4th grade writing mentor text

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Mentor Texts for Informational Text Structures

Teaching informational text structures, just like any concept, can be done in a number of ways. One of my favorite teaching strategies though is to use mentor texts.

I love using picture books with upper elementary students because they’re motivating! Another plus is that a mentor text can be completed rather quickly, which is a bonus when the school day is packed with more to teach than time allows.

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Here are the text structures i teach, with some of my favorite mentor texts pictured:.

Description

Nonfiction books that describe something, in no particular time order, fall under the description category. These books give lots of facts about a particular subject, like llamas, or bicycles, or Yellowstone Park!

Here’s a list of mentor texts with a descriptive text structure: 

• Our Amazing World’s  Penguins 
• National Geographic’s Planets 
• Dinosaurs: A Kids Book Around Dinosaurs
• Inside Out: Human Body 
• Take Off! All About Airplanes 
• Hurricanes by Gail Gibbons 
• My Book of Rocks and Minerals 
• Smithsonian’s Everything You Need to Know About Birds
• A True Book: Comets and Meteor Showers 

Order and Sequence

Order and Sequence books present informational text topics in chronological order. Many biographies and history books fall into this category.

So, the life cycle of butterflies, Walt Disney’s life story, and the making of the Great Wall could be written with an Order and Sequence text structure.

Here’s a list of mentor texts with an order and sequence text structure: 

• The Children’s Book of the Eiffel Tower
• A Frog’s Life
• Biography’s Amelia Earhart
• Building of the Transcontinental Railroad
• The Amazing Life of Benjamin Franklin
• Flute’s Journey 
• Castle by David Macaulay 
• Time for Kids: A Butterly’s Life 
• Milk: From Cow to Carton 

Compare and Contrast

This informational text structure is all about looking at two different people, animals, or things and finding the ways they are alike and how they’re different. Some Compare and Contrast books are written so that the items are compared and contrasted concurrently.

For example, an author might write that dolphins are mammals and have lungs, while sharks are fish and have gills. Other Compare and Contrast books describe the first subject in its entirety and then describe the second subject.

Examples for this category would be books comparing Thomas Jefferson to Benjamin Franklin, hawks to owls, or the Eiffel Tower to the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Here’s a list of mentor texts with a compare and contrast text structure: 

• Are You a Snail? 
• Teeth by Sneed B. Collard
• Butterflies and Moths
• What’s the Difference?
• Sharks and Dolphins 
• National Geographic Kids: Cats vs. Dogs
• All About Big Cats 
• What’s the Difference Between an Alligator and a Crocodile?
• Living Things and Nonliving Things

Cause and Effect

Picture books, magazine articles, or any type of passage that is written in the Cause and Effect text structure will show how one event caused another. Topics that have this type of text structure might include animal adaptations, historical events such as war, and naturally occurring phenomena like volcanoes or earthquakes.

This text structure is often confused with Problem and Solution. I do make sure to tell students that if they only see a cause and effect with no solution, it is simply Cause and Effect.

If something happens and a solution is proposed, it’s Problem and Solution. For example, if the author is discussing how some people litter and how it leads to pollution, that’s Cause and Effect. If the author mentions littering as a form of pollution and then tells about how this can be resolved, then it’s Problem and Solution.

Here’s a list of mentor texts with a cause and effect text structure:

•   Volcanoes
• Toad Overload 
• The Reason for a Flower 
• Thunder and Lightning 
• What Happens to a Hamburger
• From Tree to Paper 
• What Are Germs and Why Do They Make Us Sick? 
• Extreme Animals 
• Transformed: How Everything Things Are Made

Problem and Solution

Nonfiction books that have the Problem and Solution text structure will present an issue, either past or present, and then describe how it was or could be remedied.

Books with topics such as a zoo’s efforts to save endangered pandas, Rachel Carson’s explanation of how pesticides such as DDT are harmful to birds and other animals and how they should be banned, or a book which discusses how rain forests are shrinking and what we can do to save them are all examples of the Problem and Solution text structure.

Here’s a list of mentor texts with a problem and solution text structure:

• Human Footprint 
• When the Wolves Returned 
• A Place for Birds
• Why Should I Recycle?
• The Rainforest Book 
• The Man-Eating Tigers of Sundarbans 
• A Place for Butterflies 
• If You Traveled on the Underground Railroad 
• Falcons Nests on Skyscrapers 

Want to try a really fun scavenger hunt activity for Informational Text Structures?

Click here to read about the Informational Text Structures Scavenger Hunt.

Finally, if you need some new Informational Text Structure materials, I have a unit that I love using. It comes in both print AND digital and has a teaching passage for each text structure, independent passages where students have to figure out the text structure, 32 task cards, posters, a flipbook, graphic organizers, and writing activities.

Click the photos below to see the 3rd grade version or the 4th/5th grade set.

4th/5th Grade

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500+ Mentor Texts: A Comprehensive List for Elementary Teachers

Mentor texts are an essential component of best practice teaching of literacy skills. This post will explore what mentor texts are, why they are so important for elementary teachers to use, and how to select high quality ones and implement them in your classroom. Read below to learn more!

What is a Mentor Text?

A mentor text, also known as an anchor text, is a book (or other piece of literature) that students can learn from. Teachers use them to model what good readers and writers do. They also use these books to provide real world examples of what authors do, as well as use them as a way to model what good readers do when working with texts. Teachers often reread the story multiple times and spend time exploring specific parts of it with particular goals in mind. The purpose is to study these texts and imitate them or how the teacher interacts with them to improve reading and writing skills.

Why are Mentor Texts Important?

Mentor texts are important because they help students confidently practice new reading and writing skills by giving them a real world example to base their future work off of. They also give teachers the opportunity to expose students to a variety of high quality literature that allow students to see themselves represented, as well as others who are different from them.

How to Choose a Mentor Text

Choosing mentor texts is simple with the help of our Starts With a Story Collection . We selected over 500 high quality picture books to pick from. We also identified which reading strategies, grammar skills, and SEL topics the books best lend themselves to. In each of our book companions, you’ll also find that we wrote a book summary to share with students and 30 writing prompts based on the book, as well as pulled key vocabulary and focus sentences directly from the story. Read below for simple steps for how to choose a mentor text.

1. Open the Starts With a Story Inventory and Alignment Guide

The first step is to open the Starts With a Story Inventory and Alignment Guide . You can get a better view of the list of books by clicking “view larger version” in the bottom right hand corner of the resource below.

2. Select a Strategy, Skill or Topic

Select a specific strategy, skill, or topic you are seeking to teach your students. You can scroll through the Starts With a Story Alignment Guide to get inspiration. Check out some examples below!

Reading Strategy Examples

• Summarizing
• Analyzing Character
• Identifying Author’s Purpose
• Making Predictions
• Visualizing
• Synthesizing
• Comparing and Contrasting

Grammar Skill Examples

• Proper Nouns
• Compound Words
• Contractions
• Interjections
• Alliteration

SEL Topic Examples

• Taking Ownership
• Problem Solving
• Growth Mindset
• Goal Setting
• Conflict Resolution

3. Filter the Starts With a Story Inventory and Alignment Guide

Use the filter tool located in the top left corner of the Starts With a Story Inventory and Alignment Guide to have a list generated of book titles that lend themselves to teaching the specific strategy, skill, or topic you are focusing on.

How to Use the Alignment Guide

How to use mentor texts.

Here are the steps for how to use mentor texts to deliver high quality literacy lessons:

1. Pick a Strategy, Skill or Topic

Select a specific strategy, skill, or topic you are seeking to teach your students. You can scroll through the Starts With a Story Alignment Guide to get inspiration.

2. Select a Book

Find a book that lends itself to teaching the strategy, skill or topic you chose (using our FREE Starts With a Story Inventory and Alignment Guide ). Use the filter tool located in the top left corner of the alignment guide to have a list generated of book titles that lend themselves to teaching the specific strategy, skill, or topic you are focusing on.

3. Plan or Download Lessons

Plan a series of mini lessons based on the mentor text and strategy, skill, or topic you selected. Better yet, save yourself tons of time and scoop up our Starts With a Story book companion based on the book. Each book companion is packed with resources and activities to help you deliver excellent interactive read aloud lessons.

4. Implement the Lessons

The next step is to implement the lessons you created or downloaded from our Starts With a Story Collection . You may find delivering these types of lessons to be best suited for having your students sit in a whole group area with you in front of them.

The last step is to reflect on the experience. How did it go? What worked well? What are ways to improve your lesson?

In closing, we hope you found this post about using mentor texts in your elementary classroom helpful! If you did, then you may also be interested in these posts:

• What Teachers Need to Know about Starts With a Story
• How to Create an Ideal Class Meeting Area for Read Alouds
• How to Do a Read Aloud in Your Elementary Classroom
• Read more about: ELEMENTARY TEACHING , LITERACY

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32 Best Mentor Texts for Narrative Writing in Elementary School

Help students learn from the best.

Kids have many stories to tell, but teaching narrative writing well takes work. Mentor texts for narrative writing are invaluable for showing kids how it can be done, and for taking their writing to the next level. These are the books you pore over together that both model and inspire. Your writing curriculum probably suggests some old standbys, but new titles always bring new energy and ideas. We’ve done the work for you to find fresh, diverse, engaging, (mostly) first-person mentor texts for narrative writing that may just become your new favorites. You’re welcome!

1. & 2. Together We Ride and Together We Swim by Valerie Bolling

This pair of books takes telling the stories of the classic experiences of learning to ride a bike and learning to swim to the next level. A sister and brother persevere through fears and challenges with the help of their parents. Add these to your mentor texts for narrative writing for younger students who use mostly pictures and a few words. There are so many small visual details to notice that can encourage students to add more to their own drawings.

Buy it: Together We Ride on Amazon

Buy it: Together We Swim on Amazon

3. New Shoes by Chris Raschka

A child discovers his old shoes are too tight and heads to the shoe store to pick out new ones. Use this to show new writers how they can tell a great story with just a few sentences. You can also introduce new techniques for illustrations; all these pictures are delightfully zoomed in.

Buy it: New Shoes on Amazon

4. One Day, the End: Short, Very Short, Shorter-Than-Ever Stories by Rebecca Kai Dotlich

“One day, I lost my dog. I found him. The end.” This collection of tiny tales is one of the most perfect mentor texts for narrative writing to introduce kids to the idea that a story is when something happens. Use it with your littles to teach them how to add a sentence or two to their illustrations that tell a story from their lives.

