Talking Book Topics

September-October 1998
Books for Children--Nonfiction

Books listed in this issue of Talking Book Topics 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. Cassette books, labeled with the code RC, play at 15/16 ips. To order books, contact your cooperating library.

Beatrix Potter RC 40963
by Alexandra Wallner
read by Graci Ragsdale
1 cassette
Biography of the well-known author of children's stories. Born in London in 1866, Potter spent her childhood painting and drawing animals. As an adult, she published a story she wrote for a friend's child, The Tale of Peter Rabbit (RC 13917). The tiny book illustrated with her drawings was very popular then and still is today. Beatrix went on to write many other tales and moved to a farm full of animals. For grades K-3. 1995.

My Mysterious World RC 40979
by Margaret Mahy
read by Marilyn Gleason
1 cassette
The author of many children's books including the Cousins Quartet series tells of her writing career and her home in the shell of an old volcano in New Zealand, where she lives with her dog and cat next door to her daughter's family. For grades 2-4. 1995.

Brainstorm! The Stories of Twenty American Kid Inventors RC 41819
by Tom Tucker
read by Marilyn Gleason
1 cassette
A look at twenty inventions, covering more than two hundred years of history, by young people ranging in age from five to nineteen. The inventions include earmuffs, colored car wax, popsicles, flippers, resealable cereal boxes, a rotary steam engine, and a safety device to keep children from getting their fingers mashed in doors. Includes a section on how to protect your own great ideas. For grades 5-8. 1995.

Rosie the Riveter: Women Working on the Home Front in World War II RC 41945
by Penny Colman
read by Susan McInerney
1 cassette
Colman offers an overview of the role women played during World War II, as they left home and went to work, replacing the men fighting at the battlefront. She looks at jobs women adopted--welder, physicist, pipe fitter, farmer, bus driver, attorney, supervisor, milkman, postman, and messenger. She also discusses what happened to these women when the war ended and most once again became housewives. For grades 6-9. 1995.

A Native American Feast RC 43740
by Lucille Recht Penner
read by Laura Giannarelli
1 cassette
A history and cookbook of Native American foods. Tells how the various items are obtained by farming, hunting, or gathering. Explains the methods used for preparing the foods. Includes actual recipes. For grades 2-4 and older readers. 1994.

Stranded at Plimoth Plantation 1626 RC 44010
by Gary Bowen
read by John Lescault
1 cassette
Christopher Sears, thirteen, is headed from England to Jamestown, Virginia, when the boat runs ashore on the coast of New England. He is then taken in by the Brewsters of Plimoth Plantation. Christopher keeps a daily journal that describes farming, sickness, worship, and entertainment. For grades 3-6. 1994.

Marian Wright Edelman: The Making of a Crusader RC 44492
by Beatrice Siegel
read by Catherine Byers
1 cassette
Profile of founder of the Children's Defense Fund. The author shows how the influences of growing up in the 1940s South, segregation, and the Civil Rights Movement lead Edelman to become an active participant in advocacy for the rights of minors. For grades 5-8 and older readers. 1995.

Earthkeepers: Observers and Protectors of Nature RC 44547
by Ann T. Keene
read by Janis Gray
3 cassettes
Introduction to notable figures in natural history. Includes profiles of conservationists, ecologists, and naturalists, such as John James Audubon, John Chapman ("Johnny Appleseed"), Charles Darwin, George Washington Carver, John Muir, Rachel Carson, and Jane Goodall. For grades 4-7. 1994.

Kids On-Line: 150 Ways for Kids to Surf the Net for Fun and Information RC 44554
by Marian Salzman and Robert Pondiscio
read by Patricia McDermott
2 cassettes
This young persons' guide to searching the Internet covers such topics as getting connected; sending electronic mail; using bulletin boards and "chat rooms"; downloading games, graphics, and other free software; and finding information on various topics using on-line resources and databases. For grades 5-8. 1995.

The Ingenious Mr. Peale: Painter, Patriot, and Man of Science RC 44726
by Janet Wilson
read by Terence Aselford
1 cassette
The life of Charles Willson Peale--craftsman, inventor, farmer, scientist, and portrait painter of Washington, Franklin, and Jefferson. Portrays the domestic and professional lives, diverse interests, and varied talents of a man who embodied the ingenuity and industry of young America. For grades 6-9. 1996.

Eleanor RC 44950
by Barbara Cooney
read by Janis Gray
1 cassette
Starting at birth, Eleanor Roosevelt was a disappointment to her mother. By the time Ellie was nine, both her parents were dead, and she spent most of her time with relatives. Hers was a lonely childhood until she turned fifteen and was sent to boarding school, where she flourished. For grades K-3 and older readers. 1996.

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