Grandparents who love puzzles are some of the easiest people on a Christmas list, as long as you get one detail right: the size of the print. Plenty of puzzle books squeeze small letters into crowded grids. A large print book with big, clear letters lets them settle in with a pencil and enjoy the puzzle instead of hunting for their reading glasses.
I'm Les Erschen Jr. I write puzzle books under the King Bear Squad name, with a little help from our real dogs. Every book in this guide is one I made, so I can tell you exactly what is inside each one. Amazon prints, ships and sells them.
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Quick picks
- For the trivia buff: Turn the Page Trivia for Seniors, 300 questions about the 1950s, 60s and 70s. Paperback on Amazon
- For the word search fan: Murder at the Harvest Howl, a large print word search mystery. Paperback on Amazon
- For Christmas week: Murder Under the Mistletoe, the winter case. Paperback on Amazon
- For the stocking: Stocking Stuffer Sudoku for Adults, with clear 16 point digits. Paperback on Amazon
What to look for in a large print puzzle book
- A type size you can check. Look for a book that tells you its print size. Every word in our large print books is 16 point or larger.
- Big pages. An 8.5 by 11 inch page gives a word search room to breathe, so the letters are not packed together.
- The right amount of challenge. Some grandparents want an easy, relaxing solve with words that run only across or down. Others want words hidden backward and on a slant. Pick the one that fits the person.
- Answers that are easy to find. A full answer key in the back saves a lot of frustration.
- A reason to talk. Puzzles with a story, a trivia question or a "tell me about" prompt turn into conversation with the family.
Large print picks for puzzle-loving grandparents
For the trivia buff: Turn the Page Trivia for Seniors
This large print quiz book holds 300 multiple-choice questions about the music, movies, TV shows, cars, school days, kitchens and hometown life of the 1950s, 60s and 70s. There are 25 rounds of 12 questions, three answer choices for each one, and no trick questions. The answers are always on the very next page, so they are never in the way and never hard to find.
After every round comes a story prompt, like the first record they bought or where they went on a Saturday night. That makes it a lovely after-dinner game: one person reads the questions out loud, everyone guesses, and the grandparents get to show off a little and tell a story or two.
For the word search fan who wants something new: the King Bear Squad Mysteries
If your grandparent has already finished a stack of plain word search books, give them one with a story. Each King Bear Squad Mystery is a whole cozy mystery told in 50 short chapters. Every chapter comes with a full-page word search, and when every word is found, the leftover letters spell a clue that moves the case forward.
The print is large throughout, with every word at 16 point or larger on 8.5 by 11 inch pages. The puzzles start with forward words and work up to all eight directions, so the challenge grows along with the story. It is cozy and clean: no gore, no bad language, and no animal is ever harmed. Case 1 is the place to start.
Case 1: Murder at the Harvest Howl
Want the whole series? Every case is on our mystery books page.
For Christmas week
Murder Under the Mistletoe: the winter case
Trouble at the Holiday Market, and everyone blames a scruffy stray terrier. The Squad knows better. Like every King Bear Squad case, it has 50 short chapters with a large print word search in each one, every word at 16 point or larger, and it stands on its own, so it does not matter which case they read first.
Stocking Stuffer Sudoku for Adults
A small 5 by 8 inch paperback with 100 Christmas sudoku puzzles in five levels, from Very Easy to Expert. The digits are a clear 16 point, ten holiday coloring pages sit between the sections, and the full solutions are in the back. It fits in a stocking.
The 24 Suspects of Christmas (give it before December 1)
For the grandparent who likes a real challenge: a murder mystery escape room in the shape of an advent calendar, on big 8.5 by 11 inch pages with clear type. Solve one puzzle a day from December 1, and by Christmas Eve only the killer is left. It is fun to solve together on a daily phone call. Because it starts on December 1, order it by about November 20 and give it before then.
Little extras for puzzle time
These are not our products, and we have not tested them. Each link opens an Amazon search so you can compare brands, prices and reviews yourself.
- Large piece jigsaw puzzles: a holiday table project the whole family can work on together.
- A lap desk: a steady surface for solving in a favorite chair.
- A rechargeable book light: for solving on a dark winter evening.
Ways to make a puzzle gift feel personal
- Write a note inside the front cover. A few lines about why you picked this book for them will be read more than once.
- Add the tools. A pencil with a good eraser, a few erasable pens or a soft highlighter, and a small book light make an easy bundle. We list a few ideas on our everyday picks.
- Plan a game night. Bring Turn the Page Trivia to Christmas dinner and let the whole table play, grandkids included.
- Solve together by phone. Two copies of the same mystery turn a weekly call with a grandchild into a detective meeting.
- Put the family in the puzzle. Our custom word search (from $59.99) hides the grandkids' names, the family dog and your favorite things in one printable puzzle, with a secret message in the leftover letters.
When to order for Christmas
Amazon prints these books when you order, so check the delivery date on the Amazon page before you buy and give yourself a cushion in December. If you are running late, the Kindle edition of Turn the Page Trivia is delivered digitally, and our custom word search comes by email as a printable file.
You can see every large print book in one place on our Our Books on Amazon page. Thank you for shopping with a small family company. Our dogs would like you to know they approve of every book on the list.