Braille Book Review July-August 2020

Volume 89, Number 4

Need help? Your local cooperating library is always the place to start. For general information and to order books, call 1-888-NLS-READ (1-888-657-7323) to be connected to your local cooperating library.

To find your library, visit www.loc.gov/nls and select “Find Your Library.”

Get books fast from BARD
Most books and magazines listed in Braille Book Review are available to eligible readers for download on the NLS Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) site. To use BARD, contact your local cooperating library or visit http://nlsbard.loc.gov for more information. The free BARD Mobile app is available from the App Store for use on your personal iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch and can be used to read books with a refreshable braille display.

Overseas Service
American citizens living abroad may enroll and request delivery to foreign addresses by contacting the NLS Overseas Librarian by phone at 202-707-9261 or by email at [email protected]..

Music scores and instructional materials
NLS music patrons can receive braille and large-print music scores and instructional recordings through the NLS Music Section. To learn more, email [email protected], call 1-800-424-8567 ext. 2, or visit www.loc.gov/nls/music.

About Braille Book Review
Braille Book Review, published in braille, large print, and online, is distributed free to people who have a visual or physical disability that makes it difficult to read regular print. It lists braille titles recently added to the NLS collection. The braille edition also lists NLS audiobooks appearing in Talking Book Topics. The entire collection, with hundreds of thousands of titles, is available at www.loc.gov/nls. Select “Catalog Search” to view the collection. Braille Book Review is also available online at www.loc.gov/nls/bbr and in downloadable braille files from BARD.

Publication feedback?
Share your thoughts about this publication by emailing [email protected] or writing us at:
NLS Communications and Outreach Section
Library of Congress
Washington DC 20542
­­
Library of Congress, Washington
2020
Catalog Card Number 53-31800
ISSN 0006-873X

Contents

In Brief

Books for Adults

Adult Fiction

Adult Nonfiction

Books for Children

Children’s Fiction

Children’s Nonfiction

Special Supplement: Books Received from CNIB

Books for Adults

Adult Fiction

Adult Nonfiction

Books for Children

Children’s Fiction

Children’s Nonfiction

Braille Magazines

In Brief

How NLS can help

Do you need help learning how to use BARD or BARD Mobile for quick, easy access to NLS books and magazines? A new NLS factsheet, available online as a PDF at https://go.usa.gov/xwZPV, walks patrons through the steps of registering for BARD service and acquiring material.

Minibibliography on cats now available

Animal adoptions are on the rise throughout America. Patrons thinking about making space in their homes for a cat may find useful resources in the new NLS minibibliography Cats: Care and Feeding, available at https://go.usa.gov/xwZP7. Other minibibliographies, including a similar collection of resources for dog owners, are available at https://go.usa.gov/xwZP6.

Other braille books available through NLS

Patrons who subscribe to Braille Book Review may be interested in other braille books available through NLS BARD but not traditionally announced in this publication. These include more than one thousand braille books produced by local network libraries, which can be found on BARD by searching for the book number prefix BRC, and almost one hundred books acquired from CNIB, an organization that offers special-format library services for Canadian citizens who are blind, which use the book number prefix BRE. We have included an appendix listing CNIB books available on BARD in the July/August issue of Braille Book Review to help increase patron awareness of available titles.

Library of Congress and Smithsonian host online events and exhibits

The Library of Congress buildings may be closed to visitors, but its cultural resources remain on full display online. Visit https://loc.gov/engage for regularly updated videos, blog posts, and webinars, from creative writing prompts for teens to highlights from previous National Book Festivals.

This year’s National Book Festival will be held entirely online. Follow the National Book Festival blog, at https://blogs.loc.gov/national-book-festival, for further updates about the virtual festival, which will feature authors including Jared Diamond, John Grisham, Ibram X. Kendi, Ann Patchett, and Colson Whitehead.

Looking for more cultural resources? The Smithsonian is hosting a number of online exhibits and events, including EveryBody: An Artifact History of Disability in America, available at http://everybody.si.edu External. Visit www.si.edu External for more information about their offerings.

Newsstand

The following announcement may be of interest to readers. The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled reserves the right to publish announcements selectively, as space permits. The item mentioned below is not part of the NLS program, and its listing does not imply endorsement or support.

Braille discussion group available from Hadley

Patrons with a passion for braille may enjoy the weekly Embracing Braille discussion group offered by Hadley, a free distance-learning institution for individuals who are blind or have low vision. Transcriptions and audio of past discussions, covering topics from braille technology to braille services around the globe, may be found at https://hadley.edu/discussions/Braille.asp External. Live discussions take place over Zoom. Call Hadley at 800-323-4238 to learn more or visit https://hadley.edu/zoom-faqs External for resources on how to use Zoom.

Books for Adults

Due to COVID-19 related delays in production, these books are currently available only in ebraille through BARD. NLS will make them available in hardcopy braille as soon as possible.

Registered users can immediately download all titles and magazines from BARD, the NLS Braille and Audio Reading Download service, at http://nlsbard.loc.gov. The free BARD Mobile app is available from the App Store for use on your personal iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch and can be used to read books with a refreshable braille display. To order books or sign up for BARD service contact your local cooperating library.

Books within the headings Adult Fiction and Adult Nonfiction are listed alphabetically by subject category, author last name, and title. For example the title War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy would be listed in Adult Fiction under the Classics subject category and by the last name Tolstoy.

Note: A notice may appear immediately following the book description to indicate occurrences of violence, strong language, or descriptions of sex. The word “some” before any of these terms indicates an occasional or infrequent occurrence, as in “some strong language.”

Adult Fiction

Classics

Uncle Tom’s Cabin BR22611
by Harriet Beecher Stowe
7 volumes
First published in 1852, this tale of slavery recounts the hardships of Uncle Tom, who was sold to brutal Simon Legree; of gentle Little Eva; and of Eliza and her child, who escape from bloodhounds. Introduction by Alfred Kazin. 1995.

