APH News

Exciting New APH Products Announced!

Read on to learn about these new products – now available!

• APH Spring Fever Sale
• Test Ready: Plus Mathematics: Book 8
• APH InSights Art Calendar: 2013
• Early Braille Trade Books: Rigby PM
• APH Braille Book Corner

Strengthening the Bonds

Thirteen APH Ex Officio Trustees gathered at APH May 15–18 to learn just exactly what it means to be an Ex Officio Trustee. The eleven new EOTs were joined by “seasoned” Ex Officio Trustees Marie Piquion-Leach (NC) and Jim Olson (CO) to hear about the history of APH, learn more about the Federal Quota Census, meet key APH staff, tour the facility, learn from each other and more. Highlights of their time at APH included the factory tour, presentations from Research Department Project Leaders, demonstrations of the APH website, databases, Tactile Graphics Image Library, and more. Dr. Karen Blankenship, of Vanderbilt University, presented information on blindness and visual impairment for the special group.

These eager learners included Jim Adams (OK), Erika Arbogast (PA), John Davis (MN), Barb Engelbrecht (WY), Olive Isa’ako (AS), Carolyn Lasater (UT), Craig Meador (WA), Martin Monson (TN), Hollie Murdock, (UT), Kim Stiles (NH), and Margie Ortgiesen (IA), our newest Trustee at only two weeks on the job! The group learned a lot in the short time they were here – and they taught us a lot, as well. We hope to see them all again at Annual Meeting in the fall!

Save the Date!

"Traveling the Extra Mile"
APH Annual Meeting 2012
October 11-13
Louisville, KY

Our Award Winning APH Research Staff!

Loana Mason, Burt Boyer, Terri Gilmore

The Research Department is very proud to announce that their very own Terri Gilmore, Design and Art Production Manager, won a Silver Award from Louisville Graphic Design Association’s One Hundred Show in December. Terri won the award for her design work on APH’s The Best for a Nest, an interactive storybook that covers a variety of basic concepts and includes a storyboard with tactile manipulatives.

"It’s a totally new concept from the previous version," says Terri. "What’s really fun is the storyboard. Any child or adult can interact with the cat, the bird, and the egg. So, as children read the story, they can act it out on the storyboard."

Burt Boyer, Early Childhood Project Leader, is the 2012 recipient of the Paul J. Langan Award. This is the most prestigious award granted by the Kentucky School for the Blind. Burt is recognized for over 44 years of outstanding service and leadership in the field of blindness and visual impairment.

Dr. Loana Mason, Braille Literacy Project Leader, was awarded The Graduate Dean’s Citation for Dissertation for her outstanding dissertation, "An Experimental Investigation of Hand and Finger Usage in Braille Reading." Loana’s dissertation was selected for this award from over 60 dissertations submitted at the University of Northern Colorado this year.

Congratulations to all of you!

Careers at APH!

The APH Research Department has posted two positions on the APH website under Careers. Check them out and consider beautiful Louisville as a possible new home!

• Braille Literacy Product Development Project Leader II
• Core Curriculum Product Development Project Leader II

Breaking News from the Hall of Fame!
Phil Hatlen and Pete Wurzburger to be Inducted in 2012

The Hall of Fame for the Blindness Field is housed at the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) in Louisville, Kentucky. The Hall, which belongs to the entire field of blindness, is dedicated to preserving the tradition of excellence manifested by specific individuals through the history of outstanding services provided to people who are blind or visually impaired in North America. The ceremony to induct Dr. Phil Hatlen and Mr. Pete Wurzburger will take place on Friday evening, October 12, 2012 in conjunction with APH’s Annual Meeting of Ex Officio Trustees and Special Guests, at the Galt House Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky.

• Philip H. Hatlen
  

  Dr. Phil Hatlen, AFB Migel Medal recipient and retired Superintendent of the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, is the author of what is considered the most important pillar in the instruction of children with visual impairments in the field today—The Expanded Core Curriculum.

  
  

• Berdell "Pete" Wurzburger (1924-2011)
  

  Pete Wurzburger, AFB Migel Medal recipient and former Coordinator and Professor of the San Francisco State University Graduate Program in Orientation and Mobility (O&M), invented the "marshmallow tip" for multiply disabled students, was one of first to teach O&M to preschool children, and the first university professor to accept a blind or visually impaired person into the O&M program.

