I’m very excited to introduce a new addition to our collection! Patrons have been asking and we’ve answered with a new selection of Large Print classics for your reading enjoyment! These nice new editions can be found in our Large Print area and are specifically highlighted on one of our endcap displays! We hope that you’ll take the opportunity to check them out!

If you’re curious as to what we have, I’ve included a list of all the new titles we’ve added to the collection, along with a short description of each, in case you’re not familiar with a certain title. If there are other classics you want to read (and need a large print option) this librarian also recommends checking out an ebook version through Hoopla or Libby. Each app allows for you to adjust the size of the text, allowing the most comfortable reading experience on your Kindle, phone, tablet, or computer.

The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck) Considered to be one of Steinbeck’s masterpieces, this powerful book is the story of the Joad family, who packs up everything and leaves their home to make the dangerous journey from Oklahoma to California during the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl Migration in the hopes of work and a better life for themselves.

Frankenstein (Mary Shelley) Young medical student Victor Frankenstein creates a monster by stitching together dead body parts and imbuing his creation with life. Horrified by what he has done, Frankenstein abandons the creature, but it haunts and pursues him, destroying everything he loves in the process.

Black Beauty (Anna Sewell) Black Beauty is a beloved horse in a good home. But, when he is sold to a new master, he learns that not all humans are quite as kind. Will this hardworking horse have his second chance at happiness?

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (C.S. Lewis) After being sent away to the country to avoid the London Blitz of WWII, the Pevensie siblings discover a large wardrobe in an empty room, and a secret portal in the back of the wardrobe that leads to the magical world of Narnia. There, they become embroiled in a fight of good vs. evil as the lion Aslan and the White Witch fight for control of Narnia.

The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald) Nick Carraway finds himself entangled in a decades-long love affair between his cousin Daisy, and his handsome, but mysterious neighbor, Jay Gatsby.

1984 (George Orwell) This chilling dystopian novel tells the story of Winston Smith, and the terrifying totalitarian nightmare he lives in.

The Scarlet Letter (Nathaniel Hawthorne) When her surprise pregency reveals her infidelity, Hester Prynne is forced to wear a red letter “A” on the front of her dress, as a sign of adultery. However, Hester refuses to reveal the idenity of the child’s father, and a mysterious doctor starts nosing out the truth.

The Red Badge of Courage (Stephen Crane) Henry Fleming joins the Union army because of the romance of military life, but soon finds that war is not nearly as thrilling or romantic as he had thought it would be. After he deserts during his first major battle, Henry returns to the army and attempts to prove his courage to his comrades.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Mark Twain) Young rascal Tom Sawyer gets into all sorts of adventures with his friends, gets out of doing chores, falls in love, and discovers a secret treasure.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Mark Twain) When Huck learns that Jim, one of the local slaves is going to be sold, he helps him to escape and together, they ride down the Mississippi River towards freedom, getting into all sorts of adventures and misadventures along the way.

Th Jungle Books (Rudyard Kipling) Kipling’s classic series features the adventures of Mowgli, a young boy raised by wolves, as well as other stories of the creatures that live in the jungle. This volume contains books 1-2.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Arthur Conan Doyle) This collection contains some of the most famous stories featuring the legendary detective, Sherlock Holmes, and his friend Dr. John Watson.

Mansfield Park (Jane Austen) Poor Fanny Price is plucked from poverty and sent to live with her rich cousins. Fanny feels like a fish out of water around her spoiled relatives, but finds comfort and companionship in her relationship with her cousin, Edmund.

The Picture of Dorian Gray (Oscar Wilde) Young Dorian keeps a painting hidden away that ages in place of him, reflecting the increasing corruption of his soul.

Night: A Memoir (Elie Wiesel) This powerful and painful memoir recounts Wiesel’s heart-wrenching experiences as a Jewish man kept prisoner in Auschwitz and Buchenwald.

Oliver Twist (Charles Dickens) Orphaned Oliver Twist escapes from the cruelties of the workhouse only to be drafted into the ranks of the conniving criminal, Fagin and his gang of thieves.

Emma (Jane Austen) Spoiled and selfish Emma attempts to play matchmaker with the people in her life, causing no end of trouble and heartbreak for those she cares about.

Moby-Dick (Herman Melville) Bored with life, Ishmael runs off to become a sailor on board a whaling ship. There, he finds himself working under the mad Captain Ahab, who has dedicated his life to finding and killing the white whale that took his leg.

Wuthering Heights (Emily Brontë) When Mr. Earnshaw returns from his travels with a mysterious orphan in tow, he sets off a series of events that will rock his family to its foundations.

Sense and Sensibility (Jane Austen) Marianne Dashwood is quick to fall in love, but when she becomes entangled with the handsome Mr. Willoughby, her sister Elinor is quick to discourage the union. Meanwhile, Elinor is dealing with some romantic disappointment of her own, Will the Dashwood sisters be able to find true love?

Treasure Island (Robert Louis Stevenson) Jim Hawkins is given a treasure map by a dying pirate and sets off with a couple of trusted adults on a grand adventure. But, what the group doesn’t realize is that the ship’s charming cook is actually the notorious pirate, Long John Silver.

Gulliver’s Travels (Jonathan Swift) Lemuel Gulliver, a ship’s doctor, goes on a series of adventures after he’s thrown overboard. These include an island where everyone is tiny, one where everyone is huge, and even one with talking horses.

Selected Stories of Poems of Edgar Allan Poe (Edgar Allan Poe) Bringing together some of the best stories and poems by the Master of the Macabre, this collection contains some of his most famous thrills and chills.

The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood) In this chilling dystopian tale, women like Offred are kept as “handmaids” whose sole purpose is breeding. But, Offred can remember the time before, when she had a husband, a family, and rights of her own.

Madame Bovary (Gustave Flaubert) When Emma Rouault marries the dull country doctor, Charles Bovary, she’s forced to watch the life she had planned for herself crumble before her eyes. When a brokenhearted Emma takes matters into her own hands, the results are disastrous for those closest to her.

Little Women (Louisa May Alcott) This enduring classic tells the story of the four March sisters, Jo, Amy, Meg, and Beth, and their triumphs and struggles during the American Civil War.

The Sun Also Rises (Ernest Hemingway) Jack Barnes and Lady Brett Ashley present a poignant look at the disillusionment and angst of the post-WWI generation. Throughout their story, the two journey through the wild nightlife of 1920s Paris to the brutal bullfighting rings of Spain with a group of their fellow expatriates, painting a beautiful, heartbreaking picture.

Erin

I'm the Reader's Advisory Librarian at WPPL. My interests include old horror films, classic novels, manga and anime, paper-crafting, and plants. If you like my suggestions, you can request personalized recommendations from me on My Librarian page.