The Michigan Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (BSBP), Braille and Talking Book Library (BTBL) is committed to providing library materials in alternate formats to people with blindness, low vision, physical impairments, or reading disabilities according to the standards of the Library of Congress, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS). COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT Materials are selected for inclusion in the Michigan BTBL local collection based on subject matter, quality of writing and editing, interests of Michigan patrons, and at the discretion of the BTBL Reader Advisory Librarians. Michigan BTBL focuses on recording the following published materials: • about Michigan and the Great Lakes region • Books by Michigan authors (e.g. born in or live in Michigan) • Michigan Notable selected by the Library of Michigan • Michigan Historical Society’s Michigan History magazine • Reference materials sponsored by State of Michigan departments If you know of a Michigan-related book that you would like to recommend for recording, please contact Betsie Bush by email at bushb2@michigan.gov or call VOLUNTEERS Volunteers are involved in many aspects of audiobook production at the Michigan Braille and Talking Book Library. Volunteers narrate the assist with monitoring recording sessions, edit audio files, and review projects for errors. All recording takes place in our studio in Lansing, Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm. Narration volunteers are expected to participate in some of the technical aspects of audiobook production (such as editing their own recordings or monitoring other narrators), so some computer experience is required. If you are interested in volunteering in Lansing, please contact Betsie Bush by email at bushb2@michigan.gov or call BOOKS ON BARD Many of the books recorded in Michigan are available for download from BARD (Braille and Audio Reading Download) at https://nlsbard.loc.gov/ -- BARD membership is available to all individuals who are patrons of the Michigan BTBL. Eligible users may register at the BARD site and download books to a flash drive to be played on an NLS digital player. iOS and Android apps are also available for listening on mobile devices. For assistance with BARD, please call a Reader Advisor at 1800992-9012.
read by Nicholas Colovos Will Anderson and Elizabeth Hume get caught up in the political turmoil over women’s suffrage in Michigan. Contains some violence and strong language. 2013. Eden Springs DBL8308 (2 hr 12 min) by Laura Kasischke read by Sonya Schryer Norris Benton Harbor, Michigan, 1923. When a suspicious death is discovered at the House of David religious colony, King Benjamin and his closest followers attempt to cover it up. Contains some descriptions of sex. A 2011 Michigan Notable book. 2010. The Art Student's War DBL8296 (28 hr 20 min) by Brad Leithauser read by Karen Glaser Detroit, 1943. Eighteen-year-old art student, Bianca Paradiso, draws portraits of wounded soldiers and faces personal and family conflicts. A 2010 Michigan Notable book. 2009. Season of Water and Ice DBC03414 (9 hr 34 min) by Donald Lystra read by Michael P. Donovan Michigan,1957. A bookish loner named Danny DeWitt befriends Amber Dwyer, a pregnant teenager who has been abandoned by her boyfriend and rejected by her family and community. Contains some strong language, descriptions of sex and violence. A 2010 Michigan Notable book. 2009. Full Moon Friday (Jordan Daily News, Book 3) DBC03340 (9 hr 35 min) by Sue Merrell read by Jamila Jones City editor Josie Braun and the staff of a suburban Chicago daily newspaper cope with a series of weird happenings on a full moon Friday the 13th. A school bus disappears, a body falls out of nowhere and a movie preview becomes scarier than the flick. Contains some sex, violence, and strong language. 2014. Winds of Change DBL8355 (5h 0m) by David C. Russell read by Michael P. Donovan Jefferson and Leah Scott live comfortably with their teenagers Christine and Seth in a small northern Wisconsin town. Their lives are guided by their Christian faith, yet they wish for a more personal relationship with the Almighty. Their subsequent faith journey leads them to explore Messianic fellowship. 2012. Cottonwood Summer (Cottonwood, Book 1)
Isadore's Secret : Sin, Murder, and Confession in a Northern Michigan Town DBL8263/DBC03395 (13 hr 29 min) by Mardi Link read by Glaser A gripping account of the mysterious disappearance of a young nun in a northern Michigan town and the national controversy that followed when she turned up dead and buried in the basement of the church. A 2010 Michigan Notable Book selection. 2009. When Evil Came to Good Hart DBL8332 (7h) by Mardi Link read by Hiller The cold-case file of the murders of a wealthy Detroit-area family in northern Michigan cabin in 1968. Violence. 2008. Ghosts : a Journey Into a Family Secret DBL8295/DBC03378 (17 hr 43 min) by Steve Luxenberg read by Michael P. Donovan Traces the author's surprise discovery that his late mother had had a sister who was sent away under mysterious circumstances and never mentioned by the family again, his efforts to research his long-lost aunt's story and whereabouts, and his struggles to understand the secrecy of her existence. A 2010 Michigan Notable book and Great Michigan Read selection for 2013-14. 2009. Our People, Our Journey : the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians DBL8304/DBC03362 (14 hr 5 min) by James M. McClurken read by Michael P. Donovan Our People, Our Journey is a history of the Little Band of Ottawa Indians, a Michigan tribe that has survived to the present day despite the expansionist and assimilationist policies that nearly robbed it of an identity in the late nineteenth century. A 2010 Michigan Notable book. 2009. Pure Michigan Official Travel Guide Spring/Summer 2014 DBC03337 (2 hr 44 min) by Michigan Economic Development Corporation read by Courtney Maki Pure Michigan Official Travel Guide Fall/Winter 2014 DBC03410 (1 hr 11 min) by Michigan Economic Development Corporation read by Courtney Maki Official state of Michigan travel guide issued as a supplement to Midwest living in partnership with Michigan Economic Development Corporation. 2014.
