Accessibility at work means access to books too. The Talking Book Program supports Texans in every career. Check out some of our titles on disability history.
From the library:
DISABILITY EXPERIENCE: WORKING TOWARD BELONGING (DB 104292) (BR 23806)
FIGHTING FOR YES!: THE STORY OF DISABILITY RIGHTS ACTIVIST JUDITH HEUMANN (DB 111685)
SITTING PRETTY: THE VIEW FROM MY ORDINARY, RESILIENT, DISABLED BODY (DB 101063)
October is Print Disabilities Month. Join us for five free virtual events to learn how people access printed information. The Maryland State Library for the Blind and Print Disabled (LBPD) is hosting discussions, presentations, and a film screening. LBPD is a sister library to the Texas Talking Book Program. All events are online and open to everyone.
From October 7 to October 27, these programs will highlight conditions that make reading standard print difficult or impossible.
Registration is required. Visit the LBPD Print Disabilities Month webpage for details and sign-up links.
Featured Programs
Brailled It!
Brailled It! is a documentary about the Braille Challenge, an annual literacy competition for K-12 students who are blind or visually impaired. When you register for the watch party, you will receive access to view the film anytime between October 7 and October 13.
IEPs and Print Disabilities
Parents, guardians, educators, and advocates may find this panel especially helpful. Speakers will discuss Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), educational advocacy, and the rights students and families have when seeking accommodations.
The Neuroscience of Dyslexia
This presentation explores how more than 20 years of research have changed the way experts understand dyslexia and other reading difficulties. Attendees will learn how these discoveries have improved support and intervention strategies.
Stroke and Dyslexia
Many people associate dyslexia with childhood. However, changes in reading ability can occur later in life. This discussion will examine how strokes can affect reading and language processing at any age and will highlight the complex brain functions involved in reading.
Since 2014, the Kirkus Prize given annually by Kirkus Reviews to books of exceptional merit. The finalists were announced on August 27, and the winners will be announced during a ceremony at the Tribeca Rooftop in New York on October 7. It will also be livestreamed on Kirkus’ YouTube channel at 6:30 p.m. (Central). Here are the finalists for 2026 that are in the TBP collection.
For more information check out the Kirkus Prize website.
| KIN by Tayari Jones (DB 135763, LB 0013156) |
| THIS IS WHERE THE SERPENT LIVES by Daniyal Mueenuddin (DB 134776) |
| JOHN OF JOHN by Douglas Stuart (DB 137822) |
| COOL MACHINE by Colson Whitehead (DB 139591; IN PROCESS) |
| CATCH THE DEVIL: A TRUE STORY OF MURDER AND DECEPTION ON THE GULF COAST by Pamela Colloff (DB 139243; IN PROCESS) |
| KEEPER OF MY KIN: MEMOIR OF AN IMMIGRANT DAUGHTER by Ada Ferrer (DB 139291; IN PROCESS) |
| LONDON FALLING: A MYSTERIOUS DEATH IN A GILDED CITY AND A FAMILY’S SEARCH FOR TRUTH by Patrick Radden Keefe (DB 136808, LB 0015028) |
| DEFIANCE: A MEMOIR OF AWAKENING, REBELLION, AND SURVIVAL IN SYRIA by Loubna Mrie (DB 136843) |
| HYMN TO LIFE: SHAME HAS TO CHANGE SIDES by Gisèle Pelicot with Judith Perrignon ; translated from the French by Natasha Lehrer and Ruth Diver (DB 136029) |
| WORLD APPEARS: A JOURNEY INTO CONSCIOUSNESS by Michael Pollan (DB 135626, LB 0013155) |
| WHEN IT’S YOUR TURN FOR MIDNIGHT by Blessing Musariri (DB 138768) |
Trick or treat yourself to a spine-chilling TBP audiobook!
From the library:
HALLOWEEN (DB 55079)
HALLOWEEN HOWLS: RIDDLES THAT ARE A SCREAM (DB 21632) (BR 05696)
WITCHES, PUMPKINS, AND GRINNING GHOSTS (DB 53631) (BR 13900)
Juvenile Fiction
Action and Adventure Fiction
AMELIA BEDELIA ROAD TRIP! Parish, Herman
LB 0015271
THIS IS BLACK PANTHER West, Alexandra
LB 0015274
Detective and Mystery Fiction and Thrillers
NATE THE GREAT AND THE SNOWY TRAIL Sharmat, Marjorie Weinman
LB 0015272
General Fiction and Novels
ALEXIS AND THE PERFECT RECIPE Simon, Coco
LB 0015266
ALEXIS COOL AS A CUPCAKE Simon, Coco
LB 0015269
EMMA ALL STIRRED UP! Simon, Coco
LB 0015268
EMMA ON THIN ICING Simon, Coco
LB 0015265
MIA’S BAKER’S DOZEN Simon, Coco
LB 0015267
Picture Books
WINTER WONDERLAND SOUND BOOK
LB 0015273
Guide dogs lead the way! For our blind and visually disabled patrons, accessible books can lead the way to new worlds and new adventures. Celebrate Guide Dog Month with TBP.
