Talking Times, Fall 2019 - Section 2

Holiday Reading Selections

The Christmasaurus by Tom Fletcher (DB92512)

Young William has wished for a dinosaur every Christmas. When Santa accidentally gives William the real Christmasaurus instead of a stuffed replica, it's the best Christmas ever--until an evil man known as the Hunter decides a dinosaur would be the perfect addition to his collection. Commercial audiobook. 2016. For grades 3-6.

Fields Where They Lay: A Junior Bender Holiday Mystery by Timothy Hallinan (DB95189)

Three days before Christmas, Junior Bender--divorced father and burglar extraordinaire--finds himself stuck inside the Edgerton Mall. The mall's murderous Russian mobster owner hired Junior to solve the shoplifting problem. But Junior's surveillance operation doesn't go well: as Christmas Eve approaches, two people are dead. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2016. Mystery, Detective.

High Sierra Christmas by William Johnstone (DB93389)

Smoke Jensen and his children are on their way to Reno for the holidays. To save time, they follow the same path that brought the legendary Donner party to a tragic end. An unexpected blizzard forces the Jensens to do what it takes to survive. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. Bestseller. Westerns. 2018.

Merry and Bright by Debbie Macomber (DB89198)

Merry Smith is too busy with her family, holiday preparations, and a demanding boss to be thinking about dating. Her mother takes the decision out of her hands by setting her up with an online dating service--but her perfect match is someone she never expected. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2017. Romance.

The White Christmas Inn by Colleen Wright (DB92951)

When a snowstorm hits a New England inn, the stranded guests must spend Christmas together. Owners Jeanne and Tim are struggling with their marriage and the inn. The various guests have their own problems, and their lives intertwine over the holiday. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2018. Family Story.

Winter Solstice by Elin Hilderbrand (DB89201)

Kelly Quinn is thrilled to have his whole family together at the Winter Street Inn for the holidays, including Bart, home safe from Afghanistan. However, it wouldn't be a Quinn family gathering if everything went smoothly. Sequel to Winter Storms (DB 85810). Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2017. Family Story.

Jumpstarting Computer Science Interest for Kids who Are Blind

by Allison Linn (excerpted)

In an IT classroom at New College Worcester in the United Kingdom, students are learning to write computer code. But instead of poking at tablet screens or typing into laptops, these students are taking out brightly colored plastic pods, connecting them together with thick white wires and then adjusting the pod's buttons and knobs. These physical components will be used to create computer programs that can tell stories, make music and even crack jokes. The students at New College Worcester are all blind or with low vision, and are part of a group of students across the UK who have spent the previous school year beta testing Project Torino, a research project that led to the development of a new product called Code Jumper. It's a physical programming language that is designed to be inclusive of children with all ranges of vision. Microsoft has announced plans to transfer the research and technology behind Code Jumper to the American Printing House for the Blind (APH), based in Louisville, Kentucky.

Over the next five years, APH plans to offer Code Jumper and related curriculum to students throughout the world, with a target audience of students who are 7 to 11 years old. The nonprofit's leaders say "the goal isn't just to introduce kids to coding - it's also to give them the underlying skills that can lead to a career in computer science". Larry Skutchan, APH's technology director, said the fact that it's immediately accessible for kids with no prior computing experience is important. In the past, he said, kids who are blind or with low vision and wanted to get into coding had to first learn other computing skills, such as how to type and use a screen reader. That made it harder to get started at a young age - and potentially closed the door to a field that could have provided a career for them. APH plans to release Code Jumper first in the US, UK, Canada and Australia, and then to distribute it throughout the world.

Lego Piloting Audio and Braille Building Instructions

Lego has announced a new accessibility initiative that will make building instructions for 4 kits (Classic Lego, Lego City, Lego Friends and Lego Movie 2) available as braille or text for voice readers, in order to reach builders with blindness and vision impairment. The service is currently available for free through the Lego Audio Instructions site.

Braille Calendars

Each year, the American Action Fund (AAF) produces and distributes over 12,000 FREE compact and useful Braille calendars to blind and deaf-blind individuals and promotes the use of Braille in every facet of a blind person's life. The goal is to achieve the most efficient means to access information or to perform a task. Calendars can be ordered from calendars@actionfund.org or by faxing a request to (818) 343-3219.

Tax Deductible Donations

Every gift to the RI Talking Books Library benefits all members of the program. Contributions allow us to fund projects such as the RI Collection that are not covered in the general budget. Donations are accepted in memory of a loved one, family member or to honor an individual. If you wish to remain anonymous, please let us know in an accompanying note. To make a donation, send check or money order payable to the RI Talking Books Library and mail to the RI Office of Library & Information Services, Talking Books Library, 1 Capitol Hill, Providence, RI 02908. Your donations are greatly appreciated and are used solely for the purchase of materials for the Talking Books Library.

Happy Holidays!

With the holiday season fast approaching, the Talking Books Library staff want to wish you and yours a happy holiday season.

TBL Closings and Holidays

Wednesday, December 25, 2019 - Christmas Day

Wednesday, January 1, 2019 - New Year's Day

This publication is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act administered by the Rhode Island Office of Library and Information Services.