CASSETTE BOOKS 1995

National Library Service 
for the Blind and Physically Handicapped

Washington, D.C.  1995

Young Adults Contents

Nonfiction
Fiction 

Nonfiction

America and Vietnam: The Elephant and the Tiger  RC 37245
by Albert Marrin 
read by Art Metzler
2 cassettes
The author provides a look at the war in Vietnam and its effects
on both nations. Beginning with information on Vietnam and a
brief biography of Ho Chi Minh, the author then describes war and
its horrors. He exposes the brutality of both the North and South
Vietnamese governments and proclaims the unrealistic expectations
and decisions of America's presidents. Violence and some strong
language. For high school and older readers. 1992.

Best-Loved Stories Told at the National Storytelling Festival  RC
37843
by National Association for the Preservation and Perpetuation of
Storytelling 
read by John Stratton
2 cassettes
The National Storytelling Festival, annually commemorating the
heritage and art of storytelling, has been held in Jonesborough,
Tennessee, since 1972. This volume honors the festival's
twentieth anniversary. Included are thirty-seven tales that
provide a wide variety of genres, sources, and colloquial voices.
For junior and senior high and older readers. 1991.

Children of the Dream: The Psychology of Black Success  RC 38312
by Audrey Edwards and Craig K. Polite 
read by Kerry Cundiff
2 cassettes
Profiles and sociopsychological commentary of more than forty
"children of the dream," successful African Americans who came of
age between the _Brown v. Board of Education_ decision and the
assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Chapters include "The
Integration Generation" and "A Dream Deferred?" Some strong
language. For high school and older readers. 1992.

Ghost Girl: The True Story of a Child in Peril and the Teacher
Who Saved Her  RC 37247
by Torey L. Hayden 
read by Madelyn Buzzard
2 cassettes
Hayden's class of emotionally disturbed children includes Reuben,
who is autistic; Philip, born to an addict and now in foster
care; Jeremiah, a foul-mouthed fighter; and Jadie, a silent girl
who walks hunched over. Hayden gets Jadie to speak, and she tells
of sexual abuse and horrifying ritual acts. Some descriptions of
sex and some strong language. For high school and older readers.
1991.

Nelson Mandela Speaks: Forging a Democratic Nonracial South
Africa  RC 38719
by Nelson Mandela 
read by John Horton
2 cassettes
Selected speeches, interviews, and letters dating from Mandela's
1990 release from prison (after twenty-seven years) to the 1993
scheduling of nationwide elections for South Africans of all
races. Includes the address given in Cape Town following his
release from prison, a message to the Jewish community (1992),
and a speech at an NAACP convention (1993). For senior high and
older readers. 1993.

No Words to Say Goodbye: A Young Jewish Woman's Journey from the
Soviet Union into America; the Extraordinary Diaries of Raimonda
Kopelnitsky  RC 38522
by Raimonda Kopelnitsky and Kelli Pryor 
read by Suzanne Toren
2 cassettes
Adolescent Raimonda emigrated with her family from Ukraine to New
York in 1989 after the Chernobyl disaster. Inspired by Anne
Frank, she kept a diary from 1989 to 1992. Raimonda's family
history supplements her own written words. For high school and
older readers. Some strong language. 1994.

Portrait of a Tragedy: America and the Vietnam War  RC 37076
by James A. Warren 
read by Butch Hoover
1 cassette
The author begins this history of the Vietnam War with background
information on Vietnam and a description of how the United States
became involved there, stressing the political climate of the
cold war. He then discusses the war, detailing military
operations and their effects in Vietnam and the United States. He
describes the anti-war movement and the legacy of the conflict.
For high school and older readers. 1990.

Sexual Harassment  RC 38792
by Elaine Landau 
read by Ilona Dulaski
1 cassette
The author cites Anita Hill's testimony during Supreme Court
Justice Clarence Thomas's 1991 confirmation hearings, which
thrust sexual harassment to the forefront of the news and the
nation's awareness. She also examines the various forms that
sexual harassment can take, discusses instances of harassment in
work and school settings, and offers suggestions for handling
harassment situations. For junior and senior high and older
readers. 1993.

