# data[].attributes.body
Resources/book suggestions to read at the beginning of the year to help students understand ASD

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Applied Behavior Analysis Programs Guide

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
One of the most wonderful things about a book is its ability to reveal to us a little piece of ourselves. When we can relate to a story or a character, we are left with a better understanding of who we are and what our purpose may be.

Related: 15 Best Applied Behavior Analysis Online Programs

This might be most true for children on the autism spectrum. Because things like relating to others, understanding emotions, and making and keeping friends are common challenges faced by children with autism, reading about autistic characters can often act as an outlet and a learning tool to discovering one's own place in the world.

While some of these books are written specifically for children on the autism spectrum, others are aimed towards siblings and friends. Regardless of the specific audience, each of these 30 best children's books about the autism spectrum provide a level of comfort and understanding that can only be achieved through a good story.

All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome (Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2006)

Kathy Hoopmann

All My Stripes: A Story for Children with Autism (Magination Press, 2015)

Shaina Rudolph and Danielle Royer

Andy and His Yellow Frisbee (Woodbine House, 1996)

Mary Thompson

The Asperger Children's Toolkit (Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2012)

Francis Musgrave

The Asperkid's (Secret) Book of Social Rules: The Handbook of Not-so-Obvious Social Guidelines for Tweens and Teens with Asperger Syndrome (Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2012)

Jennifer Cook O'Toole

The Autism Acceptance Book (Pathway Book Service, 2006)

Ellen Sabin

Autism Is...? (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2012)

Ymkje Wideman-van der Laan

Autism, the Invisible Cord: A Sibling's Diary (Magination Press, 2012)

Barbara Cain

Can I Tell You About Asperger's Syndrome? (Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2003)

Jude Welton

The Categorical Universe of Candice Phee (Chronicle Books; Reprint edition, 2015)

Barry Jonsberg

Different Like Me: My Book of Autism Heroes (Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2005)

Jennifer Elder

Everybody is Different (Autism Asperger Publishing Company, 2002)

Fiona Bleach

A Friend Like Simon (Special Stories Publishing, 2009)

Kate Gaynor

Hello Roar, Little Dinosaur (Learning Development Aids, 2012)

Hazel Reeves

How to Be Human: Diary of an Autistic Girl (Creston Books, 2013)

Florida Frenz

How to Talk to an Autistic Kid (Free Spirit Publishing, 2011)

Daniel Stefanski (an autistic kid)

Ian's Walk: A Story about Autism (Albert Whitman & Company; Reprint edition, 1998)

Laurie Lears

Leah's Voice (Halo Publishing International, 2012)

Lori DeMonia

Looking after Louis (Albert Whitman & Company, 2004)

Lesley Ely

My Brother Charlie (Scholastic Press, 2010)

Holly Robinson Peete and Ryan Elizabeth Peete

My Friend with Autism (Future Horizons, 2011)

Beverly Bishop

Noah Chases the Wind (Redleaf Lane, 2015)

Michelle Worthington

Ages 3-8
"Noah Chases the Wind" is a beautiful illustrated book about a very curious young boy with autism. Noah loves science, and is full of questions - until he finds one that his books can't answer. "Noah Chases the Wind" has been received a number of awards, including the silver medal in the Moonbeam Children's Books Award and the Gelett Burgess Children's Book Award.
ISBN-10: 160554356X
ISBN-13: 978-1605543567

The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year Old Boy with Autism (Random House Trade Paperbacks; Reprint edition, 2016)

Naoki Higashida

Rules (Scholastic Press, 2006)

Cynthia Lord

Also Available in Paperback (2008)
ISBN-10: 0439443830
ISBN-13: 978-0439443838

Since We're Friends: An Autism Picture Book (Sky Pony Press, 2012)

Celeste Shally and David Harrington

The Survival Guide for Kids with Autism Spectrum Disorders (and Their Parents) (Free Spirit Publishing, 2012)

Elizabeth Verdick and Elizabeth Reeve, M.D.

