Program Description
Central Illinois Reads
The Freedom to Read is essential to our democracy, but also under attack.
Central Illinois libraries are joining together to encourage you to exercise your intellectual freedom.
- Get a library card.
- Read outside your comfort zone.
- Unite against book bans.
Central Illinois Reads: Freedom to Read is a community partnership of libraries, organizations, and institutions committed to preserving everyone's Freedom to Read.
- Bradley University
- Chillicothe Public Library
- Dunlap Public Library District
- Fondulac Library District
- Illinois Prairie District Public Library
- Methodist College
- Morton Public Library
- Neighborhood House.
- Pekin Public Library
- Peoria Public Library
Event Details
Join us for an afternoon with Peoria native, now Chicago-based novelist James Klise.
The author of award-winning novels for young adults, Klise’s new historical novel, I'll Take Everything You Have (Algonquin Young Readers), tells a queer coming-of-age crime story that Publishers Weekly calls "a mesmerizing snapshot of 1930s Chicago."
Mr. Klise will read briefly from the book, then join local author-librarian Joel Shoemaker on stage for a conversation about writing, research, book challenges, and more.
An audience Q&A will follow, and books will be available for sale and signing.
James Klise views the issue of censorship through different lenses - as an author whose works have been banned and also as a school librarian who understands the challenges many of his colleagues now face with the surge of book bans nationwide. Klise is a featured speaker for Central Illinois Reads: Freedom to Read.
Free and open to the public.
Registration for this program is requested, but not required. Please register by visiting https://forms.gle/vi7T5c3mHbxxNWDQ8.
Please note: This program is being hosted at the Peoria Public Library's North Branch.