The Water Is Wide  RC 38036
by Pat Conroy 
read by Robert Sams
2 cassettes (Reissue)
An account of the year that the author spent teaching eighteen
fifth- through eighth-grade African American children in an
ill-equipped two-room school on Yamacraw Island, off the South
Carolina coast, and the public fight with the school board that
cost him his job. For junior and senior high and older readers.
1972.

+Zlata's Diary: A Child's Life in Sarajevo  RC 38076
by Zlata Filipovi  
read by Pam Ward
1 cassette
Zlata begins this diary as a young schoolgirl preoccupied with
piano lessons, homework, playing tennis, movie stars, friends,
and family. That changes rapidly as shelling begins. Concern for
grades vanishes with her school. Now daily life centers around
finding the necessities of life, including a hiding place for the
night, and Zlata grows angry as her childhood is stolen. For
junior and senior high and older readers. Bestseller 1994.

Fiction

Al Capsella and the Watchdogs  RC 37551
by Judith Clarke 
read by Andrew Sofer
1 cassette
Al Capsella, fifteen, longs for an independent social life.
However, his folks, like the parents of his friends, are far too
overprotective for his liking. His mom is not above borrowing a
dog to walk in order to trail him to a party! But when Mrs.
Capsella's parents are forced by floodwaters to stay with their
daughter, she is angered by their scrutiny. Sequel to _The Heroic
Life of Al Capsella (RC 34854)_. For junior and senior high
readers. 1990.

Alas, Babylon  RC 37180
by Pat Frank 
read by Erik Sandvold
2 cassettes (Reissue)
The telegram from his brother ended with "Alas, Babylon." Thus
Randolph Bragg knew that a nuclear bomb was about to be dropped
on America. A vivid and realistic account of life in America as
it might be if there were to be a small nuclear war. For high
school and adult readers. 1959.

Athletic Shorts: Six Short Stories  RC 38285
by Chris Crutcher 
read by Scott Sedar
1 cassette
In these stories the athlete protagonists deal with issues like
racism, homophobia, sexism, and the task of coming to terms with
one's parents. Several stories revolve around characters featured
in _The Crazy Horse Electric Game (RC 28935)_, _Stotan! (RC
25934)_, and _Running Loose (RC 21102)_. The locales for the
stories are small towns in Montana and Idaho. For junior and
senior high readers. 1991.

Black Unicorn  RC 37074
by Tanith Lee 
read by June Carter
1 cassette
Sixteen-year-old Tanaquil may be the daughter of a sorceress, but
she can't do any magic and she finds life in her mother's castle
dull and lonely. Her one skill, that of mending things, leads her
to piece together a pile of old bones found in the desert, and
she unknowingly brings back to life a mysterious black unicorn.
The unicorn needs Tanaquil to help it return to its own perfect
world. For junior and senior high and older readers. 1991.

Briar Rose  RC 37340
by Jane Yolen 
read by Barbara Rappaport
2 cassettes
The tale of Sleeping Beauty, aka Briar Rose, linked with the
Holocaust. As a child Becca loved to hear Grandmother Gemma tell
of being Briar Rose and of her castle in the sleeping woods. Now
Gemma is gone, and Becca is fulfilling her promise to find the
castle. Her quest will lead to Chelmno, Poland, where 320,000
people were exterminated. Violence and some strong language. For
high school and older readers. 1992.

Calling the Wind: Twentieth-Century African American Short
Stories  RC 39164
edited by Clarence Major 
read by L.J. Ganser
6 cassettes
An expansive collection of African American short stories written
between 1899 and 1991 by a diverse array of writers. Included are
stories by Charles Chesnutt, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Jean Toomer,
Nella Larsen, Langston Hughes, James Baldwin, Toni Cade Bambara,
Ernest J. Gaines, Al Young, Terry McMillan, and many, many
others. Some strong language. For high school and older readers.
1993.

