# data[].attributes.headline
Beware of The Crocodile By: Martin Jenkins

# data[].attributes.subject
Beware of The Crocodile By: Martin Jenkins

# data[].attributes.body
Grade Range: K-4
Seravallo Strategy: 5.21 Lead by Addressing the Reader
In Serravallo’s book, Jennifer describes a strategy that allows for authors to connect to their readers by creating a one on one conversation. This allows authors to pique their reader's interest right away. In the nonfiction book Beware of the Crocodile Jenkins uses this strategy to begin his documentation of Crocodile facts.
In The Text:
Pg. 6-7

If there is one thing you should know about crocodiles, it’s that they are really scary- or at least the big ones are. They’ve got an awful lot of teeth.

Pg. 8

And they’re not at all picky about what they eat, as long as it’s got a bit of meat on it.

Pg. 9

When it comes to hunting down their dinner, they are very determined and cunning.

They know all the places along the sides of the rivers and lakes where animals come down to drink.

The author continues to write as if he is conversing directly with the reader throughout the text.

# data[].attributes.headline
Stay:  A girl, a Dog, a Bucket List By: Kate Klise

# data[].attributes.subject
Stay:  A girl, a Dog, a Bucket List By: Kate Klise

# data[].attributes.body
Grade range K-5
Serravallo Strategy: 5.11 End in the Moment

This strategy has the author thinking about the main point in their story. It encourages authors to end their stories while in that main point moment. In the book “Stay, Astrid and Eli, set out to spend as much time together as possible since Eli is getting older. The author takes the pair on an around-town experience field trip checking off items on their bucket list. The author ends the story by describing how after all that traveling and doing, all they really needed was to sit and be with each other.

From the text:
Page 27

Being with Astrid was the only thing left on Eli’s bucket list.

It was the only thing that had ever been on Eli’s bucket list.

THE END

# data[].attributes.body
Grade Range: K-5

Serravallo Strategy: 6.1 Pictures Teach, Words Teach
In the Non-Fiction Autobiography of Edwin Binney the inventor of the crayon the author uses the illustrations to support the text. The illustrations are very colorful, and with few words the author uses the illustrations to relay important points in the text such as character feelings, the capabilities of the crayons, and which characters are talking. The pictures and words go perfectly together supporting the readers understanding. This writing strategy is also beneficial for a large age range.

Used in the text: Page 7&8
The author uses this strategy throughout the book, but I believe that it is apparent on page 7and 8. In the text the author writes:

Edwin invented a new kind of inexpensive pencil that wrote very smoothly- it was gray. Children loved it.

He invented a kind of chalk that wasn’t dusty and didn’t crumble- it was white. Teachers loved it.

He invented a wax crayon that would write on wood and paper packaging. It was really, really black. People loved it.

While the text is informative the illustrations show the meaning of the text. The slate pencil is being used by a child, it also shows a teacher using the chalk and a man holding a package that he had used the wax crayon to address. The pictures show the characters jumping for joy and all holding their writing utensil.

# data[].attributes.body
Grade Range PreK-2

Serravallo Strategy: 6.42 Rule of Three’s
n the book Normon and the Nom Nom Factory, Norman makes his family recipe of Nom Nom’s and the author uses the rule of three several times. I will use this text to show how when a list is built of at least three items it gives you more to write about and also gives the reader more detail. Using this strategy helps you to give chronology to a text as well.

In the text:
Pg4.

Norman eats Nom Nom’s for breakfast, Norman eats Nom Nom’s for lunch, and Norman eats Nom Nom’s for dinner.

Pg. 8

(After an alien lands on his planet)

“This is my planet, Gerp! And this is my factory, just me, my planet, and my Gerp”.

# data[].attributes.headline
When Molly Drew Dogs By: Deborah Kerbel 

# data[].attributes.subject
When Molly Drew Dogs By: Deborah Kerbel 

# data[].attributes.body
Grades PreK- 2
Serravallo Strategy: 6.40  Character Gestures to Show Traits
I will use this book to show how an author uses clues through illustration and text to how the character is feeling. I will encourage my writers to view the craft of Kerbel as she describes how Molly is feeling through her words, and shows the reader through her illustrations and her color tones of each section of the story.

The text says:

She ran and ran, until a pattering of raindrops brought her to a stop.

Wiping her eyes, she looked around. There was just enough light to see that she was lost.

Pg. 15

Molly curled up into a ball in the far corner of the shed and wished, wished, wished for morning.

# data[].attributes.headline
Polly Porcupines Painting Prizes By Barbara deRubertis

# data[].attributes.subject
Polly Porcupines Painting Prizes By Barbara deRubertis

# data[].attributes.body
Grade Range Pre K – 3
Serravallo Strategy: 6.15 Let Your readers Know Who is Talking

I will use this story to show my students that they can give their characters voices and inform their readers who is talking. I also like this strategy as well as this mentor text because it is easy enough for younger readers to see the strategy but also gives opportunities for older writers to use it to study how the characters are talking.

Text used:

Page six:

“Oh Polly!” said Mama. “Please clean up this mess then set the table for supper”.

“But look at my beautiful painting!”  said Polly.

“We’ll look at it later”, Papa replied.

“It is too drippy now!”

