Welcome to the Blog for the Maryland State Library for the Blind and Print Disabled! This is the place to learn about LBPD happenings, the latest accessible technology news, and more! Click here to go to our website.
The Maryland State Library for the Blind and Print Disabled’s blog, Beyond the Stacks, will be discontinued as of Wednesday, March 1, 2023.
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Humor
DBC 12434 – I Love You, Beth Cooper, by Larry Doyle, narrated by Cary Black
Denis Cooverman wanted to say something really important in his high school graduation speech. So, in front of his 512 classmates and their 3,000 relatives, he announced: "I love you, Beth Cooper." It would have been such a sweet, romantic moment. Except that Beth, the head cheerleader, has only the vaguest idea who Denis is. And Denis, the captain of the debate team, is so far out of her league he is barely even the same species. And then there's Kevin, Beth's remarkably large boyfriend, who's in town on furlough from the United States Army. Complications ensue.
Whether or not there’s snow on the ground, these thrillers will bring a chill to the room. Check out some of the mysteries below, all featuring a snow-covered backdrop.
One by One, by Ruth Ware
DB 100607
A French Alps trip for the team of a trendy London-based tech company starts out as a typical corporate retreat. But as soon as one shareholder upends the agenda by pushing a buyout offer, tensions simmer. When an avalanche leaves them stranded, the group dwindles one by one.
The Hunting Party, by Lucy Foley
DB 94270
A group of thirtysomething Oxford friends gather for their annual New Year vacation. They arrive at this year's idyllic and isolated estate in the Scottish Highlands just before a historic blizzard seals them off from the outside world. Two days later, one of them is dead.
The Sanatorium, by Sarah Pearse
DB 102076
On leave from her job as a detective, Elin Warner has no reason to turn down the invitation from her estranged brother Isaac and his fiancée Laure to celebrate their engagement at a remote hotel. The hotel holds secrets and when Laure disappears, Elin must find her.
The Snowman, by Jo Nesbø
BR 20142 ; DB 73460
Oslo detective Harry Hole is tracking a serial killer who leaves snowmen at murder scenes. Hole's new young colleague believes there is a link between the crimes and a long-missing cop from her town.
Ice Cold, by Tess Gerritsen
DB 72482
At a Wyoming conference, Dr. Maura Isles uncharacteristically accepts a colleague's invitation to join an overnight ski trip. When their vehicle rolls off a remote road, the travelers find shelter in an eerily abandoned village. Meanwhile, Maura's Boston friends frantically try to locate her.
The Shining, by Stephen King
BR 13271 ; DB 51373
Jack and Wendy Torrance come face-to-face with terror when they become caretakers of a haunted old hotel in the snowy mountains of Colorado. Their five-year-old son Danny, who appears to have psychic powers, is the first to sense the evil in the building.
An Unwanted Guest, by Shari Lapeña
DB 91937
Mitchell's Inn, nestled deep in the woods, is the perfect setting for a relaxing Catskills weekend. But when a blizzard cuts off the electricity and all outside contact, the guests must settle in for the long haul. Soon, though, one of them turns up dead. And then another one.
1222, by Anne Holt
DB 100491
A train traveling to northern Norway derails during a massive blizzard, 1,222 meters above sea level. The passengers think they are safe after finding shelter from the storm at an old hotel--until one of them turns up dead. Now paralyzed, retired police inspector Hanne Wilhelmsen is asked to investigate.
The Hunger, by Alma Katsu
DB 93829
Members of the Donner Party wagon train dream of new lives in the West, but the bad luck following them drives some nearly to madness. As members of the party begin to disappear, the survivors believe something hungry is stalking them through the mountains.
Moon of the Crusted Snow, by Waubgeshig Rice
DB 95719
A small Anishinaabe First Nation community loses contact with society at large. As they struggle to maintain order while supplies diminish, a refugee who's escaped from a crumbling society appears. When more people arrive, the community must turn to tradition in hopes of survival.
On Saturday, February 11th, the Technology User Group (TUG) welcomes the Maryland Accessible Telecommunications (MAT) Program to our gathering. The Maryland Accessible Telecommunications Program provides Maryland residents with an opportunity to apply for free telecommunications equipment to independently make or receive calls.
