Animals and Wildlife

Nonfiction

Animals and Wildlife

All My Patients Have Tales: Favorite Stories from a Vet’s Practice BR 18334

byJeffWells

2 volumes

Wells recounts his Iowa vet-school experience and the early years of his veterinary practice in South Dakota and Colorado. Describes chasing an excrement-spewing feral cat through the clinic, treating a Tibetan yak named Jack, and realizing that an ex-marine had fainted while Wells
sutured a horse’s nose. Uncontracted braille. 2009.

Be the Pack Leader: Use Cesar’s Way to Transform Your Dog—and Your LifeBR 18089

byCesarMillan

3 volumes

Dog trainer and author of the bestselling Cesar’s Way (BR 16533) gives tips and techniques for disciplining and training canines. Discusses different breeds and dog psychology. Explains the importance of owners developing the behavior of a leader. Makes suggestions for managing stress of both owner and pet. 2007.

Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the WorldBR 17821

byVickiMyron

2 volumes

Spencer, Iowa, public library director Vicki Myron describes finding a kitten in the book drop in 1988. Named Dewey Readmore Books by library staff, the feline became an increasingly famous mascot over the next nineteen years. Myron also discusses her divorce, single parenthood, breast cancer scare, and love of librarianship. Bestseller. 2008.

ADog Year: Twelve Months, Four Dogs, and MeBR 17805

byJonKatz

2 volumes

Katz recounts his adoption of Devon, a homeless, high-strung border collie, and its effect on his tranquil life with his two yellow labs. Describes chasing Devon through Newark Airport, the battle between dog and owner for alpha-male status, and the adoption of a second border collie. Some strong language. 2003.

Dog Years: A MemoirBR 17586

byMarkDoty

2 volumes

Award-winning poet recalls experiences with his beloved retrievers, Arden and Beau. Describes how they helped him through his grief after his partner’s death, and how, in turn, he cared for them as they aged. Reflects on the lessons learned about life, loss, and unconditional love. Some strong language. 2007.

TheEmotional Lives of Animals: A Leading Scientist Explores Animal Joy, Sorrow, and Empathy—and Why They MatterBR 17511

byMarcBekoff

3 volumes

Award-winning biologist uses evidence from neurological and behavioral studies to argue that animals have feelings. Provides accounts of fun-loving mice, pleasure-seeking iguanas, angry baboons, and other creatures to demonstrate how emotions drive social interaction. Urges a reassessment of animal treatment in zoos, laboratories, and farms. Foreword by Jane Goodall. 2007.

Homer’s Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale; or, How I Learned about Love and Life with a Blind Wonder CatBR 18591

byGwenCooper

2 volumes

Author describes adopting Homer, a small abandoned kitten whose infected eyes were surgically removed. Details the adventures of spunky, active Homer over the next dozen years—
living with two other cats in New York apartments, surviving 9/11, and endearing himself to everyone he met including (eventually) the author’s future husband. 2009.

Katz on Dogs: A Commonsense Guide to Training and Living with DogsBR 17621

byJonKatz

3 volumes

Believing that the majority of owners do a poor job of training dogs, Katz, the author of Katz on Dogs (BR 17621) and New Work of Dogs (BR 14833), describes the techniques he has found to work best. Discusses dog selection and multidog households. 2005.

Of Parrots and People: The Sometimes Funny, Always Fascinating, and Often Catastrophic Collision of Two Intelligent SpeciesBR 18259

by Mira Tweti

3 volumes

Investigative journalist presents scientific findings on parrot behavior, intelligence, and personality. Explores the bond between human owners and their pet parrots. Discusses the endangerment of many species because of popular demand and suggests ways to save them from extinction. 2008.

Real Food for Dogs: Fifty Vet-Approved Recipes to Please the Canine GastronomeBR 17417

byArdenMoore

1 volume

Nutritious, easy-to-prepare meals to make as a tasty substitute for commercial dog food. Includes recipes for Bow-Wow Brownies, Doggie Delights, Fruity Pupsicles, Mutt Meatballs, Canine Casserole, Pawsitively Pleasing Pasta, Pooch Pancakes, and more. Includes sections on treats, vegetarian dishes, and diets for pets with special needs. 2001.

