To continue our monthly series of book lists for youth, the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library would like to recommend the following titles.
March, 2008 -- They DO Write Them Like They Used To!
The Boy Who Wouldn't Go To Bed by Helen Cooper. A little boy longs to stay up all night, but even in his imagination, his toys are tired and ready for bed. His sleepy mother waits up to tuck him in. Grades P-2. Print/Braille book BR 14049. Large print book LP 13523.
Those Summers by Aliki. A tone poem describes an extended family's summers at the seashore. The children spend their days playing at the beach, their evenings on the boardwalk, and rainy days with books and games. Grades P-2. Cassette book RC 43608.
Three Cheers for Catherine the Great by Cari Best. Sara's Russian grandmother wants no birthday presents, but perhaps a gift from the heart would please her. Sara spends a whole week trying to come up with something special. Grades K-3. Cassette book RC 50354.
Jake Drake, Bully Buster by Andrew Clements. Fourth-grader Jake remembers second grade, where, in order to survive, he had to learn to discourage bullies without fighting. Grades 2-4. Cassette book RC 57816.
Butterfly Lion by Michael Morpurgo. When a 10-year-old boy runs away from an English boarding school, an elderly woman encourages him to return by telling a story about an earlier runaway, who missed his pet lion and his home in Africa. Grades 3-6. Braille book BR 11928. Cassette book RC 47068.
Chuck and Danielle by Peter Dickinson. Danielle loves her dog, but admits the whippet is afraid of everything that moves. His cowardice, always hilarious, sometimes creates unexpectedly positive results. Grades 3-6. Cassette book RC 45364.
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo. Edward, a snobbish china rabbit, doesn't appreciate the adoration of his original owner, Abilene, until he's lost overboard. As he passes from one owner to the next, he slowly learns to love. Grades 3-6. Cassette book RC 62599.
The Year of Miss Agnes by Kirkpatrick Hill. Fred, short for Fredericka, tells about the year that an amazing teacher came to the one room schoolhouse in her Alaskan village. Miss Agnes made learning fun for everyone, and even introduced Fred's deaf sister to sign language. Grades 3 and up. Cassette book RC 51865.
A Long Way from Chicago : A Novel in Stories by Richard Peck. An older man reminisces about what it was like when he and his sister spent summers in the country with their feisty grandmother. Grade 4 and up. Braille book BR 12129. Cassette book RC 50305. Large print book LP 17462.
Minn and Jake by Janet S. Wong. Fifth-grader Minn , the tallest girl in school, begins a rocky friendship with Jake, a new student who's not only very short, but also afraid of the worms and lizards that Minn likes to collect. Grades 4-7. Braille book BRW 1125. Cassette book CBA 7780.
The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall. The Penderwick sisters vacation in a cottage on a Berkshire Mountain estate and make friends with the owner's son, to the displeasure of his snobbish mother. Grades 4-7. Braille book BR 16482. Cassette book RC 61553. Large Print book LP 21962.
Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech. Orphaned twins Dallas and Florida finally have something to smile about when an elderly couple offer to take them on a travel adventure. It begins with a chance to explore Ruby Holler, the couple's cherished homestead. Grade 4 and up. Braille book BR 15524. Cassette book RC 55169. Large print book LP 19809.
Millicent Min, Girl Genius by Lisa Yee. Eleven-year-old prodigy, Millicent, is very smart, but a little clueless about relating to people, especially her older classmates. Her mother thinks joining a volleyball team and tutoring will help, but Millicent thinks a summer college course is more likely to yield her a friend. For grade 5 and up. Braille book BR15702. Cassette book CBA 7749.
My Louisiana Sky by Kimberly Willis Holt. Twelve-year-old Tiger Ann is embarrassed about her “slow” parents. After her grandmother dies, she longs to escape to the city with her aunt, but feels guilty about her parents who really need her at home. Grade 5 and up. Braille book BR 11788.
Rules by Cynthia Lord. Catherine loves her brother, but she's aggravated with his autistic behavior. It creates messes for her to clean up, draws stares from strangers, and monopolizes her parents' attention. A blossoming friendship with a teenage nonverbal paraplegic helps her to rethink her emotional responses. Grade 5 and up. Braille book BR 17108. Cassette book RC 62696.
Saffy's Angel by Hilary McKay. Saffy feels lost when she learns she's only a cousin, rather than a sister, in the close-knit, scatter-brained, artistic family she loves. She plans to stow away when her friend Sara's family heads for Italy, so she can find out more about her past. Grade 5 and up. Braille book BR 14553. Cassette book RC 56168. Large print book LP 19813.
The Same Stuff as Stars by Katherine Paterson. Angel's only 11 when her mother abandons her and her younger brother at the rundown farm of a great-grandmother they've never met. The tiny local library and a man who teaches her about the stars brighten Angel's life. Grade 5 and up. Cassette book RC 55611.
The Star of Kazan by Eva Ibbotson. Annika, a foundling, adores Vienna and the two women servants who raised her, but she longs to know her real mother. When an aristocrat claims her and whisks her off to a decrepit mansion, Annika begins to regret her choices. Grade 5 and up. Cassette book RC 60293.
Time Pieces: A Book of Times by Virginia Hamilton. In her memories of a long-ago summer as a black child in rural Ohio, Valena reveals challenges of nature, incidents of racism, the universal agonies of adolescence, and the joys of a close-knit family. Grade 5 and up. Cassette book RC 56690.
Enthusiasm by Polly Shulman. Julie and Ashleigh are sophomores, best friends, and Jane Austen fans. Looking for their own Mr. Darcy, both girls fall for the same boy and hide their feelings while rehearsing for a play. Grade 6 and up. Braille book BR 16689.
To order these books and others like these, use the link to the "On-line Catalog (OPAC)" at www.wtbbl.org. Order these books or use keyword search or subject search to find more like these. You can limit your search by reading level and/or material format.
Link to previous Recommended Reads.