The program also offers a wide variety of solutions and tools – from amplified phones to captioned telephones to tablets – to support day-to-day communications. Qualifying is easy, so come and learn about the process and other services that may be provided.
The presentation will be virtual and may be joined by calling 319-527-4994. You do not have to RSVP for this event. The presentation will begin at 10 AM and last about 60 minutes.
Important Message for T-Mobile and Metro PCS users:
It has come to our attention that these carriers may charge for connecting to a conference call. If you are getting a message saying that you will incur charges for connecting to our meeting platform, please hang up and text the words “call me” to the phone number 319-527-4994. The Free Conference Call system will call you back, and you will be able to join the meeting without a charge. Please be advised, however, that if you attempt to join late and the meeting is already muted, you will be unable to connect to the meeting platform.
We look forward to meeting with you virtually on Saturday, February 11th, and hope that you will join us for other exciting events we have planned for 2023 and beyond.
If you would like to listen to previous TUG recordings, please click here:
https://www.marylandlibraries.org/Pages/Technology%20User%20Group.aspx. You may also listen on the Maryland State Library Agency podcast channel at https://anchor.fm/mdstatelibrary or wherever you get your podcasts.
Upcoming TUG Programs:
March 11: the GarageBand app – How to use the app and create music
April 8: How to Upgrade to Windows 11
Follow the Maryland State Library for the Blind and Print Disabled (LBPD) on:
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On Twitter at https://twitter.com/MDLBPD
On our blog at https://mdlbpd.blogspot.com/
And our website at www.lbph.maryland.gov
Follow a mouse named Mia across the Mediterranean Sea to Africa, where she discovers adventure and new friends.
Adventure Stories
DBC 12567 – Mia: Ripples in the Water, by D. A. Jennings, narrated by Pat Higgins Adelhardt
Adventure may be found in distant lands and among exotic creatures, but risk-taking isn't limited to faraway places. It may be discovered when loneliness finds friendship or when fear
gives way to courage. Join Mia on her travels as she encounters Africa's wild animals and birds, and wrestles with the strained relationship between her and her two oldest brothers. Learn about the mysteries surrounding the disappearance of a sister she never knew, and find out what it means to follow the ripples in the water. For grades K-3.
December 2022
No matter how you spend December, it’s a great time of year to spend baking and taste testing some new cookie recipes. Check out the braille and talking books below to find your new favorite treat.
The Wooden Spoon Cookie Book: Favorite Home-Style Recipes from the Wooden Spoon Kitchen, by Marilyn M. Moore
BR 10292
Includes recipes for drop cookies, bar cookies, shaped cookies, refrigerator cookies, and cutout cookies. Discusses stocking a cookie kitchen, hosting a holiday cookie swap, and involving children in cookie making.
Rosie's Bakery Chocolate-Packed, Jam-Filled, Butter-Rich, No-Holds-Barred Cookie Book, by Judy Rosenberg
BR 10867
Approximately 150 cookie recipes that don't stint on the good stuff, like butter, nuts, and chocolate. Categories include chewy crunch, crispy chompy, bars, cakey, sandwiched together, and holiday cookies.
One Dough, Fifty Cookies: Baking Favorite and Festive Cookies in a Snap, by Leslie Glover Pendleton
BR 12161
Former food editor of Gourmet magazine provides a recipe and instructions for one large master batch of butter cookie dough. Each of the fifty recipes for distinctly flavored cookies that follows calls for one half of the master dough. Covers spritz, icebox, rolled or cutout, drop, and bar forms.
Alice Medrich's Cookies and Brownies, by Alice Medrich
BR 12574
The author of Chocolate and the Art of Low-fat Desserts (BR 10421) now provides recipes for shortbread, butter cookies, chocolate cookies, cookie classics, biscotti, brownies, and bars. She also instructs on techniques for decorating cookies and making sandwich cookies, and discusses ingredients and equipment.
Bake the Best-Ever Cookies!, by Sarah Williamson
BR 14410
More than twenty-five step-by-step cookie recipes for beginning bakers. Suggests "Secret Treat Thumbprints" for a first cookie-baking experience. Includes such favorites as lemon squares, brownies, and snickerdoodles. Provides practical advice on basic equipment, ingredients, and preparation. For grades 3-6 and older readers.
