Kentucky Summer Reading Program 2004 - A World of Reading Through Talking Books
	This is just a sample of the books-on-tape available to those who cannot read printed books because of visual or physical disabilities. Braille books are also available. Please contact the Kentucky Talking Book Library at 1-800-372-2968.

Non-Fiction: Adventure

RC 48295
52 Days by Camel: My Sahara Adventure (NF)
By Lawrie Raskin
for grades 5-7
Describes the author’s journey through Morocco, over the Atlas Mountains to Timbuktu.

RC 53320
A Negro Explorer at the North Pole: The Autobiography of Matthew Henson
By Matthew Henson
Adult book for young adults
Author describes his 1909 trip to the North Pole with Robert Peary.

RC 54253
Around the World in Five Hundred Days: The Circumnavigation of the Merchant Bark Charles Stewart , 1883-1884, Recounted with Zest and Detail by the Captain’s Daughter, Hattie Atwood Freeman
Edited by Curtis Dahl
Adult book for young adults
17-year-old girl records her adventures at sea as she joins her father aboard his trading ship on a voyage to Tasmania.

RC 54257
Whale Hunt: The Narrative of a Voyage by Nelson Cole Haley, Harpooner in the Ship Charles W. Morgan, 1849-1853
By Nelson Cole Haley
Adult book for young adults
The author, who was 17 at the start of this voyage, recalls the thrill and excitement of traveling among the exotic islands of Oceana.

Non-Fiction: Biography

RC 47288
The Red Scarf Girl: a Memoir of the Cultural Revolution
By Ji-Li Jiang
For grades 5-7 and older readers
Author recalls her experiences from age 12 to 14 during Mao’s Cultural Revolution in 1960s China.

RC 51363
Where She Came From: A Daughter’s Search for Her Mother’s History
Adult book for young adults
After the death of her mother, who survived Nazi concentration camps, the author traveled to central Europe to learn about her maternal family.

RC 51571
Not Even My Name: From a Death March in Turkey to a New Home in America, a Young Girl’s True Story of Genocide and Survival
By Thea Halo
Adult book for young adults
Biography of author’s mother, who was sold into marriage at 15, when her people were expelled during an ethnic cleansing in 1920.

RC 51948
Black Elk Lives: Conversations with the Black Elk Family
By Esther Black Elk DeSersa and others
Adult book for young adults
Family of Oglala Lakota holy man records reminiscences and traditions.

RC 52093
Stolen Lives: Twenty Years in a Desert Jail
By Malika Oufkir and Michele Fitoussi
Adult book for young adults
Describes the author’s luxurious childhood in the Moroccan palace; her family’s imprisonment; their escape, recapture and final release.

RC 52944
Notes from the Hyena’s Belly: An Ethiopian Boyhood
By Nega Mezlekia
Adult book for young adults
The author became a teenage guerilla and survived imprisonment, famine, turmoil, and near execution by a firing squad.

RC 53924
Almost a Woman
By Esmeralda Santiago
Adult book for young adults
Coming-of-age memoir recalls the author’s difficulties of moving to New York from Puerto Rico without speaking English. Some descriptions of sex.

RC 53946
Breaking Through
By Francisco Jimenez
For grades 5-8
14-year-old describes his family’s migrant-worker problems in southern California, and his desire for an education in the face of hardships.

RC 53984
My Forbidden Face: Growing Up Under the Taliban; a Young Woman’s Story
By Latifa
For senior high and older readers
A young woman records her family’s experiences when the Taliban took over Kabul in September 1996, when she was 16.

RC 55099
Hurrah for My New Free Country
By Leon Charles Fouquet
Adult book for young adults
Narrative from the journals of a young Frenchman who immigrated to Kansas in 1868 at the age of 18.

Non-Fiction: Folktales

RC 46791 The Golden Horde
RC 46792 The Silver Treasure
RC 46793 The Bronze Cauldron
Edited by Geraldine McCaughrean
For grades 5-7
Collections of myths and legends from around the world.

RC 47436
The Arabian Nights
Edited by Philip Neil
For grades 5-7
Sheherazade tells her husband, the king, cliffhanger stories to keep from being beheaded.

