AIDS / HIV Titles

This list of non-fiction books is on the subject of AIDS. In order to provide the most up-to-date information, all titles were published after 1996. These books are available for free loan, in recorded and/or braille formats, to all participants in the Library of Congress National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped program. Titles for children and teens are included in this list.   RC = Recorded Cassette; BR = Braille Book.

For Adults                                                    

The Boy and the Dog Are Sleeping
by Nasdijj.
RC 56420
Native American author recounts his emotions in caring for Awee, an eleven-year-old Navajo boy with AIDS whom Nasdijj reluctantly adopts after his son's death in The Blood Runs Like a River...(RC 52065). He leaves the reservation--with its inadequate health service — to seek better medical treatment for Awee. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. 2003.

Condom Sense: A Guide to Sexual Survival in the New Millennium
by M. Monica Sweeney
BR 15993
This guide to healthy, safe sex practices presents medical facts about HIV/AIDS transmission. Begins with a self-assessment of the reader's knowledge, then focuses on using condoms for prevention of disease. Discusses buying condoms, their proper use, new manufacturing trends, and changing attitudes. 2005.

Last Watch of the Night: Essays Too personal and Otherwise
by Paul Monette
BR 10289
RC 41911
Follows Borrowed Time and Becoming a Man. Ten essays written from August 1992 to New Year's Eve 1993. AIDS patient Monette wrote while leashed to IV drugs and a small mountain of oral medication. Topics include Puck, the dog left by one of his lovers; selecting his own gravesite; and the lives of gay priests. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. 1994.

Queer Crips: Disabled Gay Men and Their Stories
by Bob Guter and John R. Killacky
RC 60455
Anthology of writing by gay men with spinal cord injuries, mobility and neuromuscular disorders, deafness, blindness, spina bifida, AIDS, and other afflictions. Thirty-five poems, essays, performance pieces, and interviews explore social, physical, and emotional aspects of homosexuality and disability. Explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2004.

The Secret Epidemic: The Story of AIDS and Black America
by Jacob Levenson
RC 60453
Patients, social workers, medical personnel, and activists give anecdotal accounts of the lives of African Americans who are infected with HIV. Addresses the social and political aspects of the epidemic. Strong language and some violence. 2004.

We Are All the Same: A Story of a Boy's Courage and a Mother's Love
by Jim Wooten
RC 59919
Award-winning television news correspondent's biography of Nkosi Johnson, a Zulu boy born with AIDS who was adopted by a white South African. Tells how Nkosi held to his mantra "we are all the same" and raised worldwide awareness of AIDS, apartheid, and prejudice before he died at age twelve. 2004.

Illness as Metaphor and AIDS and Its Metaphors
by Susan Sontag
RC 50695 
Two previously published works about perceptions of disease. In the first, an American intellectual discusses punitive or sentimental fantasies "concocted" about being seriously ill--especially suffering from cancer. The second, a sequel, deals specifically with social attitudes toward AIDS. 1990.

This Wild Darkness: The Story of My Death
by Harold Brodkey
BR 10993
A novelist chronicles his passing life and the indignities of his infirmity as he lies dying with AIDS. He ponders his youthful experiences with homosexuality, his devotion to his wife, his love for his writing career, and his "passage into nonexistence." Strong language. 1996.

 

Journeys Across the Rainbow: Inspirational Stories for the Human Race
edited by Dale Colclasure and David Jensen
RC 53458                                                      
A collection of almost eighty stories and personal accounts of being gay or lesbian by authors from around the world and from various walks of life. They focus on such areas as love, business, friends and family, HIV/AIDS, coming out, and spirituality. Includes biographical notes on the authors. 2000.

 

HIV, Mon Amour: Poems
by Tory Dent 
BR 12830  
An articulate cry from the heart depicting a woman's ongoing battle with HIV. In the section titled "Cinéma Vérité," she refers to memorable movie scenes to convey an anguished message to a dead lover. 1999. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. James Laughlin Award.

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For Children and Teens

The Air Down Here: True tales from a South Bronx Boyhood
by Gil C. Alicea
BR 10723
A collection of short autobiographical ruminations by a sixteen-year-old from New York's South Bronx. Gil discusses issues and problems that he confronts in his stressful urban environment: drugs, violence, gangs, parents with HIV, and the deaths of his mother and sister. For junior and senior high readers.1995.

Biohazards: Humanity's Battle with Infectious Disease
by Sean M. Grady
RC 62888
Describes the nature, growth, transmission, societal effects, and treatments of potentially dangerous, disease-causing microorganisms called biohazards. Traces outbreaks through history such as the Black Death and polio, and modern threats such as anthrax, West Nile virus, and AIDS and their use in biological warfare. For senior high readers. 2006.

Invisible Enemies: Stories of Infectious Disease
by Jeanette Farrell
RC 62243
Discusses the scientific and social history of microbial diseases. Examines the biology and treatment of seven viral, bacterial, and parasitic infections: smallpox, leprosy, plague, tuberculosis, malaria, cholera, and AIDS. For grades 6-9. 2005.

Safe Sex 101: An Overview for Teens
by Margaret O. Hyde
RC 62536
BR 16675
A science writer and a child psychiatrist discuss the physical and emotional aspects of human sexuality including anatomy, contraception, abstinence, social pressures, and diseases such as AIDS. Presents scenarios that teens may encounter and practical responses to them. For senior high and older readers. 2006.

Staying Safe: A Teen's Guide to Sexually Transmitted Diseases
by Miranda Hunter
RC 61530
BR 16645
Describes the characteristics of the major sexually transmitted diseases (STDs): gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia, herpes, and HIV/AIDS, with brief information on a few others. Includes accounts of teenagers who engaged in unsafe sexual practices. Features advice on the prevention of STDs and corrects misconceptions. For junior and senior high. 2005.