CASSETTE BOOKS 1995 National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped Washington, D.C. 1995 Young Adults Contents Nonfiction Fiction Nonfiction America and Vietnam: The Elephant and the Tiger RC 37245 by Albert Marrin read by Art Metzler 2 cassettes The author provides a look at the war in Vietnam and its effects on both nations. Beginning with information on Vietnam and a brief biography of Ho Chi Minh, the author then describes war and its horrors. He exposes the brutality of both the North and South Vietnamese governments and proclaims the unrealistic expectations and decisions of America's presidents. Violence and some strong language. For high school and older readers. 1992. Best-Loved Stories Told at the National Storytelling Festival RC 37843 by National Association for the Preservation and Perpetuation of Storytelling read by John Stratton 2 cassettes The National Storytelling Festival, annually commemorating the heritage and art of storytelling, has been held in Jonesborough, Tennessee, since 1972. This volume honors the festival's twentieth anniversary. Included are thirty-seven tales that provide a wide variety of genres, sources, and colloquial voices. For junior and senior high and older readers. 1991. Children of the Dream: The Psychology of Black Success RC 38312 by Audrey Edwards and Craig K. Polite read by Kerry Cundiff 2 cassettes Profiles and sociopsychological commentary of more than forty "children of the dream," successful African Americans who came of age between the _Brown v. Board of Education_ decision and the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Chapters include "The Integration Generation" and "A Dream Deferred?" Some strong language. For high school and older readers. 1992. Ghost Girl: The True Story of a Child in Peril and the Teacher Who Saved Her RC 37247 by Torey L. Hayden read by Madelyn Buzzard 2 cassettes Hayden's class of emotionally disturbed children includes Reuben, who is autistic; Philip, born to an addict and now in foster care; Jeremiah, a foul-mouthed fighter; and Jadie, a silent girl who walks hunched over. Hayden gets Jadie to speak, and she tells of sexual abuse and horrifying ritual acts. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. For high school and older readers. 1991. Nelson Mandela Speaks: Forging a Democratic Nonracial South Africa RC 38719 by Nelson Mandela read by John Horton 2 cassettes Selected speeches, interviews, and letters dating from Mandela's 1990 release from prison (after twenty-seven years) to the 1993 scheduling of nationwide elections for South Africans of all races. Includes the address given in Cape Town following his release from prison, a message to the Jewish community (1992), and a speech at an NAACP convention (1993). For senior high and older readers. 1993. No Words to Say Goodbye: A Young Jewish Woman's Journey from the Soviet Union into America; the Extraordinary Diaries of Raimonda Kopelnitsky RC 38522 by Raimonda Kopelnitsky and Kelli Pryor read by Suzanne Toren 2 cassettes Adolescent Raimonda emigrated with her family from Ukraine to New York in 1989 after the Chernobyl disaster. Inspired by Anne Frank, she kept a diary from 1989 to 1992. Raimonda's family history supplements her own written words. For high school and older readers. Some strong language. 1994. Portrait of a Tragedy: America and the Vietnam War RC 37076 by James A. Warren read by Butch Hoover 1 cassette The author begins this history of the Vietnam War with background information on Vietnam and a description of how the United States became involved there, stressing the political climate of the cold war. He then discusses the war, detailing military operations and their effects in Vietnam and the United States. He describes the anti-war movement and the legacy of the conflict. For high school and older readers. 1990. Sexual Harassment RC 38792 by Elaine Landau read by Ilona Dulaski 1 cassette The author cites Anita Hill's testimony during Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas's 1991 confirmation hearings, which thrust sexual harassment to the forefront of the news and the nation's awareness. She also examines the various forms that sexual harassment can take, discusses instances of harassment in work and school settings, and offers suggestions for handling harassment situations. For junior and senior high and older readers. 1993. The Water Is Wide RC 38036 by Pat Conroy read by Robert Sams 2 cassettes (Reissue) An account of the year that the author spent teaching eighteen fifth- through eighth-grade African American children in an ill-equipped two-room school on Yamacraw Island, off the South Carolina coast, and the public fight with the school board that cost him his job. For junior and senior high and older readers. 