The full news release and additional information regarding the 2012 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will soon appear on the Hall of Fame pages of the APH website.

Visit the Hall of Fame website at http://sites.aph.org/hall for information on the Hall and those inducted.

BANA Sets Implementation Date for New Braille Formats

On April 24, BANA released the new Braille Formats: Principles of Print-to-Braille Transcription, 2011. This completely revised publication is available in three accessible electronic versions: enhanced PDF, BRF, and online HTML. The PDF version is a specially adapted PDF file that has been crafted to provide enhanced functionality and navigational features. Bookmarks and links have been specifically designed to provide navigation for all users. Screen reader users can navigate all major sections using headings. These are available at www.brailleauthority.org and are offered without charge. Print and braille versions will be available for purchase from APH later this year.

This new work is an extensive revision of the previous formats publication. Appendix A of the new publication provides a quick reference of changes and additions.

The official implementation date for use of Braille Formats 2011 is January 1, 2013. The principles set forth in the Braille Formats 2011 supersede all previous formats documents, including the rules and appendices regarding formatting given in English Braille American Edition (EBAE).

BANA wishes to thank the tireless members of the Braille Formats Technical Committee and their chair, Lynnette Taylor, for their decade of work and commitment that made this publication possible.

For additional resource information, visit www.brailleauthority.org.

APH Visits Perkins!

On April 28, Field Services Representative Kerry Isham exhibited a host of APH products at Early Connections: Taking Care of Our Children…Taking Care of Ourselves, the 26th New England Regional Seminar for Families of Children with Visual Impairments. The event was held at Perkins School for the Blind and drew 150 attendees from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Maine. At the APH exhibit, participants enjoyed checking out new and tried-and-true products alike, particularly Tactile Town, The Best for a Nest, the Mini-Lite Box with Swirly Mats, the Tangle Toy, and the U.S. Puzzle Map.

Treasures from the APH Libraries

The APH Barr Library supports research initiatives at APH, while the Migel Library is the largest collection of nonmedical information related to blindness in the world. Although the collections do not circulate, arrangements can be made to use the materials on-site. In addition, an ongoing digitization effort means APH will continue to make materials available through the online catalog at http://migel.aph.org.

Two of the many "Treasures from the APH Libraries" are described below.

From the Migel Library: Memory of Blind People: Studies in Touch, Movement, and Audition—V. K. Kool. New Delhi, India: Ministry of Social Welfare, c1981.

Memory of Blind People is a work that was intended to discuss how the repeated performance of tasks could depend on the memory of a visual reference of the action. But one of the most interesting things about this monograph is the personal connection to the report that the item provides as both a document and an artifact. The preface contains a very personal narrative that details everything down to the staffing problems of the project. The author describes each of the people who worked on the project, concluding that a team of dedicated and sincere workers is more important than monetary or material assistance. Dr. Kool then describes a nostalgia that he feels for the days when he and a few "comrades" worked for three days just to complete the manuscript. And therein lies the connection.

The manuscript itself consists of 1,069 pages—each hand-numbered with a stamp, and typed on a water-marked piece of typing paper. Sections of the work are actually on paper of differing size, brand, and shade, which gives a feel for the piecing together of years worth of work. The table of contents’ pagination has been hand written, possibly at the work’s completion. And the author’s information is provided by a business card that has been glued onto the title page. The binding of the book is sewn, and brings the 11cm.-thick transcript together nicely. The artifact really gives a good representation of the time, work, and the people who collaborated to bring its publication together.

From the Barr Library: Blind Vision: the Neuroscience of Visual Impairment—Zaira Cattaneo and Tomaso Vecchi. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, c2011.

Blind Vision is a solid overview of the vision related aspects and discoveries of recent "brain research." The expansive bibliographies show a wide ranging research base, as do the discussions of various research results, but the writing is quite approachable, considering the complexity of the subject. The examination of sensory perception and its contribution to mental representation across sight, blindness, and low vision is very thorough and thoughtfully presented.