Wolf: Legend, Enemy, IconBR 17751

byRebecca L. Grambo

1 volume

Explores the evolution of the wolf-human relationship. Covers early civilizations’ reverence of the wolf, the wolf as a symbol of evil in the Middle Ages, and its near extinction in modern times. Describes the wolf’s life cycle and its predatory nature, which incites both fear and admiration in humans. 2005.

Biography

TheAutobiography of Malcolm XBR 17499

byMalcolmX

5 volumes

The life of African American religious leader Malcolm X (1925–1965). The author describes his boyhood in Lansing, Michigan, street life in Harlem, conversion to the Black Muslim movement while imprisoned for robbery, and evolution into a high-profile spokesman for black dignity, power, and separatism. Foreword by Alex Haley. 1964.

Barack Obama: The Politics of HopeBR 17822

byWilliam MichaelDavis

1 volume

Biography of Illinois senator Obama (born 1961), the son of a Kenyan father and a white Kansan mother. Discusses Obama’s upbringing in Hawaii and Indonesia. Recounts his education, community work, and political career through the start of his presidential campaign in 2007. For junior and senior high readers. 2008.

Belles on Their ToesBR 17729

byFrank B. GilbrethJr.andErnestine GilbrethCarey

2 volumes

1924. Life takes a dramatic turn in the Gilbreth house on Dad’s death. Mother establishes herself as head of the engineering/motion-study business, while twelve children try to keep the family together. Sequel to Cheaper by the Dozen (BR 00353). 1950.

Beyond the Miracle Worker: The Remarkable Life of Anne Sullivan Macy and Her Extraordinary Friendship with Helen KellerBR 18459

byKim E. Nielsen

3 volumes

The author of The Radical Lives of Helen Keller (BR 15304) uses Anne Sullivan Macy’s notes and letters to portray her impoverished upbringing, education at the Perkins Institution, and personal relationships, especially with her pupil Helen Keller. 2009.

A Bold, Fresh Piece of Humanity BR 17860

byBillO’Reilly

2 volumes

Emmy Award-winning television commentator’s autobiography, its title inspired by his third-grade teacher, a nun, who summed him up with the phrase. O’Reilly reminisces about his postwar working-class upbringing in Long Island, a Catholic-school education, his two years as a teacher, and his journalism career’s beginnings in 1970s Boston. Bestseller. 2008.

Dough: A Memoir BR 18114

byMortZachter

2 volumes

Describes the author’s shock in learning that his Jewish bachelor uncles had saved millions of dollars. His confusion—why did the author’s mother and her brothers live so frugally while operating a successful day-old-bread store?—is mixed with elation—theinheritance solves his own financial woes and allows him time to write. 2007.

Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance BR 18106

byBarackObama

4 volumes

Obama, his father a Kenyan student and his mother a white Kansan, struggles with issues of identity and ethnicity. A Harvard Law School graduate, community organizer, and civil rights lawyer, Obama recounts a life-changing pilgrimage to Kenya to meet relatives from his father’s other marriages. Some strong language. Bestseller. 1995.

Heart in the Right Place: A Memoir BR 17565

byCarolynJourdan

2 volumes

When her seventy-two-year-old mother had a heart attack, U.S. Senate counsel Jourdan took leave to man the receptionist’s desk in her father’s rural Tennessee doctor’s office. She describes those days that turned into a year, and the lessons in humanity she learned during that time. Some strong language. 2007.

TheHouse at Sugar Beach: In Search of a Lost African Childhood BR 17829

byHeleneCooper

3 volumes

Memoir by New York Times correspondent describes her privileged childhood in Liberia as a descendant of black American founders. Cooper relates her uprooting by a 1980 coup that forced the family to flee to the United States—and her return decades later. Some violence and some strong language. Bestseller. 2008.

How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live like Everyone Else BR 17636

byMichael GatesGill

2 volumes

White sixtysomething Gill describes his despair over being let go from his high-powered New York advertising job. He explains how gratitude for an unexpected employment offer he received at a Starbucks led him to job satisfaction as a barista and coffee master alongside younger black coworkers. Some strong language. 2007.

