Recommended Reads

Cover image of 1984

1984
By George Orwell
DB 34268, DB 73474, DB 25710 (Spanish), DBF 875 (German), BR 10312, LT 26873, Available as BARD Download
Satire about an alternate London under a totalitarian regime overseen by the omnipresent Big Brother. Winston Smith, a Ministry of Truth bureaucrat, attempts an intellectual rebellion against the Party while he pursues an illicit romance. His actions lead to his imprisonment, torture, and reeducation by the Thought Police. 1949. Download 1984, DB 73474
, Download 1984, Spanish, DB 25710
, Download Braille, 1984, BR 10312

Cover image of Alfred and Emily

Alfred and Emily
By Doris May Lessing
DB 68213, Available as BARD Download
Nobel Laureate and prolific author of The Golden Notebook (DB 23376) provides a fictional alternate account of her parents' lives. The Great War never happened and Brits Alfred and Emily marry others and have enjoyable careers. The novella is followed by the real account of their war-ravaged marriage. 2008. Download Alfred and Emily, DB 68213

Cover image of American Royals

American Royals
By Katharine McGee
DB 96762, Available as BARD Download
In an alternate America, princesses Beatrice and Samantha and the two girls wooing their brother, Prince Jeff, become embroiled in high drama in the most glorious court in the world. For senior high and older readers. 2019. Download American Royals, DB 96762

Cover image of Blood & Iron

Blood & Iron
By Harry Turtledove
DB 54046, Available as BARD Download
First of an alternate history trilogy. This post-WWI story posits that the Confederacy won the Civil War, that Europe fell to Germany, and that Upton Sinclair and the Socialist Party oppose Teddy Roosevelt in the 1920 election. Veterans must find their place in a postwar world plagued by racial and political strife. Strong language. 2001. Download Blood & Iron, DB 54046

Cover image of Bombs Away

Bombs Away
By Harry Turtledove
DB 95851, Available as BARD Download
In an alternate timeline of history, President Harry Truman strikes Chinese targets in Manchuria with nuclear attacks in the years after World War II, setting in motion a much larger series of conflicts. 2015. Download Bombs Away, DB 95851

Cover image of Bring the Jubilee

Bring the Jubilee
By Ward Moore
DBC 3439, Available as BARD Download
An alternate history set in a United States where the Confederacy won the Civil War. History takes an unexpected turn, however, when Hodge Backmaker travels back in time to witness the Confederate victory at the Battle of Gettysburg. Some violence. 1953. Download Bring the Jubilee, DBC 3439

Cover image of The Calculating Stars

The Calculating Stars
By Mary Robinette Kowal
DB 91941, BR 22606, Available as BARD Download
In an alternate 1952, a meteor strike causes a climate cataclysm, radically accelerating Earth's efforts to colonize space. Elma York's experience as a WASP pilot and mathematician earns her a spot in the International Aerospace Coalition. She fights to become the first female astronaut. 2018. Download The Calculating Stars, DB 91941
, Download Braille, The Calculating Stars, BR 22606

Cover image of Cowboy Angels

Cowboy Angels
By Paul J. McAuley
DB 73498, Available as BARD Download
The United States in the Real, one of many alternate universes, uses Turing gate technology to travel to and manipulate other versions of America. When an agent begins to kill different versions of a noted mathematician without authorization, Adam Stone is sent to track down the rogue. Strong language. 2011. Download Cowboy Angels, DB 73498

Cover image of Dactyl Hill Squad

Dactyl Hill Squad
By Daniel Jose Older
DB 94825, Available as BARD Download
In an alternate 1863, Magdalys and her friends from the Colored Orphan Asylum are on a field trip when the New York Draft Riots break out. Several children are kidnapped. The survivors flee to a safe haven and train with dinosaurs to rescue their friends. For grades 4-7. 2018. Download Dactyl Hill Squad, DB 94825

Pages