Here is a list of my favorite books to use as mentor texts for teaching writing and writer’s workshop. I selected these texts based on my own experiences teaching writing in the classroom and to intentionally incorporate diversity.

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Narrative Mentor Texts to Spark Ideas

• My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother by Patricia Polacco
  • Topic Idea: Rivalry
• Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry
  • Topic Idea: Preparing for something special
• Betty Doll by Patricia Polacco
  • Topic Idea: Special Object
• Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman
  • Topic Idea: A Time Someone Made you Feel…
• Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
  • Topic Idea: A Bad Day
• Nana Upstairs & Nana Downstairs by Tomie dePaola
  • Topic Idea: Writing from the Heart 
• Jambari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall
  • Topic Idea: Overcoming Fear 
• The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi
  • Topic Idea: Feeling accepted

Narrative Mentor Texts to Teach Craft and Structure

• Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman
  • Story beginnings with character description
  • Character development
  • Story ending with a lesson learned
• Something Beautiful by Sharon Dennis Wyeth
  • Beginning with setting description
  • Character development through thoughts, feelings, and actions
  • Ending with leaving the reader feeling satisfied
• The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi
  • Beginning with character feelings
  • Passing time
  • Ending leaves the reader satisfied
• Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
  • Setting description
  • Beautiful language choice
• Home Place by Crescent Dragonwagon
  • Setting Description
• The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson
  • Character & Setting Description
• The Sandwich Swap by Queen Rania
  • Theme
  • Story ending with theme and circle story
• The Listening Walk by Paul Showers
  • Sensory Details and Onomatopoeia

Persuasive and Opinion Mentor Texts

• Earrings by Judith Viorst
  • Topic selection
  • Voice
  • Reasons
  • Argue counter-arguments
  • Repetition
• Hey, Little Ant! by Phillip M. Hoose
  • Voice
  • Adding rhyme to engage
• I Wanna Iguanna by Karen Kaufman Orloff
  • Topic selection
  • Voice
  • Structure (letters)
• Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin
  • Adding humor

Expository and Report Writing

• What If You Had Animal Teeth? by Sandra Markle
  • Narrow topic
  • Text Structure: Question/ Answer Text structure
  • Text features
• The Sun is Kind of a Big Deal by Nick Seluk
  • Voice
  • Text features
• Don’t let them Disappear by Chelsea Clinton
  • Text structure: Main Idea and detials
  • Introduction
  • Subtopics
  • Conclusion: Calling the reader to action
• Gooey Jellyfish by Natalie Lunis
  • Text features
  • Creative heading titles
  • Subtopics
  • Integrating vocabulary
• Pipsqueaks, Slowpokes, and Stinkers by Melissa Stewart
  • Introduction: Engaging question
  • Voice
  • Alliteration
  • Conclusion: Leaving the reader wondering
• Cats vs. Dogs by Elizabeth Carney
  • Text structure: compare and contrast
  • Alliteration
  • Text features
  • Subtopics

Explanatory Procedural Writing

• If You’re Going to a March by Martha Freeman
• How to Wash a Wooly Mammoth by Michelle Robinson
• How to Catch a Unicorn by Adam Wallace
• How to Babysit a Grandma by Jean Reagan

Looking for More Writer’s Workshop Tips?

If you’re interested in learning more about using mentor text books in your writer’s workshop, check out my Tips for Teaching Writing Workshop.

I hope you love using these mentor texts to support your writing instruction as much as I do!