everyday lives of ordinary people, their accomplishments and losses, moments of joy, humor, and tragedy. 2009. Roses and Revolutions : the Selected Writings of Dudley Randall DBC03415 (8 hr 24 min) by Dudley Randall read by Michael P. Donovan Collection of essays, poems, and stories of long-time Detroit resident Dudley Randall who was the founder of Broadside Press, which published many well-known Black poets. A 2010 Michigan Notable book. 2009. A Man Without Words DBL8267 (7 hr 27 min) by Susan Schaller read by Karen Glaser Ildefonso, born deaf, is a Mexican Indian who was never taught language. When the author discovers him in a class, she must introduce him to the concept of language before she can begin to teach him how to communicate. 1991. Good and Beautiful Community : Following the Spirit, Extending Grace, Demonstrating Love DBL8266 (10h 11m) by James B. Smith read by Michael P. Donovan In this book in the Apprentice Series, the author discusses how to bring spiritual formation and community engagement together. 2010. The Big House : Fielding H. Yost and the Building of Michigan Stadium DBL8375/DBC03366 (14 hr 56 min) by Robert M. Soderstrom read by Michael P. Donovan The story of Fielding H. Yost, college football in the 1920's, and the building of Michigan stadium, which resulted from the very successful 1922-26 University of Michigan football seasons. 2005. Fishtown : Leland Michigan's Historic Fishery DBL8378/DBC03367 (5 hr 55 min) by Laurie Kay Sommers read by Michael P. Donovan Historical portrait of Leland, Michigan's commercial fishing neighborhood, based on oral narratives, interviews and accounts from contemporary journalism. A 2013 Michigan Notable book. 2012. Sixty to Zero: An Inside Look at the Collapse of General Motors and the Detroit Auto Industry DBL8324/DBC03403 (9 hr 2 min) by Alex Taylor, III read by Nicholas Colovos Extensively researched book details the numerous mistakes General Motors and its competitors made that resulted in a crisis for automobile manufacturers. A 2011 Michigan Notable book. 2010.
Trout Magic DBC03357 (7 hr 41 min) by Robert Traver read by Michael P. Donovan A collection of essays and anecdotes equipment and techniques, satisfactions and frustrations, and the social context of fly fishing for trout in rivers of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Contains some strong language. 1974. Directory of Visually Impaired Services, Michigan Edition DBL8278 (5 hr 29 min) by Visually Impaired Information Center read by Max King 2012 Michigan edition. Vitamix Creations Recipes DBC00108 (8 hr 7 min) by Vita-Mix Corporation read by Lili Krezel Collection of over 300 recipes to be prepared in the Vitamix blender including fruit smoothies, milkshakes, frozen cocktails, soups, spreads, sauces, breads, breakfasts, desserts, and salad dressings; also includes manufacturer's Care and Use Manual. 2010. Warning Signs : What Every Woman Should Know : A Dating Guide DBL8341 (3h) by Danielle E. Ward read by Danielle E. Ward Through relatable stories and examples, Warning takes readers on a journey that explores the ups and downs of dating. It empowers women as they learn that dating doesn't have to be a daunting experience. 2013 Legacy of the Civil War DBL8352 (3h 10m) by Robert Penn Warren read by Michael P. Donovan The Legacy of the War is an exploration of the effects of the Civil War on American History and on American thought about American History. 1961. High Heat : the Secret History of the Fastball and the Improbable Search for the Fastest Pitcher of All Time DBL8279/DBC03407 (10h) by Tim Wendel read by Andy Andersen History of the fastball in baseball from its development to the present form while exploring its impact on the game and the pitchers who have been blessed (or cursed) with its gift. Some strong language. 2010 Summer of '68 : the Season that Changed Baseball and America Forever DBL8277 (10 hr 54 min) by Tim Wendel read by Michael P. Donovan In a year shaped by national tragedy, baseball was shaped by amazing