Buy it: One Day, the End: Short, Very Short, Shorter-Than-Ever Stories on Amazon

5. Granny and Bean by Karen Hesse

Granny and Bean go for a walk on a cloudy day. They enjoy all the simple pleasures of the beach, like waves, shells, sand, petting dogs, and seaside snacks. Use this to share an attainable example of a strong narrative for younger writers. Each page has only a short sentence or two, but they manage to tell a beautiful story.

Buy it: Granny and Bean on Amazon

6. Bábo: A Tale of Armenian Rug-Washing Day by Astrid Kamalyan

We love this story of the author’s favorite summer chore—helping her grandmother clean the family’s rugs—to help kids see stories in their daily lives. From dancing in soap bubbles to scrubbing, sliding, and mopping, the author stretches the experience into a delightful tale. Help kids notice the mix of sentence lengths and unexpected details that give the story its fun energy.

Buy it: Bábo: A Tale of Armenian Rug-Washing Day on Amazon

7. Grandad’s Camper by Harry Woodgate

A granddaughter explains all the reasons she loves visiting her grandad’s house—most of all, it’s because of the stories he tells about the many adventures he and Gramps had in their camper. It hasn’t felt the same since Gramps died, but a granddaughter-grandfather camping trip to the beach turns out to be just what everyone needs. This story is lovely for studying how to establish setting in a narrative, and how to include flashback moments effectively.

Buy it: Grandad’s Camper on Amazon

8. The Secret Fawn by Kallie George and Elly MacKay

As the youngest sibling, a girl feels like she misses everything—including the deer her family saw in the yard. She heads outdoors to try to see it for herself and ends up having an even more special experience. Use this quiet little story to show kids how to focus their narrative on a small but significant event.

Buy it: The Secret Fawn on Amazon

9. Hiking Day by Anne Rockwell

A girl and her parents take a local hike to enjoy all the sights and sounds of fall. Use this to teach about adding more to a narrative by including details, thoughts, sounds, and dialogue.

Buy it: Hiking Day on Amazon

10. City Moon by Rachael Cole and Blanca Gómez

A boy and his mom take a walk in the city at night to look for the moon. Add this to the mentor texts for narrative writing you use to teach about bringing the setting to life. Also, show students how to stretch one brief experience into a story that feels important.

Buy it: City Moon on Amazon

11. Not Little by Maya Myers

Dot is the smallest person in her family, but she doesn’t hesitate to stand up for the new kid when he’s bullied in the cafeteria. (Clearly, she is NOT LITTLE!) Use this to teach about strong, impactful sentences. Plus, introduce the technique of using a repeating line to show readers what’s important in your story.

Buy it: Not Little on Amazon

12. A-Train Allen by Lesley Younge

Race along with the main character as he dashes to the train station. (Spoiler: At the end, we discover it’s so he can be on time to chivalrously meet his grandmother.) This is one of the few mentor texts for narrative writing included on this list that isn’t written in the first-person, but it made the cut because it’s such a relatable title for showing kids how to bring a small moment to life using impactful verbs. They’re conveniently capitalized on every page!

Buy it: A-Train Allen on Amazon

13. My Baba’s Garden by Jordan Scott

A boy spends time before and after school with his grandmother each day. He describes his Baba, her tiny house, and her actions with gorgeous precision. This will be one of your new favorite mentor texts for personal narrative writing to show students how carefully chosen words and details can be so powerful.

Buy it: My Baba’s Garden on Amazon

14. Grandpa Is Here! by Tanya Rosie

Tap into the excitement so many kids feel about being reunited with a special family member. A girl and her parents meet her Iranian grandfather at the airport and bring him home for a family welcome dinner. Add this to your mentor texts for personal narrative writing that show kids how to include their internal monologue and model “show don’t tell.”

Buy it: Grandpa Is Here! on Amazon

15. Abuelita and I Make Flan by Adriana Hernández Bergstrom

Anita is excited to help her grandmother make her birthday dessert—so excited that she breaks her grandmother’s special plate. Can she help enough to make up for it? Use this to show kids how to add flair to their narratives with speech bubbles, labels, and different types of text. Also use it to encourage kids to try to include the narrator’s internal monologue in their writing.

Buy it: Abuelita and I Make Flan on Amazon

16. When Lola Visits by Michelle Sterling

With rich detail, a girl describes how summer smells, tastes, and feels when her grandmother visits from the Philippines. Use this to teach about adding sensory details to narrative writing.

Buy it: When Lola Visits on Amazon

17. Oh No, the Aunts Are Here by Adam Rex

They arrive in a flurry of big purses and hugs, with their coconut scent, spit-polishing thumbs, and big dreams of seeing the Quilt Museum. This hilarious account of a visit from a kid’s over-the-top aunts is one of the most fun mentor texts for narrative writing you’ll find for teaching students how to bring characters to life in their stories.

Buy it: Oh No, the Aunts Are Here on Amazon

18. The Camping Trip by Jennifer K. Mann

City-dweller Ernestine is so excited to go camping with her cousin. It turns out there are a few parts of the great outdoors that take some getting used to, though. Use this to teach about experimenting with speech bubbles and different page layouts as a way to add interest and detail to narrative pieces.

Buy it: The Camping Trip on Amazon

19. Joy Ride by Sherri Duskey Rinker

Joy finds a beat-up bike and convinces her tinkering granddad to help her fix it up. But when her peers make fun of her new ride, she makes the impulsive decision to push the bike down a steep hill, and then must face the feelings that follow. Use this as a solid example of a more detailed personal narrative that includes dialogue, characters’ thoughts and feelings, and interesting language.

Buy it: Joy Ride on Amazon

20. Powwow Day by Traci Sorell

It’s the day of the tribal powwow, but River is worried. She’s been sick and can’t join in as she usually does. The healing dance her friends and family perform inspires her to keep getting better. Use this to model the impact of using different sentence lengths. Intentional line-breaks and onomatopoeia make the text feel almost like poetry too.

Buy it: Powwow Day on Amazon

21. Love Birds by Jane Yolen

Jon doesn’t have any friends yet in his new town, but he keeps busy birding, his favorite pastime. A funny coincidence in the woods introduces him to his first new friend, a fellow birder. The author wrote this as a companion to the classic Owl Moon , one of our longtime favorite mentor texts for narrative writing. Use it to model how to include details about sounds and setting.

Buy it: Love Birds on Amazon

22. Soul Food Sunday by Winsome Bingham

Every Sunday the whole extended family gathers at Granny’s for a big meal. Today, Granny invites her grandson to help prepare the family’s favorite dishes for the first time. From grating the cheese to washing the grit from the greens, he learns about each crucial step. Use this to model how to break down an experience into small parts and describe them in more detail.

Buy it: Soul Food Sunday on Amazon

23. The Electric Slide and Kai by Kelly J. Baptist

As his family prepares to attend a big wedding, Kai desperately wants to impress his granddad with his dance moves so that he’ll give him a “dance nickname” like other members of the family. Use this to teach students to add their thoughts, goals, and emotions to their narrative writing, and to show, not tell, using dialogue and characters’ actions.

Buy it: The Electric Slide and Kai on Amazon

24. A Thousand White Butterflies by Jessica Betancourt-Perez and Karen Lynn Williams

Isabella recently immigrated to the United States from Colombia and is eager to start school and make friends. But an unexpected snow day changes her big plans. Use this to model writing precise sentences and to show how a character’s emotions change during a story. If you have bilingual students, this is also a nice one to show how to weave in words from another language.

Buy it: A Thousand White Butterflies on Amazon

25. A Bed of Stars by Jessica Love

This is one of our new favorite mentor texts for personal narrative writing to share when we’re encouraging students to write stories about problems or challenges. When a child feels too anxious to sleep, their dad plans a camping trip in the family pickup truck. Their conversations under the stars help ease bedtime worries. Study excerpts to talk about the power of weaving dialogue into narrative writing.

Buy it: A Bed of Stars on Amazon

26. Heart Berry Bling by Jenny Kay Dupuis

This story of a girl’s afternoon spent with her grandmother is ideal for nudging upper elementary students to extend their narrative writing. From Granny’s phone chatter to the colors of the beads to the smells and tastes of their fry bread lunch, the sensory details bring Maggie’s time beading and chatting to life. Maggie’s experience making beaded earrings—including her frustration and, eventually, pride—is a helpful example for kids about how to describe a process within a narrative so readers can imagine it.

Buy it: Heart Berry Bling on Amazon

27. A Space for Me by Cathryn Falwell

An older brother gets tired of sharing his room with his annoying little bro, so he decides to build his own space in his yard. Both brothers learn from the experience and end up finding common ground together. Use this to teach about sticking close to a meaningful theme to write a focused narrative.

Buy it: A Space for Me on Amazon

28. My Papi Has a Motorcycle by Isabel Quintero

A young girl tells the tale of a motorcycle ride around her neighborhood with her Papi. Use this to model ways to characterize an important person throughout a story. It’s also great for modeling how to use vibrant descriptions and for building energy across the arc of a narrative.

Buy it: My Papi Has a Motorcycle on Amazon

29. A Map Into the World by Kao Kalia Yang

A girl moves to a new house and welcomes twin baby brothers to her family. Next door, an elderly neighbor grieves the loss of his wife. Use this to show students how describing what each character does or says in a situation can help create a complete scene. Also explore strategies for conveying the passage of time.

Buy it: A Map Into the World on Amazon

30. Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away by Meg Medina

Two best friends spend a final day together before one of them moves away. This one is full of heart, with equal parts sadness and sweetness. Use this to teach … well, everything. Model strong leads and endings, how to use small details to create a mood, and how to do justice to a particularly emotional experience by telling it step-by-step.

Buy it: Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away on Amazon

31. Watercress by Andrea Wang

When a girl’s parents spot watercress growing on the roadside, they pull over to pick it so they can make a meal reminiscent of their native China. The girl hates the whole experience but ends up appreciating it more as she learns what it means to her family. Add this to your mentor texts for narrative writing­ for when you work on revising for tighter, more precise language. Imagine how this narrative might have started out and compare that to its sparse but incredibly powerful final text. Also, share the author’s note, in which she describes the experience that led to this book, to teach about how to choose meaningful narrative topics.

