Updike; "A Patch of Old Snow" by Robert Frost; and "in Just-" by e.e. cummings. For junior and senior high readers. 1966. BR 10940. ## Frederick Douglass: In His Own Words. BR 10947. edited by Milton Meltzer. 2 volumes. Sixty-six speeches and editorials by the renowned nineteenth-century abolitionist. Douglass holds forth on such topics as the myth of the contented slave, the condition of free blacks, the history of the slave trade, and the theory of racial inferiority. Includes profiles of ten of Douglass's contemporaries. For junior and senior high and older readers. 1995. BR 10947. ## La Pastasciutta: Pasta Dishes. BR 10950. by Anna Del Conte. 1 volume. Twenty-three recipes for creating Italian pasta dishes, including how to make homemade pasta and various accompanying sauces. Recipes include baked lasagne, macaroni and cheese, tagliolini, tagliardi, tagliatelle, tonnarelli, spaghetti, ravioli, and sauces such as pesto, tomato, and bolognese. 1993. BR 10950. ## Evolution Isn't What It Used to Be: The Augmented Animal and the Whole Wired World. BR 10953. by Walter Truett Anderson. 3 volumes. Portrays the world and humankind as in a profound evolutionary transition, because of convergence of the biosciences with information technologies. Argues that a bionic planet is emerging, as computers augment our brains and as vaccines and artificial organs modify our bodies. Explores questions of ethics and equity. 1996. BR 10953. ## Bone Black: Memories of Girlhood. BR 10958. by bell hooks. 1 volume. Noted African American feminist recalls the pain and alienation of growing up female and black in a poor, rural southern family. Hooks describes attending a newly integrated school and learning society's roles for men and women. She recalls enjoying the literature that inspired her to write. Some strong language and some descriptions of sex. 1996. BR 10958. ## Composer to Composer: Conversations about Contemporary Music. BR 10960. by Andrew Ford. 3 volumes. Wide-ranging interviews with thirty composers, mostly British and Australian. The speakers discuss their own work, attitudes, and views as well as politics, art, and religion. They provide insights into their inner lives and motivations. 1993. BR 10960. ## The Opening of the American Mind: Canons, Culture, and History. BR 10961. by Lawrence W. Levine. 2 volumes. Refutes the neoconservative view that the "democratization of the university" has led to "the collapse of the entire American educational structure." Argues that college curricula have always evolved to reflect the values of general society. Predicts continued academic diversity in America's multicultural society. 1996. BR 10961. ## Cultures in Conflict: Christians, Muslims, and Jews in the Age of Discovery. BR 10962. by Bernard Lewis. 1 volume. A perspective on the historically eventful year of 1492, when Columbus discovered America and Catholic Spain vanquished Islam and expelled the Jews. Examines the significance of Christian Europe's ascendancy and expansion, as well as the implications for the development of the twentieth-century world. 1995. BR 10962. ## Straight Talk about Teenage Suicide. BR 10966. by Bernard Frankel and Rachel Kranz. 1 volume. Explores the "rising epidemic" of teenage suicide from social, family, and personal perspectives. Discusses circumstances and motives that incline young people to consider ending their lives. Offers advice for getting help. For junior and senior high readers. 1994. BR 10966. ## Stop Osteoarthritis Now! Halting the Baby Boomers' Disease. BR 10970. by Harris H. McIlwain and Debra Fulghum Bruce. 2 volumes. This handbook on osteoarthritis offers a self-help treatment plan that involves moist heat and medication; a prevention program that emphasizes exercise and weight control; various techniques in stress reduction; and advice on nonstandard treatments, such as nutritional supplements and acupuncture. 1996. BR 10970. ## Two Teenagers in Twenty: Writings by Gay and Lesbian Youth. BR 10983. edited by Ann Heron. 2 volumes. Forty-one essays by gay and lesbian youth ranging in age from twelve to twenty-four. The authors relate their experiences in dealing with their sexuality and the difficulties encountered in "coming out" to family and friends and finding a network of support. Some strong language and some descriptions of sex.For senior high and older readers. 