Peoria Reads! is a project instituted and led by Common Place and the Peoria Public Library
Young Readers
Peoria Reads Companion Books for Primary Grades
JP - Allen, Susan & Jane Lindaman – “Read Anything Good, Lately”,
Millbrook Press, 2003.
An alphabetical look at some different places to read, like “the zodiac
at the zoo”.
JP - Auch, Mary Jane & Herm, “Souperchicken”, Holiday House, 2003.
When Henrietta becomes the first chicken in her coop to learn to read,
she helps save her aunties from becoming chicken soup.
JP - Duvoisin, Roger, “Petunia”, Knopf, 1962.
Petunia the goose thinks that by just carrying a book you are smart.
After a “terrible” surprise, she learns you need to learn to read to be
smart.
JP- George, Kristine O’Connell, “Book”, illus. Maggie Smith, Clarion,
2001.
A toddler receives his first book as a gift and shares his joy with
everyone.
JP - Knudsen, Michelle, “The Library Lion”, illus. Kevin Hawkes,
Candlewick Press, 2006.
Even lions like coming to the library to hear stories. Sometimes lions
can be very helpful.
JP – Lionni, Leo, “The Alphabet Tree”, Knopf, 2004.
The letters on the alphabet tree learn to be stronger together by
forming words. Their friend, the caterpillar, suggest they will be even
stronger when the words say something important.
JP – Lowry, Lois, “Zooman Sam”, illus. Diane de Groat, Houghton-Miflin,
1999.
Sam’s appearance as a zookeeper at his nursery school’s “Future Job Day”
leads to a number of exciting activities, including reading.
McPhail, David, “Fix-It”, Dutton, 1984.
While waiting for the repairman to come and fix the TV, Emma becomes so
interested in reading, she no longer cares about the TV.
….. “Edward and the Pirates”, Little,Brown, 1997.
Once Edward had learned to read, books and his imagination provide him
with adventures. Sequel to “Santa’s Book of Names”
….. “Santa’s Book of Names”, Little, Brown, 1993.
A young boy, who has trouble reading, helps Santa with his yearly rounds
and gets a special Christmas present.
Polacco, Patricia, “Aunt Chip and the Great Triple Creek Dam Affair”,
Putnam, 1996.
Aunt Chip saves the town of Triple Creek, where everyone has forgotten
how to read because of the invasion of television.
….. “Thank You Mr. Falker”, Philomel, 1998.
A new teacher helps Trisha understand her reading problem.
Rahaman, Vashanti, “Read For Me, Mama”, Boyds Mill, 1997.
An African American boy who loves to read helps his mother learn to
read.
Williams, Suzanne, “Library Lil”, illus. Steven Kellogg, Dial, 1997.
Lil gets everyone in town reading, even the toughest,
telelvision-watchingest motorcycle gang in town.
All of these titles are cataloged in JP at the Peoria Public Library.
Peoria Reads Middle School to High School
Companion Fiction Titles On Reading and Censorship
J - Avi – “Who Stole the Wizard of Oz”, Knopf, 1981.
Someone has stolen “The Wizard of Oz” from the library. Becky and her
brother, Toby set out to prove it wasn’t her, and find the real thief.
YA - Crutcher, Chris – “The Sledding Hill” – GreenWillow, 2005.
Recently deceased, Billy keeps a heavenly eye on his best friend, Eddie,
who needs help standing up to a conservative minister and English
teacher who is orchestrating a censorship challenge.
YPL- Facklam, Margery – “The Trouble With Mothers”, Clarion, 1989.*
After a group targets Luke’s mother and her book for censorship, he is
forced to take sides in the debate. Luke struggles with anger at his
mother until he reads the book, and find out how wrong everyone is.
J - Frederick, Heather Vogel – “The Mother-Daughter Reading Club” ,
Simon & Schuster, 2007.*
Four very different sixth graders forma book club at their mothers’
insistence. They find they have a lot in common as read and discuss
“Little Women”.
J - Gifford, Peggy – “Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little”,
Schwartz & Wade, 2007.
Moxy does everything she can to avoid reading her assigned summer
reading book.
YA – Hentoff, Nat – “The Day They Came to Arrest the Book”, Delacorte,
1982.*
“The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” cause the worst crisis ever at
George Mason High. When a group of parents and students demand it be
removed from the school, Barney Roth takes matters into his own hands.
YA – Lasky, Kathryn – “Memoirs of a Bookbat”, Harcourt, 1994.
14-year old Harper, an avid reader, who must hide her fantasy books from
her fundamentalist parents, comes to realize their promotion of
censorship threatens her freedom to make her own choices.
J – Miles, Betty – “Maudie and Me and the Dirty Book”, Avon, 1981.
What happens when friends, Kate and Maudie decide to stand up against
censorship in their town and school?
YPL – Peck, Richard – “The Last Safe Place on Earth”’ Delacorte, 1994.
Todd see his perfect world start to unravel after his sister listens to
a fundamentalist group member and the community shows signs of
censorship.
YPL – Spinelli, Jerry – “The Library Card”, Scholastic Press, 1997.
The lives of four young people are changed by their encounters with
books.
J – Junior Novel 4-6 gr.
YPL – Young People 7-9 gr.
YA – Young Adult 10-12 gr.