RC 52273
Not One Damsel in Distress: World Folktales for Strong Girls
Retold by Jane Yolen
For grades 3-6
Collection of 13 tales from around the world, each featuring a fearless, heroic, and resourceful woman.

Non-Fiction: Food/Cooking

RC 52188
A Goose in Toulouse: And Other Culinary Adventures in France
By Mort Rosenblum
Adult book for young adults
Describes the people and cuisines of France, the author’s adopted country.

RC 54047
A Cook’s Tour: In Search of the Perfect Meal
By Anthony Bourdain
Chef’s journey pairs food and travel for adventures in eating. Companion to the Food Network series. Strong language.

Non-Fiction: Geography

RC 50174
Pacific Rim: East Asia at the Dawn of a New Century.
By Elaine Pascoe
For young adults
Brief summaries of the historical, political and economic importance of the Countries making up East Asia; Japan, China, Taiwan, both Koreas, etc.

RC 50371
South Africa
By Claudia Canesso
For grades 5-7 and older readers
History, culture, people, and politics.

RC 50557
Egypt: Ancient Traditions, Modern Hopes
By David King
For grades 5-7
History, geography, and culture of the North African nation.

RC 50591
Mexico
By Leslie Jermyn
For grades 5-7
Geography, history, arts, and culture.

RC 50606
West Bank/Gaza Strip
By Rebecca Stefoff
For grades 5-7
History, culture, people, and politics.

RC 50889
Afghanistan
By Sharifah Enayat Ali
For grades 5-7
History, culture, and economy of the nation which has been a buffer zone between Europe and Asia.

RC 50901
Haiti: Land of Inequality
By Mary Turck
For young adults
Examines the ethnic conflicts that continue to threaten to tear the country apart; also looks at the geography, religion, economic conditions and language.

RC 50903
Japan
Rebecca Stefoff
For grades 5-7
History, geography, people, and culture of the Asian nation.

RC 51537
Greece
By Hong Nam Yeoh
For grades 5-8 and older readers
Provides an overview of this ancient country, including history, people, and culture.

RC 53754
The Forbidden City
By May Holdsworth
Adult book for young adults
Chronicles the history, architecture, daily life, treasures and ceremonies of the Imperial Palace in Beijing, China.

Non-Fiction: History

RC 45995
Empires Lost and Won: Spanish Heritage in the Southwest
By Albert Marrin
For young adults
Describes the lives of the Spanish conquistadors and soldiers.

RC 46838
Lasting Echoes: An Oral History of Native American People
By Joseph Bruchac
For young adults
Presents American History from the viewpoint of the Native American.

RC 47521
In the Land of the Taj Mahal: The World of the Fabled Mughals
By Ed Rothfarb
For young adults
Traces the history of the Mughul dynasty in northern India that lasted 300 years. Explores the interaction between Muslim and Hindu cultures.

RC 48347
Handbook of the Former Soviet Union
By Michael Kort
For young adults
History and description of the Soviet Union from the beginning to its dissolution.

RC 48667
Buffalo Soldiers
By Catherine Reef
For grades 5-7
History of the African-American soldiers of the 9th and 10th Cavalry in Mexico, Cuba, and the Old West during the latter 19th century.

RC 49363
Night of the Cruel Moon
By Stan Hoig
For young adults
Describes the forced removal of the Cherokee—The Trail of Tears—from the Southeast to the Indian Territory of Oklahoma in 1838.

RC 49390
Before the Storm: American Indians Before the Europeans
By Allison Lassieur
For young adults
An account of the lives of the native American people living here before 1492.

RC 54607
Black Potatoes: The Story of the Great Irish Famine, 1845-1850
By Susan Campbell Bartoletti
For grades 5-7 and older readers
Describes the plight of people who depended on potatoes for all their meals, the million who died of starvation, and the many who were forced to emigrate to America.

Non-Fiction: Holidays

RC 50613
While the Bear Sleeps
By Caitlyn Matthews
For grades 3-6
Discusses celebrations, such as winter solstice, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Twelfth Night.

RC 51674
Noche Buena: Hispanic American Christmas Stories
Edited by Nicolas Kanellos
Adult book for young adults
Thirty-six works celebrating the season from the cultures of Mexican, Puerto Rican and other Hispanic groups who migrated to the U.S.