1994. BR 10983. ## The American Bar Association Guide to Home Ownership: The Complete and Easy Guide to All the Law Every Home Owner Should Know. BR 10984. by American Bar Association. 2 volumes. Explanation of the legal framework of rights and duties associated with home ownership. Discusses forms of ownership, deeds, titles, insurance, taxes, and the financial side of owning a home. Gives tips on avoiding liability, remodeling without getting swindled, and resolving problems with neighbors. Addresses special concerns of aging home owners. 1995. BR 10984. ## The Passions of Fatherhood. BR 10987. by Samuel Osherson. 2 volumes. A psychotherapist recounts his own personal and intimate experiences as a father. Depicts the love, anger, excitement, and frustration of being a parent and offers insights and guidance for effective fathering. Advises fathers to get to know their children and to give them their time and encouragement. 1995. BR 10987. ## This Noble Land: My Vision for America. BR 10988. by James A. Michener. 3 volumes. A celebrated author assesses the state of America and identifies nine major problems that threaten the nation's survival in the twenty-first century. Laments social fragmentation, educational decline, unfair distribution of wealth, and other adverse trends. Calls for a return to traditional values combined with increased social spending. 1996. BR 10988. ## Slaughterhouse: Bosnia and the Failure of the West. BR 10989. by David Rieff. 3 volumes. Depicts persecution and genocide of the Muslims in Bosnia starting in 1992. Decries the acquiescence of Western nations in failing to intervene and the inaction of United Nations peacekeepers who simply enforce the status quo. Strong language and violence. 1995. BR 10989. ## This Wild Darkness: The Story of My Death. BR 10993. by Harold Brodkey. 1 volume. A novelist chronicles his passing life and the indignities of his infirmity as he lies dying with AIDS. He ponders his youthful experiences with homosexuality, his devotion to his wife, his love for his writing career, and his "passage into nonexistence." Strong language. 1996. BR 10993. ## Selected Poems: The Centenary Edition. BR 10997. by Edna St. Vincent Millay. 1 volume. This gathering of poems begins with "Renascence," a poem Millay entered in a contest in 1912 and that brought her immediate recognition. The simplicity and accessibility that sometimes prompted critics to pass over her poems is the very skill that also created her appeal and made her work popular for nearly forty years. Her lyricism is discussed in an extensive introduction. 1991. BR 10997. ## _How to Travel with a Salmon_ and Other Essays. BR 11054. by Umberto Eco. 2 volumes. Forty-one pieces give Eco's curmudgeonly commentaries on the follies of modern life. His topics include telegrams, fax machines and cellular phones, private and public libraries, and sequels. One lengthy parody entitled "Stars and Stripes" is a science fiction tale of intergalactic sex and espionage. Some violence and some descriptions of sex. 1994. BR 11054. ## Dizzy Gillespie and the Birth of Bebop. BR 11074. by Leslie Gourse. 1 volume. Life of the jazz trumpeter who pioneered a progressive style of jazz known as bebop in the 1940s and 1950s. The author discusses how Gillespie, along with such musicians as Charlie Parker and Thelonious Monk, introduced to jazz more complex harmonies, adventurous improvisation, and quicker tempos. For junior and senior high readers. 1994. BR 11074. ## Sonnets from the Portuguese: A Celebration of Love. BR 11081. by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. 1 volume. These forty-four sonnets by the Victorian author were probably written mostly during her courtship with Robert Browning. They represent one of the most famous sonnet sequences executed in English and include the well-known "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways." For high school and older readers. 1986. BR 11081. ## ### _Fiction_ Watership Down. BR 10851. by Richard Adams. 4 volumes. A fable about a band of rabbits who set out bravely for a new home in the English countryside. They encounter many dangers and adventures along the way and finally make it to safety after rescuing some does who become their mates. For junior and senior high and older readers. 