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One of my mother's favorite activities has always been reading, but she has not been doing much of that lately -- in part because her eyesight requires her to only read large-print books, but also I think she finds most modern-day novels to be too confusing. Especially if they jump back and forth in time or jump to different characters' points of view. Has anyone found any books (available in large print) that might be less confusing and more enjoyable for an 84-year-old in early stages of dementia?

Sign up for free federal books on tapes. It's a great service. Dementia is a qualifying condition to get it.
https://www.loc.gov/nls/services-and-resources/catalog-and-bard/
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Reply to jwellsy
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I agree short stories might be a better option. If you have a center for the blind in your state, you might want to see about getting copies of large print books from them.
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Reply to JustAnon
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Finding engaging books for your mother is a wonderful way to connect. Based on her needs—simple narratives, large print, and clear pictures—here are some excellent options and ideas.

📚 Recommended Books and Resources

Here are specific books and sources designed for seniors with dementia, focusing on simplicity, large visuals, and age-appropriate subjects.

Specialized Picture Books

· Sunny Street Books: Publishes books specifically for seniors with dementia. Their books feature minimal or no text, beautiful photos, and are designed to be non-childish and respectful.
· "Blue Sky White Clouds" by Eliezer Sobel: A photo book with large captions, created by an author for his mother with Alzheimer's.
· Assistex 12-Pack Picture Book Set: A set of 12 softcover books with high-resolution photos of familiar subjects like flowers and animals. They have minimal text in a large font.
· "The Sunshine on My Face" by Lydia Burdick: A "read-aloud" book designed to spark conversation and interaction with memory-challenged adults.

Large-Print, Simple-Plot Books

· Keeping Busy's Large Print Books: These books are designed for those with dementia or vision loss. They feature very large print, relatable stories, and have text on only one side of the page to prevent confusion.

Meaningful Storybooks

· "Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge" by Mem Fox: A classic children's story about a boy helping an older friend rediscover memories. Its simple, heartfelt plot makes it a great read-aloud choice.
· "The Remember Balloons" by Jessie Oliveros: Uses balloons as a metaphor for memories. It can help explain changes in a gentle way and focuses on the love that remains.



🔍 Where to Find These Books

You can find many of these titles on major online retailers like Amazon. For the specialized publishers like Sunny Street Books and Keeping Busy, visiting their official websites directly is best. Your local library is also a great resource—a librarian can often help you find similar large-print or high-picture books.

I hope these suggestions bring many more pleasant reading moments for you and your mother.
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Reply to HaveYourBack
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Does Readers Digest still come in large print?
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Reply to Billbrooks1986
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Geaton777 Jan 24, 2026
yes. I mean, YES
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This isn't the answer you're looking for, but I would say skip the books. As much as she loved reading, she no longer is able to enjoy it because it is just too difficult. Too difficult to see the print, too difficult to make sense of the words.

TV will be her new friend. For the first two years my husband was at home after a massive stroke, I had a large computer screen on which I streamed Netflix movies for him. Mostly, they were animated, easy stories, and movies made for children. And, just like many children, he liked to play the same movie over and over. As soon as a movie ended, I had to re-start it. Balto was one of his first favorites. I recommend it for any adult with cognitive impairment. It's an animated drama with dogs as the main characters, and based on a true story.

His cognitive function has somewhat improved over the years, and he has graduated to watching TV, sometimes sports, game shows, crime solving shows. His interest changes. But, he still likes to watch the same things over and over again. I think the repetition must be soothing for him, and knowing what's coming next is easier for him to process than a lot of new and unexpected action and dialogue. I still stream movies on several platforms, and I started recording shows on cable, such as football games, which he will watch repeatedly.
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Reply to CaringWifeAZ
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I empathize sounds like my mom. Need easy to follow plots that are interesting.Thses are good, I save them and give them to her to re read because they seem fresh after a year or so.

The all creatures great and small books by James Herriot. About a country vet in England 5 books sweet and easy.

Number 1 Ladies detective agency dont have author at my fingertips. many in series.wonderful characters but African names you need to sound out.

Stumbled on Touching the Clouds by Bonnie Leon at goodwill. 3 in series female Alaskan bush pilot adventures bot of romance.

Pecular combination by Ashley Weaver 5 in series. Family of outside the law safecrackers recruited to help save England from the Nazis.

Good luck
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Reply to Maxwell123
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Facing the same thing with my 88 year old Mom. I plan to try some of the Debbie Macomber books/series. They are clean romance, some come in large print and they are fairly short.
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Reply to Lm1957Md
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Sandymiller0913 Jan 24, 2026
My mom is 88, she enjoys Karen kingsbury, Debbie mccomber, and Amish novels
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I taught second grade before retiring and have a lot of picture books. I picked out the funny ones and my HWD and I enjoyed the stories which I read and pointed out the funny parts. I also read the best poems from Shel Silverstein. I got a librarian to help me pick out some funny books. It was a chance to laugh together. His sister taught kindergarten and supplied us with some appropriate books. He didn’t seem insulted to read kid books. He is now in memory care and I occasionally read to him one of the books in his room.
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Reply to Blsbirder
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Try the Juvenile (older children’s) section of your public library. You can find biographies, histories of places around the world, sports, hobbies, etc that include realistic pictures and brief descriptions!
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Reply to Grannyfranny
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My Mom was an advid reader but Dementia stopped that. She could read a sign but could not comprehend enough from a book to really read it. One book she was trying to read, the bookmark changed constantly. The mind can no longer process the words. Its was a shame because she loved to read. She watched very little TV, her nose was usually in a book.

Maybe Mom could read a simple adolecent book. My Mom would read our Nancy Drew books when we were kids. Anything she could get her hands on.
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Reply to JoAnn29
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I think it depends on the person. My very elderly Aunt with advanced dementia would only read aloud (to us) from a bird book, which had large pictures and not much text. The pictures were simple, pretty photos of interesting birds, and she enjoyed looking at them.
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Reply to Geaton777
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Once mom lost the ability to read novels, I got her a People magazine subscription. That worked until she was unable to comprehend even short articles.

Best of luck.
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Reply to lealonnie1
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I hate to be the bearer of bad news but most if not all people with dementia lose their ability to comprehend what they've read anyway so it really doesn't matter how large or simple the text or context is.
When I was a hospice volunteer and had folks in memory care that I would visit, I would take large picture books to look at with them and talk about what was on the pictures.
You may also try reading to her yourself(or have someone else if you're not able to)or try her on some audio books, though the spoken word also gets confusing for those with dementia to understand.
These are just the sad facts of a very horrific disease.
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Reply to funkygrandma59
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Short story collections.
Harlequin romances.
Classic books that are considered children's books, like Little Women and Anne of Green Gables.
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Reply to Fawnby
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MargaretMcKen Jan 20, 2026
I collect (and reread) all those 'children's books': What Katy Did, Pollyanna, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, Heidi, The Magic Faraway Tree etc. M would probably love to hear or read them again. They are much better written than most modern novels, and a reminder of things from the past is easier than something quite new.
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Does your mom read nonfiction? It might be easier for her to read if there isn't an expectation for the reader to be following a story.
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Reply to Rosered6
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Our library has a section for large print books, and can get others through interlibrary loan. For size reasons, most of them are not long novels. Talk to the librarians – they enjoy a challenge rather than just putting things on shelves.

I’d suggest looking for short stories rather than full length novels. I don’t like getting immersed in long plots about people with complicated lives, and I much prefer short stories myself.
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