Readers will be given some new insights regarding the nature of reality and the experience of life for different minds. The authors also note that age at the onset of blindness affects the adaptation of the brain to the lack of visual stimuli and compare typical sensory abilities across several onset cohorts. The plasticity discussion that logically follows discusses structural changes in the brain and reassignment of portions of the brain devoted to certain tasks. The entire work offers much thought provoking material in relation to education, rehabilitation, or assistive technology, and invites long philosophical discussions. This is an excellent introduction to the subject for a person who is curious about this area of research, but not sure of where to start.

Contact Library staff: library@aph.org, 800-223-1839, ext. 705

APH Refreshabraille 18 and iPod in Action!

This YouTube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4x9yE08w2ZY shows a fabulous story of a student using the Refreshabraille 18 and an iPod! We believe this to be a concrete example of APH’s mission to provide products that contribute to independence.

Oldies but Goodies: The "Established" APH Product Series

Teaching the Student with a Visual Impairment: A Primer for the Classroom Teacher (TSVI) is a practical manual designed to assist the classroom teacher, parents, and other adults who teach the student with low vision. This guide addresses the unique sets of challenges found in educating the student with low vision and primarily focuses on the all-inclusive classroom for students K-12, but also contains some applications for homeschoolers. Rich in facts and tips, TSVI guides the reader in how to prepare for the unique educational needs of the student with a visual impairment. TSVI also provides an extensive listing of agencies and organizations that serve persons with visual impairments.

Chapters in the manual include:

• Low Vision 101
• What Can My Student See?
• Making My Classroom Accessible
• Let’s Focus on Academics
• How Can I Know My Student’s World?
• Envision the Future
• A View of Resources

This product is available with Federal Quota funds. TSVI includes a tote bag and consumable materials. The consumable materials include several useful interviews, observation forms and checklists. These are to be completed by teachers, parents, and students and used in conjunction with the manual. The product manual is available in PDF format as one of APH’s many FREE downloadable product manuals. The accompanying consumable materials pack may be purchased separately.

If you have any suggestions for other products you would like to see highlighted in this monthly feature, please send your comments to Monica Turner at mmturner@aph.org.

Indiana Programs Receive 2012 Governor’s Public Service Achievement Award for Accessible Materials!

Left to right: Mr. Mark Sevier, Superintendent, Miami Correctional Facility; Mrs. Leslie Durst, Director, Indiana Educational Resource Center; Governor Mitch Daniels; Mrs. Betsy Scott, Braille Project Manager, Indiana Educational Resource Center; Mr. Mike Herron, Director Pen Products, Indiana Department of Correction; and Mr. Robert Eutz, Director, Miami Accessible Media Project.

On Monday, May 7, during Indiana Public Service Recognition Week, Governor Mitch Daniels and Mr. Dan Hackler, Director of Indiana State Personnel Department, recognized APH Ex Officio Trustee Leslie Durst, Betsy Scott, and Robert Eutz along with Mark Sevier and Mike Herron at a public ceremony at the Indiana Statehouse. In 2005, Governor Mitch Daniels launched the Governor’s Public Service Achievement Award program. It was the Governor’s belief then, and continues to be, that state employees who go above and beyond to improve the efficiency of state government should be recognized and rewarded. In 2008, the Miami Accessible Media Project (MAMP) at the Miami Correctional Facility was created to provide timely and cost effective in-state transcription and production of braille, large print and accessible digital instructional materials, while teaching offenders a sophisticated skill set to be used upon release.

The collaborative efforts of both the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired and the Indiana Department of Correction have gained national attention for the innovative and sophisticated workflow for the transcription and production of specialized educational materials. This program, along with the Indiana Educational Resource Center’s centralized depository model and reuse workflow, provides quality educational materials to Indiana’s students while providing substantial savings to the state of Indiana each year. The MAMP collaboration has reduced recidivism for offenders leaving the program and incarceration and is bringing dollars to the state through national distribution of these specialized formats. Mr. Jim Durst, Superintendent of the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, who nominated the awardees, has also had a significant impact in making this collaboration a success.

In Memoriam: Jim Durkel

Taken from the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired Website:

On Monday, May 28, 2012, Jim Durkel passed away after a valiant struggle with multiple myeloma cancer. His death was peaceful and he was surrounded by friends and family.

