| By Thorndike Staff |
Thorndike Press publishes large print editions of more than 40 titles out of the top 100 books Time magazine has labeled the “Best YA Books of All Time.” While their selection process was based on various criteria, the fact that these books enabled readers to see themselves in the narratives played a key role.1
Large print is a versatile format for readers at all levels of proficiency. If you notice a middle reader or teen having trouble with reading, try offering a large print edition. If you’re just beginning to add this format or are looking to round out your youth collection, you can’t go wrong with these must-have titles. Take a look at a handful of some of the books available in large print.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
9781432849276
Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.
Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram
9781432866990
Darius has never really fit in at home, and he’s sure things are going to be the same in Iran. His clinical depression doesn’t exactly help matters, and trying to explain his medication to his grandparents only makes things harder. Then Darius meets Sohrab, the boy next door, and everything changes. Soon, they’re spending their days together, playing soccer, eating faludeh, and talking for hours on a secret rooftop overlooking the city’s skyline. Sohrab calls him Darioush—the original Persian version of his name—and Darius has never felt more like himself than he does now that he’s Darioush to Sohrab.
If You Come Softly (20th Anniversary Edition) by Jacqueline Woodson
9781432882495
Jeremiah feels good inside his own skin. That is, when he’s in his own Brooklyn neighborhood. But now he’s going to be attending a fancy prep school in Manhattan, and black teenage boys don’t exactly fit in there. So it’s a surprise when he meets Ellie in the first week of school. In one frozen moment, their eyes lock, and after that, they know they fit together—even though she’s Jewish and he’s black. Their worlds are so different, but to them, that’s not what matters. Too bad the rest of the world has to get in their way.
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
9781432890032
Sixteen-year-old Lara Jean Song keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren’t love letters that anyone else wrote for her; these are ones she’s written. One for every boy she’s ever loved—five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jean’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control.
You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson
9781432890353
Liz Lighty has always believed she’s too black, too poor, too awkward to shine in her small, rich, prom-obsessed midwestern town. But it’s okay—Liz has a plan that will get her out of Campbell, Indiana, forever: attend the uber-elite Pennington College, play in their world-famous orchestra, and become a doctor. But when the financial aid she was counting on unexpectedly falls through, Liz’s plans come crashing down . . . until she’s reminded of her school’s scholarship for prom king and queen. There’s nothing Liz wants to do less than endure a gauntlet of social media trolls, catty competitors, and humiliating public events, but despite her devastating fear of the spotlight, she’s willing to do whatever it takes to get to Pennington.
Find these titles (and more!) through Thorndike Press, Amazon, and all major wholesalers.
- Gutterman, Annabel, and Megan McCluskey. “How We Chose the 100 Best YA Books of All Time,” Time, August 11, 2021.