Buy it: Watercress on Amazon

32. On the Trapline by David A. Robertson and Julie Flett

A boy visits his grandfather’s old trapline in the northern wilderness, which is steeped in memories. Besides being a beautiful example of personal narrative, this is a fascinating exploration of Cree tradition for kids. Use this to model how to include details and dialogue to explain things to readers and for planning an interesting structure for your narrative. (In this case, it’s a repeating line at the end of each section that explains a Cree word.) It’s also a nice example of how to weave memories of the past into a present-tense narrative.

Buy it: On the Trapline on Amazon

Plus, check out our favorite mentor texts for how-to or procedural writing and opinion writing .

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33 Mentor Texts for Opinion Writing

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Mentor texts for common core literature standards.

My ELA units for Kinder, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Grade include three mini-lessons, printables, passages, interactive notebook activities, task cards, and an assessment. Some of these activities require the use of a mentor text. I have had many, many requests for a suggested book list, so I wanted to create a blog post for teachers to reference when using mentor texts for ELA! This is a list of 10 books for each literature standard, with affiliate links to Amazon.

Ask and Answer Questions

Ask and Answer Questions (RLK.1, RL1.1, RL2.1, RL3.1, RL4.1)

Key skills to hit: questioning, inferring, predicting, answering, and text evidence

• Why by Richard Torrey
• The Raft by Jim LaMarche
• Poppleton by Cynthia Rylant 
• First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg
• Baghead by Jarret Krosoczka
• Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting
• Hello, Goodbye Dog by Maria Gianferrari
• Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall
• Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena
• Stella Brings the Family by Miriam B. Schiffer

Retelling and Recounting

Retelling and Recounting (RLK.2, RL1.2, RL2.2, RL3.2) Key skills to hit: retelling/recounting, moral/lesson, folk tales, fables, myths

• The Magic Hat by Mem Fox
• A Bad Case of the Stripes by David Shannon
• The Ant and the Grasshopper by Luli Gray
• Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes
• Aesop’s Fables Collection 
• Young Zeus by G. Brian Karas (3rd Grade Only)
• Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens
• Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry
• I am Enough by Grace Byers
• Why Mosquitos Buzz in People’s Ears by Verna Aardema
• The Legend of Blue Bonnet by Tomi dePaola

Primary Mentor Texts – Story Elements

Story Elements  (RLK.3, RL1.3) Key skills to hit-  characters and traits, settings, events

• Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett
• A Story for Bear by Dennis Haseley
• The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
• Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
• The Salamander Room by Anne Mazer
• If You Give a Pig a Pancake by Laura Numeroff
• What I Like the Most by Mary Murphy
• Islandborn by Junot Diaz
• Ruby Finds a Worry by Tom Percival
• In Our Mothers’ House by Patricia Polacco
• My Awesome Brother by Lise Frances

Character Challenges

Character Challenges and Solutions (RL2.3, RL3.3) Key skills to hit-  character traits, problem/solution, challenges and how the character resolves it

• Ira Sleeps Over by Bernard Waber
• The Name Jar by  Yangsook Choi
• Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
• Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion 
• Jamaica’s Find by Juanita Havill 
• Enemy Pie by Derek Munson 

Vocabulary in Poetry

Vocabulary in Poetry (RLK.4, RL1.4, RL2.4) Key skills to hit-  feeling emotions while reading, imagery, poetry, sensory word, repetition

• Dog Breath by Dav Pilkey
• When Sophie Gets Angry- Really Really Angry by Molly Bang
• Edward the Emu by Sheena Knowles
• Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein 
• There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Lucille Colandro
• Class Two at the Zoo by Julia Jarman
• Word Collector by Peter H. Reynolds
• Malala’s Magic Pencil by Malala Yousafzai
• Yo! Yes! by Chris Raschka
• Fry Bread by Kevin Noble Maillard

Primary Mentor Texts – Figurative Language

Figurative Language (RL3.4, RL4.4) Key skills to hit-  similes, metaphors, imagery, personification

• The Worrywarts by Pamela Duncan Edwards
• Amelia Bedelia and the Baby by Peggy Parish
• I Know the River Loves Me by Maya Christina Gonzales
• The Colors of Us by Karen Katz
• Quiet as a Cricket by Audrey Wood
• Owl Moon by Jane Yolen

Story Structure

Story Structure (RL2.5, RL3.5) Key skills to hit-  beginning, middle, and end structure

• Don’t Slam the Door by Lori Chaconas 
• No Dogs Allowed by Sonia Manzano
• Chicken Little by Steven Kellogg
• The Perfect Nest by Catherine Friend
• The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch
• Max’s Words by Kate Banks
• Parker Looks Up by Parker Curry
• Black, White, Just Right by Marguerite Devol
• Festival of Colors by Surishtha Sehgal
• Noah Chases the Wind by Michelle Worthington

Primary Mentor Texts – Point of View

Point of View (RL1.6, RL2.6, RL3.6, RL4.6) Key skills to hit-  character’s opinion, how a character feels about something, compare to own

• A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead and Erin E. Stead
• The Day the Crayons Quit by Draw Daywalt
• My Big Dog by Janet Stevens
• The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
• Goldilocks and the Three Bears by Caralyn Buehner 
• Three Hens and a Peacock by Lester Laminack
• The Sandwich Swap by Queen Raniah of Jordan Al Abdullah
• Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love
• The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson
• Grace for President by Kelly DiPuccio

Story Illustrations

Story Illustrations (RLK.7, RL1.7, RL2.7, RL3.7, RL4.7) Key skills-  comparing text to illustration, how the illustration adds to the text

• Pancakes for Breakfast by Tomie dePaola (wordless book)
• Flotsam by David Wiesner  (wordless book)
• Office Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathman
• The Snowman by Raymond Briggs (wordless book)
• Rotten Teeth by Laura Simms
• Do You Want to Be My Friend? by Eric Carle
• Another by Christian Robinson (wordless book) 
• Pink is for Boys by Robb Pearlman
• The Big Umbrella by Amy June Bates
• I Walk with Vanessa by Kerascoet (wordless book)

Compare Two Stories by Different Authors

Compare Two Stories by Different Authors (RL1.9, RL2.9) Key skills to hit-  comparing and contrasting character, setting, events (different author)

• Honestly, Red Riding Hood Was Rotten  by Trisha Shashkan and  Little Red Riding Hood by Paragon Books
• The Three Ninja Pigs by Corey Schwartz  and  The Three Little Pigs by Patricia Seibert
• The Little Red Hen by Paul Galdone  and  The Little Red Elf by Barbara McGrath
• Cinderella by Sarah L. Thompson  and  The Rough Faced Girl by Rafe Martin
• G oldy Luck and the Three Pandas by Natasha Yim  and  Goldilocks and the Three Bears by James Marshall
• Ninja Red Riding Hood by Corey Rosen Schwartz  and  Little Red Riding Hood by Candace Ransom
• La Princesa and the Pea by Susan Middleton Elya  and  The Princess and the Pea by Hans Christian Andersen
• Reading Beauty by Deborah Underwood  and  Sleeping Beauty by Michael Teitelbaum

Comparing Two Stories by the Same Author

Comparing Two Stories by the Same Author (RL3.9) Key skills to hit- comparing and contrasting character, theme, plot (same author)

• Jumaji  and  Zarthura  by Chris Van Allsburg
• Fish is Fish  and  Swimmy  by Leo Lionni
• The Hat  and  The Mitten  by Jan Brett
• Wemberly Worried  and  Chester’s Way  by Kevin Henkes

Suggested Standards-Based Literature Activities

For full ELA units with mini lessons for these books and extra reading passages (and much more), check out the grade level sets for RL standards. If you click the links below, check out your grade level. They’re sold separately as well if you only want one or two standards at a time.

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Want to read more ELA fiction topics?

• Teaching Compare and Contrast in Fiction Texts
• How to Teach Story Structure
• Mastering Story Elements
• Read more about: Books , Common Core Aligned , Reading Blog Posts , Uncategorized

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Teaching Writing Through Mentor Texts

Busy elementary teachers with an already jam-packed instructional schedule find it challenging to teach writing, especially if their students are struggling readers.  Teaching writing is just as important as teaching any other subject and I never really considered reading and writing as two separate subjects to teach. After all, reading is writing and writing is reading. The two go hand in hand especially when you are using mentor texts to model and teach excellent writing.

I’m always on a mission to find good books with good writing that i could use for teaching my students. in fact, i get extremely excited about finding good books to teach writing. i’m always lurking around book fairs and bookstores and perusing through scholastic’s book clubs. when i make a purchase and the books arrive at my classroom, i am like a kid in a candy shop…eyes wide open and i can’t wait to sink my teeth (eyes) into the books. i treat these books like gems, magical gems that transform my students into writers., a mentor text is any piece of writing that can teach the writer. mentor texts include all kinds of books of all genres, an essay or articles, magazines like scholastic news or time for kids, and even your own writing. my students know that i am a writer and i share just about anything i write that they could learn from. the most beneficial part of my sharing of my writing is the feedback that i get from my students, which in return helps me become a stronger writer., every mentor text has something to teach the writer, whether it be an idea, trait, or skill, that students can learn and apply to their own writing. students who study the writing from mentor texts, ones that provide strong examples of techniques, transform them into real writers. if you missed my post, transforming students into writers, you could read it here ., many, if not all, of my mini-lessons, begin with a mentor text that teaches the writer, which is the focus of my mini-lesson. this mentor text clarification & use by corbett harrison at always write , definitely helped me to understand better what mentor texts are and how to use them during writer’s workshop..

Mentor texts are an essential part of my classroom library. It would help if you had these books in your classroom for ALL grade levels. These gems are used to teach multiple concepts and skills in a variety of genres and kids of ALL ages LOVE them! That Is Not a Good Idea! Rocket Writes a Story Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters from Obedience School (LaRue Books) Dragons Love Tacos The Day the Crayons Quit Written Anything Good Lately? Eats, Shoots & Leaves: Why Commas Really Do Make a Difference!