1972. BR 10851. ## Personal Darkness: Second in the Blood Opera Sequence. BR 10865. by Tanith Lee. 3 volumes. The Scarabae vampires settle in an elegant house outside London after being burned out by young Ruth, who flees her clan. She finds her way through London by drinking the blood of her unwitting hosts. Strong language, violence, and explicit descriptions of sex. 1993. BR 10865. ## My Drowning. BR 10877. by Jim Grimsley. 2 volumes. Story of a woman reminiscing about her girlhood in rural North Carolina, where she grew up poor and abused in a dysfunctional family. Haunted by a recurring dream of her mother drowning in a river, she analyzes the painful memories and reaches a new level of self-awareness. Strong language. 1997. BR 10877. ## Belgarath the Sorcerer. BR 10904. by David and Leigh Eddings. 6 volumes. In this prequel to the Belgariad and the Malloreon series, Belgarath the Sorcerer is encouraged by his grandson, Garion, to explain how the evil god Torak split the world apart and how Aldur set it right again with Belgarath's help. 1994. BR 10904. ## Dragon's Blood. BR 10937. by Jane Yolen. 2 volumes. Jakkin Stewart steals a hatchling dragon and trains it secretly in the desert. If Heart's Blood, the young dragon, can win in the gaming pits, his young owner can buy his freedom and win the love of a mysterious girl. Jakkin can't even think of what will happen if his dragon loses. First book of the Pit Dragon trilogy. For junior and senior high and older readers. 1982. BR 10937. ## Another Way to Dance. BR 10957. by Martha Southgate. 1 volume. Vicki Harris, fourteen, has been chosen to study at the School of American Ballet for the summer. Her family is concerned that Vicki will have to turn her back on her African American heritage to succeed in the mostly white world of ballet. As the summer progresses, Vicki must deal with her own concerns about race. For junior and senior high and older readers. 1996. BR 10957. ## Hard Times. BR 10964. by Charles Dickens. 3 volumes. A protest against materialism, set in an industrial coketown in mid-nineteenth-century England. Governed solely by self-interest, Thomas Gradgrind destroys his children, Louisa and Thomas, by a complete absence of sympathy and sentiment. 1854. BR 10964. ## Rabbit, Run. BR 10965. by John Updike. 3 volumes. Weary of his marriage, Henry leaves his pregnant wife and job and lives with a prostitute. He returns home after his child is born but leaves again at the death of the infant. Strong language and explicit descriptions of sex. 1960. BR 10965. ## Hollywood Kids. BR 10967. by Jackie Collins. 4 volumes. Spoiled offspring of dysfunctional Hollywood families share love and adventure. Jordanna Levitt, a movie producer's daughter, assists handsome, cruel movie star Bobby Rush. Cheryl Landers runs a call-girl service with Grant Lennon, a struggling agent. Then an ex-convict turns on the heat. Strong language, explicit descriptions of sex, and some violence. Bestseller 1994. BR 10967. ## Whiteoaks of Jalna. BR 10968. by Mazo de la Roche. 3 volumes. Finch, the awkward, misunderstood musical genius of the Whiteoak family, finds growing up difficult. Events reach a climax when his eccentric old grandmother dies and leaves her fortune to him. Sequel to _Jalna (BR 4977)_ and prequel to _Finch's Fortune (BR 5044)_. Some strong language. 1929. BR 10968. ## Old Lover's Ghost. BR 10976. by Joan Smith. 2 volumes. Charity Wainwright's father has the unusual power of being able to communicate with ghosts. Thus Charity and her father spend a lot of time traveling, and she has little time for herself--or romance. But their visit to Keefer Hall does hold some promise. 1994. BR 10976. ## Rabbit Redux. BR 10982. by John Updike. 4 volumes. In this sequel to _Rabbit, Run (BR 10965)_, it's the summer of 1969, Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom is ten years older, and now it's his wife who is leaving. Harry takes an eighteen-year-old runaway into his home, becoming her lover as well as her father-protector. Explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 1971. BR 10982. ## This Side of Paradise. BR 10994. by F. Scott Fitzgerald. 2 volumes. The author's first novel, which catapulted him to fame at the age of twenty-three, relates the life and times of a young college man born healthy, wealthy, and extraordinarily good-looking. 