Historical Fiction

The Water Dancer BR22881
by Ta-Nehisi Coates
5 volumes
Born into bondage, Hiram Walker is robbed of all memory of his mother when she is sold. But Hiram is blessed with a mysterious power. This power saves him when he almost drowns, and he knows he must escape the only life he has ever known. Violence. Bestseller. 2019.

Holidays

The Christmas Boutique: An Elm Creek Quilts Novel BR22888
by Jennifer Chiaverini
4 volumes
After wintry weather damages the church hall that is home to the Christmas Boutique, Sylvia Bergstrom Compson, of The Giving Quilt (BR19760), opens her home to host it. As she and the other Elm Creek Quilters prepare for the Boutique, they know a Christmas miracle is needed. 2019.

Mystery and Detective

The Crossing BR22930
by Michael Connelly
2 volumes
Detective Harry Bosch has retired from the LAPD, but his half-brother, defense attorney Mickey Haller, needs his help. The murder rap against his client seems ironclad, but Mickey is sure it’s a setup. With the help of his former partner, Bosch secretly investigates the police department. Violence and strong language. 2015.

That Affair Next Door BR22933
by Anna Katharine Green
4 volumes
Miss Amelia Butterworth notices a man and woman enter the house next door at midnight, although the owners are on a trip abroad. The man leaves, and the next morning Miss Butterworth finds the woman dead, crushed under a cabinet. Detective Ebenezer Gryce takes the case, but Miss Butterworth also investigates. Library of Congress Crime Classics series. 1897.

Suspense

The Girl Who Lived Twice BR22890
by David Lagercrantz
4 volumes
At long last Lisbeth Salander has her primal enemy—her twin sister, Camilla—squarely in her sights. But journalist Mikael Blomkvist needs her help unraveling the identity of a man who died with Blomkvist’s phone number in his pocket. Translated from the Swedish edition. Violence, strong language, and descriptions of sex. Bestseller. 2019.

The Last Widow BR22852
by Karin Slaughter
6 volumes
Unknown assailants grab a CDC scientist in a parking lot. One month later, a ground-shaking blast shatters a Sunday afternoon. Medical examiner Sara Linton and GBI investigator Will Trent rush toward the scene, but they’re waylaid by the escaping perpetrators, who kidnap Sara. Violence and strong language. 2019.

Adult Nonfiction

Language

Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language BR22840
by Gretchen McCulloch
5 volumes
Linguist examines how the Internet and our increasing use of digital communication is transforming language faster than ever. Discusses the forces that shape language, how early social Internet experiences influence capitalization and punctuation, the role of emoji, the fractured language of many memes, and more. Strong language. 2019.

Medicine and Health

(Don’t) Call Me Crazy: 33 Voices Start the Conversation about Mental Health BR22576
edited by Kelly Jensen
3 volumes
Deeply personal essays from notable authors, athletes, artists, and actors that illuminate mental health topics. The collection explores personal experiences with mental illness and how one should talk about mental health, and advocates for public awareness and acceptance. Some strong language. For senior high and older readers. 2018.

Books for Children

Due to COVID-19 related delays in production, these books are currently available only in ebraille through BARD. NLS will make them available in hardcopy braille as soon as possible.

Registered users can immediately download all titles and magazines from BARD, the NLS Braille and Audio Reading Download service, at http://nlsbard.loc.gov. The free BARD Mobile app is available from the App Store for use on your personal iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch and can be used to read books with a refreshable braille display. To order books or sign up for BARD service contact your local cooperating library.

These books are listed alphabetically within the headings Children’s Fiction and Children’s Nonfiction by subject category, author last name, and title. For example, the title Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown would be listed in Children’s Fiction under the Classics subject category and by the last name Brown.

Children’s Fiction

Animals and Wildlife

The Lion King BR22907
by Elizabeth Rudnick
2 volumes
After Simba is born, his father, King Mufasa, introduces the lion cub to the lands he will one day rule. But when Mufasa is killed unexpectedly, young Simba blames himself and must make a choice. Based on the 2019 film and screenplay by Jeff Nathanson. For grades 2–4. 2019.

Family

The Crossroads BR22819
by Alexandra Diaz
3 volumes
Cousins Jaime and Ángela discover what it means to live as undocumented immigrants in the United States. Meanwhile, news from their families back in Guatemala gets increasingly worse. Sequel to The Only Road (BR22116). For grades 5–8. 2018.

Friendship

Not If I Can Help It BR22896
by Carolyn Mackler
2 volumes
Eleven-year-old Willa, who lives with sensory processing disorder, is thrown for a loop when her dad announces he’s dating the mother of her best friend, Ruby. Horrified at the turn of events, Willa doesn’t want Ruby or other classmates to know about her condition. For grades 3–6. 2019.

Children’s Nonfiction

Astronomy

Countdown: 2979 Days to the Moon BR22776
by Suzanne Slade
1 volume
Told in free verse. Recounts the story of the American effort to land the first man on the moon in 1969 and the trials, tragedies, and triumphs it took to get them there. For grades 4–7. 2018.

Special Supplement: Books Received from CNIB

The following books were produced by CNIB, an organization that offers special-format library services for Canadian citizens who are blind. Please note that these books are available only on NLS BARD and cannot be requested in hardcopy from your regional library. They may be downloaded to a personal computer or iOS mobile device and read using a refreshable braille display.

Books for Adults

Adult Fiction

Family

A Cold Night for Alligators BRE00036
by Nick Crowe
4 volumes
Twenty-six-year-old Jasper hasn’t seen or heard from his older brother, Coleman, in more than ten years, but a freak accident changes everything. With little more to go on than a random phone call, Jasper follows his brother’s trail through the seedy, sensual Florida Everglades, where a family mystery from his childhood may hold the key to Coleman’s disappearance. 2011.