Tacos Anyone? / ¿Alguien quiere tacos? (Speech Kids Texas Press, Inc., 2005)

Marvie Ellis

Understanding Samantha: A Sibling's Perspective of Autism (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2013)

Dustin Daniels

What it is to Be Me! (Fairdale Publishing, 2005)

Angela Wine

Why Does Izzy Cover Her Ears? (Autism Asperger Publishing Company, 2009)

Jennifer Veenendall

More for Parents and Families:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
30 Best Children's Books About the Autism Spectrum

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
While some of these books are written specifically for children on the autism spectrum, others are aimed towards siblings and friends. Either way, each of these 30 best children's books about the autism spectrum provide a level of comfort and understanding that can only be achieved through a good story.

# data[].attributes.body
Great resources/books for helping young learners illustrate their writing!  (Especially This is Not a Box/This is Not a Stick!)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
5 Books That'll Get Your Kids Drawing, Creating and Thinking Out of the Box

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Get your kids' creative juices flowing with these great reads and a few activities inspired by the stories.

# data[].attributes.body
Kindergarten/First grade mentor text and writing activity for growth mindset!

# data[].attributes.wish_content.attachment_props.text
Kindergarten writing about perseverance! Mentor text - After the Fall - Thank you, Read to be Ready! 😊 @MauryCoSchools @mcdowell_elem @ReadtobeReadyTN

# data[].attributes.wish_content.attachment_props.original_text
Kindergarten writing about perseverance! Mentor text - After the Fall - Thank you, Read to be Ready! 😊 @MauryCoSchools @mcdowell_elem @ReadtobeReadyTN https://t.co/qijx40LBKG

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.embed_code
Kindergarten writing about perseverance! Mentor text - After the Fall - Thank you, Read to be Ready! 😊 @MauryCoSchools @mcdowell_elem @ReadtobeReadyTN pic.twitter.com/qijx40LBKG
— Regina Peery (@peeryr04) April 20, 2018

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props_source.data.text
Kindergarten writing about perseverance! Mentor text - After the Fall - Thank you, Read to be Ready! 😊 @MauryCoSchools @mcdowell_elem @ReadtobeReadyTN https://t.co/qijx40LBKG

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.original_text
Kindergarten writing about perseverance! Mentor text - After the Fall - Thank you, Read to be Ready! 😊 @MauryCoSchools @mcdowell_elem @ReadtobeReadyTN https://t.co/qijx40LBKG

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.text
Kindergarten writing about perseverance! Mentor text - After the Fall - Thank you, Read to be Ready! 😊 @MauryCoSchools @mcdowell_elem @ReadtobeReadyTN

# data[].attributes.body
Organized by writing genre! (Love the Mo Willems pigeon books for persuasive writing)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A while back, I compiled a list of narrative, opinion/persuasive, and informational mentor texts for primary students. A bit of time has passed, so I've decided to update that list and include additional awesome books that I've found!

In today's post, I'll share a list of outstanding mentor texts, grouped by genre. I'll also share five important tips for using mentor texts to teach writing in the primary grades, so be sure to read to the end of the post!
Photo credit: Tiplyashina Evgeniya, Shutterstock
The books listed below are best for use with Kindergarten, first, or second grade. The ones that are most appropriate for Kindergarten are *starred* (not to say that any of the books would be inappropriate for Kindergarten, but having taught this grade, I know that some books are a little too long for the little ones!).

Within the lists, I've linked to these books on Amazon, so you can quickly and easily add them to your cart or wishlist!

Narrative or Personal Narrative Writing Mentor Texts:

Salt Hands (Picture Puffins) (Jane Chelsea Aragon) - personal narrative

* Fireflies (Julie Brinckloe) - personal narrative

* Bigmama's (Donald Crews) - personal narrative Shortcut (Donald Crews) - personal narrative

Oliver Button Is a Sissy (Tomie dePaola)

Roller Coaster (Maria Frazee) - can be used to teach personal narratives, but not told from 1st person perspective

* Kitten's First Full Moon (Kevin Henkes) - fiction

* Amazing Grace (Mary Hoffman) - narrative

* The Leaving Morning (Angela Johnson) - personal narrative

* Peter's Chair (Picture Puffins) (Ezra Jack Keats) - can be used to teach personal narratives, but not told from 1st person perspective

The Snowy Day (Ezra Jack Keats) - can be used to teach personal narratives, but not told from 1st person perspective

* Whistle for Willie (Ezra Jack Keats) - narrative

* Kitchen Dance (Maurie J. Manning) - personal narrative

One Morning in Maine (Picture Puffins) (Robert McCloskey) - narrative

Mirette on the High Wire (Emily Arnold McCully) - narrative

My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother (Patricia Polacco) - personal narrative