Locomotive (caldecott medal book) each kindness (jane addams award book (awards)) creepy carrots jangles: a big fish story you wouldn’t want to live without writing grandpa green manfish: a story of jacques cousteau, as far as using mentor texts during writer’s workshop, i live by the i do- we do- you do model., i do- the teacher introduces the mentor text and its use—to teach an idea, structure, or craft., we do- guided practice for students to “test drive” what the mentor text is teaching the writers with some partner or group work and use of similar texts that teach the same thing., you do- student application directly of what was taught from the mentor text to their own writing during independent writing time., a favorite teaching resource of mine is the writing thief , by ruth culham, a trait-based strategy to assess and teach writing. i taught my students how to become “writing thieves” through the use of mentor texts. we learned as writers that we should learn from expert writers and it’s okay to “steal” from these mentor texts and apply new techniques and skills to our own writing., while using this fantastic book, i created a few companion resources which is a bundle of 18 lessons plans that teach the six traits of writing (ideas, organization, voice, sentence fluency, word choice, and conventions) and is intended for grades k-5 within informational, narrative and  persuasive  writing. the mentor texts and some of the ideas for these lessons were expanded upon the ideas from  the writing thief, and all ideas are clearly cited back to the book itself., each trait comes with three brief lesson plans for grades k-1, 2-3, 4-5. the lessons are designed to be 10-15 minutes and are differentiated so you could use the lessons below, at, or above the grade level you teach. you could teach the ‘at grade level’ lesson to your whole group, enrich or accelerate using the ‘above grade level’ lessons in small groups and use the ‘below grade level’ lessons for your struggling readers and writers in small groups as well., here are the lessons included in teaching the six traits in informational writing:, a list of mentor texts and 18 lesson plans: grades k-1: ideas-sparking ideas grades 2-3: ideas- getting focused grades 4-5: ideas- choosing a topic grades k-1: ending with a sense of closure grades 2-3: organization: creating the lead grades 4-5: organization: developing the body grades k-1: voice: creating voice grades 2-3: voice: establishing a tone grades 4-5: voice: conveying the purpose grades k-1: sentence fluency: breaking the “rules” to create fluency grades 2-3: sentence fluency: crafting well built sentences grades 4-5: sentence fluency: varying sentence patterns grades k-1: word choice: using creative words and phrases grades 2-3: word choice: using language effectively grades 4-5: word choice: using strong action words grades k-1: conventions: checking spelling grades 2-3: conventions: using commas correctly grades 4-5: conventions: using capitalization correctly, you can check out teaching the six traits in informational writing here . and for being a reader, here’s a freebie… teaching the six traits in informational writing- ideas . this freebie includes three lessons (k-1, 2-3, 4-5) that teach ideas in informational writing., more resources like this:, teaching the six traits in narrative writing (k-5 18 lessons), teaching the six traits in persuasive/opinion/argument writing (k-5 18 lessons), teaching the six traits of writing bundle (k-5 54 lessons), or grade level bundles: k-1 , 2-3 , and 4-5, the six traits of writing sticky notes, posters, and student reference checklists are a must-have during writers workshop. as we teach and encourage students to become confident writers, we must give them the tools they need to be successful. this resource is especially helpful for teaching and reinforcing the 6 traits of writing. check this resource out here ..

For more on this topic, read  8 Tips For Teaching with Mentor Texts  and Using Mentor Texts To Support and Motivate Student Writers.

I hope you are able to “steal” some ideas and some mentor texts to help you effectively teach writing through mentor texts. 🙂, follow me to be notified when new resources are uploaded to the shop and join the email list to receive the latest and greatest updates, posts, and some awesome freebies, i have lots of writing resources to support your students. if you need support with transforming yourself and your students into writers, check out my writer’s workshop boot camp or this 3 part video tutorial, how to organize & manage writer’s workshop in the elementary classroom ., if you like it, then pin it.

This post contains affiliate links. Any of these books could be purchased on Amazon.com. For The Love of Teachers is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites at no additional cost to you.

Christine Weis is a passionate educator, classroom management coach, wife, and mom of two busy boys. She enjoys teaching, writing, and creating resources for teachers.

October 4, 2017 at 2:15 am

I am studying to being a teacher and they are so helpful and I can use this for mu class work, I was need new ideas

October 4, 2017 at 1:35 pm

That’s fantastic! I’m glad it helped! Let me know if there is anything else I could do to support you through your studies. Best wishes! Christine at For The Love of Teachers

October 1, 2017 at 11:59 pm

This was so interesting. I have never heard of mentor texts before! I will have to keep this in mind as my boy will be starting kindergarten this next year and all the homework begins!

October 3, 2017 at 10:41 pm

Thank you! Wow…starting kindergarten…fun!!! He’ll love it! I hope he enjoys books as much as I do. Thanks for reading! Christine at For The Love of Teachers

October 1, 2017 at 10:41 pm

This was so insightful! We are big readers with our kids, but I have never heard the concept of “mentor texts” before. I will definitely be adding a few of these books to my “to purchase list”.

October 3, 2017 at 10:40 pm

I’m so glad! There are so many books that “teach.” I hope you make some good purchases. You’ll love them and your kids will thank you! 🙂 Christine at For The Love of Teachers

October 1, 2017 at 10:37 pm

My husband is in school for middle childhood education and to see what you guys do to teach our kids is nothing short but amazing! I love these resources you’ve shared with us.

October 3, 2017 at 10:39 pm

That’s fantastic! Thanks so much for this compliment!! I, on behalf of all teachers, appreciate it! Thanks for reading! Christine at For The Love of Teachers

October 1, 2017 at 10:36 pm

Awesome… Every teacher and parent should find their way to this article. As a mathd teacher I know fhaf reading and writing are basics in the learning of other subjects.

Many Thanks

October 3, 2017 at 10:37 pm

Thank you! Agreed…Reading and writing sure are the basics to everything! Thanks for reading! 🙂 Christine at For The Love of Teachers

October 1, 2017 at 9:35 am

Thank you so very much for compiling these mentor texts in one list! And for the freebie. I love your framework! Thank you, thank you!

October 3, 2017 at 10:36 pm

You are very welcome! The framework is a model that I find effective! Hope you could use both the framework and the freebie in your classroom. 🙂 Christine at For The Love of Teachers

September 29, 2017 at 12:41 am

These are great recommendations! I know my friends who just became teachers would love these tips. Thanks for sharing.

October 3, 2017 at 10:35 pm

Thank you! Please share with your teacher friends! Thanks for reading! Christine at For The Love of Teachers

September 28, 2017 at 8:41 am

These are great recommendations! I used to be a teacher and mentor texts are an excellent way to teach writing! We love the Crayon books & my son’s teacher used this to teach him and make his own book! He loved it!

September 28, 2017 at 9:53 pm

Thanks Sarah! The Day The Crayons Quit is a great book. I think a sequel to this book just came out too. I’m glad your son loved it and I hope it motivated him to write! Thanks for reading! Christine at For The Love of Teachers

September 28, 2017 at 8:33 am

What great tools to have in the classroom! It’s so important to find something that you’ll enjoy using to teach the children. Otherwise they won’t enjoy it either!

September 28, 2017 at 9:52 pm

Thanks Courtney! I agree! In order for kids to be engaged writers they have to enjoy it! Thanks for reading! Christine at For The Love of Teachers

September 27, 2017 at 1:33 pm

Great resource for children! I’m sure many of your students are going to become great writers with these resources!

September 28, 2017 at 9:51 pm

Thanks Patricia! I bet they will too! Thanks for reading! Christine at For The Love of Teachers

September 27, 2017 at 1:13 pm

Wow awesome resource! Not even just for teachers but at home for parents too- thanks!

September 27, 2017 at 1:21 pm

Thanks Shelby! I’m glad to hear whenever parents find my content helpful! Thanks for reading! Christine at For The Love of Teachers

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Exploring Diverse Forms of Storytelling With Mentor Texts

Writing can be more engaging for students when they have the opportunity to consider different approaches to help them get started.

While a prose-only approach to composition and use of the page might have once been the dominant process in writing, my conversations with authors who work across forms of media, as well as the trends I notice in our wider culture, have led me to the conclusion that writing is much more flexible than we might think. It only makes sense that I invite my students to compose across forms of storytelling in the classroom.

I’ve used mentor texts to help students think about pivoting their writing and creating beyond traditional and linear approaches. I often present these avenues of writing in a choice format for students to explore the ways of storytelling that connect most deeply with their practices and interests. For example, when I’m discussing American voices in a literature-focused unit, students have the chance to explore examples of plays, comics, and video games from society and culture and then engage with rethinking or redesigning their own products in response.

The Writing Game

Video games have been part of my hobby, practice, and story navigation since I was in elementary school. James Paul Gee advocates that video games (their problem-solving nature in particular) can help students develop different skill sets . In his book Good Video Games and Good Learning , he explores the possibility of games to teach aspects of literacy. The stories that gamers encounter certainly take narrative turns, but I’m also thinking about the scripting process when I turn my attention to games.

In conversations with video game writers, I’ve learned both the precision that is required to fashion dialogue within time limits and the nonlinear nature that a video game script takes. Many of my students love to game, and taking a look behind the scenes with some mentor texts shows both the complexity and the creativity that crafting in this visual world can inspire.

The weaving and complex layout of a video game script can be surprising to look at—I delight in sharing them with students who may or may not have considered that video games have a writing stage. In addition to building literacy awareness, game writing calls for managing not only one plot, but several possible plot directions based on the decisions of the main character/player. It’s also intriguing for thinking about what first-person narration allows writers to do. As they craft game scripts, my students can think about the impact of their choices as well as how to make wise use of dialogue. 

Scripts from Plays to Comics 

While the use of plays in the classroom has been a practice for quite some time, I enjoy fostering comparisons between play formats for the stage and screen, as well as script formats for comics. The phrase “Marvel style” might not be familiar to some, but this approach is known in the comics industry. 

As a longtime comics reader who has written about and explored the medium, I’m constantly delighted by the choices an author makes on a visual and verbal page. The level of detail that writers must put into their work is impressive ( a recent blog post by comic book writer Jim Zub is a helpful example). These storytelling choices find their roots in the scripting stage, as is the case with video games. Unlike writers who develop video game scripts, comics writers have to think about communicating in a descriptive style to help their artist envision the scene that is playing in their mind.

The comics format is more parsimonious than prose and yet also purposefully descriptive. Because of that, comics writers must also decide how to make use of the form based on the limitations and possibilities of a static image. I’ve had students create comics in both groups and on their own, working through a scripting phase and then collaborating to create images. Some students prefer to engage in the entire process themselves, but most enjoy the collaborative nature of making comics. Students who are less comfortable with drawing often help with the scripting phase and also add details or help craft plans for the images.