Dear Nobody  RC 37046
by Berlie Doherty 
read by Nancy Kronenfeld
1 cassette
Helen and Chris narrate the consequences of one night's passion
that change the course of their lives forever. With teen
parenthood superimposing itself upon college plans, both voice
fear, disbelief, and confusion. Chris wants them to marry;
Helen's mother wants Helen to have an abortion. Helen accedes to
her mother's pressure, but, left alone at the clinic, she returns
home to make her own decisions. For junior and senior high
readers. 1991.

Deerskin  RC 37514
by Robin McKinley 
read by Laura Giannarelli
3 cassettes
Based on _Donkeyskin_ by Charles Perrault. Princess Lissar has
the most beautiful mother in seven kingdoms, and Lissar will grow
up to be just as beautiful. But her beauty will cause much sorrow
as she is violated by her own father and forced to flee into the
wilderness, with only her beloved dog Ash to comfort and protect
her. There she will find peace for her wounded soul and the love
of Prince Ossin. For junior and senior high and older readers.
1993.

Die Softly  RC 39071
by Christopher Pike 
read by Erik Sandvold
1 cassette
Herb, nineteen and yet to go on a date, is photographing the
cheerleaders for the yearbook. That seems as close as he'll ever
get to his fantasy, Alexa. Hiding his camera in the locker room
showers, Herb hopes to get a sexy photo. Before he develops his
film, another cheerleader, Lisa, dies in a car accident. But
Herb's picture shows Lisa naked in the shower being approached by
Alexa with a baseball bat. Violence. For junior and senior high
readers. 1991.

Dinky Hocker Shoots Smack!  RC 38725
by M.E. Kerr 
read by J.P. Linton
1 cassette (Reissue)
Actually, Dinky Hocker would never touch drugs, but she feels she
has to do something sensational to get the attention of her
mother, who is currently dedicated to rehabilitating drug
addicts. For junior and senior high readers. 1972.

Dydeetown World  RC 39297
by F. Paul Wilson 
read by Christopher Walker
1 cassette
Earth, deserted by the "good people," has been left to the dregs
of society: criminals, drug users, street urchins, and clones of
dead movie idols. One honest detective remains--Sigmundo "Siggy"
Dreyer--who agrees to take the case of a Jean Harlow clone. She
is looking for her lover, and the search leds Dreyer to a
tyrannosaurus watchdog, a drug kingpin, and a chance to become a
hero to the urchins. For junior and senior high and older
readers. 1989.

Enchanted Ground  RC 38749
by Sarah Woodhouse 
read by George Holmes
2 cassettes
Patricia (Paddy) Bretton is the third generation of women up at
Bretton Hall, but she can no longer hold onto the country estate
without help. She has let the old house to Laura and Hugh Haley
and their daughter Etta, who is eight. Also living on the land
are the Chances, prosperous tenant farmers whom Bretton women
have never been allowed to marry. Etta will uncover some
tantalizing family secrets in that regard. For high school and
older readers. 1993.

The Face on the Milk Carton  RC 36957
by Caroline B. Cooney 
read by June Carter
1 cassette
The message on the milk carton reads, "Have you seen this child?"
Three-year-old Jennie Spring was kidnapped twelve years earlier,
but Janie Johnson, looking at the photo, suddenly knows that she
is that child. Fragments of memory and other evidence accumulate
until Janie demands to know about her early childhood. Her
parents confess what they believe true, that she is their
grandchild, but Janie remains unconvinced. For junior and senior
high readers. 1990.

Fell Down  RC 36616
by M.E. Kerr 
read by Christopher Hurt
1 cassette
John Fell, seventeen, is distraught over the death of his best
friend, Dib, in a car accident. John is further struggling to
understand the death of Lenny Last, a washed-up Las Vegas
comedian-ventriloquist and former Gardner School student, a
search that leads him into a twenty-year-old mystery. Sequel to
_Fell (RC 29340)_ and _Fell Back (RC 37425)_. For junior and
senior high readers. 1991.

