Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records Braille and Talking Books Division
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NUMBER 3spaceWINTER 2002-2003
ARIZONA YOUNG READERS
AWARD 2003 NOMINATIONS

Each year students across Arizona read and vote for their favorite book for the Arizona young readers' award. The books are divided into groups: picture, intermediate and young adult.

Here are the books nominated for the 2002-2003 school year. These books can be found in the fiction section of the children's department or in the fiction (ya fic) section of the young adult department of public libraries or check with your school media center or library. You can order them on tape from the Arizona Braille and Talking Book Library. To vote for your favorite book see your school's media specialist or librarian.

ARIZONA YOUNG READER PICTURE BOOKS

Sophie's Masterpiece: A Spider's Tale by Eileen Spinelli
RC 53568

Sophie the spider makes wondrous webs, but the residents of Beekman's boardinghouse do not appreciate her until at last, old and tired, she weaves her final masterpiece.

Other Young Reader Picture Books selected: Albert by Donna Jo Napoli; Family of Earth by Schim Schimmel; Great Pig Search by Eileen Christelow; My Duck by Tanya Linch; One Tiny Turtle by Nicola Davies; Water Hole by Graeme Base; What Did I Look Like When I Was A Baby by Jeanne Willis; Widget by Lyn Rossiter McFarland; Wombat goes Walkabout by Michael Morpurgo. You may wish to check with your local public or school library for these books.

ARIZONA YOUNG READER INTERMEDIATE BOOKS

Love that dog by Sharon Creech
BR 14137

Jack doesn't want to write poetry for his teacher, Miss Stretchberry, because girls do it, not boys. As the school year progresses, he begins enjoying famous poems read in class and even surprises himself by writing his own.

The Imp That Ate My Homework by Laurence Yep
AZC 2506

Jim has nothing nice to say about his Grandpop who is the meanest man in Chinatown. When Jim wakes up in the morning, a four-armed imp peers down at him and eats his homework. When the imp threatens Grandpop the elderly man turns into a supernatural warrior.

Dear Mrs. Ryan, You're Ruining My Life by Jennifer Jones
RC 53901

Fifth-grader Harvey is tired of having his divorced mother, Mrs. Ryan, write about him in her popular children's books. To distract her, Harvey and his best friend, Seal, plot to connect her romantically with the school principal. But that complicates Harvey's life even more.

Babe and Me (#3 a baseball card adventure) by Dan Gutman
RC 49917

In this sequel to 'Jackie and me' (RC 49916), Joe Stoshack takes his father with him when he time-travels back to 1932 to watch a historic moment in Babe Ruth's career. Babe supposedly 'called the shot' by pointing to where his home-run hit would land.

Island of the Aunts by Eva Ibbotson
RC 52716

As caretakers of the Island, Aunt Myrtle, Aunt Etta, and Aunt Coral have always looked after its inhabitants, including seals, mermaids, Selkies--and a few ghosts. But they are getting old and need help. So they go to London and kidnap three children--with surprising results.

Jake's Orphan by Peggy Brooke
RC 50862

North Dakota, 1926. Twelve year-old orphan Tree Smith is chosen by dour Mr. Gunderson to work on his prairie farm for a year to see if Tree is adoptable. But when his wild younger brother Acorn shows up on the ranch, Tree's security is threatened.

When the Soldiers Were Gone by Vera W. Propp
RC 52329

In the Netherlands after World War II, Henk suddenly learns that he does not belong to the loving family who raised him on their farm. His "real" Jewish parents come to claim him, call him Benjamin, and take him away from the only home he knows.

Other Young Reader Intermediate Books:
Don’t Tell Anyone by Peg Kehret; School Story by Andrew Clements; Summer of Riley by Eve Bunting

ARIZONA YOUNG READER TEEN BOOKS

Downsiders by Neal Shusterman
BR 14137

When fourteen-year-old Lindsay meets Talon, who lives in the secret Downsider community that evolved in the subterranean passages of the subway built in New York in 1867, she and her new friend try to bridge the differences between their two cultures.

Dovey Coe by Franceso'roark Dowell
BR 13204

In North Carolina in 1928, 12-year-old Dovey Coe is on trial for the murder of Parnell Caraway, who wanted to marry Dovey's older sister. Recounting what led to this crisis, Dovey tells about her family and her special bond with Amos, her 13-year-old deaf brother.

Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
RC 52960

Esperanza and her mother are forced to leave their wealthy and privileged life in Mexico to go work in the Southern California agricultural labor camps. They must adapt to the harsh circumstances facing migrant farm workers on the eve of the great depression.

Fire, Bed, And Bone by Henritta Branford
BR 11845

In 1381 England, just after giving birth to puppies, a hunting dog watches in dismay as her kind owner and his wife are arrested during the peasants' revolt. The loyal dog describes the passing seasons as she keeps tabs on both her human family and her own offspring.

Jason's Gold (#1) by Will Hobbs
RC 50201

When 15-year-old wanderer Jason Hawthorn decides to join the Klondike gold rush, he learns that his older brothers beat him to it. Jason spends a difficult year trying to find them, befriending writer Jack London and others along the way. Some violence.