Baygirl BRE00092
by Heather Smith
2 volumes
Growing up in a picturesque Newfoundland fishing village should be idyllic for sixteen-year-old Kit Ryan, but living with an alcoholic father makes her day-to-day life unpredictable and almost intolerable. When her father loses his job, the tension between the two grows. The family moves to the city, where they live with Uncle Iggy, a widower with problems of his own. Immediately pegged as a “baygirl,” Kit struggles to fit in, but longstanding trust issues threaten to hold her back when a boy named Elliot expresses an interest in her. For junior and senior high readers. 2013.

Ru BRE00020
by Kim Thúy
1 volume
Vignettes describe a young girl’s journey from a palatial residence in Saigon to a crowded and muddy Malaysian refugee camp, and onward to a new life in Quebec. There, she feels the embrace of a new community. As an adult, a mother of two sons, she must learn to shape her love around the younger boy’s autism. Some descriptions of sex and violence. Winner of the 2010 Governor General’s Literary Award for French fiction. 2009.

General

No Safe Place BRE00031
by Deborah Ellis
2 volumes
Orphaned Abdul from war-torn Baghdad; Rosalia, a Romani girl who has escaped the white slave trade; Cheslav, gone AWOL from a Russian military school; and Jonah, their boat pilot’s ten-year-old nephew, are stalled in the English Channel, trying to get to England after the pilot has died. They hijack a yacht and, despite their fear and mistrust, form a makeshift family. For senior high readers. Some descriptions of violence. 2010.

Glass Boys BRE00054
by Nicole Lundrigan
4 volumes
When Roy Trench is killed in a drunken prank gone wrong, his brother Lewis blames the abusive alcoholic Eli Fagan, and hated grows between the two families of Knife’s Point, Newfoundland. Desperate to smother the painful past with love, Lewis marries and takes pleasure in his two children. But the darkness of the past begins to cloud the present, leading Lewis back to Eli Fagan—and his watchful stepson, Garrett Glass. Strong language, descriptions of sex and violence. 2011.

Love, Dishonor, Marry, Die, Cherish, Perish BRE00076
by David Rakoff
1 volume
In this novel written in verse, Rakoff, a Canadian who became an American citizen, sings the song of his adoptive homeland—a country whose freedoms can be intoxicating, or brutal. Here the characters’ lives are linked to each other by acts of generosity or cruelty. 2013.

And the Birds Rained Down BRE00094
by Jocelyne Saucier
2 volumes
Tom and Charlie have decided to live out the remainder of their lives on their own terms, hidden away in a remote forest, their only connection to the outside world a couple of marijuana growers who deliver whatever they can’t eke out for themselves. But one summer two women arrive. Descriptions of sex. Bestseller. 2012.

Various Positions BRE00042
by Martha Schabas
3 volumes
Trapped between the hyper-sexualized world of her teenaged friends and her dysfunctional family, shy Georgia is only at ease when she’s dancing. When she is accepted to the Royal Ballet Academy, the director singles her out as a star and subjects her to increasingly vicious training. Georgia obsesses about becoming his perfect student, but a disturbing incident on the subway, coupled with her dawning recognition of the truth of her parents’ unhappy marriage, causes her to reassess her ideas. For senior high and older readers. Some descriptions of sex, some strong language. 2011.

Irma Voth BRE00039
by Miriam Toews
3 volumes
The stifling Mennonite life of nineteen-year-old Irma Voth—newly married and newly deserted—is irrevocably changed when a film crew moves in to make a movie about her community. She wants to embrace the creative passion of their world, but her intractable father is determined to keep her from it. The confrontation between them causes Irma and her young sister to flee to the city, even as they begin to understand the tragedy that has their family in its grip. Some descriptions of sex and violence, some strong language. 2011.

Just Deserts BRE00047
by Eric Walters and Ray Zahab
2 volumes
Until now, Ethan’s biggest problems have been trying to stay in one school without getting expelled and finding his next drink. But after Ethan’s drunken imitation of the current headmaster goes up on YouTube, his father steps in with a shockingly drastic measure. Now Ethan is in the Sahara desert—alone. For senior high readers. 2011.

The Taming BRE00075
by Eric Walters and Teresa Toten
3 volumes
Katie is shy, poor, and vulnerable, so getting up in front of an audience as the lead in her school’s production of The Taming of the Shrew should be complete torture—until she discovers she loves acting. Evan knows just what it takes to get noticed, being the new kid at school after school. Rich, smart, and charming, he’s like no one Katie has ever encountered, and before she knows it they are inseparable. But soon Katie must confront the fact that the power of love can conceal darker truths. For senior high readers. 2012.

Growing Up

Creeps BRE00093
by Darren Hynes
2 volumes
Fifteen-year-old Wayne Pumphrey wishes he were courageous enough to actually send the heartfelt letters he writes to friends and family. He also wishes his father would drive on the right side of the street, his mother would stop packing her suitcase to leave, and his sister would stop listening to Nickelback. But most of all, he wishes that Pete “The Meat” would let him walk to school in peace. Then one morning, while facing Pete and his posse, Wayne is rescued by Marjorie. An unlikely friendship forms, but Pete now has plans for both of them—and afterwards nothing will ever be the same. For senior high readers. 2013.

Historical Fiction

Graffiti Knight BRE00091
by Karen Bass
3 volumes
After a childhood cut short by war and the harsh strictures of Nazi Germany, sixteen-year-old Wilm is finally tasting freedom. In spite of the scars World War II has left on his hometown, Leipzig, and in spite of the oppressive new Soviet regime, Wilm is finding his own voice. It’s dangerous, of course, to be sneaking out at night to leave messages on police buildings. But it’s exciting, too—until one mission goes too far, and Wilm finds he’s endangered the very people he most wants to protect. CLA’s 2014 Young Adult Book of the Year Award. For senior high readers. 2013.