TheLast Mrs. Astor: A New York StoryBR 17471

byFrancesKiernan

3 volumes

Biography of the New York socialite and philanthropist Brooke Astor, born in 1902, third wife of Vincent Astor, who inherited his fortune in 1959. Discusses her struggle over the terms of Vincent’s will, her dedication to the charitable organization named for her husband, and her enjoyment of social functions. 2007.

Little Heathens: Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm during the Great DepressionBR 17554

byMildred ArmstrongKalish

2 volumes

Retired English professor’s memoir of her childhood in 1930s rural Iowa, a time Kalish describes as “quite a romp.” Recalls years of deprivation and hard work mitigated by simple rewards. Discusses daily life and the influence of religion and literature, and describes family members whose lessons shaped her upbringing. Some strong language. 2007.

TheLongest Trip Home: A MemoirBR 18247

byJohnGrogan

3 volumes

John Grogan, author of Marley and Me (BR 16584), describes growing up near Detroit as the youngest of four siblings. Recounts many experiences, from disappointing his devout Catholic parents by living with his girlfriend to witnessing his father’s 2004 death and his mother’s mental decline. Strong language. 2008.

Michelle: A Biography BR 18055

byLizaMundy

2 volumes

Washington Post staff writer describes Michelle Obama’s life from childhood through her political journey of becoming America’s first African American first lady. Discusses her being the child of a Chicago city worker; her Ivy League education and successful career; marriage to Barack, who calls her “the boss”; and motherhood. 2008.

Might as Well Laugh about It Now BR 18225

byMarieOsmond

2 volumes

The lone sister of the 1970s Osmond Brothers singing group describes being a stage, television, and radio entertainer and a doll designer. She also discusses her childhood and personal life—parenting her eight children, battling weight and marital problems, and missing her beloved parents. Bestseller. 2009.

TheMighty Queens of Freeville: A Mother, a Daughter, and the Town That Raised ThemBR 18297

byAmyDickinson

2 volumes

Nationally syndicated advice columnist “Ask Amy,” whose motto is “I make the mistakes so you don’t have to,” describes her adventures as a single mom raising a daughter and building a career. Contrasts her small home-town and close-knit family upbringing with her experiences in Washington, D.C., and Chicago. 2009.

My Maggie BR 17723

byRichardKing

2 volumes

Chicago sportscaster’s tribute to Maggie, his wife of thirty-two years. He recalls her fears, courage, and ultimate zest for living while battling childhood hearing loss, progressive blindness, melanoma, breast cancer, and the ovarian cancer that killed her at age fifty-three. 2007.

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave BR 17929

byFrederickDouglass

2 volumes

African American abolitionist Frederick Douglass (1818–1895) chronicles his life from his birth in Maryland as a slave to his 1838 escape to the North. Describes the physical, mental, and spiritual brutalities of enslavement and his resolution to live free or die. Some violence. For senior high and older readers. 1845.

Roots: The Saga of an American Family BR 17794

byAlexHaley

7 volumes

Seven generations of the author’s family, from 1767, when Kunta Kinte is captured in the Gambia, West Africa, and transported to Virginia as a slave. Chronicles Haley’s ancestors’ resettlement in Tennessee following the Civil War, recounts his birth in 1921, and describes his genealogical research. Some violence. Pulitzer Prize. 1974.

TheSkin between Us: A Memoir of Race, Beauty, and Belonging BR 17719

byKymRagusa

2 volumes

Documentary filmmaker reminisces about her childhood in Harlem, during which she was raised alternately by her Sicilian and African American grandmothers. Describes growing up biracially and biculturally in the 1960s and 1970s and her black family’s conflicted view of their race. Some strong language. 2006.

Ten Green Bottles: The True Story of One Family’s Journey from War-Torn Austria to the Ghettos of Shanghai BR 17817

byVivian JeanetteKaplan

3 volumes

Memoir of a family’s 1939 escape from the Nazis and ten-year struggle to survive in China. Daughter Nini describes marrying her Polish friend Poldi, enduring the Japanese occupation and communist takeover, and emigrating to Canada with her own daughter, the author. Compares life to fragile green bottles. Some violence. 2002.

Triumph over Darkness: The Life of Louis Braille BR 17820

byLennardBickel

2 volumes

Biography of Frenchman Louis Braille (1809–1852), who perfected a raised-dot alphabet code named in his honor when he was only fifteen. Discusses the development of the system of reading and writing that opened the world of learning for blind people. 1988.