1972. +Zlata's Diary: A Child's Life in Sarajevo RC 38076 by Zlata Filipovi read by Pam Ward 1 cassette Zlata begins this diary as a young schoolgirl preoccupied with piano lessons, homework, playing tennis, movie stars, friends, and family. That changes rapidly as shelling begins. Concern for grades vanishes with her school. Now daily life centers around finding the necessities of life, including a hiding place for the night, and Zlata grows angry as her childhood is stolen. For junior and senior high and older readers. Bestseller 1994. Fiction Al Capsella and the Watchdogs RC 37551 by Judith Clarke read by Andrew Sofer 1 cassette Al Capsella, fifteen, longs for an independent social life. However, his folks, like the parents of his friends, are far too overprotective for his liking. His mom is not above borrowing a dog to walk in order to trail him to a party! But when Mrs. Capsella's parents are forced by floodwaters to stay with their daughter, she is angered by their scrutiny. Sequel to _The Heroic Life of Al Capsella (RC 34854)_. For junior and senior high readers. 1990. Alas, Babylon RC 37180 by Pat Frank read by Erik Sandvold 2 cassettes (Reissue) The telegram from his brother ended with "Alas, Babylon." Thus Randolph Bragg knew that a nuclear bomb was about to be dropped on America. A vivid and realistic account of life in America as it might be if there were to be a small nuclear war. For high school and adult readers. 1959. Athletic Shorts: Six Short Stories RC 38285 by Chris Crutcher read by Scott Sedar 1 cassette In these stories the athlete protagonists deal with issues like racism, homophobia, sexism, and the task of coming to terms with one's parents. Several stories revolve around characters featured in _The Crazy Horse Electric Game (RC 28935)_, _Stotan! (RC 25934)_, and _Running Loose (RC 21102)_. The locales for the stories are small towns in Montana and Idaho. For junior and senior high readers. 1991. Black Unicorn RC 37074 by Tanith Lee read by June Carter 1 cassette Sixteen-year-old Tanaquil may be the daughter of a sorceress, but she can't do any magic and she finds life in her mother's castle dull and lonely. Her one skill, that of mending things, leads her to piece together a pile of old bones found in the desert, and she unknowingly brings back to life a mysterious black unicorn. The unicorn needs Tanaquil to help it return to its own perfect world. For junior and senior high and older readers. 1991. Briar Rose RC 37340 by Jane Yolen read by Barbara Rappaport 2 cassettes The tale of Sleeping Beauty, aka Briar Rose, linked with the Holocaust. As a child Becca loved to hear Grandmother Gemma tell of being Briar Rose and of her castle in the sleeping woods. Now Gemma is gone, and Becca is fulfilling her promise to find the castle. Her quest will lead to Chelmno, Poland, where 320,000 people were exterminated. Violence and some strong language. For high school and older readers. 1992. Calling the Wind: Twentieth-Century African American Short Stories RC 39164 edited by Clarence Major read by L.J. Ganser 6 cassettes An expansive collection of African American short stories written between 1899 and 1991 by a diverse array of writers. Included are stories by Charles Chesnutt, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Jean Toomer, Nella Larsen, Langston Hughes, James Baldwin, Toni Cade Bambara, Ernest J. Gaines, Al Young, Terry McMillan, and many, many others. Some strong language. For high school and older readers. 1993. Dear Nobody RC 37046 by Berlie Doherty read by Nancy Kronenfeld 1 cassette Helen and Chris narrate the consequences of one night's passion that change the course of their lives forever. With teen parenthood superimposing itself upon college plans, both voice fear, disbelief, and confusion. Chris wants them to marry; Helen's mother wants Helen to have an abortion. Helen accedes to her mother's pressure, but, left alone at the clinic, she returns home to make her own decisions. For junior and senior high readers. 1991. Deerskin RC 37514 by Robin McKinley read by Laura Giannarelli 3 cassettes Based on _Donkeyskin_ by Charles Perrault. Princess Lissar has the most beautiful mother in seven kingdoms, and Lissar will grow up to be just as beautiful. But her beauty will cause much sorrow as she is violated by her own father and forced to flee into the wilderness, with only her beloved dog Ash to comfort and protect her. There she will find peace for her wounded soul and the love of Prince Ossin. For junior and senior high and older readers. 1993. Die Softly RC 39071 by Christopher Pike read by Erik Sandvold 1 cassette Herb, nineteen and yet to go on a date, is photographing the cheerleaders for the yearbook. That seems as close as he'll ever get to his fantasy, Alexa. Hiding his camera in the locker room showers, Herb hopes to get a sexy photo. Before he develops his film, another cheerleader, Lisa, dies in a car accident. But Herb's picture shows Lisa naked in the shower being approached by Alexa with a baseball bat. Violence. For junior and senior high readers. 1991. Dinky Hocker Shoots Smack! RC 38725 by M.E. Kerr read by J.P. Linton 1 cassette (Reissue) Actually, Dinky Hocker would never touch drugs, but she feels she has to do something sensational to get the attention of her mother, who is currently dedicated to rehabilitating drug addicts. For junior and senior high readers. 