1920. BR 10994. ## Parrot in the Oven: Mi Vida. BR 10995. by Victor Martinez. 1 volume. A Chicano boy comes of age and is inducted into a gang in a hardscrabble California desert town. As his dysfunctional family suffers one setback after another, he struggles to overcome poverty and prejudice and grow up a respected person. Violence. For junior and senior high readers. 1996. BR 10995. ## Mining the Oort. BR 10999. by Frederik Pohl. 3 volumes. There isn't much wrong with Mars that a decent atmosphere wouldn't fix. So Mars's Dekker DeWoe is happy humans are mining comets from the Oort cloud and sending them to Mars to create a livable atmosphere. When he has to move out of the comets' path, Dekker heads to Earth hoping to become a member of the mining team. But surprises await. Strong language and descriptions of sex. 1992. BR 10999. ## Talent Night. BR 11053. by Jean Davies Okimoto. 1 volume. Although his sister claims Asians can't be rap artists, Rodney Suyama plans to prove her wrong. If that happens and Ivy Ramos becomes his girlfriend, life will be perfect. This fantasy is interrupted when Rodney's Japanese great-uncle demands proof that Rodney and his sister have retained their Japanese culture. For junior and senior high readers. 1995. BR 11053. ## War Drums. BR 11072. by John Vornholt. 2 volumes. On the colony world of Selva, a small band of Klingons, survivors of a long-ago space wreck, have reverted to a savage state and are attacking the human settlement. Lieutenant Worf of the starship _Enterprise_ leads a landing party to contact the Klingons. An allout war between the Klingons and the human colonists appears to be inevitable. In addition, Worf learns that a more deadly force is at work on the planet. A Star Trek: The Next Generation novel. 1992. BR 11072. ## Wren to the Rescue. BR 11175. by Sherwood Smith. 2 volumes. Wren and Tess have become close friends while living at Three Groves Orphanage, but Wren is still surprised when Tess announces she is really a princess and has been hiding from the evil King Andreus. The time has come for Tess to return home, and she takes Wren with her. But they are only there one day when Tess is kidnapped. Prequel to _Wren's Quest (BR 11176)._ For junior and senior high readers. 1990. BR 11175. ## Wren's Quest. BR 11176. by Sherwood Smith. 2 volumes. Exhilarated by saving Tess in _Wren to the Rescue (BR 11175),_ Wren is eager for more excitement. She also wants to find her own parents now that she sees how happy Tess is to be back with her family. Wren, now attending magician's school, takes time out to look for her parents--and is off on another adventure. For junior and senior high readers. 1993. BR 11176. ## Wren's War. BR 11177. by Sherwood Smith. 2 volumes. In this sequel to _Wren's Quest (BR 11176)_, Princess Teressa is returning from a diplomatic mission when she sees her parents being brutally murdered. With the help of Wren, Tyron, Connor, and their magic, Tess prepares to take on the role of ruler. For junior and senior high readers. 1995. BR 11177. ## The Tangle Box. BR 11179. by Terry Brooks. 3 volumes. Ben Holiday, sovereign of the Magic Kingdom of Landover, allows confidence-man Horris Kew to return from exile on Earth. But Horris has become the unwitting dupe of the evil sorcerer Gorse, who plans to enslave the fairy folk of Landover and imprison Ben and his companions in the Tangle Box. Sequel to _Wizard at Large (BR 7846)._ 1994. BR 11179. ## ### _Books for Children_ Books listed in this issue of _Braille Book Review_ 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. To order books, contact your cooperating library. _Nonfiction_ Girl Scout Badges and Signs. BR 10745. by Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. 3 volumes. Instructions for earning up to ninety-eight badges in the five Girl Scout worlds of interest: well-being, people, today and tomorrow, arts, and the out-of-doors. Requirements for three signs are also included. For grades 4-7. 1990. BR 10745. ## The Boy Scout Handbook. BR 10747. by Boy Scouts of America. 4 volumes. This official guide to Scouting explains the history, ideals, and organization of the Boy Scouts of America; outdoor knowledge and skills; safety and first aid; and other elements of the Scouting program. Provides guidance for advancing in the ranks from Tenderfoot to Eagle Scout. For grades 5-8 and older readers. 