RC 53729
World Holidays: A Watts Guide for Children
By Heather Moehn
For grades 4-7
Brief descriptions of religious and secular holidays celebrated around the world; also describes various calendars.

RC 56425
Michael Foreman’s Christmas Treasury
Edited by Michael Foreman
For grades 3-6
A celebration of Yuletide traditions in the northern hemisphere. Includes poetry, carols, and extracts from the Bible and classic novels.

Non-Fiction: Music

RC 49901
Pop Goes Latin
By Nancy Krulik
For young adults
Traces the lives of Latino singers and analyzes the changes in music and society that allowed them to become not only accepted, but extremely popular on the current music scene.

RC 52607
One Nation Under a Groove: Rap Music and Its Roots
By James Haskins
For young adults
Examines the origins and evolution of rap music; its African roots and popularity. Also looks at the “ gangsta” image in hip-hop culture and the controversy surrounding many of the major performers.

Non-Fiction: Poetry and Literature

RC 46532
Earth-Shattering Poetry
Edited By Liz Rosenberg
For young adults
An international selection of more than forty poets presented in chronological order; from Sappho of Ancient Greece to Wei of Taiwan.

RC 48296
This Same Sky
Edited by Naomi Nye
For grades 5-7
Anthology of poems from sixty-eight countries by 129 poets

RC 48399
I, Too Sing America: Three Centuries of African-American Poetry edited by Catherine Clinton
For grades 5-7 and older readers
Poems by Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, Gwendolyn Brooks, and poets of the Harlem Renaissance, among others.

RC 50238
The Space Between Our Footsteps: Poems and Paintings from the Middle East
Selected by Yolande Bavan
For young adults
Anthology of more than one hundred poems from twenty Middle Eastern countries contains brief biographical notes on the contributors.

RC 51850
Through the Eye of the Deer: An Anthology of Native American Women Writers
Edited by Carolyn Dunn and Carol Comfort
Adult book for young adults
Collection of prose and poems, often retelling traditional tales in 20th century context.

RC 51852
Night and Horses and the Desert: An Anthology of Classical Arabic Literature
Edited by Robert Irwin
Adult book for young adults
Selections of Arabic poetry and prose composed between he 5th and 16th centuries, from Afghanistan to Spain.

Non-Fiction: Religion/Philosophy

RC 47564
Buddha
By Demi
For grades 5-7
Account of the life of Siddhartha, who found enlightenment and eventually became the Buddha.

RC 46523
The Dalai Lama
By Demi
For grades 3-6
Biography of the Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.

RC 50523
What I Believe
Edited by Alan Brown
For grades 3-6
Introduction to world religions. Young people discuss their traditions of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and other beliefs.

RC 51183
Islam: A Short History
By Karen Armstrong
Adult book for young adults
Describes the origin and spread of the religion of Islam, from Mohammad through the modern fundamentalist movement.

RC 51380
Essential Judaism: A Complete Guide to Beliefs, Customs, and Rituals
By George Robinson
Adult book for young adults
The author provides information on issues such as prayer and ritual, festivals, life cycle events, and Jewish mysticism.

RC 54278
Shinto
By Paula R. Hartz
For grades 6-9 and older readers
Discusses the history, beliefs rituals and festivals of the Shinto religion in Japan.

RC 54596
African Religion
By Aloysius M. Lugira
For grades 6-9 and older readers.
Historical overview of indigenous religions prevalent on the African continent. Discusses basic beliefs and practices.

Non-Fiction: Social Issues

RC 49313
On the Rez
By Ian Frazier
Adult book for young adults
Combines personal observation with history, travelog, and social commentary to portray the Pine Ridge Reservation of the Oglala Sioux in South Dakota.

RC 53034
Terrorism
By Ann G. Gaines
For young adults
Discusses the origins and motivations of the organizations and individuals involved.

RC 54478
Israel and the Arab World
By Heather Lehr Wagner
For grades 6-9
Overview of the Arab-Israeli conflict form 1948-2001, describing Israel’s effect on the displaced Palestinians and neighboring Arab nations.

Non-Fiction: Sports

RC 49004
Sammy Sosa
By Carrie Muscat
For grades 5-7
Biography of the record-breaking, Dominican-born baseball player.