Thank You, Mr. Falker (Patricia Polacco) - narrative / personal narrative

Thunder Cake (Patricia Polacco) - personal narrative

The Relatives Came (Cynthia Rylant) - personal narrative

When I Was Young in the Mountains (Cynthia Rylant) - personal narrative

Too Many Tamales (Gary Soto) - narrative

* Can I Play Too? (An Elephant and Piggie Book) (Mo Willems) - fiction

* Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale (Mo Willems) - realistic fiction

* A Chair for My Mother (Vera Williams) - personal narrative

* Owl Moon (Jane Yolen) - personal narrative; great for teaching descriptive details

Opinion or Persuasive Writing Mentor Texts:

* One Word from Sophia (Jim Averbeck)

* Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type (Doreen Cronin) - can also be used to teach letter writing

The Best Part of Me: Children Talk About their Bodies in Pictures and Words (Wendy Ewald)

Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters from Obedience School (Mark Teague) - can also be used to teach letter writing

Hey, Little Ant (Phillip Hoose)

Should We Have Pets?: A Persuasive Text (Sylvia Lollis)

I Wanna Iguana (Karen Kaufman Orloff) - can also be used to teach letter writing

I Wanna New Room (Karen Kaufman Orloff) - can also be used to teach letter writing

The Perfect Pet (Margie Palatini)

Earrings (Judith Viorst)

* Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! (Mo Willems)

* Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late! (Mo Willems)

Informational / How-To / Nonfiction / Expository Writing Mentor Texts:

* All About Sharks (Jim Arnosky)

* Surprising Sharks (Nicola Davies)

Solids, Liquids, And Gases (Rookie Read-About Science) (Ginger Garrett)

* How a House Is Built (Gail Gibbons) - how-to book

The Bicycle Book (Gail Gibbons)

* The Pumpkin Book (Gail Gibbons) - one page has a how-to

* Make a Valentine (Book shop) (Dale Gordon) - how-to book

All Kinds of Habitats (It's Science!) (Sally Hewitt)

Chameleons Are Cool (Martin Jenkins)

The Abcs of Habitats (Abcs of the Natural World) (Bobbie Kalman)

Boy, Were We Wrong About Dinosaurs! (Kathleen Kudlinski)

* What Is Weather? (Ellen Lawrence)

* How to Make Salsa (Jamie Lucero) - how-to book

What Is the World Made Of? All About Solids, Liquids, and Gases (Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld)

All of these texts can be used with my Kindergarten, first, or second grade writing units or writing bundles, which you can find here:

Five Tips for Using Mentor Texts

Now that I've shared some of my favorite mentor texts, let's talk about how to use them effectively in the classroom! Here are five things that I do when working with writing mentor texts:

1. Before utilizing a book as a mentor text, I read it aloud to students for purposes of enjoyment and comprehension. Students need an opportunity to understand, enjoy, and discuss a text before they are asked to think about it as writers. I always read aloud the mentor text a day or two before I use it in a writing lesson.

2. I use modeling and clear, explicit language to teach students how to "read as writers." I explain that people read books for many purposes - for pleasure, to learn, and to grow as writers. I like to read a familiar book aloud to students and think aloud as I "read it as a writer." I comment on what I notice about character development, how the author introduces a problem, the author's word choice, the author's use of punctuation marks, how the illustrations complement the words, and so on.

3. I use the same mentor text for multiple writing lessons. While it's helpful to expose students to many different mentor texts, you can also use a single text for multiple minilessons. In my second grade writing workshop curriculum, for example, I use the book Amazing Grace (Mary Hoffman) to teach students how to include a problem in a story, write a strong ending, and incorporate dialogue. This saves us time, because students are already familiar with the text so we can dive right into the teaching point of the minilesson.

4. I use mentor texts to guide my own planning. When I sit down to plan a writing unit, I sometimes struggle to determine what, exactly, I want my students to be able to do as writers of the genre we're working on. When this happens, I spend some time carefully examining mentor texts on my own. For example, if I'm planning a nonfiction unit, I take out a couple of children's nonfiction books and pay attention to how the authors convey information. Are examples given? Does the author provide definitions of important works? Is the information organized into categories - and if so, how? These are all strategies that I can teach students to use as they learn nonfiction writing.