DBC00124 (25 min) by Jean Alicia Elster read by Danielle E. Ward As he reads about Mary McLeod Bethune, Joe Joe learns to hold onto his dream of going to college and works to make it happen, despite the teasing of his friends. For grades 4-7. 2002. I'll Fly My Own Plane (Joe Joe in the City, Book 3) DBC00125 (27 min) by Jean Alicia Elster read by Danielle E. Ward Joe Joe is tempted to earn "easy money" drug running like his friend Tyrone, but reading about the Tuskegee Airmen helps him decide what he should do. For grades 4-7. 2002. I'll Do the Right Thing (Joe Joe in the City, Book 4) DBC00126 (26 min) by Jean Alicia Elster read by Danielle E. Ward When Joe Joe's friend Tyrone wants him to join his gang at school, Joe Joe finds that listening to his grandmother and learning about the statesman Ralph J. Bunche help him decide what to do. For grades 4-7. 2003. Colored Car DBC00114 (4 hr 5 min) by Jean Alicia Elster read by Danielle E. Ward Riding the train from Michigan to Tennessee, Patsy must find a way to understand her experience in the colored car and also deal with the more subtle injustices that her family faces in Detroit. For grades 4-7. A 2014 Michigan Notable book. 2013. Miss Martin is a Martian DBL8280 (14 min) by Colleen M. Fisher read by Dashner Melvin Baxter is convinced that his new teacher, Miss Martin, is a martian. For grades 4-7. A 2010 Michigan Notable book. 2011. The Outdoor Museum : the Magic of Michigan's Marshall M. Fredericks DBC00121 (1 hr) by Marcy Heller Fisher read by Tonia Bickford Abby and her mother spend a day looking at the sculptures of Marshall Fredericks around Detroit. Includes information about the sculptor, his work, the sculptural process, and a list of sculptures in the Great Lakes region. For grades 3-6. 2001. Living on Sisu : the 1913 Union Copper Strike Tragedy DBL8385 (6 hr 9 min) by Deborah K. Frontiera read by Karen Glaser Presented in fictional journal entries, Emma relates the events
along the way. The story incorporates facts about hummingbirds. For grades 2005. The Runaway Garden DBL8412/DBC00102 (8 min) by Jeffery L. Schatzer read by Danielle E. Ward When a young girl gets tired of working in the garden and threatens to run away, her grandfather tells her a story about the night the vegetables left the garden. A 2010 Michigan Reads! selection. For preschool-grade 2. 2007. Brewster the Rooster DBL8415/DBC00105 (9 min) by Devin Scillian read by Danielle E. Ward When Brewster, a prize-winning rooster, suddenly begins crowing at the most unexpected times, the family tries to figure out what is causing his problem. For preschool-grade 2. 2007. Memoirs of a Goldfish DBC00115 (7 min) by Devin Scillian read by Devin Scillian A goldfish a personal account of his experiences while swimming around his bowl as it slowly fills with fish and other accessories. A 2011 Michigan Reads! selection. For preschool to grade 2. 2010. Raccoon Tune DBL8413/DBC00103 (5 min) by Shaw read by Danielle E. Ward A family of raccoons prowls around a neighborhood making a ruckus looking for supper. A 2008 Michigan selection. For preschool-grade 2. 2003. The Box Bully : Empowering Kids to Stand Up for Others DBL8347 (14 min) by Robert Sornson read by Katharyn Head A new student tries to be a bully at his new school, but his efforts are thwarted by the classroom's anti-bullying Promise. Includes notes to adults about teaching children to speak up against bullying. For grades 4-7. 2011. Mitt, the Michigan Mouse (Mitt & Minn, Book 1) DBL8298 (1 hr 57 min) by Kathy-jo Wargin read by Marion Contompasis A white-footed mouse lives in a mitten that is his only reminder of the family he once had. When it is stolen, Mitt sets out for the city to find the owner of the dog that took his home. For grades 2-4. 2006. Minn from Minnesota (Mitt & Minn, Book 2) DBL8358 (1 hr 48 min) by Kathy-jo Wargin read by Marion Contompasis