1990. BR 10747. ## Backyard Safaris: Fifty-two Year-Round Science Adventures. BR 10986. by Phyllis S. Busch. 1 volume. Thirteen activities for each of the four seasons that explore the wonders of nature. Includes such activities as measuring raindrops, catching and keeping snowflakes, tracking animals in the winter, hunting for insect eggs, and investigating dead trees for signs of life. For grades 3-6. 1995. BR 10986. ## The Reasons for Seasons. BR 11008. by Gail Gibbons. 1 volume. Explains how the sun warms the Earth as it rotates on its axis giving the people on our planet days of various length and warmth and causing the four seasons of the year. PRINT/BRAILLE. For grades 2-4. 1995. BR 11008. ## _Skin Deep_ and Other Teenage Reflections. BR 11070. by Angela Shelf Medearis. 1 volume. Collection of poems about the problems teenagers face in growing up. Expressing the pride, anger, and loneliness teens often feel, the verses cover concerns about school, family, friends, and appearances. For grades 6-9 and older readers. 1995. BR 11070. ## Malcolm X: Black Rage. BR 11071. by David R. Collins. 1 volume. Life of the charismatic African American leader and minister of the Nation of Islam who was assassinated in 1965. Describes his troubled youth and eventual incarceration for burglary. Also discusses the personal and spiritual transformation that led to his conversion to Islam while he was in prison. Some strong language. For grades 5-8. 1992. BR 11071. ## ### _Fiction_ Merlin and the Dragons. BR 10050. by Jane Yolen. 1 volume. Shortly after pulling the sword from the stone and becoming king, young Arthur is troubled by a dream. He turns to Merlin, who tells him a story of another young boy and his visions of dragons. PRINT/BRAILLE. For grades 3-6. 1995. BR 10050. ## Meet Molly: An American Girl. BR 10931. by Valerie Tripp. 1 volume. In 1944 Molly McIntire's father is a doctor serving in England. At home, her mother works for the Red Cross, and Mrs. Gilford, the housekeeper, takes care of Molly, nine, and her siblings. Halloween is soon, and Molly and her friends are planning their costumes. Prequel to _Molly Learns a Lesson (BR 10932)_. For grades 2-4. 1989. BR 10931. ## Molly Learns a Lesson: A School Story. BR 10932. by Valerie Tripp. 1 volume. During World War II, Molly's third-grade class participates in the Lend-a-Hand Contest to help the war effort. The boys decide to collect tinfoil, and the girls decide to knit socks, but none of them can knit very well. At the last minute, Molly comes up with a new idea. Sequel to _Meet Molly (BR 10931)._ For grades 2-4. 1989. BR 10932. ## Molly's Surprise: A Christmas Story. BR 10933. by Valerie Tripp. 1 volume. Christmas 1944 approaches, but the McIntires are sad that their father will be in England. Molly, however, is certain he will send a box of Christmas surprises. Then Molly finds a box buried in the snow on the front steps marked "keep hidden until Christmas." Sequel to _Molly Learns a Lesson (BR 10932)._ For grades 2-4. 1989. BR 10933. ## Molly Saves the Day: A Summer Story. BR 10935. by Valerie Tripp. 1 volume. Molly and her friends are having a great time at summer camp during World War II, but each girl has a problem: Molly can't swim underwater, Susan can't paddle a canoe straight, and Linda is afraid of wiggly bugs. As the camp's Color War begins, each girl must overcome her own obstacle. Sequel to _Happy Birthday, Molly! (BR 10934)._ For grades 2-4. 1988. BR 10935. ## Changes for Molly: A Winter Story. BR 10936. by Valerie Tripp. 1 volume. Molly's dance class plans a big finale for the World War II veterans, and Molly hopes to play Miss Victory. The McIntires have just heard that Dad should be home for the show, and Molly hopes he will find her more grown up. But then she gets sick. Sequel to _Molly Saves the Day (BR 10935)_. For grades 2-4. 1988. BR 10936. ## Meet Samantha: An American Girl. BR 10941. by Susan S. Adler. 1 volume. Samantha, a nine-year-old orphan, is more interested in playing with her friend, Nellie, who works next door, than in learning the values her wealthy grandmother thinks are proper in 1904. When Grandmary's seamstress leaves suddenly, the girls take a midnight trip to find out why. Prequel to _Samanatha Learns a Lesson (BR 10942)._ For grades 2-4. 