Encouraging children to read for pleasure, and thereby improving their skills is a challenge for parents and teachers whether the medium is print or braille. Of course, providing reading material that is interesting to the child is an excellent incentive.
Here is a list of sources for borrowing or purchasing braille and print/braille children’s books and magazines in the United States. Please contact individual organizations for detailed information on products and/or prices.
Books
The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS)
Library of Congress
Washington, DC 20542
Telephone: (800) 424-8567
E-Mail: nls@loc.gov
Web site: www.loc.gov/nls
Offers a wide variety of braille books on loan. Call your regional library or call NLS at 1-800-424-8567 for more information and an application. NLS has also compiled a directory, available free of charge in large print and braille formats, which gives the names of volunteer groups and individuals who transcribe and record books and other reading materials for blind readers. The listing is alphabetical by state.
Kenneth Jernigan Library for Blind Children, American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults
18440 Oxnard Street
Tarzana, CA 91356
Telephone: (818) 343-2022
Web site: www.actionfund.org
Maintains a lending library of print/braille books as well as braille books for K–1 up to 12th grade reading and interest level. Books are mailed to the child’s home and also to schools. Contact the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults in writing for an application. Offer a free braille calendar, as well as a weekly newspaper for deafblind individuals. All services are free.
American Printing House for the Blind
1839 Frankfort Avenue
Louisville, KY 40206
Telephone: (800) 223-1839
E-Mail: info@aph.org
Web site: www.aph.org
Sells the "On the Way to Literacy" books, with print and braille and tactile illustrations. Also source for many other braille children’s books and early learning materials.
The National Braille Press
88 St. Stephen Street
Boston, MA 02115
Telephone: (617) 266-6160 or (800) 548-7323
E-Mail: orders@nbp.org
Web site: www.nbp.org
Offers a "Children’s Braille Book Club" aimed especially for preschool and primary grade children. These are popular picture books with the insertion of clear plastic sheets that contain the braille translation. There is no fee to join the club, and you can buy as few or as many books as you wish.
Seedlings
Braille Books for Children
P.O. Box 51924
Livonia, MI 48151-5924
Telephone: (734) 427-8552 or (800) 777-8552
E-mail: seedlink@aol.com
Web site: www.seedlings.org
More than 650 titles available at reasonable prices for braille readers ages 0-14. Choose from print and braille pre-school picture board books, beginning reader print and braille books, and braille-only chapter books through middle school reading level on many different topics including a variety of books in uncontracted braille. Seedlings also offers "The Rose Project," providing free World Book Encyclopedia articles in braille.
The Braille Institute of America, Inc.
741 North Vermont Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90029
Telephone: (323) 663-1111 or (800) 272-4553
Publishes Expectations, a free braille volume containing stories for elementary school age children, plus some scratch-and-sniff pages. The book is sent out once a year around Christmastime. A summertime volume, Brailleways, is also available. Write to the Braille Institute of America to get on the mailing list. Other print-braille and braille children’s books are available.
Braille International, Inc.
3290 S.E. Slater Street
Stuart, FL 34997
Telephone: (561) 286-8366 or (800) 336-3142
E-Mail: molly@brailleintl.org
Web site: www.brailleintl.org
Offers the William T. Thomas bookstore with books for children (and adults). They include the children’s reference "State Books Series" with information about geography, history, economy, culture, etc. of each state (and Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico), and the "One to Grow On!" series of children’s print/braille books with a read-along cassette. Other popular books and series, such as the Baby Sitters Club books, are available.
Braille Library and Transcribing Services
517 N. Segoe Road., #200
Madison, WI 53705
Telephone: (608) 233-0222
Braille books and print-braille books available for loan or purchase. All American Girl books available at less than print price. Catalog available.
Magazines
The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS)
Library of Congress
Washington, DC 20542
Telephone: (800) 424-8567
E-Mail: nls@loc.gov
Web site: www.loc.gov/nls
Offers a number of magazines for children of all ages. These include: Boys' Life, Muse, Spider: The Magazine for Children, Stone Soup and Seventeen Subscriptions are free of charge and are available through your cooperating NLS regional library.
The American Printing House for the Blind
1839 Frankfurt Avenue
Louisville, KY 40206
Telephone: (502) 895-2405 or (800) 223-1839
E-mail: info@aph.org
Web site: www.aph.org
Offers several publications available from September through May. My Weekly Reader is a scholastic journal for grades 2-6 that focuses on current events. Know Your World Extra! is geared to youngsters 10-16 with reading difficulties. Others also available: Current Events and Current Science. For subscription information, write or call the American Printing House for the Blind.
Christian Record Services
4444 South 52nd Street
Lincoln, NE 68516
Telephone: (402) 488-0981
E-mail: crsnet@compuserve.com
Web site: www.christianrecord.org
Makes two quarterly braille magazines available free of charge. Children's Friend has stories for children and Young and Alive, a publication for young adults, contains adventure fiction and devotional articles.
The Lutheran Library for the Blind
1333 South Kirkwood Road
St. Louis, MO 63122
Telephone: (314) 965-9000 or (800) 433-3954
Offers four publications that are available free of charge. Happy Times is a monthly magazine of religious articles and fiction for children ages 6-8. My Pleasure, also available monthly, contains stories for ages 9-12. My Devotions has a month's worth of daily devotionals for ages 8-13. Teen Time is published 8 times a year and contains religious stories for young adults.