Images, Design, and More

Beyond ways of establishing a story, visual renderings and responses can help students tap into symbolic elements in stories, as well as other literary techniques and writing craft. While emphasis might be placed on the colors that authors employ in descriptive narratives, actually using shades to convey meaning and to explore mood and tone has potential across courses. Words certainly convey meaning, but many texts in daily life are what Frank Serafini might call ensembles . This idea of an ensemble reminds me of an orchestra—a text is like many instruments playing together, from word to image to design. 

Sometimes when students don’t have the words yet, an image or element of design is an ideal scaffold that opens up possibilities for communication. In addition to entire scripts, students can explore ideas in visual form and explore complexity and nuance with close analysis of mentor texts for their own creations. Mentor texts for this kind of creating can include memes and public service announcements, but any visual will do. I think of noticing design when it comes to the traditionally passive activity of viewing a film. When we intentionally pause and note, the experience of viewing becomes more important.

In the same way, crafting in a step-by-step process with students allows time for individualized conferencing and may be an opportunity to tap into experiences that are more difficult to access by writing-only methods. This leads me to think of nonverbal students I’ve had over the years, including the ways I’d attempt to make sense of their overall takeaways from my class through conversations and written exchanges. Using visuals can help show understanding for a wide range of students. By incorporating an artistic response, even one static image, or a digital text that allowed for the use of personal/family photographs, I could tap into students’ voices across multiple paths of communication.

Ultimately, I believe there is a world of creativity in the journey ahead for our students, and I believe communication can be valued even when it comes in a way that we don’t expect. Whether it’s a single image or several pages and panels, embracing multiple ways of creating can help students tap into literacy and the joy of exploring mentor texts.

Mrs.Judy Araujo, M.Ed.,CAGS, Reading Specialist

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Writing Mentor Texts

Donations to alleviate the high maintenance fees of this unsponsored website are DEEPLY appreciated! Please  help me continue to support the teaching of literacy around the world. Thank you!

This page has TWO FREE LISTS and will offer suggestions for Mentor Texts for Writing.

FREE LIST Mentor Texts – Resources for Mini Lessons

Click on the above link for a pdf file adapted from Consult An Expert ~ titles compiled by Shirl Hawes and Debbie Rickards, 2001.

The above pdf has writing mentor texts for:

• topic selection
• leads/beginnings
• leads, using questions
• endings, general
• endings, surprise
• endings, circular
• endings, poignant
• strong characters
• using voice
• vivid word choice/descriptive language
• strong verbs
• poetry and unforgettable language
• story structure, cumulative
• story structure, chain
• story structure, circular
• story structure, chronological life events
• story structure, home-journey-home
• story structure, parallel plots
• time (non-linear way)
• point of view
• flash-forward
• narrowing a topic
• combing fiction with nonfiction
• cause and effect
• onomatopoeia
• alliteration
• personification
• adaptations of familiar tales

Another great FREE List – Mentor Texts for Writer’s Workshop.

Why should all writing instruction begin with mentor texts?

1. It gives a solid base to start the lesson.

2. You can refer to the mentor text whenever students get lost.

3. Students experience more authentic writing.

4. Students need to understand that writing is something you do, not something done to you.

5. Students learn about the traits common to all excellent writing.

6. Teachers get to work with their favorite writers.

How to Teach Writing – Visit this page for research-based writing instruction!

I HIGHLY recommend The Writing Thief by Culham. It suggests mentor texts for every trait for narrative ,  expository , and persuasive writing.

Edited on 03/07/2024

Mentor Texts and Mini Lessons for Writing

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Mentor texts for writing can be a really powerful tool that will not only enrich your writing lessons, but can potentially save you time during the rest of your ELA block as well! 

I have to say that I love teaching writing more than any other subject. I love it because there is never a perfect paper, you simply try to inspire each student to write and illustrate better than they did the time before. I think there is something really special about that. Let's get started, shall we?

Mentor texts can provide great mini lessons for: 

• How to extend a story
• Illustrating and Sequencing
• Using sound words
• Using non-fiction text features 
• Writing with patterns of 3
• Building Excitement

Mentor Texts for Writing: How to Extend a Story

Mentor Texts for Writing: Illustrating and Sequencing

This book and method is also really great if your students are struggling to write stories with a true beginning, middle and end. In first grade, it still seems like a difficult concept for students to write a story where more than one event happens. Patches Lost and Found is a great mentor text for teaching sequencing and introducing/using those transition words.

Mentor Texts for Writing Using Sound Words

Mentor Texts for Writing: Nonficition Text Features

• Titles/Headings
• Table of Contents

Mentor Texts for Writing: Patterns of 3

Mentor Texts for Writing: Building Excitement

I was introduced to The Night of the Veggie Monster by George McClements a few years ago and I've been in love with it ever since. This book is about a little boy who does not want to eat his vegetables at dinner time.

This book is so good at illustrating a small moment and really building excitement of the readers. I really like using it as a mentor text because it shows writers how to keep their reader interested and leave them wanting more!

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I am a current Elementary Librarian and Enrichment Teacher, mother of two, follower of Christ and Texas native. In my own classroom, I love to save time by finding unique ways to integrate writing, social studies and science into all parts of my day. I also love all things organization!

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The Best Mentor Texts For Teaching Opinion Writing

Take a peek at my list of the best mentor texts for teaching opinion writing to elementary students. These 12 titles will be a game-changer for your students to better understand the expectations of writing an opinion piece. Plus, they get to hear great literature!

Why do you need to use opinion mentor texts in the classroom?

First up, let’s just acknowledge the importance of using mentor texts when teaching writing. The simple truth is that WE know what we expect our students to do, but our students have no idea! Students need to be exposed to examples of the writing genre we are teaching.

Mentor texts aren’t just great for exposing students to the genre; they are also powerful for explicitly teaching the structure and features. For example, we can show examples of reasoning. We can show an author’s use of transition words. Overall, mentor texts can be compelling.

Let’s dive into my recommendations! FYI, I recommend these books in my third-grade opinion writing unit (which you can check out  here ).

Looking for a 2nd grade opinion writing unit? Click here!

Let’s check out the best mentor texts for teaching opinion writing. Please note that this blog post features Amazon affiliate links (if you purchase, I make a small commission, at no cost to you).

‘Duck! Rabbit!’ by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

Can you decide whether it is a duck or a rabbit? In this book, students are presented with an optical illusion that could look like a duck or a rabbit. Students will quickly see one or the other. Will they be able to let their guard down and see the other animal, or will they just want to argue?

Teaching idea- This book presents students with the concept of right and wrong. As well as when to let go of an argument.

You can check out the book here .

‘Which Would You Rather Be?’ By William Steig

This is a great book to use for opinion writing because it asks simple ‘would you rather?’ questions to the reader. Students must pick a side. Would you rather be a rock or a stick? They are simple, silly questions, but students will learn to defend their opinion and practice hearing the other person’s argument.

Teaching idea- Use this book to give your students opinion writing ideas or just to practice forming and defending an opinion verbally.

Click here to look at the book.

‘My Favorite Thing’ By E. Lockhart

Alberta is a feisty little girl with LOTS of opinions! She only likes small dogs, gummy candies, and baths, but do you know what she loves best of all? Students will love reading the story to find out the thing Alberta loves the best, and I bet they will have lots of guesses too!

Teaching idea- Have students write or verbally share the things they love the best. To take it a step further, you could have students find someone that shares one of their favorite things.

Check out the book here .

‘Dog Vs. Cat’ By Chris Gall

I am sure your students will have an opinion about this topic; dogs or cats. In this story, Dog and Cat find out they have to share a room, but how can they possibly get along? They try to be on their best behavior, but Dog howls too much and Cat primps too much. They hit a breaking point and just can’t get along. Will they be able to solve their issues?

Teaching idea- Have students pick a side and write about why that animal should get the room to themselves. Have students share aloud and see if anyone changes sides.

You can find the book here .

‘My Teacher For President’ By Kay Winters

A boy shares his nomination for president; his teacher. He gives many reasons why his teacher would make a great president, like she wants peace, is followed around at school, and goes to meetings all the time. The illustrations are excellent in this book, with the teacher being drawn into the white house and other presidential scenes.

Teaching idea- Have students make a presidential nomination and give reasons why that person would make a great president.

See the book here .

‘The Perfect Pet’ By Margie Palatini

Most students will relate to this story since wanting a pet is a phase most children go through. Elizabeth wants a pet; she really doesn’t care what it is; she just wants one! So Elizabeth sets out to convince her parents she needs one, but they just get her a cactus. Then one day, Doug shows up. Doug is a bug, and he makes the perfect pet for Elizabeth.

Teaching idea- Students will have an opinion about what animal would make the best pet! Students can write and share their opinion pieces about which animal is the best,

‘Emily’s Perfect Pet’ By Jonathan Shipton

It is Emily’s birthday, and she wants a pet. Her parents aren’t too keen on the idea, but they are willing to hear her reasonings. This book does a great job showing students the importance of gathering thoughts and being organized in your opinion pieces. Will Emily be able to convince her parents she can get a pet?

Teaching idea- Have students pick three pets and make arguments for each one. This involves students in the organizing aspect of writing opinion pieces.

You can get the book here .

‘Can I Bring My Pterodactyl to School, Ms. Johnson?’ By Lois Grambling

This character wants to bring a pterodactyl to school! He has lots of arguments about why it should be allowed but will his teacher let him? Students will love this silly story about bringing a dinosaur to school. They will also see another great piece of literature written in an opinion format.

Teaching idea- Have students write an argument for bringing something else to school (cellphones, video games, pets, etc.).

See the mentor text here .

‘Fact Vs. Opinion Vs. Robot’ By Michael Rex

Share with students the difference between a fact and an opinion. The robots do a fantastic job at giving readers lots of examples of facts and opinions and tips to figure out which is which. The robot characters are funny and help engage your students as they read or listen to the story.

Teaching Idea – Share some statements with students and ask them, ‘Is it a fact or opinion?’

Grab the book here .

‘A Fine, Fine School’ By Sharon Creech

Get students motivated to write an opinion essay when you tell them that they have to start coming to school every day of the year. This book shows both sides of the argument, and the students must make the principal change his mind!

Teaching idea- I love this story for opinion writing because students will be creative in their reasons for no school every day. Reluctant writers may even write longer pieces just to get their opinions heard about school all year long!

‘Stella Writes an Opinion’ By Janiel Wagstaff

Join Stella as she writes an opinion piece for her teacher. The book walks students through the steps and parts that must be included in an opinion writing essay. It is factual and informative but still tells a cute story about a girl wanting to bring snacks to school.