1986. BR 10941. ## Samantha Learns a Lesson: A School Story. BR 10942. by Susan S. Adler. 1 volume. Samantha, a girl of the early 1900s, is delighted to learn that Grandmary has found a job for Samantha's friend Nellie and her family at a nearby house. Best of all, Nellie and her sisters will be going to school. But after her first day, Nellie vows never to go back. Then Samantha has an idea to help. Sequel to _Meet Samantha (BR 10941)._ For grades 2-4. 1986. BR 10942. ## Samantha's Surprise: A Christmas Story. BR 10943. by Maxine Rose Schur. 1 volume. Samantha is sure Christmas 1904 will be the best ever. She has been invited to a party and has a new dress to wear. Then Grandmary tells her that Uncle Gard is bringing his girlfriend Cornelia with him for the holidays, and Samantha is afraid her plans will be ruined. Sequel to _Samantha Learns a Lesson (BR 10942)_. For grades 2-4. 1986. BR 10943. ## Happy Birthday, Samantha: A Springtime Story. BR 10944. by Valerie Tripp. 1 volume. Aunt Cornelia's twin sisters, Agnes and Agatha, have come to visit Samantha for her birthday. They have wonderful ideas for celebrating, but some of them turn out not quite as hoped. So to make the day even more special, they invite Samantha to spend some time in New York City with them. Sequel to _Samantha's Surprise (BR 10943)._ For grades 2-4. 1987. BR 10944. ## Samantha Saves the Day: A Summer Story. BR 10945. by Valerie Tripp. 1 volume. Samantha's family is spending the summer of 1905 at Grandmary's mountain home. While Grandmary is entertaining her long-time English friend, Admiral Beemis, Samantha and her cousins find lots to do. One day, after discovering Samantha's mother's old sketchbook, they decide to take a trip to Teardrop Island--alone. Sequel to _Happy Birthday, Samantha! (BR 10944)._ For grades 2-4. 1988. BR 10945. ## The Halloween Tree. BR 10971. by Ray Bradbury. 1 volume. On Halloween night, eight boys arrange to meet their friend, Pipkin, at the haunted house outside of town. Before the others reach him, though, Pipkin is grabbed by a dark Something. For grades 4-7. 1972. BR 10971. ## Is It Time?. BR 11007. by Marilyn Janovitz. 1 volume. A wolf cub and its parent get ready for bed. The cub takes a bath, brushes fangs, combs bangs, and settles down for sleep. PRINT/BRAILLE. For preschool-grade 2. 1994. BR 11007. ## Tom's Tail. BR 11009. by Linda Jennings. 1 volume. Tom is a piglet who doesn't like the fact that his tail is curly. So the other barnyard animals try to straighten Tom's tail for him. PRINT/BRAILLE. For preschool-grade 2. 1995. BR 11009. ## Partners. BR 11052. by Karen Waggoner. 1 volume. After their sister's cat runs away, Jamie and his older brother Gordon are allowed to buy some mice. Jamie is thrilled when his pet has babies, until he learns that Gordon plans to sell them as snake food. For grades 2-4. 1995. BR 11052. ## The Story of Paul Bunyan. BR 11056. by Barbara Emberley. 1 volume. Includes tales of how the mighty lumberjack Paul Bunyan and his big blue ox Babe cleared the land for planting in Kansas and Iowa, and how they dug the Mississippi River. For grades K-3. 1963. BR 11056. ## Henry and Mudge and the Best Day of All: The Fourteenth Book of Their Adventures. BR 11069. by Cynthia Rylant. 1 volume. On the first day of May, Henry wakes up and informs Mudge that today is Henry's birthday. But all Mudge does is roll over and snore. It takes several promises of good treats to eat to get Mudge going. But then Henry and Mudge have the best day of all! For grades K-3. 1995. BR 11069. ## Paddy's Pot of Gold. BR 11073. by Dick King-Smith. 1 volume. It is early on the morning of her eighth birthday that Brigid meets P.V.W.R.H. O'Reilly, a leprechaun. Paddy, as he is called, has always been around; in fact, he is 174 years old. But this is the first time conditions have been right for Brigid to see him. And now Brigid is in for some interesting times. For grades 3-5. 1990. BR 11073. ## Red Hen and Sly Fox. BR 11076. by Vivian French. 1 volume. Red Hen always wears an apron with a pocket, and in the pocket she has a needle and thread and a pair of scissors so she can do mending for her friends in the woods. One day Sly Fox comes to ask Red Hen to mend a pair of socks for him, but he really wants to have Red Hen for supper. For grades K-3. 