KidsNews Newsletter
South Dakota State Library
Braille and Talking Book Library
Fall/Winter 1996, Volume 1, Issue 4
Compiled and edited by:
Connie Sullivan, Children's Services Coordinator
FROM THE DESK OF DAN BOYD -- DIRECTOR
SD BRAILLE & TALKING BOOK LIBRARY

The South Dakota Braille & Talking Book Library just completed the 8th Annual Governors Summer Reading Program.

Over the past eight years, more than 800 children have taken part in this summer program. Some children have competed in the program each summer, and there are new children each year.

The most positive reward from the summer program is the improved reading skills of the children. Teachers and parents have remarked about the improved reading skills, comprehension, and improved self-esteem of students involved in the summer program.

The most important skills for any individual to become a productive member of society are the ability to read and write. These two skills are the keys to the future for all children.

It is also our hope that, by participating in this program at an early ages children learn how to use the library and learn what the library has to offer them. The library is not only a place where you can check out the latest fiction or nonfiction book for recreational reading, but also where you can find the facts and figures needed for your school report.

If you are between the ages of seven and fifteen, I would encourage you to join the Governors Summer Reading Program next year. It is a wonderful way for you to improve your skills and win neat prizes. If you are the best in your age group, you may win a trip to the SD State Fair, meet the Governor at the awards program, and have a free fun-filled day on the rides at the carnival.

The library is in the process of developing some more fun reading programs. Information on the new programs will be sent to you later this fall.


For students and teachers
Now that the school year is fully underway, are you still looking for sources of textbooks, reference books, and other educational materials in special media? If so, review the following. The sources listed represent just a few of the materials available.

Touch the Stars is an introductory astronomy textbook for visually impaired students ages 12 or older. Copies in Braille or large print are available for $10 each. To order, contact the Museum of Science, Science Park, Boston, MA 02114; (617) 589-0100.

Constitution is now available in Braille. The National Braille Press published its original braille transcription of the U. S. Constitution in the Bicentennial year. If you would like to read this book, please call the Braille and Talking Book Library toll-free at 1-800-423-6665.

Tactual Human Anatomy Atlas is also now available in Braille. The Library has been presented with two copies of "Tactual Human Anatomy Atlas". The tactual illustrations and related texts are part of a series of diagrams of the human body designed for blind or visually impaired students enrolled in any human biology or health course. If you are interested in borrowing this material for your student, please contact the Braille and Talking Book Library toll-free at1-800-423-6665.


How to get more books
Return books as soon as you finish them. Don't let them accumulate in your house or school. As you finish a book, please get it back in the mail to the library as soon as you can so that others can read and enjoy it, too. This is especially important if you're a keen reader and get through books quickly. Every book you keep is a book we can't replace. We need to get books back from you to "trigger" the mailing of more. If you send books back promptly and you're still not getting enough, we can increase your basic supply. Call us and ask us to raise your "quota."


Have you enjoyed the books we've sent?
We hope you have. But if not, how about calling us on the toll-free number (1-800-423-6665) to order some catalogs so that you can choose what you would like to read. There is no single catalog that contains all of the books we can lend, but we could send you several that might interest you. It's a good way to have books that you really enjoy. Also be sure to read through the Talking Book Topics that you can get every two months. Children's and young adult books are always being added to the collection.


Cassettes playing too fast?
Sometimes borrowers complain that cassetttes play too fast. This may indicate a problem with the cassette machine. However, if a cassette plays properly on one side but not when it's turned over, the likely cause is "operator error."

When you put a cassette into the machine, don't touch the tape itself but only the plastic case. Touching the tape may produce a spill or a kink which can cause the tape to play too fast. Be sure, too, that the tape is properly inserted in the player. If the cassette plays too fast, try removing it and tightening the tape by inserting and turning your finger or a pencil in one of the two holes in the cassette.

Also, make sure that the machine's speed switch is still in the 15/16 (left) position. It's possible to touch the speed switch accidentally instead of the side selector switch when you change from the cassette's side two to side three, or six to seven. Hitting the speed switch will double the playback speed.


Change of address/telephone number?
Notify us of any changes in your address or telephone number as soon as possible so we can better serve you. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU !!!!!


Ready to enjoy more good movies? Just Give us a call!!
Descriptive videos are movies where the visual elements are described - the action, characters, locations, costumes and sets - without interfering with the movie's dialogue or sound effects. To watch these movies and hear the descriptions, you only need a regular VHS video cassette player (VCR) and a television. No special feature or device is needed. Videos are loaned for three (3) days, one video at a time, on a first-come, first-serve basis. Call 1-800-423-6665 and a copy of the DVS loan policy and a listing of available movies will be sent to you -- along with your first DVS home movie. Don't delay, call today and ask for Judy.


New catalogs available.
The 1997 catalog Seedling Braille Books for Children catalog has over 270 low-cost braille books for children. The new selections include: print and braille books with sound buttons for pre-schoolers, print and braille easy-readers, and selections from popular series. The free catalog is available from: SEEDLINGS, P.O. Box 51924, Livonia, MI 48151-5924, or call 1-800-777-8552.