1972. Dydeetown World RC 39297 by F. Paul Wilson read by Christopher Walker 1 cassette Earth, deserted by the "good people," has been left to the dregs of society: criminals, drug users, street urchins, and clones of dead movie idols. One honest detective remains--Sigmundo "Siggy" Dreyer--who agrees to take the case of a Jean Harlow clone. She is looking for her lover, and the search leds Dreyer to a tyrannosaurus watchdog, a drug kingpin, and a chance to become a hero to the urchins. For junior and senior high and older readers. 1989. Enchanted Ground RC 38749 by Sarah Woodhouse read by George Holmes 2 cassettes Patricia (Paddy) Bretton is the third generation of women up at Bretton Hall, but she can no longer hold onto the country estate without help. She has let the old house to Laura and Hugh Haley and their daughter Etta, who is eight. Also living on the land are the Chances, prosperous tenant farmers whom Bretton women have never been allowed to marry. Etta will uncover some tantalizing family secrets in that regard. For high school and older readers. 1993. The Face on the Milk Carton RC 36957 by Caroline B. Cooney read by June Carter 1 cassette The message on the milk carton reads, "Have you seen this child?" Three-year-old Jennie Spring was kidnapped twelve years earlier, but Janie Johnson, looking at the photo, suddenly knows that she is that child. Fragments of memory and other evidence accumulate until Janie demands to know about her early childhood. Her parents confess what they believe true, that she is their grandchild, but Janie remains unconvinced. For junior and senior high readers. 1990. Fell Down RC 36616 by M.E. Kerr read by Christopher Hurt 1 cassette John Fell, seventeen, is distraught over the death of his best friend, Dib, in a car accident. John is further struggling to understand the death of Lenny Last, a washed-up Las Vegas comedian-ventriloquist and former Gardner School student, a search that leads him into a twenty-year-old mystery. Sequel to _Fell (RC 29340)_ and _Fell Back (RC 37425)_. For junior and senior high readers. 1991. The Forever King RC 37181 by Molly Cochran and Warren Murphy read by Mary Woods 3 cassettes Fantasy that weaves twentieth-century adventure with Arthurian legend. Hal (Sir Galahad), retired FBI agent and alcoholic, must protect ten-year-old Arthur Blessing (King Arthur) and the powerful Holy Grail from the madman Saladin. Help comes from Mr. Taliesin (Merlin) and Excalibur. Some strong language. For high school and older readers. 1992. The Good Earth RC 37294 by Pearl S. Buck read by Kimberly Schraf 2 cassettes (Reissue) Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by a winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature. Describes the rise of Wang Lung, a poor Chinese peasant. The story begins with his wedding day, as he ponders his good fortune that now he will have a woman to take over the chore of lighting a fire to heat the water for his bath. With the help and patience of his new wife, O-lan, Wang Lung becomes a rich landowner. For high school and older readers. 1931. The Highest Form of Killing RC 37549 by Malcolm Rose read by Lynn Schrichte 2 cassettes Professor Derek Thorn, his student and paramour Sylvia Cooper, and Sylvia's ex-boyfriend Mark Little stumble across clandestine, government-sponsored chemical weapons experiments while investigating the mysterious death of Derek's sister. Their efforts are stymied by an official cover-up, and their romantic triangle leads to a rash and dangerous attempt to blackmail authorities. Descriptions of sex. For high school and older readers. 1990. Imagining America: Stories from the Promised Land RC 37599 edited by Wesley Brown and Amy Ling read by Mitzi Friedlander 3 cassettes Thirty-seven short stories dramatize the conflict between the myth of the "promised land" and the reality of life in the United States, and give voice to the various cultures that form our complex national identity. These stories portray immigration to and migration inside America and include the Native American perspective. Some strong language. For senior high and older readers. 1991. Letters from a Slave Girl: The Story of Harriet Jacobs RC 38689 by Mary E. Lyons read by Gail Nelson 1 cassette An epistolary novel based on Jacobs's autobiography, _Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (RC 31142)_. Beginning when she is eleven, Jacobs writes letters to both living and dead family members. The letters form a journal of her life--in which she bears children by one white man to escape the sexual harassment of another and spends years hiding out in a tiny attic. For junior and senior high readers. 1992. Lizard RC 37071 by Dennis Covington read by Larry Shapiro 1 cassette They call him Lizard because of his facial deformities and his solitary nature. When Miss Cooley, Lizard's guardian, leaves to get married, she ships him to a state school for mentally retarded boys in Louisiana. There he meets a traveling actor named Callahan who pretends to be his father. And Lizard is spirited away from the school to play Caliban in Shakespeare's _The Tempest_. Strong language. For junior and senior high and older readers. 1991. Monday I Love You RC 39232 by Constance C. Greene read by Nona Pipes 1 cassette Grace Schmitt, fifteen, and her size 38D bosom are the object of derision from her peers. Cruelly, a group of girls tear off her blouse to see if her figure is real. Her parents ignore her, but a sympathetic gym teacher helps Grace to gain self-esteem. A bizarre encounter with a suspected robber on the run--who may be William, her childhood friend--encourages Grace to change her life. For junior and senior high readers. 