Bride of New France BRE00045
by Suzanne Desrochers
3 volumes
1669. Orphan Laure Beausejour is sent across the Atlantic to New France as a fille du roi. When she arrives in Ville-Marie (Montreal), Laure is expected to marry and produce children with a French soldier who can himself barely survive the harsh conditions of his forest —cabin. But through her clandestine relationship with Deskaheh, an allied Iroquois, Laure finds a sense of the possibilities in this New World. Violence, descriptions of sex, and some strong language. 2011.

Frog Music BRE00087
by Emma Donoghue
5 volumes
San Francisco, 1876. The freewheeling “Paris of the West,” is in the grip of a record-breaking heat wave and a smallpox epidemic. After a young woman named Jenny Bonnet is shot dead through the window of a railroad saloon, her friend Blanche Beunon, a French burlesque dancer, will risk everything to bring Jenny’s murderer to justice—if he doesn’t track her down first. 2014.

The Virgin Cure BRE00058
by Ami McKay
4 volumes
New York, 1871. Moth is a young girl from the slums whose father left years ago and whose mother sells her as a servant. These betrayals lead Moth to a Bowery brothel where diseased men prize virgins, thinking that deflowering them can heal the incurable. Moth begins to question and observe her world, understanding its harsh realities, but still dreaming of answering to no one but herself. Violence, explicit descriptions of sex, and some strong language. 2011.

Come from Afar BRE00051
by Gayla Reid
4 volumes
During the Spanish Civil War, Clancy Cox, a volunteer nurse from Australia, works tirelessly to assist Republican soldiers in their fight against fascism. But the conflict does not go as well as planned, and famine has taken hold. Clancy finds hope in the person of Douglas Ross, a Canadian soldier from the International Brigade whom she nurses back to health, physically and spiritually. But with the defeat of the Republic looming, Douglas returns to war, leaving Clancy alone and pregnant—but determined to reunite with her lost lover. Violence and some descriptions of sex. 2011.

The Midwife of Venice BRE00040
by Roberta Rich
3 volumes
Venice, 16th century. Expert midwife Hannah Levi is asked to attend to the wife of a count, even though it is illegal for Jews to render medical treatment to Christians. Hannah’s compassion overrides her concern, and she hopes the large fee offered can free her beloved husband Isaac, a merchant who was recently taken captive on Malta as a slave. Violence, descriptions of sex, and strong language. 2011.

The Winter Palace: A Novel of Catherine the Great BRE00063
by Eva Stachniak
5 volumes
The epic story of Catherine the Great’s improbable rise to power, as seen through the ever-watchful eyes of an all-but-invisible servant close to the throne. Unrated. 2012.

Human Relationships

Pluto’s Ghost BRE00033
by Sheree Fitch
2 volumes
Jake Upshore has loved Skye Derucci since before he can remember. Volatile, complex and frustrated at the best of times, Jake is on a desperate quest to find Skye before she aborts the baby he believes is his. As he hurtles toward certain tragedy, Jake relives the choices he’s made and the powerful forces that have led him to this to end. For senior high readers. Violence, some descriptions of sex, and strong language. 2010.

Humor

The High Road BRE00043
by Terry Fallis
4 volumes
Just when Daniel Addison thinks he can escape his job as a political aide, MP Angus McLintock brings down Parliament with a deciding vote and wants Daniel to manage his next campaign. They decide to take the high road against a candidate known for dirty tricks and turn the race into a nail-biter. While there’s a political storm in the capital, a side-splitting visit from the US president and his alcoholic wife, cookie-throwing seniors, and even a Watergate-style break-in, McLintock just keeps on daring to do the unthinkable: tell the truth. Some strong language. 2010.

The Serpent of Venice BRE00088
by Christopher Moore
3 volumes
Pocket leaves England for Venice and becomes entangled in the plotting of conspirators Antonio, Brabantio, and Iago. With sidekick Drool and pet monkey Jeff, Pocket must navigate the dangerous waters of Italian treachery. Bestseller. 2014.

Mystery and Detective

The Long Way Home BRE00090
by Louise Penny
4 volumes
Now happily retired in the village of Three Pines, ex-chief inspector of homicide Armand Gamache is loath to take on another investigation. But neighbor Clara Morrow needs his help when her artist husband doesn’t return for their agreed-upon reunion after a yearlong separation. Some violence and some strong language. 2014.

A Trick of the Light BRE00061
by Louise Penny
5 volumes
Inspector Gamache attends Clara Morrow’s solo art show in Montreal. The next morning he is summoned to Three Pines village after the Morrows discover Lillian Dyson dead in their garden. Clara’s childhood friendship with Lillian was shattered when Lillian wrote a scathing review of Clara’s student work. Strong language. 2011.

Incidents in the Life of Markus Paul BRE00038
by David Adams Richards
3 volumes
1985. Hector Penniac, a young member of the Micmac First Nation, is murdered on his first day of work. Loner Roger Savage comes under suspicion, leading Amos Paul, the chief of Hector’s band, to try to reduce tensions, and Joel Ginnish, a volatile Micmac, to bring his own justice to Savage when the authorities refuse to. Twenty years later, RCMP officer Markus Paul—Amos’s grandson—tries to piece together the clues surrounding Hector’s death. Some violence, some descriptions of sex, and some strong language. 2011

Occult and Horror

The Thirteen BRE00044
by Susie Moloney
4 volumes
Paula Wittmore hasn’t been back to Haven Woods since she left as a disgraced teenager. Now she’s returning to care for her mother, and she’s bringing her daughter and a pile of emotional baggage. She’s also bringing, unknowingly, the last chance for her mother’s closest frenemies—twelve women bound together by a powerful secret that requires the sacrifice of a thirteenth. Some descriptions of violence, some strong language. 2011.