Teaching idea- Make a large poster about what to include in an opinion writing piece for the classroom while you read the book.

You can see the book here .

‘A Pig Parade Is A Terrible Idea’ By Michael Ian Black

Have you ever wanted to have a pig parade? The character thinks it is the worst idea ever! Pigs don’t like to wear the uniforms, they like the wrong kind of music, and so much more! Students will love this silly book for its incredible storyline and comical pictures. The character does a great job of giving many reasons why a pig parade is a terrible idea.

Teaching idea- Read this book and then have students think of something they don’t want to happen. Then have them write about this bad idea!

I hope this list of 12 opinion mentor texts is helpful in your classroom!

Need personal narrative mentor texts? Check out my post here about personal narrative mentor texts!

The books in this blog post are used in Unit 2 of my 3rd grade writing curriculum, ‘Opinion Writing,’ where students learn how to write opinion essays. Click  here  to check out the unit!

P.S. Click  here  to grab free activities from my free resource library!

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Mentor Texts for Teaching Argument Writing

admin 01.29.18 Booklists Reading Writing

As a follow-up to our November 2017 #NCTEchat, Using Mentor Texts , we asked our social media community to share some of their favorite mentor texts with us. In the first part of this series, we’ve compiled educators’ favorite mentor texts for teaching argument writing. To see the original messages this list is based on, click here .

Did we miss one? Please let us know on Twitter!

Should There Be Zoos?: A Persuasive Text by Tony Stead with Judy Ballester and her fourth-grade class Examines the opposing viewpoints of a fourth-grade class on whether zoos are helpful or harmful to animals; written in persuasive language.

Hey, Little Ant by Phillip M. and  Hannah Hoose , illustrated by Debbie Tilley What would you do if the ant you were about to step on looked up and started talking? Would you stop and listen?

A Pig Parade Is a Terrible Idea by Michael Ian Black, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes Could anything possibly be more fun than a pig parade!? You wouldn’t think so. But you’d be wrong. A pig parade is a terrible idea.

I Wanna Iguana by Karen Kaufman Orloff, illustrated by David Catrow Alex just has to convince his mom to let him have an iguana, so he puts his arguments in writing.

Have I Got a Book for You! by Mélanie Watt Mr. Al Foxword is one persistent salesman! He will do just about anything to sell you this book. Al tries every trick of the trade.

Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothing by Judi Barrett, illustrated by Ron Barrett This well-loved book by Judi and Ron Barrett shows the very youngest why animals’ clothing is perfect . . . just as it is.

Stella Writes an Opinion by Janiel Wagstaff, illustrated by Dana Regan Meet Stella. She has lots of opinions. When Ms. M. tells the class they get to write an opinion, Stella gets excited. But how will she choose what to write about?

I Wanna New Room by Karen Kaufman Orloff, illustrated by David Catrow Writing letters to his mom convinced her to let him get his pet iguana, so Alex puts pencil to paper again, this time determined to get his own room.

They All Saw a Cat by Brendan Wenzel In this celebration of observation, curiosity, and imagination, Brendan Wenzel shows us the many views of one cat and the ways perspective shapes what we see. When you see a cat, what do you see?

Dear Mr. Blueberry by Simon James It’s vacation time, so Emily has to write to her teacher for help when she discovers a blue whale living in her pond. Mr. Blueberry answers that she must be mistaken, because whales live in the ocean, not in ponds.

Red Is Best by Kathy Stinson Young Kelly’s mom doesn’t understand about red. Sure, the brown mittens are warmer, but the red mitts make better snowballs. No doubt about it, red is best.

The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers Poor Duncan just wants to color. But when he opens his box of crayons, he finds only letters, all saying the same thing: We quit! The supporting details are great to get students to think and write about the why instead of just writing a list of demands.

One Word from Sophia by Jim Averbeck, illustrated by Yasmeen Ismail Sophia tries varied techniques to get the giraffe she wants more than anything in this playfully illustrated story about the nuances of negotiation.

She Persisted by Chelsea Clinton, illustrated by Alexandra Boiger In this book, Chelsea Clinton celebrates thirteen American women who helped shape our country through their tenacity, sometimes through speaking out, sometimes by staying seated, sometimes by captivating an audience.

Thank You, Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving  by Laurie Halse Anderson, illustrated by Matt Faulkner Way back when “skirts were long and hats were tall,” Americans were forgetting Thanksgiving, and nobody seemed to care! Thankfully, Sarah Hale appeared.

Earrings by Judith Viorst, illustrated by Nola Langner Malone She wants them. She needs them. She loves them.  Earrings!  What won’t a girl do to finally get her ears pierced?

Upper Grades

This I Believe: The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women , edited by Jay Allison and Dan Gediman Based on the NPR series of the same name,  This I Believe  features eighty Americans―from the famous to the unknown―completing the thought that the book’s title begins.

Everything’s an Argument by Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz This bestselling text shows students how to analyze all kinds of arguments—not just essays and editorials, but clothes, cars, ads, and website designs—and then how to use what they learn to write their own effective arguments. Making a Visual Argument: Claire Ironside’s “Apples to Oranges” was specifically mentioned.

Dear Mr. President: Letters to the Oval Office from the Files of the National Archives by Dwight Young and Brian Williams Drawn from the extensive holdings of the National Archives, these carefully chosen letters remind us that ours is a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people,” which entitles us to make our views known to our leaders.

Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela The autobiography of Nelson Mandela, one of the great moral and political leaders of our time.

Good speeches are exemplars of argument, evidence, genre blending, word choice, and more.

“Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death!” by Patrick Henry, delivered March 23, 1775, St. John’s Church, Richmond, Virginia

“ Ain’t I a Woman? ” by Sojourner Truth, delivered 1851, Women’s Convention, Akron, Ohio

“ The Destructive Male ” by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, delivered 1868, Women’s Suffrage Convention, Washington, D.C.

“ Toward a More Perfect Union ” by Barack Obama, delivered March 18, 2008, The Constitution Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Any speech by Barack Obama, Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King Jr., or Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Newsela Current events stories tailor-made for classroom use. Indexed by broad theme, stories are student-friendly and can be accessed in different formats by reading level.

The New York Times Upfront Magazine by Scholastic Upfront  gets teens talking about today’s most important issues with current events for grades 9–12.

“ The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me ” by Sherman Alexie, Los Angeles Times, April 19, 1998

Atticus Finch’s closing argument in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Declaration of Independence

Abigail Adams’s letters to John Adams

Barack Obama’s Town Hall response where he compares gun control to auto safety

Book descriptions are taken from the Goodreads website.

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Five must-read mentor texts for teaching persuasive writing.

Are you ready for your students to write persuasive essays with ease? Teaching persuasive writing is such an important skill for elementary students. It can be used in so many different situations, from getting a new toy to convincing your parents to let you stay up late. In order to help your students become better persuasive writers, it is important to expose them to good books that model the techniques of persuasive writing. Let's take a look at 5 must-read books for elementary students who are working on persuasive writing skills. These books will give students the tools they need to master the art of persuasion. Your students will learn how to craft an argument, back up their points with evidence, and appeal to their readers' emotions.

One Word from Sophia by Jim Averbeck and Yasmeen Ismail

“One Word from Sophia” is a wonderful text to share with students as you are teaching persuasive writing because Sophia is very convincing. She tries to convince her mother, father, Uncle Conrad, and Grand-mama that she should have a giraffe. Sophia presents convincing arguments that are trying to persuade her family without being argumentative.

This mentor text gives the opportunity to discuss the difference between persuasive and opinion writing. The major difference between persuasive and opinion writing is that persuasive writing is based on facts, while opinion writing is based on personal beliefs. In persuasive writing, the writer presents evidence to support their argument, while in opinion writing, the writer simply shares their thoughts and feelings. Sharing the story of Sophia is a great way to help students recognize the power of persuasive writing.

Earrings by Judith Viorst

The narrator in “Earrings” considers WHY her parents always say no to getting her ears pierced before she forms her arguments. This is a great way to discuss how persuasive writers should consider both sides of the argument before developing their own persuasive reasons.

One way to strengthen a persuasive argument is to anticipate and address potential objections. By addressing objections, the writer can show that they have considered all possible angles and that their argument is well-thought-out.

The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry

As you read “The Great Kapok Tree” you can discuss how each animal has a clear reason that the Great Kapok tree should not be cut down. The animals have clear reasons that they give with support and evidence. This can help students realize how they must organize their own ideas so that their point of view is clear and so that their arguments are focused.

Having a clear and focused argument that is persuasive to readers:

• Helps you anticipate and address objections
• Makes your argument well-thought-out

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive The Bus by Mo Willems

The pigeon is quite demanding in “Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus” and the way that the author uses capital letters give the reader the impression that the pigeon is even screaming at times. This can help students realize that the tone of their writing matters! When writing persuasive essays , students must consider the tone and mood that come across in their writing…and try not to be quite as demanding in their reasoning as the pigeon!

When you consider the tone in your persuasive writing:

• It helps you sound persuasive and in control
• Shows your readers that you've considered their objections
• Makes your argument look well-thought-out
• Comes across as a strong and credible writer

Hey Little Ant by Phillip and Hannah Hoose

“Hey, Little Ant” is a great book that shows how to persuade with kindness and compassion while truly trying to consider the other side of the argument and that person or group's feelings. It is a funny and thought-provoking book that will keep your students thinking about their own persuasive arguments.

When you're trying to persuade someone, you're trying to convince them that your opinion is the right one. You want them to see things the way that you do, and agree with your point of view. Persuasive writing can be a very powerful tool because it can change people's minds and opinions. When you're able to persuade someone successfully, you know that you've considered each side of the argument and the objections and you've earned their trust as a credible source.

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Picture Book Mentor Texts for Persuasive Writing

By lindsay barrett.