Jim Durkel was one of those magical Renaissance men who had deep knowledge in an impossibly wide and varied range of areas. He was a preferred resource on everything APH – using his position as Manager of the APH materials in Texas to learn about and then help others use materials adapted for students with visual impairments in any and all areas of the expanded core curriculum, including specialty topics like math, science, reading and tactile graphics. Jim was asked to work directly with APH as an advisor and participated on numerous committees as well as providing frequent input to more informal requests for suggestions from the field.

Jim held numerous positions at TSBVI, including classroom teacher, DB Outreach Teacher, Statewide Staff Development Coordinator and Coordinator of APH materials, the VI Registration and the DB Census. His title does not reflect all the many ways in which Jim assisted the entire team, as he was a frequently requested presenter, a collaborator on the development of web-based training materials, and a go-to resource for people around the state and country. His talent at synthesizing complicated information to increase understanding of children’s needs was awe-inspiring.

His partner, Steve, has requested that those wishing to honor Jim, make a contribution to a special fund at TSBVI or to the Multiple Myeloma Foundation. A memorial will be planned for some time in July here at TSBVI.

For the full article, please visit the TSBVI website.

Jim was such an important collaborator and professional partner with us at APH—a sought-after advisor and counselor. He was always willing to assist us with issues related to products and the student registration. Jim served as a member of our 2011 and 2012 National Expert Panels charged with reviewing APH products for the U.S. Department of Education. He made us better and we will miss him terribly. ~~Editor

In Memoriam: Dr. Iris Foster Leota

APH Ex Officio Trustee for American Samoa

From the American Samoa Education Department Website:

It is with humility in our hearts and deep sadness that we announce the tragic and sudden passing of our beloved Program Director, Dr. Iris Foster Leota, May 15. We express our sincere condolences to Faapati and children, Iris’ mother and her siblings and their families. We pray that Our Father in Heaven will comfort Iris’ family in their time of sorrow.

New Instructional Products Catalog Available!

The new Instructional Products Catalog 2012-2013 is now available! Over 20 major new products or product series are featured in this catalog, which is a complete listing of APH products other than textbooks. Find new products in the areas of orientation & mobility, mathematics, early childhood, early literacy, assistive technology, and more.

To request your free print catalog with the bright purple cover, please email catalogs@aph.org or call 1-800-223-1839 M-F, 8am to 4:30pm EST.

Accessible editions of this catalog will be posted on our website soon. All products listed in the catalog are available for purchase on our shopping site.

"Like" APH at Our Facebook Page!

We invite you to visit our Facebook page and "Like" us! You can find APH at these social media sites: Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, and at our blog, Fred’s Head from APH.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/American-Printing-House-for-the-Blind/122879984400686

APH Welcomes New Ex Officio Trustees

Margie Ortgiesen, the Iowa Department of Education and the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving Schools, replacing Patrick D. Clancy.

Joyce Burwell, the Maryland State Department of Education, replacing Lisa Wright.

APH Travel Calendar

June

June 2, 2012
KSB Alumni Weekend;
KSB in Louisville, KY

June 2, 2012
Out of Sight: Assistive Technology Conference;
Columbus, OH

June 4, 2012
IDEAS Conference;
Saint Simons Island, Georgia

June 5-6, 2012
International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF Digital Book 2012);
New York City, NY

June 7, 2012
CIP Event: University of South Carolina;
Spartanburg, SC

June 14, 2012
Webcast: Refreshabraille Product Training;
presented from APH in Louisville, KY, in conjunction with EOT Kim Stiles in New Hampshire

June 14-15, 2012
NIP Event: Adaptive PE with Lauren Lieberman;
North Carolina

June 15-16, 2012
CVI – Visions of Change Conference;
Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children, Pittsburgh, PA

June 15-17, 2012
Family Café, The 2012;
Orlando, FL

June 18, 2012
CIP Event: North Carolina Central University;
Durham, NC

June 22, 2012
Western Michigan University Product Showcase;
Kalamazoo, MI

June 22-23, 2012
National Braille Challenge 2012;
Braille Institute in Los Angeles, CA

June 24-30, 2012
Camp Abilities;
SUNY in Brockport, NY

June 25-29, 2012
Building on Patterns: Planning the Next Phase;
at APH in Louisville, KY

June 26, 2012
2012 National Conference on Student Assessment: Learning, Instruction, and Assessment for the Next Decade;
Minneapolis, MN