This Dark Endeavour: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein BRE00050
by Kenneth Oppel
3 volumes
Victor Frankenstein, his twin brother, Konrad, and their beautiful cousin Elizabeth have explored all the rooms of the palatial Frankenstein chateau—except one. The Dark Library contains ancient tomes written in strange languages and filled with forbidden knowledge. Their father makes them promise never to go inside, but when Konrad becomes deathly ill, Victor knows he must find the book that contains the recipe for the legendary Elixir of Life. For junior and senior high readers. Winner of the 2013 Red Maple Fiction Honour Book Award. 2011.

Romance

Save the Date BRE00089
by Mary Kay Andrews
5 volumes
A Savannah, Georgia, florist is about to score the wedding of a lifetime—one that will solidify her career as the go-to girl for society nuptials. Ironically, Cara Kryzik doesn’t believe in love, even though she creates beautiful flower arrangements to celebrate it. But when the bride goes missing and the wedding is in jeopardy, Cara must find the bride and figure out what she believes in. Bestseller. 2014.

Touched by Angels BRE00068
by Debbie Macomber
3 volumes
Angels Shirley, Goodness, and Mercy visit New York City at Christmastime to perform miracles. They convince inner-city teacher Brynn Cassidy to continue working, encourage Hannah Morganstern to marry the one she loves, and nudge an unemployed Broadway singer/dancer to go home to family and romance. Some strong language. 1995.

Science Fiction

First Day on Earth BRE00074
by Cecil Castellucci
1 volume
Mal lives on the fringes of high school—angry, misunderstood, quiet, but with a lot of words underneath. Several years ago, Mal disappeared for three days. Everyone tells him it was a breakdown, a seizure, something medical, but he thinks it was something different—an alien abduction. At an abductee support group, he meets Hooper, who has some otherworldly secrets of his own, and suddenly the truth is closer than Mal ever imagined it could be. For senior high readers. 2011.

End of Days BRE00048
by Eric Walters
3 volumes
2012. The world’s most renowned astrophysicists, astronomers, and theoretical mathematicians have all died within the same 12-month period. But they aren’t really dead after all—they have been taken hostage by alien forces. And while their families and friends are mourning their passing, and with the help of a 16-year-old with rare gifts, they face the ultimate struggle of prevailing over evil and returning themselves—and the earth—to safety. For senior high readers. Some descriptions of violence. 2011.

Burning Paradise BRE00083
by Robert Charles Wilson
4 volumes
Eighteen-year-old Cassie Klyne lives in the United States in the year 2014—but it’s not our United States, and it’s not our 2014. Cassie’s world has been at peace since the Great Armistice of 1918. There was no World War II, no Great Depression. Poverty is declining, prosperity is increasing; social instability is rare. But Cassie knows the world isn’t what it seems. Her dead parents were part of a group who gradually discovered the awful truth: that for decades human progress has been interfered with, made more peaceful and benign, by an extraterrestrial entity. But why? 2013.

Suspense

Digital Fortress BRE00027
by Dan Brown
4 volumes
TRANSLATR, the National Security Agency’s top-secret computer, intercepts and decodes terrorist email traffic. When a renegade develops an ingenious algorithm that defeats the critical intelligence system, NSA agents race to undo the dangerous code before it can upset the geopolitical balance of power. 1998.

Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Retribution: A New Jason Bourne Novel BRE00082
by Eric Lustbader and Robert Ludlum
4 volumes
When Director Yadin learns of a mysterious connection between Ouyang Jidan, a senior member of China’s Politburo, and a recently deceased Mexican drug lord, he asks Jason Bourne to investigate. Bourne agrees, but only because he has a personal agenda: Ouyang Jidan is the man who ordered Rebeka—one of the only people Bourne has ever truly cared about—murdered. Bourne is determined to avenge her death, but in the process he becomes enmeshed in a monstrous world-wide scheme involving the Chinese, Mexicans, and Russians. 2013.

The Blue Light Project BRE00034
by Timothy L. Taylor
4 volumes
A man armed with an explosive device storms a studio where KiddieFame, a controversial children’s talent show, is being filmed, and demands an interview with disgraced journalist Thom Pegg. Outside, Eve, a former Olympian, and Rabbit, a street artist, meet and join forces to look for Eve’s missing brother. Pegg listens to the hostage taker’s story and begins to realize the terrible truth about what he has planned. Violence and strong language. 2011.

Westerns

A Good Man BRE00049
by Guy Vanderhaeghe
5 volumes
Montana, 1876. Wesley Case, son of a Canadian timber baron, settles in Montana to ranch. He falls in love with widow Ada Tarr and helps the American and Canadian armies negotiate peace with native tribes—but violence erupts from the Sioux. Some violence and some strong language. 2011.

Adult Nonfiction

Biography

Something Fierce: Memoirs of a Revolutionary Daughter BRE00057
by Carmen Aguirre
3 volumes
A first-hand account of a young underground revolutionary during the Pinochet dictatorship in 1980s Chile. Aguirre takes the reader inside war-ridden Peru, dictatorship-run Bolivia, post-Malvinas Argentina and Pinochet’s Chile. She describes her constant struggle to reconcile her commitment to the resistance movement with the desires of her youth and her budding sexuality. Winner of Canada Reads 2012. Violence and some descriptions of sex. 2011.

A Matter of Principle BRE00055
by Conrad Black
8 volumes
Black, a newspaper baron who was fired as chairman of Hollinger International in 2004 after he and his associates were accused of fraud, describes his indictment, four-month trial in Chicago, partial conviction, imprisonment, and largely successful appeal. Woven throughout are Black’s views on politics, corporate governance, the US justice system, friendships, his Catholic faith, and his marriage. 2011.

