
Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse
by Kevin Henkes · Grades K–3 · Realistic Fiction
Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes is on US reading lists at grades k–3. It appears on 1 list: the Kentucky Bluegrass Award, across 1 state. Every citation below links to the primary source.
Before you buy: Ages 5–8 · Grades K–3 · 32 pages. The button opens the hardcover edition (ISBN 9780688128975). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.
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Assigned across 1 curriculum list · 1 state
Grade placement varies by school — the median assigned book spans 4 grade levels (83% span three or more, across 13,258 source-cited assignments).
This page shows where Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.
Reading level at a glance
- Grade range
- Grades K–3
- Age range
- Ages 5–8
- Pages
- 32
- Reading time
- about 35 minutes (est.)
- First published
- 1996
- Genre
- Realistic Fiction
- ISBN-13
- 9780688128975
Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-09-24; pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.
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See all books like Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Why it is assigned
This realistic fiction title is typically read at grades k–3. Written in the 1990s; pairs with curriculum units on teachers and schools; cited on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award.
Themes
teachers · schools · mice · ficción juvenil
Where this book is recommended
Kentucky Bluegrass Award
- recommended·Kindergarten grade · Kentuckysource: Kentucky Association of School Librarians — Kentucky Bluegrass Award Winner's Circle, 1998 winner (K-3)
- recommended·1st grade · Kentuckysource: Kentucky Association of School Librarians — Kentucky Bluegrass Award Winner's Circle, 1998 winner (K-3)
- recommended·2nd grade · Kentuckysource: Kentucky Association of School Librarians — Kentucky Bluegrass Award Winner's Circle, 1998 winner (K-3)
- recommended·3rd grade · Kentuckysource: Kentucky Association of School Librarians — Kentucky Bluegrass Award Winner's Circle, 1998 winner (K-3)
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Common questions
- What grade level is Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse?
- Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse is listed for grades K–3. It appears on 1 state book-award list across 1 state. Exact placement varies by school and district.
- How long does it take to read Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse?
- It takes about 35 minutes to read Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse (32 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 35 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
- What curricula assign Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse?
- Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse appears on reading lists for Kentucky Bluegrass Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse banned in schools?
- Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally. See the banned books list by state.
- What themes does Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse explore?
- Central themes in Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse include teachers, schools, mice, ficción juvenil.
Why this book is on this list
How we classifyHide
Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.
- Lexile measure
- Not classified — this book has no published Lexile measure.
- Grade band
- Grades K–3 — drawn from the state book-award lists citing this book.
- Curriculum alignment
- Cited in 1 curriculum on this site (see “Where recommended” above for primary-source links).
- State-level evidence
- On state book-award lists in 1 state (see citations above).
- Removal / banning records
- No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
- Seasonal / contextual tags
- Tagged for: book-club.