Affiliate Disclosure: This site contains affiliate links, if you click on one of these links and make a purchase, we may receive a commission. Click here to learn more...
Large Print Reviews

About LPR
Site Information, FAQs, and Privacy Policy

Home | What's New | Reviews | Articles | Travel | Links | Search
Large Print Bookstore | Low Vision Product Store

Our Writers and Staff

Rochelle Caviness - Editor
Harry S. Chou - Staff Writer
Anna Dogole - Staff Writer
Boris Segel - Staff Writer


Contributing Writers:

Simone Bonim
Carmella Cruz
Karl Dixon
Dr. Israel Drazin
Angela Evans
Leo Johnston
Auggie Moore
Richard S. Rodgers
Carrie Smoot
Laura Hortz Stanton
Fritz du Trey
Anne Marie Vaughn
Herbert White
Sheldon Ztvordokov

All About the Large Print Reviews

The purpose of Large Print Reviews is to provide reviews of large print and audio books, as well as reviews of low vision aids, such as magnifiers and screen readers. In addition we hope to build a comprehensive list of links to aid those who must deal with a visual impairment. We have also added a travel section that offers travel tips, travel articles, and destination reports for the visually impaired traveler.

Please note: "Large Print Reviews is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com."

"Why start such a site?"

Unfortunately, large print books are the stepchildren of the publishing industry. Except for a few companies such as Thorndike Press, Ulverscroft, Center Point Large Print, and Random House Large Print, who specialize in large print books, most companies issue only a handful of large print books a year. The reason is simple, economics. While the large print readership is growing rapidly, it still represents only a small segment of the overall book buying population.

Seldom is a large print edition issued when the standard print edition is released. This means that often, by the time that the large print edition becomes available, the reviews and raves that appeared when the book was initially issued have long since been consigned to archives.

To rectify this problem, we here at Large Print Reviews have embarked upon the creation of a website that reviews large print books and related products.

For more answers to some of our most Frequently Asked Questions, Click Here

****

We want to make this site accessible to as many people as possible. If you have problems using this site, please drop a note to our webmaster at: webmaster [at] largeprintreviews [dot] com explaining the problem. We will do our best to remove any barriers that you encounter.

If you are concerned about emailing us, please be assured that we understand your privacy concerns and we will never sell or trade your information. To read the full text of our privacy statement, click here.

****

We are open to suggestions as to the type of content that you would like to see on our pages. You are also invited to submit your own reviews, articles, and suggestions for links for inclusion on the Large Print Reviews website. Please email your suggestions or submissions to Rochelle Caviness at editor [at] largeprintreviews [dot] com.

****
Rochelle Caviness
Editor, Large Print Reviews

Frequently Asked Questions


1. Why isn't your website in large print?

2. Why do you review standard print books?

3. I have a book that I would like to submit for review, where do I send it?

4. Why do large print books come in so many different print sizes?

 1. Why isn't your website in large print?

Answer: When we designed the Large Print Reviews website, we elected to set the site so that each user's unique browser's setting will set the print size, background color, and font style. This allows each visitor to access this website in a format that best suits their visual needs. For example, we could have designed this website so that you would be forced to view this site in a twenty-point font size, with white letters on a black background. While this high contrast large print design may be useful for some readers, others would find these settings difficult to read. If you do not like how the site is displayed on your browser, simply change your default settings. For the two most common browsers, here are some quick tips on changing your font size and background colors: Additional tips on how to change your browser settings can be found in our article, Adjusting Your Browser to Suit YOU.

2. Why do you review standard print books? After all, this is a site for the visually impaired, isn't it?

Answer: You are correct, most of our readers are visually impaired or have a family member who is visually impaired. Many fully sighted individuals may find it hard to believe, but even a totally blind individual can read a standard print book. "What?" You say. As with many tasks, visually impaired and blind individuals can do almost anything a fully sighted person can do, it's just that they may do it in a slightly different manner. In this case, visually impaired readers have a number of options when wanting to read a book in a print size that is too small for their vision.

For some, using a handheld magnifier may be sufficient. Others will find that a CCTV will meet their needs. A CCTV, also called a video magnifier, uses a small camera to display and enlarge text or images on a TV or computer-styled screen. Magnification powers vary from one model to another, with most magnifying from text from 3X to 60X. Another option is to scan the book, directly either into your computer using a standard scanner or by using a dedicated book scanner. In either case, after the book is scanned, it can be 'read' using a text-to-speech program that will read the text out loud.

These reading aids help make almost any book accessible to individuals with any level of visual impairment. So, to answer your question, we review books of all print sized, simply because all these books are accessible when read in conjunction with the correct aid.

3. I have a book that I would like to submit for review, where do I send it?

Answer: Please send an email to editor [at] largeprintreviews [dot] com for mailing instructions. Please include your name, who published the book, and the type and subject of the book, or books, you would like to submit.

4. Why do large print books come in so many different print sizes?

Answer: Unfortunately, there is not yet an industry standard for what actually constitutes a large print book. although thanks in part to the efforts of National Association for Visually Handicapped (NAVH), the use of a 16-point font size is quickly becoming the standard size for large print books published in the United States. Many publishers have accepted the NAVH standards of both print size and format (which covers a range of particulars such as the spacing between letters, color of paper used, and similar items). Many publishers submit their books directly to NAVH for approval, and those books that meet their standards carry a legend that says that the book is NAVH approved. Many other publishers that adhere to these standards, simply state that the book was published in accordance with the NAVH standards. This legend is usually located opposite the title page or on the same page that contains the copyright information and Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data. On this page, many publishers also note the actual font size and style used in the book.

Please note, there are also many publishers, such as Ulverscroft and its imprints, that publishes high quality large print books that are always printed in at least a 16-point font, but which never mention anything about the NAVH standards. (Ulverscroft is a British Publishing House.) Until a formal standard for large print publishing is universally adopted, your best guide for determining if a book is really large print, is to simply look at the book and see if it looks 'right'. By way of comparison, newspapers usually are printed in a 10-point font size, standard print books are normally 12-point, and I've seen large print books printed in fonts a small as 8-point (it was a Bible) and as large as 48-point font size!

About LPR | Affiliate Disclosure | Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Site Map

Questions or Comments? Send an email to:
info [at] largeprintreviews [dot] com
Copyright © Large Print Reviews 2001 - 2021 All Rights Reserved