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Author: Jack Prelutsky
Genre: Fiction

This book of poetry explores the dark part of the universe beyond the planets in our solar system.

Activity: I would use this book as a mentor text to write descriptive poetry to add imagery and voice.

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Author: Matthew Gullub
Genre: Fiction

Born in 1763 on a farm in central Japan, Issa began writing haiku as a young child. This story tells the life and poems of Issa as her imagination runs wild.

Activity: I would use this book to teach a series of mini-lessons on writing poetry, specifically Haikus.

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Author: Judith Ortiz Cofer
Genre: Fiction

Maria is a girl caught between two worlds: Puerto Rico, where she was born, and New York, where she now lives in a basement apartment. This book tells her story through poetry, letters, and prose.

Activity: I would use this book teach a series of mini-lessons about using poetry in narratives and letters.

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Author: Amy Ludwig VanDerwawter
Genre: Fiction

This is a book full of charming poems that invite young readers into the magic songs of the forest.

Activity: I would use this book to teach a mini-lesson on rhyming words in poetry.

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Author: Jack Prelutsky
Genre: Fiction

This book is a rhyming about a pizza that is so big , it is as big as the sun.

Activity: I would use this book as a mini-lesson to teach ways to rhyme poetry and developing voice using descriptive words.

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                              Genre: Poetry Writing

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                              Genre: Poetry Writing

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Author: Margie Palatini
Genre: Fiction

Elizabeth really wants a pet. But her parents do not. Instead they give her a cactus. Even though Elizabeth's new plant proves to be a good listener, Elizabeth still really wants a pet so she campaigns to find the perfect pet so that her parents will let her keep one.

Activity: I would use this book to teach a mini-lesson on persuasive essays.

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Author: Kay Winters
Genre: Fiction

After learning about the upcoming election, Oliver believes his teacher would be a perfect fit for president. He tries to persuade everyone to vote for his teacher for president because she likes the white house, she loves attending meetings, and she is used to being followed everywhere she goes!

Activity: I would use this book to teach a mini-lesson on persuasive essays.

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Author: Karen Kaufman Orloff
Genre: Fiction

Alex is forced to share a bedroom with his little brother Ethan. He badly wants his own room so he writes letters to his mother trying to persuade her to give him his own room.

Activity: I would use this book to teach a mini-lesson on writing persuasive letters.

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Author: Dr. Seuss
Genre: Fiction

This book is about Sam-I-Am who tries to persuade others to try green eggs and ham. He is very persistant and comes up with many creative ways to get others to try green eggs and ham.

Activity: I would use this book to teach a mini-lesson on persuasive essays.

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Author: Jen Green
Genre: Fiction

This book is about a teacher, Mr. Jones, who sets a good example for his kids about recycling and the importance of taking care of the earth. He takes them on a field trip to a recycling plant encourages them to ask questions about why it is important to recycle.

Activity: I would use this book to teach a mini-lesson on writing persuasive letters.

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                                 Genre: Persuasive Writing

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                                 Genre: Persuasive Writing

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Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla

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Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla

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Author: Katherine Applegate
Genre: Fiction

Captured as a baby, Ivan was brought to a Tacoma, Washington, mall to attract shoppers. Eventually  a better way of life for Ivan was found at Zoo Atlanta. From the Congo to America, Ivan's story was an amazing one to tell.

Activity: I would use this book as a mentor text when teaching a mini-lesson on the re-telling of stories.

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Author: Derek Munson
Genre: Fiction

It was the perfect summer. That is, until Jeremy Ross moved into the house down the street and became neighborhood enemy number one. Luckily, Dad had a surefire way to get rid of enemies: Enemy Pie.

Activity: I would use this book as a mentor text to teach a mini-lesson on personal narratives.

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Author: Eric Carle
Genre: Fiction

This book follows a very hungry caterpillar that eats his way through the pages of the book telling his story.

Activity: I would use this book to teach a mini-lesson on original short stories.

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Author: Joanne Ryder
Genre: Fiction

This book is about the every day moments between a mother and a daughter. The changing and loving tones in her mother's voice tell the story of the love between the two.

Activity: I would use this book as a mentor text when teaching a mini-lesson about personal narratives.

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Author: Joanne Ryder
Genre: Fiction

This book is about a father who shares his love of earth and nature by sharing it with her through their hands. She develops a love of nature and each time she discovers something new, she imagines how it would look in her fathers hands.

Activity: I would use this book as a mentor text when teaching a mini-lesson about the re-telling of stories.

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                              Genre: Narrative Writing

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                              Genre: Narrative Writing

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Author: Alma Flor Ada
Genre: Fiction

This book is a sequel to little red riding hood and Goldilocks. This book goes through what it would be like if fairy tale characters were pen pals.

Activity: I would use this book to teach students about friendly letters and writing to pen pals.

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Author: Karen Kaufman Orloff
Genre: Fiction

Alex wants an iguana so bad he can't stand it. He decides to write his mom letters explaining why he should have an iguana. His mom responds and they go back and forth writing letters about why he should and shouldn't have an iguana.

Activity: Use this to teach a mini-lesson on friendly letters. Model letters after the ones Alex and his mom write to each other.