Untold Glory: African Americans in Pursuit of Freedom, Opportunity, and Achievement BR 17888

byAlanGovenar

4 volumes

Interviews with twenty-seven African Americans who have excelled in the arts, politics, and business. First-person accounts describe overcoming discrimination and other obstacles to achieve personal goals. Includes businesswoman Josephine Cooke, who suffers from sickle-cell anemia, and mathematician Mary DeConge-Watson, a former nun. 2007.

Blindness and Physical Handicaps

Behind Our Eyes: Stories, Poems, and Essays by Writers with Disabilities BR 17432

edited byMarilyn BrandtSmith

3 volumes

Twenty-seven contributors, many blind, express their experiences dealing with everyday situations and emotions. In “Her Day Versus My Day” a twenty-five-year-old suffers a stroke. In “Rebel with a Cane” a thirteen- year-old who is blind defies her overprotective parents and walks home from school alone. 2007.

Beyond the Miracle Worker: The Remarkable Life of Anne Sullivan Macy and Her Extraordinary Friendship with Helen KellerBR 18459

byKim E. Nielsen

3 volumes

TheBlind Need Not Apply: A History of Overcoming Prejudice in the Orientation and Mobility ProfessionBR 17510

byRonald J. Ferguson

2 volumes

Provides historical context for the conflict between the professionals in the orientation and mobility (O and M) field and organizations of blind people. Examines the basic assumptions underpinning their different approaches to preparing O and M instructors. Considers ways these differences have shaped policies and practice. 2007.

Disability Awareness—Do It Right! Your All-in-One How-to Guide: Tips, Techniques, and Handouts for a Successful Awareness Day BR 17395

edited byMaryJohnson

2 volumes

The Ragged Edge Online community’s guide to planning and presenting a disability awareness event. Explains the negative consequences of disability simulations and suggests alternative activities that promote the concept of “ableism,” as advocated by the disability rights movement. Includes a countdown calendar, a checklist, resources, and readings. 2006.

Freedom BR 17709

edited byMarcMaurer

1 volume

Eight individuals share their experiences with blindness. In the title memoir, Maurer reflects that “blindness must be confronted in unconventional ways if progress in surmounting its disadvantages is to be made.” In “Mom, What Does Blind Mean?” Pauletta Feldman answers her nonsighted son’s questions. 2006.

Hands of My Father: A Hearing Boy, His Deaf Parents, and the Language of Love BR 18281

byMyronUhlberg

2 volumes

Children’s book author Uhlberg describes his childhood in 1930s and 1940s Brooklyn with two deaf parents and a hearing but epileptic younger brother. He recounts dealing with his sometimes uncomfortable role as an interpreter and with the looks of curiosity and shock from strangers. Some strong language. 2008.

High Point of Persistence: The Miriam Richards Story BR 18257

byDamara Paris and others

3 volumes

Biography of deaf climber Miriam Richards, who set a goal to reach the highest elevation in each of the fifty states and seven continents. Chronicles her childhood, Gallaudet University years, and memorable summits. Discusses challenges she faced, including a fall from Mount Hood and being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. 2007.

Joni: An Unforgettable Story BR 17654

by Joni Eareckson Tada

2 volumes

Tada, paralyzed from the neck down by a diving accident in 1967, shares her struggle—what she calls an “incredible adventure”—to adjust to her disability. Describes overcoming, through faith in God, her physical and emotional challenges and even becoming a skillful artist by using her mouth to guide her pen. 1976.

My MaggieBR 17723

by Richard King

2 volumes

Nickie’s Nook: Sharing the Journey BR 18136

byNickieCoby

1 volume

Selected writings from the online journal of blind college student and aspiring social worker Coby, who has Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. Discusses her guide dog Julio, her Christianity, and the differences between blindness and chronic illness. For senior high and older readers. 2007.

Seeing beyond Blindness BR 17387

byShelleyKinash

3 volumes

Inquiry into the blind person’s online-learning experience. Author presents interpretive research culled from interviews with seven blind online learners and twenty-five others—blind and sighted—including parents, teachers, and inventors of accessibility resources. Discusses usability and user issues such as technological proficiency and working knowledge of adaptive technology. 2006.