To continue our monthly series of book lists for youth, the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library would like to recommend the following books.
Fireflies, Peach Pies, and Lullabies by Virginia Kroll. In her great grandmother's last years, and later at her funeral, Franny desperately wants everyone to remember the person Great Granny Annabel was before Alzheimer's changed her. Grades P-2 Cassette book RC 43613.
Clementine by Sara Pennypacker. Somehow, the way Clementine's lively mind works is never in sync with those around her. Since she knows she's a "difficult" child in comparison to her younger brother, she's afraid her parents will want to get rid of her. Grades 2-4. Braille book BR 17987. Cassette book RC 65325.
Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting. Despite living in an airport, a homeless young boy and his father manage to create a sense of community and hold on to hopes of better times. Grade 2 and up. Cassette book RC 35190.
The Bread Winner by Arvella Whitmore. During the Great Depression, Sarah is actually excited about the move to the city after her family loses their farm, until she experiences the hardships of Shantytown. Her own bread-baking skills help the family survive. Grade 3 and up. Cassette book RC 35534.
The Family Under the Bridge by Natalie Savage Carlson. One cold winter, a Parisian hobo is disturbed to find three children and their dog sharing his space under a bridge. Grade 3 and up. Braille book BR 12223. Cassette book RC 48442.
The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew by Margaret Sidney. The five Pepper children and their mother share love and good times even though they have more problems than money. Grades 3-6. Cassette book RC 43745.
The Moffats by Eleanor Estes. Despite having very little money, the Moffat children and their mother share love and lively adventures in their 1930s Connecticut small town. Grades 3-6. Braille book BR 5890. Cassette book RC 22178.
Sachiko Means Happiness by Kimiko Sakai. Sachiko's been upset that she has to help care for her grandmother, a woman who no longer remembers her. On an evening walk, she realizes that she can relate to her grandmother in new ways. Grades 3-6. Large Print book LP 9552.
The Not-Just-Anybody Family by Betsy Byers. The three Blossom children try to avoid getting into trouble while their mother is away on the rodeo circuit. Then their grandfather is arrested for disorderly conduct! Grades 4-7. Braille book BR 9153. Cassette book RC 25768. Large Print book LP 8079.
The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall. The Penderwick family vacations in a cottage on a Berkshire Mountain estate. There the sisters make friends with the owner's son, despite his snobbish mother. Grades 4-7. Braille book BR 16482. Cassette book RC 61553. Large Print book LP 21962.
Rope Burn by Jan Siebold. Usually Richard has trouble with writing assignments, but when he's asked to describe how a proverb illustrates something in his own life, he has no problem coming up with nine stories about his parents' divorce and moving into a new neighborhood. Grades 4-7. Cassette book RC 47285.
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. #1, Casson Family series. Grade 4 and up. Braille book BR 14553. Cassette book RC 56168. Large Print book LP 19813.
United Tates of America by Paula Danziger. Eleven-year-old Sarah finds middle school difficult for a number of reasons, but they all pale in comparison to losing her favorite uncle. Grade 4 and up. Braille book BR15527.
The Circuit: Stories From the Life of a Migrant Child by Francisco Jimenez. Based on the author's own experiences, these realistic stories reveal the hardships faced by an illegal migrant family. Grade 5 and up. Braille book BR 12099. Cassette book RC 46960.
Dicey's Song by Cynthia Voight. Because of their mother's mental illness, Dicey has long been responsible for her three younger siblings. Even when the children find a home with their grandmother, Dicey tries to shield her from their problems. #2, Dicy Tillerman series. Grade 4 and up. Braille book BR 13291. Cassette book RC 21917. Large Print book LP 7509, LP 20925, or LP 21930.
House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. Esperanza dreams of a better house than the one she shares with her family in a poor section of Chicago, but she still describes in loving detail, the people and events of her neighborhood. Grade 5 and up. Cassette book RC 35608. Spanish cassette book RC 50975.
No Place to Be: Voices of Homeless Children by Judith Berck. Interviews with more than 30 homeless children in New York City reveal the devastating effects on health, education, and self esteem - but also the enduring hope of better times to come. Grade 5 and up. Cassette book RC 40125.
The Same Stuff as Stars by Katherine Paterson. Angel is not yet 12 when her mother dumps her and her younger brother at their great-grandmother's rundown farmhouse. Astronomy and the tiny local library provide needed distractions. Grade 5 and up. Cassette book RC 55611.
Time Pieces: A Book of Times by Virginia Hamilton. Valena's stories of a long-ago summer reveal racism, the universal agonies of adolescence, and the joys of a close-knit family. Grade 5 and up. Cassette book RC 56690.
Plainsong by Kent Haruf. When a pregnant teen's family throws her out, other members of the small Colorado community encourage two older, set-in-their-ways farmers to open their home and hearts to her. High School and older readers. Braille book BRW 1043. Cassette book RC 49056. Large Print book LP 16813.