June 28, 2012
NIP Event – SLK;
New Hampshire

June 28-July 1, 2012
Visions 2012 National Conference;
Minneapolis, MN

June 30 – July 5, 2012
NFB 2012;
Dallas, TX

July

July 7-14, 2012
ACB 2012;
Louisville, KY

July 11, 2012
Webcast: Presentation on Technology Products in Collaboration with Hadley School for the Blind and APH;
from APH in Louisville, KY

July 12-15, 2012
NOAH’s 14th National Conference;
St. Louis, MO

July 17-22, 2012
AER International Conference 2012;
Bellevue, Washington

July 25, 2012
CIP Event: Portland State University;
Portland, OR

July 27-29, 2012
Families Connecting with Families;
Newton, MA

August

August 20-22, 2012
NIP Event: Overview of Math Tools, Materials, and Technology with Susan Osterhaus;
New York

August 20-23, 2012
Blinded Veteran’s Association 67th National Convention (BVA 2012);
Galveston, TX

September

September 12-15, 2012
Envisions 2012 Conference;
St. Louis, MO

September 18-19, 2012
Kentucky Office for the Blind Assistive Technology Expo and Conference 2012 AT Odyssey “A New Vision”;
Louisville, KY

September 21-22, 2012
NIP Event: Adapted PE by Lauren Lieberman/partnered with EOT Meg Stone and The Kentucky School for the Blind;
Bowling Green, KY

September 29, 2012
2012 Indiana Vision Expo;
Indiana State Library, IN

APH Spring Fever Sale

Load up a world of savings on selected APH products with APH’s Spring Fever Sale 2012, April 1—June 30. As always, first come, first served.

archive.aph.org/sale

NEW! Test Ready: Plus Mathematics

Book 8, Teacher Guide
Large Print: 7-00515-00 — $18.00
Braille: 5-00515-00 — $18.00

Book 8, Student Book
Large Print: 7-00516-00 — $35.00
Braille: 5-00516-00 — $46.00

This test prep series offers practice for today’s standards-based assessments for grade levels 3 through 12.

Test Ready: Plus Mathematics provides preparation and review, in as little as two weeks before testing day. It also provides a program of instruction and remediation.

Students practice problem solving for:

• Data preparation
• Geometry
• Numeration
• Number theory
• Measurement
• Pre-algebra/algebra

Objectives for each of the above key concepts have been aligned with the Principles and Standards for School Mathematics from the National Council for Teachers and Mathematics (NCTM). These lessons make use of routine, non-routine, and open-ended problems, with writing activities that require students to explain their solutions.

Accessible Formats

The APH Teacher Guides and Student Books are available in several accessible formats, so that the entire class can work on math together in a multi-media approach. The large print and braille editions include a CD with an .html file and a digital talking book file with built-in player.

The large print student edition includes a specially formatted large print answer document. However, it is recommended that each student has a book in his or her preferred reading medium, and should feel free to mark answers in the test books. Used this way, the student books become consumable items.

Note: Test Ready: Plus Mathematics Advanced (High School) available soon.

NEW! APH InSights Art Calendar: 2013

5-18971-13 — $7.00

This beautiful full-color calendar features the artwork of visually impaired artists. Suitable for low vision or blind students and adults or anyone who enjoys unique artwork.

Months, days, holidays, and moon phases appear in both braille and large print. This calendar can be used at a desk or hung on a wall and is ring bound to allow pages to be folded over easily.

Note: A special version of this calendar can be custom-printed with your organization’s name for fund-raising purposes. Please click the link below for more information.

NEW! Early Braille Trade Books

Rigby PM Nonfiction, Upper Emergent:
Contracted Braille Kit: 3-00211-00 — $250.00
Uncontracted Braille Kit: 3-00212-00 — $250.00

Rigby PM Platinum Edition, Upper Emergent:
Contracted Braille Kit: 3-00209-00 — $285.00
Uncontracted Braille Kit: 3-00210-00 — $285.00

Replacement Items

Rigby PM Nonfiction, Upper Emergent:
Contracted Braille Label Packs (labels only): 3-00211-CL — $109.00
Uncontracted Braille Label Packs (labels only): 3-00212-UL — $109.00

Rigby PM Platinum Edition, Upper Emergent:
Contracted Braille Label Packs (labels only): 3-00209-CL — $109.00
Uncontracted Braille Label Packs (labels only): 3-00210-UL — $109.00

Rigby PM Nonfiction Books

Rigby PM Platinum Edition Books

Finding the right book for young students is now easier!