Excellent mentor texts are a huge asset for teaching any type of writing, but they are especially useful for less familiar genres. Persuasive writing is an increasingly common requirement for the primary grades, but most students don’t have as much experience with it as narrative writing or traditional nonfiction. If your class is stuck on the same topics or formats — how many letters have you read angling for a later bedtime or a family pet? — or if they could use a wider repertoire of stylistic moves to be more convincing, check out these useful titles:

Don’t Feed the Bear

by Kathleen Doherty, illustrated by Chip Wass

What is more persuasive than a perfectly worded sign? When the park ranger posts a “Don’t Feed The Bear” sign, Bear fights back with his own sign, inciting a hilarious “war with words.” If your persuasive writing unit includes work on crafting signs to help solve problems or communicate opinions, this fun title can give students “s’more” examples. (Grades K – 1)

Rufus Goes to School

by Kim T. Griswell, illustrated by Valeri Gorbachev

Rufus wants nothing more than to be allowed to go to school, but the principal is sure he will track mud in the halls and start food fights. He’s a determined little piglet, though, and he floods the principal with arguments about how prepared he is and how well behaved he’ll be. Use this story to show how giving multiple reasons strengthens an argument and ups one’s chances of landing on the winning one. (Grades K – 2)

Can I Be Your Dog?

by Troy Cummings

The persuasive letter is perhaps the most classic form of opinion writing. In this title, Arfy the dog has one mission: to convince someone to adopt him. He works his way down Butternut Street delivering written requests tailored to each occupant. He offers to keep the floor of the butcher shop clean, compliments the firehouse on its shiny hydrant, and says he will protect the junkyard from scavengers. Use this title to introduce the basic format and tone of a persuasive letter and show students how to personalize a letter to fit its recipient. (Grades K – 2)

Be Glad Your Dad Is Not an Octopus

by Matt Logelin and Sara Jensen, illustrated by Jared Chapman

This text makes a strong case for why you should appreciate your dad, flaws and all, by naming plenty of less desirable alternatives. If your dad were a bee, his buzzing would get really annoying, and if he were a dung beetle, well, he would pile poop in your room, which would be disgusting. Use this fun text to show students how to write fact-based supporting arguments in creative ways and to demonstrate the power of staying focused on your intended purpose. (Grades K – 3)

Don’t Blink!

by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by David Roberts

A lovable, wide-eyed owl tries to convince readers that the trick to prolonging storytime (thereby avoiding bedtime) is simply not to blink. Of course, the narrator’s eyelids begin to droop more and more as the book progresses. Use this title when students are ready to try out some different craft moves. Possible mini-lessons include: using varied sentence lengths (especially short, impactful ones), using bold text and word art for emphasis, and using a range of punctuation to engage readers and strengthen one’s message. (Grades K – 3)

The Big Bed

by Bunmi Laditan

In this hilarious plea to her father, a toddler outlines myriad reasons why she should be allowed to sleep in the big bed with her mom and why her dad should move to a cot (or a “big-boy bassinet,” as she tries to sell it). Despite the absurdity of her arguments, she’s exceedingly courteous, making this title a great one for studying how being polite can improve one’s persuasive efforts. She also couples her verbal arguments with engaging charts and diagrams. Once you and your class all stop laughing, use these examples to show students how to bolster their own writing with visual supports. (Grades K – 3)

by Dashka Slater, illustrated by Sydney Hanson

Escargot is a “beautiful” — and not very humble — French snail that is desperate to be someone’s favorite animal. She unabashedly appeals to readers’ emotions, and with her frequent exclamations of “ Au contraire !” speaks directly to their presumed concerns. (You might think a snail’s trails are slimy, but she’d prefer to call them, “shimmery trails of … shimmery stuff.”) Use this story to show students how writers can anticipate and debunk a reader’s counterarguments. (Grades K – 3)

The Day the Crayons Quit

by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers

The best persuasive writers effectively convey their passion for a topic. There are few narrators in kid lit more convincing than overworked Red Crayon, who needs a break from his myriad holiday coloring tasks, bored Black Crayon, who wants to diversify his responsibilities beyond outlining, or modest Peach Crayon, with his strong stance against peeling paper wrapping off crayons. When your students’ persuasive writing needs an injection of strong emotion, let the crayons in Duncan’s crayon box be their muses. (Check out this educator’s guide for more ways to use this title in the classroom.) (Grades K – 4)

Dr. Coo and the Pigeon Protest

by Sarah Hampson, illustrated by Kass Reich

One goal of persuasive writers is to improve readers’ opinions of a group or concept. In this example, Dr. Coo makes it his personal mission to change humans’ attitudes towards him and his fellow pigeons. The story helps build general background knowledge about strategies for furthering a collective cause, but the real mentor text potential is in Dr. Coo’s letter to the mayor. In it he outlines a proposed agreement between humans and pigeons, a perfect introduction when asking students to suggest their own win-win solutions. (Grades 1 – 4)

Give Bees a Chance

by Bethany Barton

Addressing a common phobia, this text outlines why bees are worthy of our appreciation instead of anxiety. It’s packed with facts, showing students how to translate research findings into persuasive arguments in an engaging way. The text is written as a conversation between an expert and a skeptic, so it’s a natural fit for showing students how to write as if they are speaking to readers. The comic book-style charts and diagrams also give students ideas for alternative formats for presenting information. (Grades 1 – 4)

Olivia’s Birds: Saving the Gulf

by Olivia Bouler

Of course, the primary purpose of teaching students about opinion writing isn’t just to help them get what they want, but to highlight writing as a vehicle for activism. Eleven-year-old Olivia Bouler is an inspiring example with this book she created to raise money for the Audubon Society. This title is another great choice for showing students how to employ an engaging and personal tone, present fact-based arguments, and use visuals to support their agendas. (Grades 1 – 4)

Did we persuade you to expand your mentor text collection? Which other titles do you find helpful when teaching persuasive writing? Share your advice in the comments section below.

For more lesson plans, book recommendations, and reading tips for your classroom or library, check out our  Teach Brightly page !

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24 Beautiful Mentor Texts to Teach Word Choice in Writing

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Teach children to use rich, wondrous word choice by reading children’s books with many wonderful words. We must read them children’s books by authors with memorable word choices. We must encourage them to read high-quality mentor text picture books and chapter or middle grade books filled with precise, lyrical, sensory word choices.

Katie Wood Ray, the author of Wondrous Words , says, “ I remember the first time I realized students were gazing up at me while I was reading to them. I was overcome for a moment at how significant their gaze was, at how much trust I saw in their upturned faces. At how awesome my responsibility was to fill that space between them and me with words, wondrous words that would not disappoint them, words that would not let them down, words they and I could stand on, walk across and meet one another in a place the ordinary words of our days forbid us to go. It was a journey of words we could make together through reading aloud. ”

Use these mentor text picture books and chapter books in your classroom or homeschool to teach students to read like writers, study the author’s craft, love wordplay , and thoughtfully write using precise word choice.

FIND ALL MENTOR TEXT BOOK LISTS HERE

Mentor Texts to Teach Juicy Word Choice in Writing

Picture books.

The Word Collector  by Peter H. Reynolds Get inspired by this book about a boy named Jerome who loves words so much that he collects them ! As he collects, Jerome notices the beauty of pairing words unexpectedly. Then, he realizes that he must share the words with the whole world. Use this beautiful book to inspire your own word collections.

The Keeper of Wild Words  by Brooke Smith, illustrated by Madeline Kloepper Brook’s friend, Mimi, is a writer who asks Brook to help her keep the words from disappearing.  The two wander into the world where the wild words are waiting, ready to see and notice everything around them.  As they walk through nature, they notice silver minnows swimming, bushels of sweet, fresh, tangy mint, and a green-velvet head, bright-yellow beak Drake lifting off. Special words are featured in colorful, bigger-sized type, so kids notice the many rich nature words in the story.

The Perfect Pillow  by Eric Pinder, illustrated by Chris Sheban Evocative word choice with blue-hued illustration capture the nighttime journey of sleepy boy in search of a good night’s sleep in his new bed in his new room.  Brody hopes the perfect pillow will help him sleep. So, he takes his stuffed dragon, Horst, on a pillow quest. Leaves are too crunchy to sleep on and the squirrels don’t want him in their tree anyway. Clouds make soft and silky pillows but the wind is too noisy. Finally, Brody returns to his warm home where he realizes that “ a friendly dragon makes the perfect pillow “.

Things to Do  by Elaine Magliaro, illustrated by Catia Chien Beautifully illustrated and filled with words that sparkle into wonderful images, this is a lovely, lovely book I highly recommend!  These are the things to do if you’re dawn, a honeybee, the sky, and more.  “ Things to do if you are RAIN / Polka dot sidewalks. Freckle windowpanes. Whoosh down gutter spouts. Gurgle into drains. Patter ’round the porch in slippers of gray. Tap dance on the roof. Then . . . go away .”

The Dictionary of Difficult Words  by Jane Solomon, illustrated by Louise Lockhart This oversized dictionary contains the coolest selection of 400 words starting with  abecedarian  (someone who is learning the alphabet) and continuing through to  Zeppelin . Each letter gives readers about 15 new vocabulary words to learn plus the pronunciation, part of speech, and definition. You’ll find  haberdashery ,  ichthyologist ,  luddite  and  mugwump, mulligrubs, mumpsimus, and mishpocha . Learning new words will be a  salubrious  experience because you’ll soon become a  sesquipedalian .

Boom! Bellow! Bleat! Animal Poems for Two or More Voices  by Georgia Heard, illustrated by Aaron DeWitt Show kids the beauty of words, oral reading, and imagery, as well as the playfulness in poetry with poems that are meant to be read by two people.   The book is filled with the noise of fish, geese, frogs, mockingbirds, snakes, bees, and other animals. I particularly adore the many sounds of elephants. So will you. Listen, “ Snort, ruuuuummmble, roar, cry, bark, …”

Poor Doreen A Fishy Tale   by Sally Lloyd-Jones & Alexandra Boiger You’ll groan in agony watching clueless Doreen mistake danger for fun and adventure. First, it’s the hook that’s not really a delicious dragonfly, then it’s the yanking fishing pole that makes her think she can fly. Her so-called adventures continue all the way to her second cousin twice removed’s home.  What an incredibly funny fishy tale!

Honey  by David Ezra Stein I’m in love with the wonderful words, similes, and descriptions Stein uses throughout this new picture book.  The language pops with sweetness, just like the honey there bear so anxiously awaits.  The world around bear “ spicy, aromatic, sparkling with sunlight “, reminds him of honey but it is too soon, he must wait.” Clouds cracked and grumbled in a heavy sky. ” Until finally, he hears a buzz — and that means honey! This is an exquisitely written and illustrated masterpiece that leaves readers with the satisfaction of savoring life’s precious moments. Teachers, use this in writing workshop to study word choice.