The Forever King  RC 37181
by Molly Cochran and Warren Murphy 
read by Mary Woods
3 cassettes
Fantasy that weaves twentieth-century adventure with Arthurian
legend. Hal (Sir Galahad), retired FBI agent and alcoholic, must
protect ten-year-old Arthur Blessing (King Arthur) and the
powerful Holy Grail from the madman Saladin. Help comes from Mr.
Taliesin (Merlin) and Excalibur. Some strong language. For high
school and older readers. 1992.

The Good Earth  RC 37294
by Pearl S. Buck 
read by Kimberly Schraf
2 cassettes (Reissue)
Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by a winner of the Nobel Prize for
Literature. Describes the rise of Wang Lung, a poor Chinese
peasant. The story begins with his wedding day, as he ponders his
good fortune that now he will have a woman to take over the chore
of lighting a fire to heat the water for his bath. With the help
and patience of his new wife, O-lan, Wang Lung becomes a rich
landowner. For high school and older readers. 1931.

The Highest Form of Killing  RC 37549
by Malcolm Rose 
read by Lynn Schrichte
2 cassettes
Professor Derek Thorn, his student and paramour Sylvia Cooper,
and Sylvia's ex-boyfriend Mark Little stumble across clandestine,
government-sponsored chemical weapons experiments while
investigating the mysterious death of Derek's sister. Their
efforts are stymied by an official cover-up, and their romantic
triangle leads to a rash and dangerous attempt to blackmail
authorities. Descriptions of sex. For high school and older
readers. 1990.

Imagining America: Stories from the Promised Land  RC 37599
edited by Wesley Brown and Amy Ling 
read by Mitzi Friedlander
3 cassettes
Thirty-seven short stories dramatize the conflict between the
myth of the "promised land" and the reality of life in the United
States, and give voice to the various cultures that form our
complex national identity. These stories portray immigration to
and migration inside America and include the Native American
perspective. Some strong language. For senior high and older
readers. 1991.

Letters from a Slave Girl: The Story of Harriet Jacobs  RC 38689
by Mary E. Lyons 
read by Gail Nelson
1 cassette
An epistolary novel based on Jacobs's autobiography, _Incidents
in the Life of a Slave Girl (RC 31142)_. Beginning when she is
eleven, Jacobs writes letters to both living and dead family
members. The letters form a journal of her life--in which she
bears children by one white man to escape the sexual harassment
of another and spends years hiding out in a tiny attic. For
junior and senior high readers. 1992.

Lizard  RC 37071
by Dennis Covington 
read by Larry Shapiro
1 cassette
They call him Lizard because of his facial deformities and his
solitary nature. When Miss Cooley, Lizard's guardian, leaves to
get married, she ships him to a state school for mentally
retarded boys in Louisiana. There he meets a traveling actor
named Callahan who pretends to be his father. And Lizard is
spirited away from the school to play Caliban in Shakespeare's
_The Tempest_. Strong language. For junior and senior high and
older readers. 1991.

Monday I Love You  RC 39232
by Constance C. Greene 
read by Nona Pipes
1 cassette
Grace Schmitt, fifteen, and her size 38D bosom are the object of
derision from her peers. Cruelly, a group of girls tear off her
blouse to see if her figure is real. Her parents ignore her, but
a sympathetic gym teacher helps Grace to gain self-esteem. A
bizarre encounter with a suspected robber on the run--who may be
William, her childhood friend--encourages Grace to change her
life. For junior and senior high readers. 1988.

_My Father's War_ and Other Stories  RC 37763
by Barton Sutter 
read by Barry Bernson
2 cassettes
Stories told by men. In the title novella, a father recounts his
experiences as a soldier in World War II to his sons, who had
been Vietnam War protesters. The older man's tale forges a link
among himself, his sons, and past warriors and peace lovers. In
"Happiness" three young men on a camping trip narrowly escape
death and share an appreciation of their friendship. Strong
language. For high school and older readers. 1991.

On the Devil's Court  RC 37952
by Carl Deuker 
read by Phil Regensdorf
2 cassettes
During the summer of Joe Faust's senior year, his father leaves
his position at Harvard for one at the University of Washington.
Although his father wants Joe to be a scientist, Joe is obsessed
with basketball. He blows his chance to attend a public high
school with a good team when he gets drunk. He is sent to a small
private school instead. Joe wishes himself into a Faustian pact
and becomes a superstar on a winning team. For junior and senior
high readers. 1988.