Maida Hatter's Brand-New Book of Great Cookies, by Maida Heatter
DB 42658
More than eighty cookie recipes and general tips on cookie making from an award-winning dessert-book author. Her selections include bar, drop, icebox, and rolling-pin cookies and biscotti.
Mrs. Fields Cookie Book: 100 Recipes from the Kitchen of Mrs. Fields, by Debbi Fields
DB 44172
The author, famous for her international cookie business, provides recipes to be made at home. Aimed at casual as well as avid bakers, the collection includes dropped, fancy, filled, and bar cookies. It also offers other special treats such as cheesecake and apple pie.
Martha Stewart's Cookies: The Very Best Treats to Bake and to Share, by Martha Stewart
DB 66148
Presents 175 cookie recipes with textures such as soft and chewy, crumbly and sandy, and chunky and nutty. Covers easy-to-make traditional drop cookies as well as fruit bars, meringues, icebox spirals, biscotti, and more. Includes ideas for packaging and information about tools and techniques.
American Girl Cookies
DB 92940
Forty-seven tempting recipes for sweet treats to bake and share. Includes instructions for whipping up sugary creations such as donut cookies, gingersnap snowflakes, milk-and-cookie cups, ooey-gooey layer bars, crispy rice and chocolate layer brownies, and millionaire's shortbread. For grades 3-6 and older readers.
This Thanksgiving, incorporate some Maryland recipes into the usual menu. Check out this title to discover some new, simple recipes to bring to the table.
Cooking
DBC 12432 – I Can Cook, You Can Cook! Simply Great Maryland Recipes, by Wayne O. Broke, narrated by Maxine A. Cohen
An award-winning Baltimore chef and restaurateur recounts his days as a casual proprietor at the popular Wayne's Bar-B-Que, sharing more than 150 recipes for simple and easy-to-prepare soups, salads, entrees, side dishes, desserts, breakfasts, and drinks.
November is Native American Heritage Month. Here’s a few recent titles from Native voices.
The Sentence, by Louise Erdrich
BR 24020 ; DB 105798
After her release from prison, Tookie takes a job at a Minneapolis bookstore. The store is haunted by the ghost of Flora, a former customer who had a habit of claiming to have Native American heritage. Tookie must solve the mystery of this haunting while Minneapolis endures a year of upheaval.
The Seed Keeper, by Diane Wilson
DB 105284
Rosalie Iron Wing grew up in the woods with her father, Ray, who told her stories of the natural world and the origins of the Dakota people. When he disappeared, Rosalie went into foster care. Years later, she returns home to the family cabin and remembers her father's teachings.
A Snake Falls to Earth, by Darcie Little Badger
DB 106018
Nina, a Lipan Apache, lives in the real world and still believes in the old stories. Oli, a cottonmouth snake boy, lives in the Reflecting World. But a catastrophic event on Earth, and a strange sickness that befalls Oli's best friend, drive their worlds together in ways they haven't been in centuries.
U.S. History
DBC 12466 – Hell Comes to Southern Maryland: The Story of the Point Lookout Prison and Hammond General Hospital, by Bradley M. Gottfried, narrated by Sabrina Dames
Called the “Andersonville of the North,” the Point Lookout Civil War Prisoner of War Camp for
Confederates was the largest facility in the North. This book takes a fresh look at all aspects of the prison, from its formation to its closing and lasting legacy. Loaded with first-person accounts of both Confederate prisoners and Union personnel, the book helps readers get a vivid picture of what it was like to be incarcerated in the camp.
National Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15th-October 15th. Check out this sampling of works from Hispanic authors.
Our America: A Hispanic History of the United States, by Felipe Fernández-Armesto.
DB 78528
History professor examines the Hispanic past of the United States, from Spain's colonization of Puerto Rico in 1505 to the twenty-first-century debate over immigration reform. Encourages the embrace of Hispanic culture and posits that doing so would be to the nation's advantage and enrichment.
Dominicana, by Angie Cruz
DB 96435 ; Spanish language DB 103848
1965. Fifteen-year-old Ana Canción has never dreamed of moving to America from the Dominican Republic, but marries Juan Ruiz to give her family the opportunity to do so. Stifled in New York City, she runs away. Juan's brother, César, persuades her to return and provides opportunities for her.