Rigby PM Books are known for their meaningful stories with books that present a clear climax and resolution. Titles hook children with real story lines, and the steady growth of sentence structure scaffolds text complexity for incremental reading success.

APH’s Early Braille Trade Books Project provides commercially available books with braille labels for beginning readers. This kit includes books, braille labels, and access to an interactive website, please visit: http://tech.aph.org/ebt/

Features

• Contracted or uncontracted braille labels
• Match books to a student based on braille knowledge
• The interactive website allows you to:
  • Search for books by genre, core curriculum, or expanded core curriculum
  • Access a book summary and activities designed for braille readers
  • Maintain a listing and percentage of contractions learned by each student — great for documentation at IEP meetings
  • Share or transfer student records to other teachers.

Rigby PM Nonfiction includes 14 books, braille label packs, and a Quick Start Guide

• Animal Bodies
• Animals on My Street
• Animals on Our Farm
• Frogs in the Pond
• Mothers and Babies
• My Big Tree
• Our Dog
• Our Fish
• Our Pets
• Puddles
• The Dentist
• The Doctor
• The Hairdresser
• The Optometrist

Rigby PM Platinum Edition includes 16 books, braille label packs, and a Quick Start Guide

• Baby Lamb’s First Drink
• The Baby Owls
• Ben’s Teddy Bear
• Ben’s Treasure Hunt
• The Big Kick
• The Bumper Cars
• Father Bear Goes Fishing
• Hedgehog is Hungry
• Hide and Seek
• The Lazy Pig
• The Little Snowman
• The Merry-go-round
• Tiger, Tiger
• Tom is Brave
• Wake up, Dad
• Where is Hannah?

Note: Customer applies the included braille labels. A user ID and password are required to access interactive website.

APH offers a number of recreational books in braille (Quota funds can be used). Each of these titles was originally transcribed and produced by APH for the National Library Service which has graciously granted permission for this offering. As usual, these titles have been added to the APH Louis Database where you can find thousands of titles produced in accessible formats.

Note: all books are produced upon receipt of orders, therefore, please allow several weeks for delivery.

So Totally Emily Ebers
by Lisa Yee: T-N1884-80 — $65.50
The summer that Emily’s parents divorce and she moves cross-country with her mother, she keeps a diary to give her father. Her life becomes better after she meets Millicent Min and develops a crush on Stanford Wong. Companion to Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time. Grades 4-8. *(AR Quiz # 128015, BL 3.9, Pts. 9.0)

Fat Cat
by Robin Brande: T-N1884-50 — $70.00
Overweight teenage Catherine embarks on a high-school science project in which she must emulate the ways of hominins, the earliest ancestors of human beings, by eating an all-natural diet and foregoing technology. Grades 5-8. *(AR QUIZ # 133571 EN, BL 4.5, Pts. 10.0)

Inside Of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, And Know
by Alexandra Horowitz: T-N1884-40 — $103.50
A cognitive animal scientist offers insight into a canine’s world gleaned through research on its senses of smell, sight, and hearing, and its brain. Discusses the natural history of dogs as the descendants of wolves and presents life from a dog’s point of view.

Phantoms
by Dean Koontz: T-N1907-10 — $137.50
Young doctor Jenny Paige and her kid sister, Lisa, arrive in scenic Snowfield, California, only to discover hundreds of residents dead or missing. With help from lawmen and military chemical-biological-warfare experts, the sisters soon realize they are up against a malevolent force. Some strong language and violence. Fiction.

Sophie’s Choice
by William Styron: T-N1869-40 — $205.50
The time is 1947. Sophie, a Polish Catholic beauty who survived Auschwitz, has settled in America. Stingo, a 22 year-old aspiring writer from Virginia, is drawn to Sophie and Nathan–a madly romantic couple whose instability and flamboyance utterly capture his imagination. The deeper Stingo sinks into these people’s lives, the more he learns that each harbors terrible secrets. Some descriptions of violence and adult content. Adult Reader.

*Accelerated Reader quiz number, book level, and point value. For more information on the Accelerated Reader program, see the January 2006 APH News or www.renlearn.com/ar/