Braille Storybook Resources
Free Books
American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults (AAF)
Free Braille Books Program
1800 Johnson Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21230
(410) 659-9315, extension 2287
Fax: (410) 685-2340
actionfund@actionfund.org
Selected popular children’s reading series (currently Step Into Reading: Step 3 series and a variety of award winning books) are available free to blind children, teachers, libraries, etc. The books are mailed out every month so that blind children can have them at the same time that sighted children can buy the books in the bookstore. Apply for the program online here or print the application (Word) to return by mail.
Braille Institute of America, Inc.
741 North Vermont Avenue
Los Angeles, California 90029
(800) 272-4553 * (323) 663-1111
ums@brailleinstitute.org
Offers children ages 3-18 a variety of books of which they may select four titles three times a year. Dots for Tots and TacTales are programs offered for blind toddlers.
NFB Braille Reading Pals Club
National Federation of the Blind
200 East Wells Street
at Jernigan Place
Baltimore, Maryland 21230
(410) 659-9314, extension 2216
Fax: (410) 685-2340
The Braille Reading Pals Club is an early literacy program for children ages infant to seven that fosters positive attitudes about Braille for young children and their families and promotes a love of reading by encouraging parents to read daily with their blind or low-vision child. Families who participate receive a print-Braille book, a plush reading pal, monthly parent e-newsletters promoting tips for early Braille literacy, quarterly Braille activity sheets for young children, and Braille birthday cards for child participants.
NFB ShareBraille
(410) 659-9314
NFB ShareBraille is a free service that facilitates the exchange of Braille books through a community-run library. Go online to trade your Braille books or to request books from other NFB ShareBraille users.
Seeing Hands
P.O. Box 46374
Minneapolis, MN 55446
Phone: (763) 404-2675
books@seeinghands.org
All books in collection available on loan free of charge. Organization also offers a free Braille book to participants on their birthday!
The Temple Beth El Sisterhood Braille Bindery Volunteers
7400 Telegraph Road
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301
Phone: (248) 851-1100, extension 3129
asmandel1@sbcglobal.net
The Temple Beth El Sisterhood Braille Bindery Volunteers transcribe, emboss, and bind Braille books for blind children. They have over 1,000 books available in Braille. They do not charge for their services. However, donations are accepted, and they will do a paper exchange if children are in schools that can provide Braille paper.
Lending Library Services
American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults (AAF)
Kenneth Jernigan Lending Library Service
18440 Oxnard Street
Tarzana, California 91356
(818) 343-3219
action@actionfund.org
Services are available to blind individuals and schools. Contact AAF for application.
Braille Circulating Library, Inc.
2700 Stuart Avenue
Richmond, Virginia 23220
(804) 359-3743
braille@aol.com
Religious materials in Braille, large print and cassette for 6 week time period.
Canadian National Institute for the Blind – Library for the Blind
1929 Bayview Avenue
Toronto, Ontario
Canada M4G 3E8
Phone: (416) 486-2500, ext. 7520 * Toll-Free: 1-800-268-8818
Fax: 416-480-7700
library@cnib.ca
Library services for blind, visually impaired and deaf-blind Canadians of all ages. Offers Braille, large print and a variety of access technologies.
Christian Record Services, Inc.
4444 South 52nd Street
Lincoln, Nebraska 68516
(402) 488-0981
Fax: (402) 488-7582
info@christianrecord.org
Offers 415 Braille titles and 1623 audio tape titles ranging from fiction, adventure, Bible and non-fiction covering all reading levels. (30 day lending)
National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS)
1291 Taylor Street N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20542-0002
(202) 707-5100 * (888) 657-7323
Fax: (202) 707-0712
nls@loc.gov
Primary source of Braille and recorded books and magazines for the blind. Books are loaned through a national network of regional and sub-regional libraries for the blind and physically handicapped. Catalogs of Braille books for children, youth, and adults are available. NLS also coordinates Web Braille for patrons of the regional and sub-regional libraries. This program provides electronic files of Braille books that can be downloaded for display or embossing. Contact the Washington, D.C., office for the location of the library for the blind that serves your area.
** There are two search options. The first allows you to perform a search similar to one you would find in any public library, i.e. keywords, author, title etc. The second is an area search to find a library in your state or region that serves blind readers.