Violeta, by Isabel Allende,
DB 106459 ; Spanish language DB 107625
Violeta is born to a well-off family in 1920, and lives through the tumult of the twentieth century. She tells her story in letters to someone she loves above all others, recounting times of devastating heartbreak and passionate affairs, poverty and wealth, terrible loss and immense joy.
Everyone Knows You Go Home, by Natalia Sylvester
DB 91600 ; Spanish language DB 107109
Isabel meets her father-in-law, Omar, for the first time at her wedding--but he's a ghost. Her husband Martin confesses he didn't know Omar had died since they were estranged. Isabel tries to help Omar achieve redemption, but her husband and mother-in-law are reluctant.
Harsh Times, by Mario Vargas Llosa
DB 106145 ; Spanish language DB 100253
Guatemala, 1954. The military coup perpetrated by Carlos Castillo Armas and supported by the CIA topples the government of Jacobo Árbenz. Behind this violent act is a lie passed off as truth, which forever changes the development of Latin America: that Árbenz encouraged the spread of Soviet Communism in the Americas.
Ridgley, MD, located in Caroline County, is brought to life in this 19th century romantic tale.
Historical Fiction
DBC 12461 – Where This Road Ends, by Rebekah Colburn, narrated by Roberta Jackson
Ella Mae Hutchins knows exactly what she wants from life. Getting it turns out to be much harder than she expects. She has only two dreams: to marry Daniel Evans and to become a successful novelist. When neither dream seems achievable, she sets out to build a life without either. After all her efforts fail, Ella Mae returns to her hometown broken. Determined to start again, the last thing she expects is to encounter the man she blames for ruining her life. Although age and suffering have changed them both, can she forgive Daniel for breaking her heart and is she brave enough to hope for a writing career in a time when female novelists are rare?
Get ready for the first day of school with these titles that tackle the nerves and excitement often felt before the big day.
Print/Braille
Butterflies on the First Day of School, by Annie Silverstro
BR 23020
The night before the big day, Rosie's excitement about starting school turns into a tummy
ache. Rosie's mom reassures her that it is just butterflies. Much to her surprise, one flies
right out of her mouth when she makes a new friend on the bus! PRINT/BRAILLE. For preschool-grade 2.
The Pigeon Has to Go to School!, by Mo Willems
BR 22718
The pigeon must go to school, but frets about math, learning the alphabet,
heavy backpacks, and what the teacher and other birds will think of him.
PRINT/BRAILLE. For preschool-grade 2.
School's First Day of School, by Adam Rex
BR 22003
When Frederick Douglass Elementary opens, the school is nervous
that it may not like having the little kids inside. But after an exciting first day, the
school is ready to invite all of the children back. PRINT/BRAILLE. For grades K-3.
Talking Books
Harry Versus the First 100 Days of School, by Emily Jenkins
DB 104246
Harry Bergen-Murphy does not feel ready when he starts first grade,
but by day 100 he has become an expert on several important things, i
ncluding being a first-grader. For grades K-3.
Tomorrow I'll Be Kind, by Jessica Hische
DB 98930
Animals demonstrate how the smallest gestures can make the biggest
difference in the world. For preschool-grade 2.
If I Built a School, by Chris Van Dusen
DBC 19458
Imaginative Jack describes the kind of school he would build--one full of animals, with tubes to transport students directly to their classrooms, and library
books that come alive. For grades K-3.
Multiple Formats Available
The King of Kindergarten, by Derrick Barnes
BR 22793 ; DB 104940
Instilled with confidence by his parents, a young boy has a great first day
of kindergarten. For preschool-grade 2.
The Cool Bean, by John Jory
BR 23175 ; DB 97910
Always on the sidelines, one bean unsuccessfully tries everything he can to
fit in with the crowd--until one day the cool beans show him how it's done. For grades K-3.
The Day You Begin, by Jacqueline Woodson
BR 22673 ; DB 104931
Other students laugh when Rigoberto, an immigrant from Venezuela,
introduces himself. Later, however, he meets Angelina and discovers that
he is not the only one who feels like an outsider. For grades K-3.