Orfe  RC 37033
by Cynthia Voigt 
read by June Carter
1 cassette
In grade school Enny and Orfe--two bright outcasts--become close
friends. They are united in their teens when Enny becomes Orfe's
manager. Orfe has become a rock musician whose performance
includes her vomiting on stage. Yuri sees Orfe's performance and,
struck by her angst, seeks help for his drug addiction. Yuri and
Orfe's friendship leads to marriage with tragic consequences. For
junior and senior high and older readers. 1992.

Phantom  RC 37268
by Susan Kay 
read by Grainne Cassidy
3 cassettes
In this retelling of _The Phantom of the Opera (RC 27821)_ Kay
begins with the birth of the horribly disfigured Erik and
continues into the years following his doomed romance with
Christine. We learn of Erik's abuse by his mother, his caged
existence among Gypsies, his sojourn in Rome, Russia, and Persia,
and his construction of the Paris Opera House and the
labyrinthine world underneath. Descriptions of sex. For high
school and older readers. 1991.

Right by My Side  RC 37293
by David Haynes 
read by Bob Moore
2 cassettes
Not only is Marshall surrounded by redneck pinheads at high
school, he has to come home to his mother's lousy cooking. When
his mother takes off, Marshall handles things much better than
his lovesick father, Sam the landfill man. But Sam adjusts and
soon Gayle moves in, much to Marshall's delight. The household
expands to include Marshall's friend Todd, who is escaping his
abusive father. Strong language. For high school and older
readers. 1993.

Shelter  RC 37806
by Monte Merrick 
read by John Polk
2 cassettes
Nelson, fourteen, wants to be a writer, so his composition books
record the eventful summer of 1962. He and his friends, Cat and
Tim, suspect their retarded neighbor has been killed, and they
begin an investigation. Meanwhile, Nelson's parents are talking
about divorce, and he must take care of his sister after school.
Surprising allies then come to his aid. Strong language. For high
school and older readers. 1993.

Strange Attractors  RC 37693
by William Sleator 
read by Phil Regensdorf
1 cassette
Sylvan, a brilliant scientist, and his beautiful daughter Eve are
the "strange attractors" whose reckless manipulation of time
travel has plunged their timeline into chaos. Their search for a
stable timeline brings them to our world, where they must destroy
their doubles, the original Sylvan and Eve, or drag the world
into chaos. Max, a teenage science student, is forced to become
their ally or be destroyed himself. For junior and senior high
readers. 1990.

Strange Devices of the Sun and Moon  RC 37673
by Lisa Goldstein 
read by Patricia Kilgarriff
2 cassettes
London, 1590. A band of faeries invades the city as conspirators
plot to unseat Queen Elizabeth I. The sprites are looking for
their long-awaited king, Arthur--son of Alice Wood, a widowed
bookseller. But also searching are alchemist Paul Hogg and famed
London author Christopher Marlowe. As their paths cross with the
faeries, a battle between good and evil ensues. For high school
and older readers. 1993.

The Tin Princess  RC 39169
by Philip Pullman 
read by Lisette Lecat
2 cassettes
In 1882, ten years after Adelaide, Mrs. Holland's maid in _The
Ruby in the Smoke (RC 27311)_, disappears, detective Jim Taylor
tracks her down. Beautiful, illiterate Adelaide, twenty-two, has
secretly married Prince Rudolf of Razkavia. When his brother is
shot, the two return to Razkavia with Taylor and Becky,
Adelaide's interpreter. The king dies, Rudolph is crowned then
assassinated, and Adelaide becomes queen. For junior and senior
high readers. 1994.

The War of the Worlds  RC 38464
by H.G. Wells 
read by Roy Avers
1 cassette (Reissue)
The Martians, a loathsome though highly organized race, invade
England and, with their superior weapons, subdue and prey on the
people. For high school and adult readers. 1898.

*** 4/22/96 (gft) ***

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