Cover of Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse

Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse

by Kevin Henkes

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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).

On reading-award lists:Kentucky Bluegrass Award

Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes is assigned in US schools at grades k–3. It appears across 1 curriculum reference and 1 state, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

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.

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

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

More formats & details

Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook

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About this book

Lilly loves everything about school, especially her teacher, but when he asks her to wait a while before showing her new purse, she does something for which she is very sorry later.

Similar grade-level books

See all books like Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This Realistic Fiction title, typically at grades k–3. Written in the 1990s; pairs with curriculum units on teachers and schools; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Themes

teachers · schools · mice · ficción juvenil

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse?
Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades K–3. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
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.
What themes does Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse explore?
Central themes in Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse include teachers, schools, mice, ficción juvenil. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.

Why this book is on this list

How we classify

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 state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 1 curriculum on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Cited in 1 state ELA framework or DOE list (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: book-club.

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