RC 52183
Away Games: The Life and Times of a Latin Baseball Player
Compiled by Marcos Breton and Jose Luis Villegas
Adult book for young adults
Traces the rise of Miguel Tejada from abject poverty in the Dominican Republic.

Non-Fiction: Travel

RC 51481
In Siberia
By Colin Thurbron
Adult book for young adults
As the author crosses the vast territory of Siberia on a shoestring budget, he portrays the natural beauty of the land and the characteristics of the people.

RC 51961
Kiwi Tracks: A New Zealand Journey
Adult book for young adults
A backpacker recounts his trek around New Zealand, and describes the countryside, the local people, and his adventures.

RC 52259
Along the Inca Road: A Woman’s Journey into an Ancient Empire
By Karin Muller
Adult book for young adults
Author records her action-packed, 6-month, 3125-mile trip through Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Chile after receiving a National Geographic grant.

RC 53152
An Unexpected Light: Travels in Afganistan
By Jason Elliot
Adult book for young adults
An exploration of the physical beauty, hospitality, and history from the author’s first visit at age 19 in 1886, and another trip 10 years later when the Taliban was building power.

RC 53178
The Cat Who Covered the World: The Adventures of Henrietta and Her Foreign Correspondent
By Christopher S. Wren
Adult book for young adults
A New York Times correspondent relates anecdotes from his family’s travels around the world with their cat.

Fiction

RC 53300
Portrait in Sepia
By Isabelle Allende
Adult book for young adults
Aurora del Valle recounts the scandal surrounding her birth in San Francisco’s Chinatown, her upbringing, return to Chile, and her marriage. Some explicit descriptions of sex.

RC 52396
Forgotten Fire
By Adam Bagdasarian
For young adults
Vahan is the twelve year old son of a rich Armenian when the 1915-1918 Turkish Massacre of the Armenians begins. He is suddenly an orphan struggling to survive and witnessing the atrocities of war.

RC 52023
Forbidden City
By William Bell
For young adults
Seventeen year old Alex is in China when the 1989 protest in Tiananmen Square begins; he becomes caught up in the melee as he is taking pictures and escapes with the help of a student.

RC 50681
Deep Dream of the Rain Forest
By Malcolm Bosse
For young adults
In Borneo during the 1920’s, a young Iban tribesman tries to follow the instructions given him in a dream.

RC 48939
Song of the Molimo
By Jane Cutler
For grades 5-7
At the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, 12 year old Harry Jones meets five African pygmies on display. Harry and the pygmy Ota Benga become friends.

RC 50432
Salsa Stories
By Lulu Delacre
For grades 5-7
Carmen Teresa records stories told by her relatives about growing up in Latin America. Includes recipes.

RC 53428
The Journal of Ben Uchida: Citizen 13559, Mirror Lake Internment Camp
By Barry Denenberg
For grades 5-8
Ben is a typical 12-year-old until the attack on Pearl Harbor. He keeps a diary of his family’s internment during the war.

RC 46666
Beaded Moccasins: The Story of Mary Campbell
By Lydia Durrant
For grades 5-7
On her 12th birthday, Mary is captured by Delaware Indians. She is chosen to replace the chief’s dead granddaughter. Based on an incident in 1759 Pennsylvania.

RC 53938
The Breadwinner
By Deborah Ellis
For grades 5-8
When the Taliban imposes strict limitations on women’s freedom and behavior, 11-year-old Parvana must disguise herself as a boy in order to help her family survive.

RC 48390
Jeremy’s Dreidel
By Ellie Gellman
For grades 3-6
Jeremy makes a Hanukkah dreidel for his father, who is blind.

RC 53406
A Group of One
By Rachna Gilmore
For junior and senior high readers
15-year old Tara’s life is turned upside down when her grandmother visits from India and disapproves of the family’s Canadian lifestyle.

RC 51383
The Red Magician
By Lisa Goldstein
For young adults
A tale of confrontation between tradition and change, good and evil, in an East European village on the eve of World War II.

RC 54381
How I Become an American
By Karin Gundisch
For grades 4-7
A boy recounts the hardships of his family’s immigration from Austria-Hungary to Ohio, and the difficulties of adjusting to American culture.