Stories about Storytellers: Publishing Alice Munro, Robertson Davies, Alistair Macleod, Pierre Trudeau, and Others BRE00071
by Douglas Gibson
5 volumes
Editor and publisher describes his career working—and playing—alongside some of Canada’s greatest writers. Relates the projects he brainstormed for writer Barry Broadfoot, how he convinced Alice Munro to keep writing short stories, his early morning phone call from a former prime minister, and the time he yanked a manuscript right out of Alistair MacLeod’s reluctant hands, a manuscript that ultimately garnered MacLeod one of the world’s most prestigious prizes for fiction. 2011.

The Four Walls of My Freedom BRE00085
by Donna Thomson
3 volumes
Former actor describes how her life was forever changed when her son Nicholas was born with cerebral palsy. She became his primary caregiver and embarked on a second career as a disability activist, author, and consultant. Describes experiences with daily care, emergencies, and medical bureaucracy; demonstrates the vital contribution that people with disabilities make to society; and addresses the ethics and economics of giving and receiving care. 2014.

Consumerism

How Not to Move Back in with Your Parents: The Young Person’s Guide to Financial Empowerment BRE00073
by Rob Carrick
2 volumes
Financial expert targets young adults graduating from college and moving into the workforce, the housing market, and family life. Offers information on saving for a post-secondary education and paying off student debts, establishing a credit rating, basic banking and budgeting, car and home buying, and insurance. 2012.

Cooking

Good Food to Go: Healthy Lunches Your Kids Will Love (and Actually Eat) BRE00037
by Brenda E. Bradshaw and Cheryl Mutch
3 volumes
A guide to packing healthy lunch boxes with food that kids will enjoy and parents can feel good about—and that will stay hot enough, cold enough, or crisp enough after a morning in the cloakroom. Two working moms—one a teacher, one a pediatrician—offer creative ideas for balanced lunches and nutritious snacks, as well as up-to-date health tips. 2011.

Lynn Crawford’s Pitchin’ In: More than 100 Recipes from Simple Ingredients BRE00069
by Lynn Crawford
3 volumes
Chef Lynn Crawford describes her road trip across North America, from the Bay of Fundy for lobster to Vancouver Island for Dungeness crab; from Kansas, where farmers are reviving heritage turkey, to Perth County in Southwestern Ontario, famous for its pork. Provides her best food and cooking tips and recipes, including cider-glazed pork chops, creamy chicken paprika, honey butter roasted scallops, and pecan blueberry cobbler. 2012.

Crime

Thieves!: Ten Stories of Surprising Heists, Comical Capers, and Daring Escapades BRE00029
by Andreas Schroeder
2 volumes
Ten tales of unusual thievery. Describes how three Italians, dressed as workmen, stole the Louvre’s Mona Lisa in 1911 and how D.B. Cooper parachuted from a jet with extortion money in 1971, never to be found. For senior high and older readers. 2005.

My Story BRE00079
by Elizabeth Smart and Chris Stewart
3 volumes
Elizabeth Smart recounts her ordeal of being kidnapped at age fourteen from her family’s home in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 2002, and her nine months of captivity. Highlights the ways her religious faith sustained her sanity, enabled her subsequent recovery, and helped her witness the trial of her abusers. 2013.

Family

How to Expect What You’re Not Expecting: Stories of Pregnancy, Parenthood and Loss BRE00077
by Lisa Martin-DeMoor and Jessica Hiemstra
3 volumes
“One size fits all” does not apply to pregnancy and childbirth. Each one is different, unique, and comes with its share of happiness and pain. But how does one prepare for an unexpected loss of a pregnancy or hoped-for baby? In this anthology, writers share their true stories of miscarriage, stillbirth, infertility, and other, related losses, which can prepare and guide women and their families for when the unforeseen happens. 2013.

Parenting Your Parents: Straight Talk about Aging in the Family BRE00086
by Bart J. Mindszenthy and Michael Gordon
5 volumes
Examines the complex challenges posed by the expanding aging population in North America. Discusses how to provide parents with the kind of love, care, support, and attention they need; offers a new Vulnerability Index to measure what level of need parents may have right now; and shares financial planning advice and a resource directory. 2013.

Government and Politics

Nation Maker: Sir John A. Macdonald; His Life, Our Times; Volume 2; 1867–1891 BRE00060
by Richard J. Gwyn
8 volumes
Paints a portrait of Canada and its leaders through its formative years, beginning with Confederation Day in 1867. Describes how John A. Macdonald finessed a reluctant union of four provinces in central and eastern Canada into a strong nation, despite indifference from Britain and annexationist sentiment in the United States. Also discusses Macdonald’s personal life, including his second marriage, the birth of a disabled child, and the assassination of his close friend Darcy McGee. Winner of the 2011 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing. 2011.

Literature

Negotiating with the Dead: A Writer on Writing BRE00015
by Margaret Atwood
3 volumes
Author looks back on own childhood and the development of her writing career and examines the metaphors that writers of fiction and poetry have used to explain their activities. Her wide and eclectic reference to other writers, living and dead, is balanced by anecdotes from her own experiences as a writer, both in Canada and on the international scene. 2002.

Medicine and Health

AMD: Age-Related Macular Degeneration BRE00070
by Jean-Daniel Arbour
1 volume
Discusses how AMD is still poorly understood despite affecting more than one million Canadians. Addresses common questions asked by people with AMD, describes the impact of AMD in everyday life, and shares the latest research and new treatments under development that hold promise for the future. 2010.

The End of Diabetes: The Eat to Live Plan to Prevent and Reverse Diabetes BRE00080
by Joel Fuhrman
4 volumes
New York Times-bestselling author of Eat to Live (BR20339) shares a program to prevent and reverse diabetes without drugs and argues for its scientific validity. Bestseller. 2012.