5. I teach students to learn about writing from the books they read independently. I show students that, as they read, they can also grow as writers. You might have students keep a list of interesting words they find in books, and then encourage them to share these words with the class and try them out in their own writing.

Do you have any favorite mentor texts or tips for using them? Please comment below - I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Disclosure: Amazon affiliate links are included in this post.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Writing Mentor Texts for Kindergarten, First, and Second Grade

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A while back, I compiled a list of narrative, opinion/persuasive, and informational mentor texts for primary students. A bit of time has passed, so I've decided to update that list and include additional awesome books that I've found! In today's post, I'll share a list of outstanding mentor texts, grouped by genre.

# data[].attributes.body
Book suggestions for teaching inferences and predictions in Kindergarten

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Looking for a book list for making inferences and predictions? Here you go!

Be sure to check out all the book lists I have for teaching comprehension.

*This post contains affiliate links.

Making inferences and predictions are highly related comprehension strategies. In fact, most books for teaching comprehension lump them together. For the younger child or even struggling reader, I like to separate them at first.

The Difference Between Making Inferences & Predictions

Inferring is kind of like the big umbrella and predicting fits neatly under it. But what's the difference between them?

While it is subtle, I like to start with predicting because it's a little more concrete. Predicting is when you use your schema + clues the author gives you to make an "educated" guess. A prediction can usually be confirmed or denied through further reading. {Example: I predict that the family will adopt the dog. I turn the pages and thet do. My prediction was confirmed.}

Making inferences also requires your schema + clues the author gives you to make a guess, but inferences are not clearly confirmed or denied through reading. {Example: I think that Alexander just woke up in a bad mood and is looking for all the bad things that could go wrong.}

While searching for further explanation on the difference between the two, I ran across this article from Teach Thought, which does a fantastic job of explaining the differences further.

Book List for Making Inferences and Predictions

Below are some of our favorite books for making inferences and predictions. {This was a hard book list because we have SO many favorites!!} You can find more information about making predictions at This Reading Mama and information about making inferences at The Measured Mom.

Book List for Making Predictions

Any book with a clear story line and good "cliff hangers" makes for a good book to use for making predictions. Although not on our book list, because I had a very hard time narrowing them all down, mysteries make for GREAT texts to work on making predictions. And some of these books also work on inferring at the same time!

What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? by Steve Jerkins is another great predicting book based off the pictures. It is a fantastic nonfiction read, too!

If you've been around This Reading Mama very long, you've probably seen me mention The Stray Dog by Marc Simont before. It's a great with a clear problem and solution that we love for making predictions {and inferring.} Thank God It's First Grade has a fantastic FREE printable page to go with this book when making inferences.

Elmer & Rose by David McKee keeps kids guessing as to what color Rose's elephant herd is, but he provides subtle hints along the way that kids can use to help them predict. We featured this book in our prediction post just recently. His original Elmer book is also a favorite for both making predictions and inferring.

Enemy Pie by Derek Munson has got to be on my top 10 list of favorite books ever. Even the front cover begs for a prediction. Of all the kids I've read this book to, only a handful of kids have "figured it out" before the end of the book. Love it! I also like to use this book for asking questions, which we'll get to soon in our Reading Comprehension Series.

Chester's Way by Kevin Henkes is a fun book for making and confirming/denying predictions that we used in our recent predictions post. Kevin Henkes' books are also great for inferring emotions, text-to-self connections, and text-to-text connections {between his books, as some characters appear in multiple books.}

Doctor De Soto by William Steig is another book I like to use for making predictions because it really keeps readers guessing. Will the fox eat Dr. De Soto? What does Dr. De Soto put on his teeth? Steig also has a way with words. I love using his books for teaching vocabulary!

William Steig's book, Sylvester and the Magic Pebble is another favorite of mine to use for making predictions. All of Steig's books I've read are rich with vocabulary and have such fantastic story lines that they could go with several comprehension strategies!

by Peggy Rathmann {author of Goodnight Gorilla} is a book that teaches a great moral through the characters of Angela and Ruby. Ruby is new at school and wants to be just like Angela. At first, Angela likes it; but after a while, the copying gets old. Her teacher has a little talk with Ruby and Ruby decides she won't copy Angela anymore. But that isn't the end of this story. Can readers predict what might happen next?