RC 49852
The Captive
By Joyce Hansen
For grades 5-7
In West Africa in 1788, 12 year old Kofi is sold into slavery by his father’s own slave. The Ashanti boy later escapes from Massachusetts and is rescued by a black ship captain.

RC 54589
Any Small Goodness: A Novel of the Barrio
By Tony Johnston
For grades 5-8
When Arturo’s family moves from Mexico to a barrio in Los Angeles, he faces many changes.

RC 49673
Sword of the Samurai: Adventure Stories from Japan
By Eric Kimmel
For grades 5-7
Eleven stories about medieval samurai warriors.

RC 48498
The Storyteller’s Beads
By Jane Kurtz
For grades 5-7
Two Ethiopian girls—Christian Sahay and blind, Jewish Rahel—are forced to flee toward Sudan. Shared hardships bring friendship.

RC 54821
The White
By Deborah Larsen
Adult book for young adults
In 1758, teenager Mary is spared when Indians kill her family. She is adopted by 2 Seneca women and becomes a blend of 2 cultures.

RC 49747
Adam’s Cross
By Alice Mead
For young adults
Aden struggles to understand the conflict in Kosovo but when his sister is killed, his father is imprisoned and he is tortured: he begins to search for a way to escape the country.

RC 53095
Touching Spirit Bear
By Ben Mikaelsen
For young adults
To avoid prison after attacking a classmate, Cole agrees to a Native American tradition as punishment; one year alone on a remote Alaskan island.

RC 53115
A Step From Heaven
By An Na
For senior high readers
Young Ju and her parents move to California from Korea and struggle with a strange language and culture. Some strong language.

RC 54786
Dear Whiskers
By Ann Whitehead Nagda
For grades 2-4
4th-grader Jenny is discouraged when her pen pal turns out to be a new student from Saudi Arabia, who does not speak English well.

RC 54378
The Other Side of Truth
By Beverly Naidoo
For grades 5-8
Nigeria, 1995. When Sade’s father becomes a political target and her mother is murdered, she and her younger brother are smuggled to London for safety.

RC 53689
Bodega Dreams
By Ernesto Quinonez
For senior high and older readers
Chino’s young, pregnant wife wants him to go straight, but he becomes involved with a crook with an honest dream to help Puerto Ricans. Strong language and some violence.

RC 52329
When the Soldiers Were Gone
By Wera W. Propp
For grades 4-7
In the Netherlands after WWII, a boy learns he does not belong to the family who raised him. His “real” Jewish parents claim him, change his name, and take him from the only home he knows.

RC 49356
Between the Dragon and the Eagle
By Michael Schneider
For grades 5-7
During the 1st century A.D., Han Tzu prepares for his first trip as caravan leader along the Silk Road, running from central China, through Persia, to Rome.

RC 53716
The Hunted
By Gloria Skurzynski
For grades 3-6
The Landons travel to Montana’s Glacier National Park and meet a 10-year-old Mexican boy who has been living in the forest.

RC 51587
Rage of Fire
By Gloria Skurzynski
For grades 3-6
The Landons are visiting Hawaii’s Volcanoes National Park when their children anger Pele, the fire goddess.

RC 49394
Sword Song
By Rosemary Sutcliff
For young adults
Banished from his Norse village, Bjarni becomes a Viking mercenary; pillaging England, Scotland and Ireland.

RC 48021
The Beduin’s Gazelle
By Frances Temple
For young adults
1302, the North African desert. Atiyah is sent off to college; his beloved Halima is lost in a sandstorm and rescued by a rival Beduin group.

RC 54510
The Orphan of Ellis Island: A Time-Travel Adventure
By Elvira Woodruff
For grades 4-7
During a school trip to Ellis Island, a 5th-grader is transported to 1908 Italy, where he meets 2 brothers and emigrates with them to America.

RC 46710
No Strange Fire
By Ted Wojtasik
For young adults
Six Amish barns are set on fire and a boy who has left the faith is under suspicion.

RC 53421
The Star Fisher
By Lawrence Yep
For grades 4-7
When Joan Lee’s family moves to West Virginia, they face problems as the first Chinese in a small, rural town.

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