March Forth: The Inspiring True Story of a Canadian Soldier’s Journey of Love, Hope and Survival BRE00066
by Trevor Greene and Debbie Greene
4 volumes
2006. Trevor Greene, a journalist and a reservist in the Canadian Army, was at a meeting with village elders in Afghanistan when a teenage boy under the influence of the Taliban swung an axe into his skull. After years of rehabilitation, setbacks, and crises, Trevor learned to talk and move again, with the love and support of his fiancée Debbie. Their story is told in two voices: Trevor’s, up until the attack that changed their lives; and Debbie’s, as she works tirelessly to rehabilitate the man she loves. Violence, strong language, and some descriptions of sex. 2012.

Poetry

Blindfold BRE00072
by John Asfour
1 volume
A sense of exile and belonging dominates these poems, following the journey of a blind man whose life in his new land has been hampered by prejudice and barriers to communication. Exposes the possibilities of a life that has undergone a frightening transformation and relates feelings of loss, displacement, and disorientation experienced not only by the disabled but by everyone who finds themselves separated from the norm. 2011.

Blind Ambitions: Life & Faith from the Eyes of a Blind Man BRE00084
by Randy Bear Lacey
2 volumes
Addresses the trials of losing your vision as an adult and having to learn how to live a new lifestyle. It also illustrates how the writer’s faith in God keeps him grounded and gives him hope to carry on. 2013.

Sports and Recreation

The Game BRE00053
by Ken Dryden
4 volumes
The former goalkeeper for the Montreal Canadiens describes the world of the locker room, the days and nights on the road, the camaraderie among players, the jealousies, and the game itself. Focuses on the life of an athlete with frank anecdotes and commentary. 1983.

Maurice Richard BRE00032
by Charles Foran
2 volumes
Describes National Hockey League star Maurice Richard’s 1921 birth into a working-class family and his coming of age as a French Canadian and athlete. Argues that beginning with his 50-goal, 50-game season in 1944–45 and through his battles with the league over bigotry toward French-Canadian players, Richard’s on-ice ferocity and off-ice dignity echoed the change in Quebec. Some violence and some strong language. 2011.

Cornered: Hijinks, Highlights, Late Nights and Insights BRE00059
by Ron MacLean and Kirstie McLellan Day
4 volumes
Sportscaster shares inside accounts from a twenty-five year career interviewing hockey players, coaches, and personalities. Covers his early days as a part-time radio announcer and weather forecaster in Red Deer, Alberta, to his time hosting Hockey Night in Canada and the Olympics. Some violence, some strong language, and some descriptions of sex. Bestseller. 2011.

Stage and Screen

Finding Myself in Fashion BRE00052
by Jeanne Beker
3 volumes
Fashion journalist recalls personal and professional highs and lows of the turbulent past decade, including the end of her marriage. Describes travelling the world with FQ Magazine, witnessing epic events and conducting intimate interviews as a fashion reporter, launching her own clothes labels, writing newspaper columns, and appearing on innumerable television shows. Asserts she has stuck to her youthful resolution to live a life that was not just great, but extraordinary. 2011.

The Pursuit of Perfection: A Life of Celia Franca BRE00056
by Carol Bishop-Gwyn
5 volumes
Follows dancer Celia Franca from her birth to a working-class family in London, England, in 1921 to ballet greatness. Describes her unrivaled drive and efforts to build the National Ballet of Canada into a major cultural force. 2011.

War

Under an Afghan Sky: A Memoir of Captivity BRE00062
by Mellissa Fung
4 volumes
Mellissa Fung, a longtime reporter for CBC’s The National, recounts her kidnapping by armed men claiming to be Taliban from a refugee camp outside of Kabul in October 2008. Describes the twenty-eight days she lived in a hole barely big enough to stand up or lie down in, nursing her injuries, praying, writing in her notebook and, as a veteran journalist, interrogating her own captors. Some violence, some strong language, and some descriptions of sex. 2011.

Captivity: 118 Days in Iraq and the Struggle for a World without War BRE00035
by James Loney
5 volumes
James Loney recounts being taken hostage at gunpoint with three other men, all members of Christian Peacemaker Teams, in Iraq in November 2005. Describes the murder of one of his comrades and 118 days held in captivity by the Swords of Righteousness Brigade. 2011.

World History

The Moral Lives of Israelis: Reinventing the Dream State BRE00041
by David Berlin
3 volumes
Inspired by the last words written by his father, “Look after my little country,” Berlin combines memoir, reportage, and introspection on the place of Israel in the world. The fundamental question is, with so many missteps and in a region deeply fraught with antagonism, racism and misunderstanding, how can Israel move forward? Some strong language and some descriptions of violence. 2011.

The Secret of the Crown: Canada’s Affair with Royalty BRE00067
by John Fraser
2 volumes
Explores the endurance and allure of the Crown in Canada, looking at the Crown’s evolution from the age of deference to the era of celebrity to the present popular revival. Examines the differences between tribal monarchy and constitutional monarchy, the key roles of the governor general and the lieutenant governor, and the media’s insatiable appetite for the royal family. Speculates on the future reign of Charles, Prince of Wales, and pays homage to Queen Elizabeth II on her Diamond Jubilee. 2012.

Eyes of the Blind BRE00017
by Barth Hoogstraten
3 volumes
Former Dutch medical student describes refusing to sign a Nazi loyalty decree in 1942 and his subsequent time sheltering with Ann and Bets Frank, two blind middle-aged music teachers. Violence, strong language, and descriptions of sex. 2001.

Books for Children

Children’s Fiction

Animals and Wildlife

Catboy BRE00046
by Eric Walters
2 volumes
While taking a shortcut across a junkyard with his new friend Simon, Taylor discovers a colony of wild cats. Assisted by his classmates, teacher, and the security guard, Mr. Singh, Taylor takes a special interest in caring for the cats. Then he finds out that the junkyard is being redeveloped to become condominiums. Can Taylor and his friends save the cats of the colony from certain death? For grades 5–8. 2011.