1994. BR 11076. ## The Pied Piper of Hamelin. BR 11078. by Robert Browning. 1 volume. Folktale in verse. The town of Hamelin employs a mysterious piper to save them from a plague of rats. When the townspeople refuse to pay him for his work, the piper takes magical revenge. For grades 3-6. 1842. BR 11078. ## Tooter Pepperday. BR 11080. by Jerry Spinelli. 1 volume. Tooter Pepperday is hopping mad. Her family is moving to her aunt's farm where there are no Big Macs and no pizza delivery. Once there, Tooter is even more outraged when she's told to baby-sit an abandoned egg and to turn it each day until it hatches. For grades 2-4. 1995. BR 11080. ## James and the Rain. BR 11087. by Karla Kuskin. 1 volume. In this counting book, James puts on his yellow coat that buttons to his chin and a pair of rubber boots to tuck his trousers in, pulls down his bright yellow hat onto his head, opens his big black umbrella, and steps out into the rain. As he strolls along, James meets an ever increasing number of animals--from one cow to ten cats. For preschool-grade 2. 1957. BR 11087. ## Calling All Creeps: Goosebumps. BR 11150. by R.L. Stine. 2 volumes. Because he must earn twenty points for after-school activities, Ricky Beamer has signed up to work on the school newspaper. But editor Tasha just doesn't seem to like Ricky, who is considered somewhat of a nerd, and gives him silly assignments. Then Tasha kicks him off the paper. Ricky is so furious, he seeks revenge. For grades 4-7. 1996. BR 11150. ## Beware, the Snowman: Goosebumps. BR 11151. by R.L. Stine. 2 volumes. Jaclyn and the aunt she lives with have left their Chicago home and moved to a tiny village close to the Arctic Circle. There is almost no one around, and, to make things worse, there are strange looking snowmen with deep scars on their faces in front of every house. And her aunt won't tell her why. For grades 4-7. 1997. BR 11151. ## How I Learned to Fly: Goosebumps. BR 11152. by R.L. Stine. 2 volumes. Jack Johnson and his friend Wilson seem to spend a lot of time involved in a contest. No matter what Jack does, Wilson seems to do the same thing better. So when Jack finds a book about humans flying, he figures this is one thing Wilson won't be able to do better--or will he? For grades 4-7. 1997. BR 11152. ## Chicken Chicken: Goosebumps. BR 11153. by R.L. Stine. 2 volumes. Crystal and Cole hate chickens, especially the ones they have to take care of on their parents' farm. They are also afraid of Vanessa, a rather weird woman living on the edge of town; people seem to think she can cast spells. And perhaps she can, because after Crystal and Cole cause Vanessa to drop a bag of groceries, strange things begin happening to them. For grades 4-7. 1997. BR 11153. ## Don't Go to Sleep! Goosebumps. BR 11154. by R.L. Stine. 2 volumes. Twelve-year-old Matthew Amsterdam, a geek according to his older brother and sister, has the tiniest bedroom in their house, so there is hardly room for him, let alone his books. There is a bigger bedroom, but it is supposed to be the guest room. One night Matt decides to sleep there anyway, and when he wakes up, he is older than his brother and sister. For grades 4-7. 1997. BR 11154. ## The Blob That Ate Everyone: Goosebumps. BR 11155. by R.L. Stine. 2 volumes. Zackie Beauchamp loves to write scary stories, so when he finds an old typewriter in an antique shop, he thinks it will be perfect for his hobby. But Zackie is not prepared for what happens when he takes the typewriter home. For grades 4-7. 1997. BR 11155. ## Mick Harte Was Here. BR 11181. by Barbara Park. 1 volume. Eighth-grader Phoebe Harte's twelve-year-old brother, Mick, was recently killed in a bike accident. As she and her parents struggle with their grief, Phoebe remembers life with "one of the neatest kids you'd ever want to meet." For grades 5-8. 1995. BR 11181. ## ### _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 (bimonthly [3] and monthly [6]) Inside Sports (monthly) 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; 6 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 (monthly) Popular Communications (monthly) Popular Mechanics (monthly) Popular Music Lead Sheets (irregular) Rolling Stone (popular culture; 26 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