Long summer evenings are perfect for catching up with some light reads and old favourites that you can turn to when you need a bit of quality 'you' time. Why not chill out in the garden or on the balcony with a nice cold drink and a good book? Bliss!
Winnie the Pooh by AA Milne (uncontracted braille 2v, contracted braille 1v, giant print 1v) is still much-loved by children everywhere. Why not embark on adventures in the hundred acre wood yourself with the 'bear of very little brain' and his friends? We have something about Pooh Bear in all formats.
Milly-Molly-Mandy stories tell of rural village life from the perspective of a small girl. These books by Joyce Lankester Brisley evoke summer days full of fun (giant print 1v. Other titles in this series are also available in other formats).
The family from One End Street (braille 3v, giant print 1v, TB 3373) by Eve Garnett is a novel about a working class family in the 1930s. It's packed with charm and humour as the seven children have adventures that will appeal to everyone.
Richmal Crompton's Just William stories are as popular today as ever. William Brown is a scruffy 11-year-old boy who is forever getting into scrapes with his friends, 'the Outlaws' as they call themselves. These are very funny books with that nostalgic comfort factor (braille 3v, TB 3112. Other titles in this series are also available.)
Moving on to classic chill-out books for older readers, why not take a trip to some scenic countryside and share some Cider with Rosie (braille 2v, giant print 2v, TB 1241). In this true-life memoir by Laurie Lee, we are taken to the author's childhood in a gorgeous village in the Cotswolds, at a time before cars and electricity.
A book with a similar take on things, though this time fiction, is Dodie Smith's I capture the castle (braille 7v, giant print 3v), a quirky diary written by 17-year-old Cassandra from her home which is literally a castle. Set in the 1930s, the romantic storyline is not unlike Pride and Prejudice. The countryside in the novel is brought to life and the book is a good choice for balmy summer days.
Another nostalgic novel is Noel Streatfeild's The ballet shoes (braille 3v, giant print 2v, TB 15621), also set in the 1930s. It's about three adopted sisters who train for the ballet and the stage. The sisters are all very different and you will feel as though you know them well by the end of the book. One reader said it was, "My all time favourite book, comfort reading at its best, better than a bar of chocolate any day". You can't get much higher praise than that!
We have many more books in stock that you might like to unwind with. So why not take the opportunity to put your feet up, enjoy any sun that we do get and borrow some books that will refresh your spirit. May the summer be warm and long!