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.
This page includes Web-Braille links to full-text braille versions of books. Eligible patrons may sign up for Web-Braille through the library that handles their braille magazine subscriptions.
Strays like Us BR 11720
by Richard Peck
1 volume
Molly has been sent to live with her great-aunt Fay while her
mother is in rehab. Next door, Will is staying with his
grandparents and it is rumored that his father is in prison.
They begin junior high school in their new town feeling like
strays. For grades 5-8. 1998.
Songs of Faith BR 11724
by Angela Johnson
1 volume
Doreen relates this account of the summer of 1975 in Harvey,
Ohio, which her mother describes as a town of divorced women and
their kids. Although Doreen spends the summer playing with her
brother Robert and her friends Viola and Jolette, she must come
to terms with the absence of her father. As winter approaches,
Doreen learns to have faith in the power of love. For grades
5-8. 1998.
Spider Boy BR 11755
by Ralph Fletcher
1 volume
Seventh-grader Bobby Ballenger is having a difficult time
adjusting to a new school. He is a loner and spends a lot of
time with his pet tarantula, Thelma. The kids at school call him
Spider Boy. Bobby also makes up a lot of stories, and before
long, he finds himself caught in the web of one of his own
tales. For grades 5-8. 1997.
The Turnabout Shop BR 11776
by Colby Rodowsky
1 volume
When her eccentric, fun-loving mother dies, fifth-grader Livvy
is sent to Baltimore to live with an old friend of her mother's.
But Livvy has never heard of the friend, and they have nothing
in common. Livvy's confusion and resentment gradually fade as
she learns more about her new "family" and their antique shop.
For grades 5-8. 1998.
The Door in the Lake BR 11779
by Nancy Butts
1 volume
Twelve-year-old Joseph Finney disappears while camping with
family and friends. Two years later, he reappears but hasn't
aged at all. Odd symptoms and fragmented memories lead Joseph to
believe he was abducted by aliens. For grades 5-8. 1997.
Riding Freedom BR 11830
by Pam Muñoz Ryan
1 volume
In the mid-1800s Charlotte lives in a New Hampshire orphanage,
where her only joy is tending the horses. When that is
forbidden, Charlotte runs away, disguised as a boy. She
continues to live her life as Charley in order to work with
horses and be on her own. For grades 4-7. 1998.
Ellie and the Bunheads BR 11833
by Sally Warner
1 volume
Turning thirteen, Ellie is eligible to audition for the
Philadelphia Dance Theater. She has mixed feelings--her
disciplined dance lifestyle makes her miss out on other school
and social activities, and she resents her mother's assumption
that she'll audition. But Ellie loves to dance. For grades 5-8.
1997.
In the Stone Circle BR 11834
by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel
2 volumes
Cristyn, fourteen, is reluctant to spend a dull summer in Wales
with her widowed father while he does medieval-history research,
and she's leery about sharing an ancient house with another
American professor and her children. But ghostly happenings turn
the vacation into an unexpected adventure. For grades 5-8. 1998.
Melitte BR 11839
by Fatima Shaik
1 volume
Melitte is a young slave who lives with a couple she calls
Monsieur and Madame on their failing farm in Louisiana in the
1700s. Madame's cruelty makes Melitte long to run away, but when
Marie is born to the couple, Melitte falls in love with her. For
grades 5-8. 1997.
The Dark Side of Nowhere BR 11840
by Neal Shusterman
2 volumes
Jason Miller hates his bland, small-town life, so when the high
school janitor gives him an odd glove and tells him his life is
about to change, he is both puzzled and excited. Jason learns
classmates have received the same message, and soon they all
encounter bizarre experiences. For grades 6-9. 1997.
Fire, Bed, and Bone BR 11845
by Henrietta Branford
1 volume
In 1381 England, just after giving birth to puppies, a hunting
dog watches in dismay as her kind owner and his wife are
arrested during the peasants' revolt. The loyal dog describes
the passing seasons as she keeps tabs on both her human family
and her own offspring. For grades 5-8. 1998.
Return to Hawk's Hill BR 11854
by Allan W. Eckert
1 volume
Adrift in a rowboat on Lake Winnipeg, seven-year-old Ben
MacDonald is rescued by Little Buffalo, a Metis Indian. Ben's
ability to befriend animals impresses the Metis during his stay
with them and leads to friendship between Ben's family and the
Metis. Sequel to Incident at Hawk's Hill (BR 1771). For
grades 5-8. 1998.
Changing Tunes BR 11861
by Donna Jo Napoli
1 volume
Ten-year-old Eileen is angry at her parents for separating and
especially hurt that her father took their piano to his new
apartment. Practicing on the old school piano each afternoon
depresses Eileen at first, but the new routine gradually becomes
a comfort in her changed world. For grades 4-7. 1998.
No Turning Back: A Novel of South Africa BR 11864
by Beverley Naidoo
1 volume
Twelve-year-old Sipho decides that he will take his chances on
the streets of Johannesburg rather than risk more beatings from
his new stepfather. Sipho meets other runaway boys, who teach
him the basics of survival. He learns there are worse people
than cruel stepfathers, but he also finds reasons to hope for
the future. For grades 5-8. 1995.
White Lilacs BR 11871
by Carolyn Meyer
2 volumes
Twelve-year-old Rosa Lee Jefferson of Dillon, Texas, loves the
"Garden of Eden" her grandfather has created with flowers around
their home in the Freedomtown community. But in 1921, the white
people of Dillon want to build a park in that part of town, and
that means Rosa Lee's family and their entire community will be
forced to move. For grades 5-8. 1993.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone BR 11879
by J.K. Rowling
2 volumes
On Harry Potter's eleventh birthday, he learns that he is more
than an unwanted orphan. The Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and
Wizardry recruits him because he has inherent magical abilities.
As he purchases his school supplies--robes, wand, and messenger
owl--Harry looks forward to attending his new boarding school.
For grades 4-7. Bestseller 1997.
Hooray for Diffendoofer Day! BR 11951
by Dr. Seuss and Jack Prelutsky
1 volume
The teachers at Diffendoofer School are different: they teach
listening, smelling, laughing, and even yelling. But can their
pupils pass the special test to show their school is the best?
Also presents the history of this book, begun by Dr. Seuss and
completed by Jack Prelutsky. For grades K-3 and older readers.
1998.
Barnyard Lullaby BR 12008
by Frank Asch
1 volume
The barnyard animals sing their babies to sleep at night. When
the farmer is disturbed by the noise and tells them to be quiet,
his own baby begins to cry in protest. Includes a songsheet.
PRINT/BRAILLE. For preschool-grade 2. 1998.
Days of the Blackbird: A Tale of Northern Italy BR
12013
by Tomie DePaola
1 volume
In Italy a much-loved duke lives with his young daughter, Gemma.
During the summer they sit in their courtyard and listen to the
beautiful songs of the birds, especially that of a pure white
bird. One year the duke falls ill, and Gemma convinces the white
bird to stay and serenade the duke even after the weather turns
cold. PRINT/BRAILLE. For grades K-3. 1997.
And If the Moon Could Talk BR 12014
by Kate Banks
1 volume
As a little girl goes through her bedtime routine, the moon
looks down on the world. Preparations for nighttime alternate
between scenes from the outdoor world and inside the girl's
home. PRINT/BRAILLE. For preschool-grade 2. Boston Globe-Horn
Picture Book Award 1998.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar BR 12015
by Eric Carle
1 volume
A hungry caterpillar eats his way through so much food that he
has a stomachache. When he builds a small house for himself,
something wonderful happens. PRINT/BRAILLE. For preschool-grade
2. 1969.
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