Very Bumpy Stories Library
1710 Douglas Drive
Golden Valley, Minnesota 55422
(763) 544-2880
vbsmn@vbsmn.org
Print/Braille books for young readers. The program is open to all individuals and to school districts in Minnesota only.
Books for Sale
American Printing House for the Blind (APH)
P.O. Box 6085, 1839 Frankfort Avenue
Louisville, Kentucky 40206
(502) 895-2405 * (800) 223-1839 (U.S. & Canada)
Fax: (502) 899-2274
info@aph.org
Offers a limited number of Braille books from kindergarten to adult reading level. Free catalogs available upon request. Maintains the Louis Data Base of Accessible Materials.
** APH offers many services and products. To search for books, the simplest method is to select the “Louis” search. From there, click on “Search for Textbooks, Recreational Reading, and Downloadable Files” Now you have the option of putting in a keyword or entering the ISBN number. If you know the book title, enter it here. If you simply want to browse all titles, (though tedious) start at the beginning of the alphabet and in the search field enter “A”.
Beulah Reimer Legacy (BRL)
7758 Southeast 36th Street
Des Moines, Iowa 50320
(515) 282-0049
endertona@wildblue.net
BRL has many of the most popular children's picture books such as Clifford, Corduroy, Curious George, Disney Princesses, Dora, Elmo, Fancy Nancy, and the Berenstain Bears in Braille at affordable prices. Brailled text on clear plastic strips is placed on top of the printed text.
Future Aids—The Braille Superstore
2190 Dolphin Crescent
Abbotsford, British Columbia
V2T 3T1
(800) 987-1231
Fax: (800) 985-1231
International: (604) 852-6341 * Fax: 1 (250) 483-1590
info@braillebookstore.com
Offers Braille and print/Braille books for all age categories.
I Can See Books
88 Captain Morgans Boulevard
Nanaimo, British Columbia V9R 6R1
CANADA
(800) 987-1231
Fax: (800) 985-1231
International: 1 (250) 753-3093 * Fax: 1 (250) 483-1590
info@braillebookstore.com
Offers an extensive collection of Braille and print/Braille books for all age categories.
Independence Market
National Federation of the Blind
200 East Wells Street
at Jernigan Place
Baltimore, Maryland 21230
(410) 659-9314, extension 2216
Fax: (410) 685-2340
independencemarket@nfb.org
The Independence Market offers the book Sadie Can Count by Ann Cunningham. A multi-sensory counting book (numbers 1-10) with uncontracted Braille and large print text as well as colorful, tactile numbers and illustrations. For ages toddler through preschool.
National Braille Press (NBP)
88 St. Stephen Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02115
(617) 266-6160 * (800) 548-7323
Fax: (617) 437-0456
NBP offers a Braille Book-of-the-Month club for young readers. The subscription is $100/year for 13 books. (sign up as a trial to get notices on titles) NBP also offers other Braille books for all age groups, and a Braille manual, Just Enough to Know Better, for parents who wish to learn Braille. Check the Web site or call for a free catalog.
Perkins Products Store & Demo Center
37 Fifield Street
Watertown, MA 02472
Phone: (617) 972-7308
Fax: (617) 926-2027
PerkinsProducts@Perkins.org
The Perkins Panda Early Literacy Program® is designed for low-vision and blind children ages 0-8. Included in the kit are three packets, each with an interrelated storybook, activity guide and cassette. In addition, there is a guide to additional resources, a story box and a Gund stuffed panda with a backpack that can hold a tape player. The storybooks all have uncontracted (beginning-stage) Braille, large print, and high-contrast illustrations.
Seedlings: Braille Books for Children
P.O. Box 51924
Livonia, Michigan 48151-5924
(734) 427-8552 * (800) 777-8552
Fax: (734) 427-8552
info@seedlings.org
Offers print-Braille-and-picture books, print-and-Braille books, uncontracted Braille books, and Braille books for ages up to 14. Free catalog upon request.
The William A. Thomas Braille Bookstore
Braille International, Inc.
3290 Southeast Slater Street
Stuart, Florida 34997
(772) 286-8366 * (888) 336-3142
Fax: (772) 286-8909
info@brailleintl.org
Operates a walk-in and mail-order bookstore for the blind. Free catalog upon request.