Family

Jakeman BRE00030
by Deborah Ellis
1 volume
Jake and his sister Shoshona have been in foster care since their single mother was arrested three years before, and Jake has been writing to the governor all that time, pleading for mercy. Four times a year, they take a bus to see their mom in jail, but this time their chaperone gets food poisoning, their bus driver gets drunk and abandons them, and Shoshona takes the wheel! Then Jake and the others hatch a plan to visit the governor’s mother. For grades 3–6. 2007.

Out of the Blue BRE00024
by Sarah Ellis
2 volumes
Her parents have been acting as if they’re hiding something, so Megan begins to snoop. She finds a brochure for a sailing trip and assumes her parents are giving it to her for her twelfth birthday. Instead, the surprise is that Megan has a half-sister who is twice as old as she is. For grades 5–8. 1994.

The Opposite of Tidy BRE00021
by Carrie Mac
3 volumes
Fifteen-year-old Junie is barely coping. Her mother has started sleeping in the chair in front of the TV, and the house is so packed with junk that she can barely get in the front door. So when Wade Jaffre, the hot new guy at school, offers her a ride home, it seems too good to be true. For junior and senior high readers. 2012.

Fantasy

Margaret and the Moth Tree BRE00019
by Brit Trogen and Kari Trogen
2 volumes
Quiet orphan Margaret is trapped in a dreadful orphanage run by the sinister Miss Switch. After an unsuccessful attempt to alert authorities to Miss Switch’s tyranny, Margaret is forced to endure a life of complete silence. One day, she hears tiny voices coming from a strange, thorny tree and discovers a community of playful moths. Together Margaret and the moths prepare a plan to end Miss Switch’s reign of terror. For grades 4–7. 2012.

General

One Year in Coal Harbour BRE00081
by Polly Horvath
2 volumes
In a small fishing village in British Columbia, twelve-year-old Primrose tries to be a matchmaker for her Uncle Jack; befriends Ked, a new foster child; debates if she is willing to go to jail for her convictions; and, together with Ked, publishes a cookbook to raise money for the Fisherman’s Aid. Includes recipes. Winner of the 2013 TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award. Sequel to Everything on a Waffle (BR17295). For grades 3–6. 2012.

Humor

Dead End in Norvelt BRE00065
by Jack Gantos
3 volumes
Norvelt, Pennsylvania; 1962. Grounded for various offenses, twelve-year-old Jack Gantos spends his summer helping his elderly neighbor. As part of his duties, Jack must perform an unusual chore that involves the newly dead, molten wax, underage driving, and more. For grades 5–8 and older readers. Newbery Award. 2011.

Children’s Nonfiction

Biography

I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban BRE00078
by Malala Yousafzai and Patricia McCormick
3 volumes
When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education. On October 9, 2012, she almost paid the ultimate price. For grades 5–8 and older readers. Bestseller. 2013.

General

Duped!: True Stories of the World’s Best Swindlers BRE00064
by Andreas Schroeder
1 volume
Uncovers the facts behind eight of the most outrageous scams of all time. Read about a Stone Age tribe discovered in the jungles of the Philippines, lost documents written by Shakespeare, and a 1938 radio broadcast that reported that something strange had crashed into a field in New Jersey and that Martians had started attacking! For grades 4–7. 2011.

Geography

Kids of Kabul: Living Bravely through a Never-Ending War BRE00018
by Deborah Ellis
1 volume
Explores what has happened to Afghanistan’s children since the fall of the Taliban in 2001. Descibes life in a country torn apart by war, where violence and oppression still exist, particularly affecting the lives of girls, but where children are surviving with courage and optimism. Violence. For grades 4–7. 2012.

The Kids Book of Canadian Exploration BRE00028
by Ann-Maureen Owens and Jane Yealland
1 volume
Did you know that Arctic explorers trapped in winter ice were forced to eat their shoes to avoid starvation, or that French adventurer La Vérendrye was convinced that Lake Winnipeg led to the Pacific Ocean? Describes how explorers have always been drawn to Canada, from Natives looking for hunting grounds to Europeans searching for fish, gold, or the Northwest Passage, and discusses present-day explorers who focus on outer space, the ocean, and the preservation of Earth. For grades 3–6. 2004.

Language

The Kids Can Press French & English Phrase Book BRE00026
by Chantal Lacourcière-Kenny and Linda Hendry
1 volume
Offers a series of sentences in French and English about Rose, her family and friends, and their activities. For grades 2–4. 1999.

Nature and the Environment

A Walk on the Tundra BRE00016
by Rebecca Hainnu and Anna Ziegler
1 volume
During the short Arctic summers, the tundra, covered most of the year under snow and ice, becomes filled with colorful flowers, mosses, shrubs, and lichens. Describes how these hardy little plants transform the northern landscape, providing food for caribou, lemmings, and many other wildlife species, and discusses their importance to the Inuit. For grades 2–4. 2011.

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 sends you braille materials.

Boys’ Life (for children and teens)
Braille Book Review
Braille Chess Magazine (British publication)
Braille Music Magazine (British publication)
Catster Magazine
Conundrum (British publication)
Cooks Illustrated
Eating Well
Harper’s (literary)
Health Newsletters (includes Harvard Health Letter, Mayo Clinic Health Letter, and Berkeley Wellness Letter)
Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine
Martha Stewart Living (home and entertaining)
Muse (for children)
Musical Mainstream (NLS publication)
National Geographic
News (NLS publication)
The New York Times Book Review
The New York Times Large Print Weekly
O, the Oprah Magazine
Parents
PC World
Playboy
Poetry
Popular Mechanics
Popular Music Lead Sheets
Popular Science
Rolling Stone (popular culture)
Science News
Short Stories (British publication)
Spider: The Magazine for Children
Stone Soup (children’s writings)

Schedules for the following sports leagues are also available:
Major League Baseball
National Basketball Association
National Football League
National Hockey League
Women’s National Basketball Association

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