The new AFB Press 1996-1997 Publications Catalog is now available in print, on disk, on audiocassette, and on-line. The catalog lists approximately 100 titles, including college textbooks, teaching guides, videos, and pamphlets. The disk version is in ASCII (text format) on an IBM-formatted disk. The printed catalog and the disk and cassette versions are available by calling AFB Press at (800) 232-3044. The on-line version can be accessed on the World Wide Web at www.afb.org. The text version can also be accessed through the AFB gopher at gopher.afb.org 5005.


Braille Correspondence Course
The South Dakota Braille & Talking Book Library (SDBTBL) and the Sioux Falls Braille Unit have developed a "classroom braillist" course. This correspondence course can be taken at no charge by contacting the SDBTBL. Successful completion of this course is acceptable for certification as a classroom braillist. You can also receive college credit for this by paying the required credit hour charge and "testing out".

For additional information on this course, contact Connie Sullivan at 1-800-423-6665.


How to be a lifetime reader.
  • Talk about what you read. Nothing sparks interest in books like word-of-mouth recommendations.
  • Keep books and magazines around the house. While you shouldn't keep library books out too long, most magazines from your Regional Library are yours to keep. Also, since all of our materials were first available in print, friends and relatives should be able to obtain print copies from local libraries or book stores.
  • Reread an old favorite. Sometimes once is really not enough to appreciate a fine book. Since we normally try not to send you the same title twice, let us know if you have a favorite you would like to enjoy again.
  • Invite older family members to tell stories or to discuss favorite books.
Learn about initial reactions to books that have been around for years.
  • Opinions about titles like the Grapes of Wrath (RC 21574) or The Jungle (RC 9498, BR 650) may have changed. Find out what others think, then read the book yourself.
  • Read about reading. Yes, there are books about books! You might try Books That Made the Difference: What People Told Us (RC 24388, BR 6489), a collection of interviews with Americans about books important to their lives.
Listed below are just a few fairy tales and folktales. These stories were originally told by the community's storyteller. They were handed down orally from one generation to another until the stories were finally written down by such collectors as Charles Perrault, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, and Abjorsen and Moe.

This collection contains tales from different ethnic traditions, as well as the more well-know European tales. Additionally, there are many different versions of many of the stories available at various grade levels.

To order please call the Braille and Talking Book Library toll-free at 1-800-423-6665.

RC = Recorded Cassette, BR = Braille
  1. RC 13373 THE ADVENTURES OF PINOCCHIO, BR 7796 Carlo Collodi
    A little wooden puppet who can talk, think, and feel as a normal boy has a giant curiosity that leads him into exciting and unexpected adventures. And every time he tells a lie, his nose grows and grows! For grades 3-6.
  2. RC 34360 ROBIN HOOD, Retold by Sarah Hayes
    An easy-to-read retelling of the adventures of Robin Hood and his band of merry men in Sherwood Forest. Robin Hood, who loves Maid Marian, battles the evil sheriff of Nottingham as he rights wrongs and fights for justice. For grades 3-6.
  3. RC 19713, BR 5249 SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK, COLLECTED FROM AMERICAN FOLKLORE, Collected by Alvin Schwartz
    Ghoulish stories of ghosts and witches, startling "jump" stories, macabre songs, frightening legends, and modern-day horror stories. For grades 5-8.
  4. RC 14411, BR 6800 BEAUTY: A retelling of the story of Beauty and the Beast, Robin McKinley
    An embellishment of the classic tale in which Beauty, a plain but kind and intelligent girl, learns the meaning of love from the Beast to whom she goes as payment for her father's debt. A thoughtful fantasy. For grades 5-8.
  5. BR 1764 THE KNIGHTS OF THE GOLDEN TABLE: Retold by Martha Edith Almedingen
    Twelve classic Russian stories from the 10th century tell of Prince Vladimir and his knights who defeat the witch Baba Yaga, outwit many other supernatural enemies, and win a bride for their prince. For grades 5-8.
  6. RC 14175 THE BROTHERS GRIMM: Popular folk tales, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
    Thirty-one folktales including such classics as "The Fisherman and His Wife," "The Bremen Town Musicians," and "The Twelve Dancing Princesses." For grades 4-7.
  7. RC 36651 DREAM WOLF, Retold by Paul Goble
    In this Plains Indian tale, young Tiblo and his little sister Tanksi lose their way in the hills, and, as darkness falls, they find refuge in a cave. That night Tiblo dreams that a wolf appears to watch over them. When he awakens, the dream has come true, and the wolf guides the two children home. For grades 2-4.
  8. RC 28470, BR 7512 THE TEENY TINY WOMAN Retold by Jane O'Connor
    Retells the folktale of the teeny-tiny woman who finds a teeny-tiny bone on a teeny-tiny grave, and plans to make a teeny-tiny soup. For preschool-grade 2.
KidsNews
KidsNews, published quarterly, is our means of communication with the younger patrons of the Braille and Talking Book Library. KidsNews is available in braille, on cassette or on a diskette upon request and is posted on our website: www.sdstatelibrary.com/talkbook

If you have any questions or comments you would like to address, or wish to request this newsletter in alternative format, please contact the Braille and Talking Book Library.


The South Dakota Braille and Talking Book Library does not endorse any product or service listed in this newsletter.