# data[].attributes.body
Grade Range Pre K-2
Serravallo Strategy: 6.2  Add More to Your Pictures (Then, Maybe More to Your Words)
In Kate Parkinsons beautifully illustrated book she uses pictures to tell important parts of Grace’s story. There are a few words on the pages that tell the reader how the characters are feeling, but the pictures tell the remainder of the story.

In The Text:
Grace loves to dance but is not a very good dancer. She finds her place in the dancing studio by using her skills in art to help build and decorate the backdrop for the dance recital. I will use this strategy to help my younger writers understand that they do not need to use a lot of words (Perhaps word wall words) to tell their story. Pictures can help them relay their message to their readers too. By adding more details to their pictures they can then decide if they may need a few more words. In this case, the answer is no.

The illustrations on page 7 show Grace on a ladder painting the backdrop. The other ballerinas are dancing around her with huge smiles on their faces cheering Grace on amazed by her masterpiece. The text on the page states "The other girls loved what Grace made". Few words with the illustration carrying the weight of meaning.

# data[].attributes.body
Grade Range: K-4
Seravallo Strategy: 5.35 Coming Full Circle
Serravallos's strategy describes a book that has a beginning a middle and an end that returns to the beginning at the end of the story. In Missing Daddy Mariame Kaba begins her story by showing and describing a little girl and her daddy's relationship and how he calls her Lightning bug. The story continues to explain that her father is imprisoned and the trial she and her family go through within the middle of the story. The ending places the little girl and her grandmother visiting him in prison and the illustration shows the same joy as the beginning of the book and her father once again calling her Lightning bug. This illustrates an emotional and physical return of the characters from the beginning to the end.

From the Text:
Pg.4
Daddy calls me light bug because I am so bright. Since I don't get to see him much, I hold onto his words real tight. (She and her daddy are pictured together smiling).

Pg. 28
I run and jump into his arms and he hugs me tight,
"Good to see you my little light bug, always so pretty and bright." (She and her daddy are pictured together smiling).

# data[].attributes.headline
The Day the Ladybug Drew a Giant Ball of Fluff: By: Jose Carlos Ramon

# data[].attributes.subject
The Day the Ladybug Drew a Giant Ball of Fluff: By: Jose Carlos Ramon

# data[].attributes.body
Grade Range K-2
Serravallo Strategy: 5.9 Beef up the Middle
I am using this strategy in this book to show how the author started with a problem and ended with a solution. In order to make his story longer and more interesting he added details in the middle. He added a trip to the doctor, and several places her father watched her, as well as a story line of how others felt about her drawing. By ding this the author also added to the suspense of what was Ladybug drawing?

The text reads:

It was just a normal day at school. The children were doing math, discovering the names of distant Jungles, jumping around in the schoolyard, learning new songs, and making note of their homework for the next day.

“Now Children, tomorrow you all have to bring in your pictures of an elephant,” said Miss Dragonfly.

The next morning the teacher looked at the pictures the children had drawn, one by one.

“My daddy helped me with mine” said Firefly.

“My sister drew mine, and I colored it in”, said Beetle.

“I didn’t have time to finish mine!” complained little snail.

“Well your pictures are quite lovely. How about your Elephant, Ladybug?”

“I drew mine all on my own, Miss Dragonfly,” said Ladybug, showing it to her teacher.

“What on Earth is that?” yelled Miss Dragonfly.

“It’s a giant ball of fluff” replied Ladybug.

The teacher proceeds to call ladybugs parents,

(This is where the author beefs up the middle of the story. In order to make it more interesting he adds a trip to the doctor and her father following her everywhere.)

All throughout the day her father followed her closely,

all over the house. She did not understand why.

He watched her as she read her book and drank her juice.

He watched her as she brushed her teeth.

At the park her friends looked at her strangely.

Her friends parents looked at her strangely.

(Finally, when she arrives home from the park her parents ask her why she drew the ball of fluff instead of and elephant.)

Lady bug replies, “I did draw one. It’s just that you cant see it. It is under the fluff.

Lady bug proceeds to erase the large ball of fluff and you can clearly see her elephant.

# data[].attributes.body
Grade level K-3
Serravallo Strategy: 5.7 Organize in Sequence
I will use this mentor text to show how Bob Raczka helps Niko first to draw for himself, then to show his friends, next his parents, after that his teacher and finally to his new friend. No one could understand what Niko was drawing until he showed his pictures to his new neighbor. This creates a logical sequence of events and allows the reader to easily follow along.

The Text Reads:
Niko loved to make pictures. Everywhere he went. He carried a box of colored pencils and a pad of paper.

Sometimes he showed his pictures to his friends.  “What is it” one of them would ask.

Sometimes he showed his parents. “What is it?” his mom would ask.

Once he showed his picture to his teacher, Miss Reed. What is it Miss. Reed Asked.

The next day , Niko was heading out with his paper and colored pencils when he noticed a moving truck next door-and a girl about his age. “Are you going to draw?” “Can I see them?”

Niko decided that it would be rude to say no, so he invited Iris over.

Niko waited for her questions. But she just looked and looked.

Iris discovered the one behind the door.

“Wow”, said Iris. “You must have been sad when you made this picture.”

“How did you know?”

“It looks how I feel. You know because I had to move.”