Book List for Making Inferences

These are some of our favorite books for making inferences. Many of the books for younger kids focus on inferring feelings or thoughts of the characters based on facial expressions or things the character says, which is a great place to start.

Pick up any Elephant & Piggie book by Mo Williems {or any Pigeon book, for that matter} and you'll find characters with TONS of facial expressions, perfect for inferring feelings. I also love how simple and animated his text is, often using only a handful of words. Mo Williems' books are found everywhere in our house as my Kindergartner tries to bring every Elephant & Piggie book he can find at the library home with him each week.

I love, love, love Ring! Yo? by Chris Raschka for inferring! What a clever book and I'm so bummed that it's not currently in print. Have you ever heard half of a phone conversation before? Can you infer from your side of the conversation what the other person is saying? That's what kids will do with this brilliant book.

Fables are a great way to get kids deeper into inferring a meaning beyond just the text. This is a REALLY tricky one for struggling readers though, so it takes lots of modeling. Fables by Arnold Lobel is the book I have mostly used. To challenge readers, I like to find other fables that share the same moral {but do not reveal the morals to readers} and see if kids can see how the morals are similar.

More Comprehension Book Lists & Helps

Enjoy!
~Becky

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Books for Making Inferences and Predictions

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Looking for a book list for making inferences and predictions? Here you go! Be sure to check out all the book lists I have for teaching comprehension. *This post contains affiliate links. Making inferences and predictions are highly related comprehension strategies. In fact, most books for teaching comprehension lump them together.

# data[].attributes.body
LOVE these ideas from Dee Dee Wills to teach social emotional skills while also teaching literacy skills!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Mercer Mayer lesson plans featuring the book I Was So Mad is here!

Read Aloud

This is a great book to start the year off. Students get the chance to discuss their emotions in a fun way. I love Little Critter!

For this read aloud, students will:

Make Predictions

Retell Text Details with Retelling Cards

Make Connections

Identify the Problem and Solution

Write an Opinion

You can see the retelling cards really help anchor the students visually so they can work on retelling the story orally. As a class, we construct the retelling cards. Then the students get knee to knee with their partner so they can practice their oral retell.

Here is another retelling display that a sweet teacher sent to us! (Keep the photos coming friends... we love it!)

Responding to Literature

Students also work on identifying the problem and solution!

He was mad!

He went out to play with his friends.

At this point in the year, kindergarten students can respond with pictures. We will have plenty of time to work on written responses as the year continues.

Here is a picture I received from another teacher who shared this cute response.+

Sentence Study

We also like to spend time working on our drawing. This is when we work our sentence work in. We discuss various concepts around print. As the year progresses, our conversations will expand.

STEM Activities

Students work on building a wagon for Little Critter. This is such a great collaborative activity!

Centers and Stations

We have a whole slew of additional activities that go with our reading comprehension units. Here is a peek!

These centers are differentiated, so you can select the version that makes the most sense for your class. Great for kindergarten or first-grade!

Video Variation

Sometimes when you are nearing the end of the week, we like to watch a video version of the book.

Lesson Plans

Have a GREAT week!

Resources

Read aloud, response pages, sentence study with directed drawing, and retell cards can be found HERE.

STEM and Center activities can be found HERE.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Lesson Plans for Mercer Mayer's book I Was So Mad! Love this book!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Mercer Mayer lesson plans featuring the book I Was So Mad is here! This is a great book to start the year off. Students get the chance to discuss their emotions in a fun way. I love Little Critter!

# data[].attributes.body
Kindergarten specific! LOVE the poetry and nursery rhyme ideas and resources!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Results on ReadWriteThink - ReadWriteThink

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Classroom Resources | Grades K - 2 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson A Bear of a Poem: Composing and Performing Found Poetry Children find favorite words, phrases, and sentences from familiar stories. Working together, they combine their words and phrases to create a poem. The poem is then shared as performance poetry.

# data[].attributes.body
Some really great ideas to use Mrs. Wishy Washy by Joy Cowley over and over again! (My Kindergarteners LOVE Mrs. Wishy Washy!)

# data[].attributes.body
Organized by skill to teach (found this when looking for resources to teach what a complete sentence is in Kinder)!

# data[].attributes.body
Lots of good information here from NCTE about the need for incorporating digital media and some suggested picture book apps