From the library:
EVERY STEP FORWARD: PERSONAL ACCOUNTS OF THE UNIQUE PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN BLIND PEOPLE AND THEIR SEEING EYE DOGS (BR 15966)
PARTNERS IN INDEPENDENCE: A SUCCESS STORY OF DOGS AND THE DISABLED (DB 58508) (BR 15603)
THUNDER DOG: THE TRUE STORY OF A BLIND MAN, HIS GUIDE DOG, AND THE TRIUMPH OF TRUST AT GROUND ZERO (DB 73300) (LB 06970)
We honor the workers who built this nation. Learn labor history with TBP’s audiobooks.
From the library:
LABOR DAY (BRC 00970)
TRIANGLE (DBC 09846)
WHO IS GOVERNMENT?: THE UNTOLD STORY OF PUBLIC SERVICE (DB 127994)
Your TBP ‘library card’ = lifetime access to free audiobooks, braille, large print, and more. If you have a qualifying visual, physical, or reading disability, you can sign up today! It’s free!
From the library:
LETTER TO A FUTURE LOVER: MARGINALIA, ERRATA, SECRETS, INSCRIPTIONS, AND OTHER EPHEMERA FOUND IN LIBRARIES (DBC 02751)
LIBRARY: AN UNQUIET HISTORY (BR 15100)
LIBRARY BOOK: THE STORY OF LIBRARIES FROM CAMELS TO COMPUTERS (DB 65329)
Join the Talking Book Program for an author talk on Tuesday, October 13 at 7:00 p.m. (Central) with geologist and author, Susan Cummins MIller.
Reader’s Advisory Librarian, Laura Jean, will discuss Ms. Cummins Miller’s career and her Frankie MacFarlane Geologist Series, starting with the first book, DEATH ASSEMBLAGE (DBC 18425). Following the talk, there will be a Q&A session.
Our Author Talks are held via Zoom, but you can join using just a telephone!
Participating is easy:
To ensure you receive the necessary details, please RSVP in advance.
We invite you to ask Susan Cummins Miller questions about her book. Please submit your questions by October 6. We will select questions based on the responses to this form, and they may be asked during the event! Fill out the form here: Author Questions.
To RSVP, you can fill out our online registration form: Register Here.
Or if you prefer, reply to this email, or call the Talking Book Program at 1-800-252-9605.
Please indicate if you would like us to mail you a digital cartridge with her book or if you prefer to download it from BARD. And, please let us know if you would like a reminder via email or phone-call (or both).
DEATH ASSEMBLAGE: FRANKIE MACFARLANE GEOLOGIST, BOOK 1 by Susan Cummins MacFarlane (DBC 18425)
NLS Annotation: The mountains west of Pair-a-Dice, Nevada, hold mysteries geological, historical, and personal. Geologist Frankie MacFarlane has mapped the Paleozoic and Mesozoic sedimentary rocks of the range for the past three summers. In the final week of her dissertation fieldwork, she searches for an elusive final key to her research: a limestone marker bed—a death assemblage of fossil ammonoids—hidden by dangerous, shifting talus. But as Frankie strives to piece together her geologic jigsaw puzzle, the denizens of Pair-a-Dice, her base of operations, embroil her in a web of ancient and recent murders, a manhunt, kidnappings, and blackmail. 2002.
We look forward to having you join us on Tuesday, October 13!
Adult Fiction
Detective and Mystery Fiction and Thrillers
STUART WOODS’ DEEP WATER: A STONE BARRINGTON NOVEL Battles, Brett
LB 0015257
Science Fiction
CARL’S DOOMSDAY SCENARIO Dinniman, Matt
LB 0015256
DUNGEON CRAWLER CARL Dinniman, Matt
LB 0015255
Juvenile Fiction
Humorous Fiction
EMMA, SMILE AND SAY CUPCAKE! Simon, Coco
LB 0015253
KATIE, BATTER UP! Simon, Coco
LB 0015252
MIA’S BOILING POINT Simon, Coco
LB 0015254