1988. _My Father's War_ and Other Stories RC 37763 by Barton Sutter read by Barry Bernson 2 cassettes Stories told by men. In the title novella, a father recounts his experiences as a soldier in World War II to his sons, who had been Vietnam War protesters. The older man's tale forges a link among himself, his sons, and past warriors and peace lovers. In "Happiness" three young men on a camping trip narrowly escape death and share an appreciation of their friendship. Strong language. For high school and older readers. 1991. On the Devil's Court RC 37952 by Carl Deuker read by Phil Regensdorf 2 cassettes During the summer of Joe Faust's senior year, his father leaves his position at Harvard for one at the University of Washington. Although his father wants Joe to be a scientist, Joe is obsessed with basketball. He blows his chance to attend a public high school with a good team when he gets drunk. He is sent to a small private school instead. Joe wishes himself into a Faustian pact and becomes a superstar on a winning team. For junior and senior high readers. 1988. Orfe RC 37033 by Cynthia Voigt read by June Carter 1 cassette In grade school Enny and Orfe--two bright outcasts--become close friends. They are united in their teens when Enny becomes Orfe's manager. Orfe has become a rock musician whose performance includes her vomiting on stage. Yuri sees Orfe's performance and, struck by her angst, seeks help for his drug addiction. Yuri and Orfe's friendship leads to marriage with tragic consequences. For junior and senior high and older readers. 1992. Phantom RC 37268 by Susan Kay read by Grainne Cassidy 3 cassettes In this retelling of _The Phantom of the Opera (RC 27821)_ Kay begins with the birth of the horribly disfigured Erik and continues into the years following his doomed romance with Christine. We learn of Erik's abuse by his mother, his caged existence among Gypsies, his sojourn in Rome, Russia, and Persia, and his construction of the Paris Opera House and the labyrinthine world underneath. Descriptions of sex. For high school and older readers. 1991. Right by My Side RC 37293 by David Haynes read by Bob Moore 2 cassettes Not only is Marshall surrounded by redneck pinheads at high school, he has to come home to his mother's lousy cooking. When his mother takes off, Marshall handles things much better than his lovesick father, Sam the landfill man. But Sam adjusts and soon Gayle moves in, much to Marshall's delight. The household expands to include Marshall's friend Todd, who is escaping his abusive father. Strong language. For high school and older readers. 1993. Shelter RC 37806 by Monte Merrick read by John Polk 2 cassettes Nelson, fourteen, wants to be a writer, so his composition books record the eventful summer of 1962. He and his friends, Cat and Tim, suspect their retarded neighbor has been killed, and they begin an investigation. Meanwhile, Nelson's parents are talking about divorce, and he must take care of his sister after school. Surprising allies then come to his aid. Strong language. For high school and older readers. 1993. Strange Attractors RC 37693 by William Sleator read by Phil Regensdorf 1 cassette Sylvan, a brilliant scientist, and his beautiful daughter Eve are the "strange attractors" whose reckless manipulation of time travel has plunged their timeline into chaos. Their search for a stable timeline brings them to our world, where they must destroy their doubles, the original Sylvan and Eve, or drag the world into chaos. Max, a teenage science student, is forced to become their ally or be destroyed himself. For junior and senior high readers. 1990. Strange Devices of the Sun and Moon RC 37673 by Lisa Goldstein read by Patricia Kilgarriff 2 cassettes London, 1590. A band of faeries invades the city as conspirators plot to unseat Queen Elizabeth I. The sprites are looking for their long-awaited king, Arthur--son of Alice Wood, a widowed bookseller. But also searching are alchemist Paul Hogg and famed London author Christopher Marlowe. As their paths cross with the faeries, a battle between good and evil ensues. For high school and older readers. 1993. The Tin Princess RC 39169 by Philip Pullman read by Lisette Lecat 2 cassettes In 1882, ten years after Adelaide, Mrs. Holland's maid in _The Ruby in the Smoke (RC 27311)_, disappears, detective Jim Taylor tracks her down. Beautiful, illiterate Adelaide, twenty-two, has secretly married Prince Rudolf of Razkavia. When his brother is shot, the two return to Razkavia with Taylor and Becky, Adelaide's interpreter. The king dies, Rudolph is crowned then assassinated, and Adelaide becomes queen. For junior and senior high readers. 1994. The War of the Worlds RC 38464 by H.G. Wells read by Roy Avers 1 cassette (Reissue) The Martians, a loathsome though highly organized race, invade England and, with their superior weapons, subdue and prey on the people. For high school and adult readers. 1898. *** 4/22/96 (gft) *** Comments to: lcmarvel@loc.gov