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Nonfiction Picture Books about Virginia History as Writing Mentor Texts
We all know that students need to become more comfortable reading and writing non-fiction. Last fall, I did a post on 10 of my favorite fiction picture book writing mentor texts. For this post, I’m focusing on some non-fiction mentor texts–with a bent toward history, specifically American history, as…
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Writing Wednesday: Using THE TREE LADY as a Writing Mentor Text
The Tree Lady: The True Story of How One Tree-Loving Woman Changed a City Forever By H. Joseph Hopkins Illustrated by Jill McElmurry Beach Lane Books, 2013 This picture book biography about Katherine Olivia Sessions highlights the difference one person can make. Kate lived at a time…
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Writing Wednesday: Using MOONSHOT as a Mentor Text for Writing
Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 By Brian Floca Atheneum, 2009 This narrative nonfiction text tells the story of the Apollo 11 mission from Earth to the moon and back again. It is a very poetic but very informative text of this landmark event in history. It’s not…
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Writing Wednesday: Use FROG SONG as a Mentor Text for Writing
FROG SONG by Brenda Z. Guiberson illustrated by Gennady Spirin Henry Holt, 2013 Different types of unusual frogs from around the world are brought to life in this book with interesting facts, onomatopoeic frog sounds, and gorgeous paintings. Writing Skills: * Nonfiction writing * Onomatopoeia * Specificity…
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Mentor Texts for Writers Resources
If you follow this blog, you know that I spend a lot of time talking about using mentor texts to teach young people how to write. But really, it will work for us “old” writers as well. Mentor Text for Writers Webinar Last week, I did a webinar on…
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Writing Wednesday: Using MARTIN AND MAHALIA as a Writing Mentor Text
MARTIN AND MAHALIA: HIS WORDS, HER SONG By Andrea Davis Pinkney Illustrated by Brian Pinkney Little, Brown 2013 This book moves me to tears every time I read it. The beauty of the words and the illustrations feel like a song and celebration. The Pinkneys have woven two…
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Completed Projects Template
Since I’ve been doing a lot of submitting, and I now have a number of manuscripts I’m revising, or working on, I needed to wrap my head around what I had, and put it all in ONE place. I do have this organization system, where I can visually see…
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Writing Wednesday: Using SNOWFLAKE BENTLEY as a Writing Mentor Text
SNOWFLAKE BENTLEY By Jacqueline Briggs Martin Illustrated by Mary Azarian Houghton Mifflin, 1998 I use this book for many things in the classroom. It’s a favorite we return to again and again. It’s a picture book biography of Wilson “Snowflake” Bentley, who lived on a farm but was…
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Picture Book Status Updates
I’ve been involved with Julie Hedlund’s 12×12 Picture Book Challenge for 2 years. In that time, I’ve written, revised, revised, revised, and revised. However, I realized recently that I have a ton of different picture books, all at different stages, and I really needed to get a handle on…
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Mentor Text Spreadsheet: Picture Book Month in Review
Picture Book Month is officially over. But I have created one last thing to share with you on mentor texts. Each day, I shared a mentor text post with you featuring different ways that each of these books could be used to teach writing skills to young…