The Almost Fearless Hamilton SquidLegger   by Timothy Basil Ering Use this mentor text picture book to talk about rich vocabulary and made-up words.  Hamilton Squidlegger is fearless in all things except bedtime. It will take some bravery and new monster friends and soon Hamilton will become totally fearless. Teachers, have your kids try to define the imaginary words using the context clues.

Just Like Brothers  by Elizabeth Baguley, illustrated by Aurelie Blanz Lush illustrations and lyrical text tell the redemptive story of a young boy whose mother warns him of the wild wolves in the forest while simultaneously, a wolf cub’s mother warns him of the rough humans.  Neither boy nor cub pay too much attention. They’re too busy chasing rabbits. When they get lost and meet, they’ll discover that their preconceived ideas were wrong. “ And soon they’re chasing rabbits, / playing hide-find and tumble-ball, / all wide-smile and wag-tail. ” The story ends with the mothers coming together in trust. You will love this BEAUTIFUL message of acceptance and understanding!!!  (Also, the fabulous word combinations make this an excellent mentor text for writing workshop.)

Chapter Books and Middle Grade Books with Great Word Choice

Big Words Small Stories: The Missing Donut  by Judith Henderson, illustrated by T L McBeth Get excited about words!  These short, entertaining stories about a boy and his cat contain challenging vocabulary words in context.  This isn’t just an easy chapter book of stories but also a wonderful mentor text for rich word choice.

What the Moon Saw  by Laura Resau Mexican-American Clara Luna doesn’t know anything about her father’s Mexican heritage until she spends the summer with her grandparents in rural Mexico.  There, she discovers the beauty of her grandparents’ life and culture and grows into her own identity. This is a beautiful, important book, one that I’ve read several times and highly recommend.

In a Glass Grimmly   by Adam Gidwitz We love the message of this book, the fairy tale mash-up, the humor, . . . everything!  Both Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson fairy tales combine into a harrowing, hilarious adventure about Frog, Jack, and Jill  on an adventure to seek a magic mirror.

Willa of the Wood  by Robert Beatty Set in the time of early American settlers, this is  a beautiful story of love about a night-spirit still connected to the powerful wood magic of her ancestors.  Willa accidentally discovers that her clan is keeping human captives and technology, and now the Faeran leader wants her dead. Alone and hunted, Willa cautiously observes a human man, slowly learning to trust him. When she realizes that one of his children was one of the human captives she saw and not dead like he thinks, Willa knows what she must do. The author deftly explores the meaning of family, as well as the themes of prejudice and caring for the natural world.

Warren the 13th and The All-Seeing Eye: A Novel  by Tania Del Rio, illustrated by Will Staehle I loved this quirky mystery book so very much — Warren has inherited his family’s hotel but since he’s still a child, his no-good uncle is in charge. Which means that Warren is the bellhop, valet, groundskeeper, and errand boy for very few hotel guests in the once popular hotel. His uncle’s new wife is up to something and she and her witch sisters reveal that they’re searching for the powerful “All-Seeing Eye” which attracts many mysterious guests who destroy the hotel in pursuit of this treasure. Warren needs allies and ideas about where to search so he can discover the treasure first and save his family’s hotel.

Sweep  by Jonathan Auxier Set in Victorian London, this is a  beautiful, bittersweet story about a plucky girl and her protector  golem  which in the telling, illuminates the horrifying lives of chimney sweep kids as well as the world’s anti-semitism.  Young Nan’s Sweep father-figure is gone so she works for a cruel chimney sweep who uses children to make himself richer. When another sweep tries to burn Nan alive, a charcoal golem, formerly a piece of charcoal left to her by Sweep, emerges to save her. She and her growing protector golem, Char, find a new place to live but must stay vigilant so her old master doesn’t find them. On their own, they are helped by a street boy and a kind Jewish teacher. It’s an irresistible story that will expand your heart…and your definition of what makes a monster.

Legend of the Dream Giants  by Dustin Hansen  Gorgeous, sensory writing fills the pages of this beautifully-crafted story about a young, naive giant named Berg who is searching for his place in the world.  He doesn’t want to be like the monstrous Ünhold giant from the human stories and trades pretty rocks for the food he steals, thinking that it a fair trade which proves that he’s not a monster. In a new city, the mayor convinces Berg to become a prisoner with sly manipulations that Berg doesn’t understand. Berg’s friend Anya tries to help Berg see the truth, and Ünhold tries to help Berg, too, but Berg believes the mayor’s lies until the truth becomes tragically apparent. This is a story about trust, hope, belonging, friendship, and truth. I highly recommend it as a  read aloud book that the entire family  will enjoy…and will want to discuss. I ADORED every second of this story including the illustrated story within the story.

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Mentor Texts to Teach Vivid Description

Picture Books About Writing a Story

Mentor Text Book Lists

Problem Solution Books

Melissa Taylor, MA, is the creator of Imagination Soup. She's a mother, former teacher & literacy trainer, and freelance education writer. She writes Imagination Soup and freelances for publications online and in print, including Penguin Random House's Brightly website, USA Today Health, Adobe Education, Colorado Parent, and Parenting. She is passionate about matching kids with books that they'll love.

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Teaching with Jennifer Findley

Upper Elementary Teaching Blog

Teaching Persuasive Writing with a Mentor Text

I absolutely love teaching persuasive writing, and I love using mentor texts even more. This year, I used the picture book, I Wanna New Room . This read aloud follows the same format of I Wanna Iguana with letters back and forth from the child to the parents.

My main focus for this lesson was on choosing a main point and providing valid resources to support that point. I also wanted to focus on how details are needed to support each reason given. After the read and enjoyed the book once, we created this anchor chart, using the examples from the text.

After discussing the book, we were able to come up with three reasons with each reason having two details to support it. This was a great starting point for the students to come up with 3 reasons with supporting details for their own persuasive texts. I refer to this anchor chart often to remind the students that a good persuasive text has a clear main point, three reasons, and supporting details to support the reasons.

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Reader interactions.

September 19, 2014 at 5:39 pm

Great example of picking apart a text and using it as a model!

September 21, 2014 at 5:57 pm

I use My Lucky Day and The a True Story of the Three Pigs

October 19, 2014 at 10:04 pm

In the past I have used Click, Clack, Moo! I love your anchor chart.

Kim Quinnessential Lessons

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Welcome Friends!

I’m Jennifer Findley: a teacher, mother, and avid reader. I believe that with the right resources, mindset, and strategies, all students can achieve at high levels and learn to love learning. My goal is to provide resources and strategies to inspire you and help make this belief a reality for your students.

• 7 Opinion Writing Mentor Texts for Upper Elementary

When it comes to teaching writing, I can not live without mentor texts ! 

Any writing genre is brought to life by reading mentor texts that engage students and get them excited to write their own pieces. Opinion writing is no exception. We love referring back to these opinion writing mentor texts throughout our entire opinion writing unit and all year long !

To kick off opinion writing, we discuss the elements found specifically in opinion writing , create opinion writing class anchor charts, and get knee-deep in these opinion writing mentor texts.

Read about each of my favorite opinion writing mentor texts below and grab a FREE opinion writing starter kit to help your students master the art of writing opinion essays. 

Which Would You Rather Be? 

written by William Steig

Which would YOU rather be, an adult or a kid? Fun thought, right? This book is filled with just simple questions to ask students about which they would rather be. Students will practice answering opinion questions with their own thoughts and supporting reasons through this picture book read-aloud. This also provides great topics that you can assign students or groups of students to respond to in writing like, Which would you rather be, a cat or dog?  This is a great one to read to kick off your opinion writing unit.

I Wanna Iguana 

written by Karen Orloff

I Wanna Iguana , written by Karen Kaufman is one in a series of books that brings opinion and persuasive writing to life for kids. Written in a series of short letters between the main character Alex and his mom, this fun read-aloud will have your students rooting for the main character to get that iguana! Each page and short letter from Alex includes a reason he believes his mom should allow him to get a pet iguana. This fun family debate is perfect for any opinion writing , persuasive writing , and debate writing activity in your classroom!

The Perfect Pet  

written by Margie Palatini

In this book, the main character Elizabeth really wants a pet. S he tries to convince her parents to allow her to have a pet using different supporting reasons and examples of why it would be a good thing . The surprise ending will not only make your students giggle but help them to understand how opinion writing and persuasive writing are connected.

Be sure to grab the FREE opinion writing starter kit at the bottom of this post.

Southwest Sunrise 

written by Nikki Grimes

This easily relatable story tells the tale of a young boy who moves from New York to New Mexico. When he first arrives in his new dwellings he hates New Mexico. As the story continues, and the main character explores all the wonders his new home has to offer, his opinion begins to change. I love reading this book and discussing its powerful message about how we can change our opinions. This book brings up discussions about how we should not form opinions without reasons or support to back up our opinions and about how our opinions can change. Very thought-provoking and a must-read!

Things To Do  

written by Elaine Magliaro

Things to Do is an amazing collection of poems, each giving the reader an idea or opinion about what you can do as each topic. If you are a bird, you can stretch your wings. If you are an acorn you can tempt a squirrel. If you are rain, you can freckle windowpanes. I love having the students write quick opinion poetry about an object that they love or use each day following a read-aloud of this book. I especially love reading this book to show children that opinions are in many forms of writing, not just opinion writing essays. This is a fun one!

A Fine Fine School 

written by Sharon Creech

This book is a staple in my classroom! So many reasons to read and reread this book, one of my favorites is to discuss opinion writing and differing opinions. T he principal in the book loves the school so much that he adds more days to the school calendar. The teachers and students have a different opinion about adding days to the school week and calendar. Nothing changes until one brave student decides to share her thoughts and opinions (with supporting reasons) with the school principal. This book provides a great opportunity to discuss differing opinions.

Great Kapok Tree 

written by Lynne Cherry

Don't just save a reading of The Great Kapok Tree for Earth Day or your favorite rainforest and endangered species project, read this book to explain opinion and persuasive writing to your students! This story illustrates opinion writing in a more subtle way. Each animal that lives in the Great Kapok Tree shares its opinion about why the tree is important and why it should not be chopped down. There are so many follow-up opinion and persuasive writing activities that you can do following a read-aloud of this book, making it the perfect mentor text for every upper elementary classroom.

When it comes to helping students fully grasp the genre of opinion writing, be sure to share mentor texts. They are perfect to read together, find evidence of the genre, and inspire your young writers!

Looking for Opinion Writing Activities ? Try These !

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