The Last Book In The Universe by Rodman Philbrick
BR 13528

On a ruined post apocalyptic Earth, young Spaz struggles to find his dying sister, helped by an old man who remembers how to read, a five-year-old, and a genetically improved girl. The hazardous trek through toxic regions ruled by gangs leads them to a forbidden Eden.

Stargirl by Spinelli, Jerry
RC 54207

When formerly home-schooled 10th-grader Stargirl enters Mica High School, her classmates shun her as an eccentric. Her boyfriend, Leo, urges her to stop playing the ukulele and conform, so she'll fit in. He learns only too late that popularity isn't what matters most.

When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by Kimberly Holt Willis
RC 49406

Summer in Antler, Texas, is bittersweet for 13-year-old Toby. His mother leaves for a country music contest, his best friend's brother is killed in the Vietnam War, and the fattest boy in the world, Zachary Beaver, is stranded in Antler.

A Year Down Yonder (#2) by Richard Peck
RC 51259

During the 1937 recession 15-year-old Mary Alice from Chicago is sent to live with feisty Grandma Dowdel in rural Illinois. There she learns about small-town ways and grows to love her grandmother. Sequel to 'A Long Way From Chicago' (RC50305, BR12129).

Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman
BR 14082

Fourteen-year-old Shawn McDaniel, who suffers from severe cerebral palsy and cannot function, relates his perceptions of his life, his family, and his condition, especially as he believes his father is planning to kill him.

BRAILLE ENCYCLOPEDIA ARTICLES FOR STUDENTS

Seedlings, Inc. provides free articles from the World Book Encyclopedia in braille for students.

This has proven to be a very popular service for students who need information for their projects and book reports. Articles for first grade through senior level may be ordered by writing to Seedlings at PO Box 51924, Livonia, Mi 48151- 5924; or calling 1-800-777-8552.

DESCRIPTIVE VIDEOS

The Braille and Talking Book Library now offers descriptive videos that may be borrowed. Patrons in good standing may borrow only one video at a time for a two week checkout period. Remember, we are limited in the number of videos we have.

Described videos have a second audio track with a narrator’s voice describing the action on the screen during the breaks in the dialog and sound effects. Here are some of the described videos currently available for Yreaders. You may request a descriptive video catalog by calling or writing the library.

Spy Kids DV 164
Shrek DV 161
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone DV 160

FOR THE PARENTS

Raising Special Kids supports and encourages Arizona families with special health needs or various disabilities. Parents can contact them at 602-242-4366 voice/tty, 1-800-237-3007 or check their web site www.raisingspecialkids.org.

National Information Center For Children and Youth With Disabilities is an information clearing house that provides information on disabilities and disability related issues. Special focus on children with disabilities from birth to age 22. Contact them at 1-800-695-0285 voice/tty or search their web site www.nichcy.org.

ADAPTIVE RECREATION

City of Phoenix Adaptive Recreation Services Spring aquatics programs located at

Pioneer Pool
1946 W. Morningside Dr.
Phoenix, Az.
Telephone 602-495-5222 voice, 602 534-2491 TTY

To order books or videos, you may call your librarian at 602-255-5578 or 1-800-255-5578 outside the Phoenix area. This publication is available in alternative format upon request by contacting the library.

YREADER

YREADER is published bi-annually by the Arizona State Braille and Talking Book Library Division, Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records. Director: Linda Montgomery and editor: Jim Lovell
1030 N. 32nd Street
Phoenix, Arizona 85008
1-800-255-5578

Any mention of products and services in YREADER is for information only and does not imply endorsement.

YREADER is also available in braille, on cassette as part of Newsletters Unlimited, and on our web site at www.lib.az.us/braille. If you would like to receive this newsletter on cassette or in braille, please call 602-255-5578 or 1-800-255-5578.

ARIZONA SUMMER READING PROGRAM

This coming year's Arizona Summer reading program focuses on Lights, Camera, Read! All young readers will be receiving further information and promotional materials through the mail for the summer reading program.

BORROWING AND RETURNING REMINDERS:

Books checked out should be returned in 30 days. You need to order at least one book a year to stay active.

Described videos need to be returned in 14 days.

CASSETTE MAGAZINES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE:

CRICKET
A monthly literary magazine for ages 6-12; on one cassette with National Geographic World.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC WORLD
A monthly about people, places, customs, animals, and plant life, on one cassette with Cricket.

SEVENTEEN
A monthly beauty and fashion magazine for young women; careers, education, social relations, and diet.

SPIDER: THE MAGAZINE FOR CHILDREN
Stories, poems, and informational articles geared to readers ages 6-9, published monthly.

SPORTS ILLUSTRATED FOR KIDS
A monthly kids version of the well-known sports magazine.

TEEN PEOPLE
People magazine format directed to teens. 10 issues per year.

YOUNG ADULT MAGAZINE OF THE MONTH
A different magazine each month.

OTHER MAGAZINES ON CASSETTE THAT TEENS MIGHT ENJOY ARE:
Arizona Highways, Asimov's Science Fiction, Smart Computing, Family Circle, National Geographic, National Geographic Traveler, Newsweek, Popular Science, and Reader's Digest.

 

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Updated:  10/02/2006

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