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Author: Daniel Kirk
Genre: Fiction

Pig is writing a letter to his grandma when his friend rabbit comes over. Rabbit wants to write some thank you notes and ends up writing ten. His thank you notes overwhelm pig until he gets a thank you not of his own.

Activity: I would use this book when teaching a mini-lesson about friendly letter writing and thank you notes.

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Sincerely Yours: Writing Your Own Letter

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Sincerely Yours: Writing Your Own Letter

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Author: Nancy Loewen
Genre: Fiction

This book goes through the motions of writing a letter just like you would in a writers workshop. It gives tips and tools for writing letters, thank you cards, and notes.

Activity: I would use this as a mentor text to teach letter writing by stages.

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Dear Mrs. LaRue Letters from Obedience School

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Dear Mrs. LaRue Letters from Obedience School

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Author: Mark Teague
Genre: Fiction

When Ike Larue is "imprisoned" at the Igor Brotweiler Canine Academy, he tries everything to get sent home by sending weepy letters to his owner, In reality, Brotweiler is more like camp than prison, but still, Ike's not cut out for life without  Mrs. Larue & his creature comforts.

Activity: I would read this book before teaching a mini-lesson on friendly letter writing.

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                              Genre: Journals and Letters

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                              Genre: Journals and Letters

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Author: Sandra Markle
Genre: Fiction

This book goes through animals and talks about what it would be like if humans had animal teeth. At the end of the book it talks about why human teeth are the perfect set of teeth for us.

Activity: I would use this book when teaching summaries. I would have the students list the different animal teeth and what it would be like. Then I wold do a mini-lesson on summarizing and model how to summarize.

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Author: Nicola Davies
Genre: Fiction

Night has fallen, and Bat awakens to find her evening meal. Follow her as she swoops into the shadows, shouting and flying, the echoes of her voice creating a sound picture of the world around her.

Activity: Use this book to teach how to write factual information in fiction form. This can be used to show how to turn essays into narratives to make them interesting and appealing to the reader.

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Author: Leigh Ann Tyson
Genre: Fiction

A spoof of a radio talk-show interview is a clever method of revealing facts about tarantulas. Harry Spyder appears as a guest on Katy Did's program, the tarantula describes his frightening encounter with a girl who scooped him up into an empty glass jar.

Activity: Use this book to teach how to write factual information in fiction form. This can be used to show how to turn essays into narratives to make them interesting and appealing to the reader.

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Author: Jean Reagan
Genre: Fiction

Written in a how-to style, the narrator gives important tips for "babysitting" a grandpa, including what to eat for snack (anything dipped in ketchup, ice cream topped with cookies, cookies topped with ice cream) what to do on a walk (find lizards and dandelion puffs, be on the lookout for puddles and sprinklers), and how to play with a grandpa (build a pirate cave, put on a scary play).

Activity: Use this book as a model to teach direction writing. Have the students write a short story using directions modeled after the sequencing of the directions in the book.

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Author: Gail Gibbons
Genre: Non-Fiction

Tornadoes are funnel-shaped clouds that can cause massive destruction on the ground. Their winds can swirl faster than 260 miles per hour! Using her acclaimed combination of clear text and detailed illustrations, Gibbons explains how tornadoes form, the scale used for classifying them, and what to do in case one should be near you.

Activity: Use this book as a model to teach fact writing in essays or reports.

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                            Genre: Expository Writing

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                            Genre: Expository Writing

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Author: Cynthia Rylant
Genre: Fiction

In a rainbow-colored station wagon that smelled like a real car, the relatives came. When they arrived, they hugged and hugged from the kitchen to the front room. All summer they tended the garden and ate up all the strawberries and melons. They plucked banjos and strummed guitars.
When they finally had to leave, they were sad, but not for long. They all knew they would be together next summer.

Activity: Use this book as a model to write descriptive sentences.

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Author: Kevin Henkes
Genre: Fiction

Chrysanthemum thinks her name is absolutely perfect, until her first day of school. "You're named after a flower!" teases Victoria. "Let's smell her," says Jo. Chrysanthemum wilts. What will it take to make her blossom again?

Activity: Use this book to teach character sketches by using descriptive words and sentences

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Author: Dav Pilkey
Genre: Fiction

In the still before dawn, while the rest of the world is sleeping, a boy and his dog leave the comfort of their warm bed to deliver newspapers. As the boy pedals his bike along a route he knows by heart, his dog runs by his side, both enjoying a world that, before sunrise, belongs only to them.

Activity: Read to students before teaching descriptive sentences. Have students write their own descriptive sentences using the book as a model.

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Author: Alan Sweibel
Genre: Fiction

A family spares a tree from being cut down. The family takes up with the tree, names it Steve and begins using the tree for everything. They hang their laundry from Steve and even use him as a centerpiece for their outdoor parties.

Activity: Use this book as a way to teach personification in descriptive writing. The book models personificaiton by giving the tree a name and including the tree in the family.

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Author: Amanda Noll
Genre: Fiction

This book is about a kid that must have his monster Gabe under his bed to go to sleep. When his monster disappears to go fishing, he interviews new monsters to take Gabe's place. Those monsters must be the exact right description or they just won't do!

Activity: Use this book as an example of descriptive words to increase voice (Ex: pointy teeth, sharp claws.) Have students use the book as an example when writing descriptive stories.

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                         Genre: Descriptive Writing

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                         Genre: Descriptive Writing