Mentor Text Library by Ana Blaha

Jabari Jumps: Written and Illustrated by: Gaia Cornwall

aeblaha — 2024-11-13 17:54:52 UTC

Jabari Jumps is about a little boy who is overcoming a fear. Many students fear writing because they feel they are not good at it. This story will allow them to understand that having a fear is okay. When you believe in yourself, you can overcome that fear.

Activity: An activity with this book would be having students generate ideas they may be afraid of and find ways to overcome them.

The Name Jar: Written and Illustrated By: Yangsook Choi

aeblaha — 2024-11-13 17:56:01 UTC

The Name Jar is about a young girl who looks different from her peers; all she wants to do is feel accepted. This book will help students write because it will allow them to understand that everyone's writing may differ from one another but that, in the end, the reader or audience accepts all the writing they are writing.

Activity: An activity for students to complete, in which they will each create their name jar. Students will write words or phrases that make them unique or different from their classmates. Students will then share what's in their jar with the class, and they will all feel the joy of being accepted by all their peers for their unique differences.

Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs: Written and Illustrated By: Tomie dePaola

aeblaha — 2024-11-13 17:57:43 UTC

Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs are about a young boy who has two Nanas in the same house, one upstairs and one downstairs, until one day, the little boy is told he must say goodbye to one of his Nanas. This is hard for the little boy to do, just like it is hard for young writers to add emotion to their writing. This story teaches writing from the heart. Many writers don't understand how to apply emotion to their writing, but by teaching this, students will be aware that emotions within the writing draw the reader in, and they feel like they are a part of the students writing.

Activity: Students will do an activity where they will think of something they miss or have had to say goodbye to, and they will write a letter in which they will be able to express their emotions on how this situation made them feel.

Dear Deer: A Book of Homophones: Written and Illustrated by Gene Barretta

aeblaha — 2024-11-13 17:58:59 UTC

This book allows students to see that words that sound the same are spelled differently and have different meanings. This book will help with student's vocabulary and misunderstood words.

Activity: Students will match the correct picture with the correct word and then find the homophone.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom: Written By: Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault and Illustrated By: Lois Ehlert

aeblaha — 2024-11-13 18:00:53 UTC

This book allows students to see that many letters from the alphabet can work together to create many words that can be used within their writing.

Activity: Students will create words from the fallen letters seen from the tree. For example, if they see a bunch of letters on the page, they can say, "I spot the letters that make the word bed."

ABCs of Kindness: Written By: Samantha Berger and Illustrated by Ekaterina Trukhan

aeblaha — 2024-11-13 18:05:27 UTC

This book teaches students about words and actions that show kindness to others. Students can see that the letters of the alphabet can be used to create words that start with that letter.

Activity: Students will practice letter formation with shaving cream to understand how to write letters.

Growing Vegetable Soup: Written and Illustrated By: Lois Ehlert

aeblaha — 2024-11-13 18:06:29 UTC

This book is about learning how to grow vegetables. Students will know what to do; first, we collect the necessary tools and don't forget the seeds. Then the magic happens planting, weeding, harvesting, washing, chopping, cooking, and, best of all—eating. This book will help students with their writing and help them understand that it is a process to create the best product. They will know what they need to do by planning, moving into drafting, and making the final product worth framing.

Activity: Students will create their recipe, providing the proper steps and details so the reader can make it correctly.

How to Wash a Woolly Mammoth: Written By: Michelle Robinson and Illustrated By: Kate Hindley

aeblaha — 2024-11-13 18:07:40 UTC

This book is about a young girl who gives step-by-step instructions on how to wash a woolly mammoth. Things can get a little messy if the steps are not followed correctly. This book helps young writers to understand that their writing needs to have some organization and flow of steps for the reader to understand their writing or the step-by-step process they are trying to explain

Activity: Students will write how they would like the reader to make a PB&J as if this is their first time making one. The teacher will then read their writing out loud, creating the PB&J how they explain in their writing.

Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend: Written and Illustrated By: Melanie Watt

aeblaha — 2024-11-13 18:09:42 UTC

This book is about a scared squirrel who needs to make a plan to find friendship. This book will help students who make be afraid of writing so they can create a step by step plan on how they want to write their paper to help them complete their writing.

Activity: Students will brainstorm and create a step-by-step plan for perfect writing. They will include the seven traits of writing in their step-by-step plan. They can refer back to the visuals of how Scaredy Squirrel makes his plans.

Big Problems, Little Problems: Written By: Ben Feller and Illustrated By: Merce Lopez

aeblaha — 2024-11-13 18:11:44 UTC

This book showcases a single dad and a young boy. This book has many lessons written within it. The book is distinctively told from a father's perspective and built on how a son and dad listen to and learn from each other. This is a tale of conquering frustration no matter the problem.

Activity: Students will write a letter to someone younger than them and help them through a problem they may be having or talk them through a frustrating time.

The Incredible Shrinking Lunchroom: Written By: Michal Babay and Illustrated By: Paula Cohen

aeblaha — 2024-11-13 18:13:41 UTC

This book showcases a view of the story from different perspectives. When students write, they need to be aware of the various perspectives that can be pretreated within their writing. This book is about students who need help understanding how to use the lunchroom correctly. They eventually become tired of all the arguing and begin writing letters to the principal for help. She responds by moving all the science projects into the lunchroom. Through a series of letters and increasingly hilarious scenarios, the lunchroom gets more and MORE chaotic. When the principal finally announces that the lunchroom is once again only to be used for lunch, the students are overjoyed with the result.

Activity: Students will think of a room or place they enjoy spending time in. They would then draw the place and draw a punch of objects or people in that room. Students will then think of how it makes them feel and write a summary of their drawing. Students will then draw the same picture but with fewer things inside. They will then write about how that drawing makes them feel. They will be able to understand the different perspectives their writings can portray.

The Proper Way to Meet a Hedgehog and Other How-To Poems: Written By: Paul B. Janeckzo and Illustrated By: Richard Jones

aeblaha — 2024-11-13 18:16:04 UTC

This book showcases fun and unique "How-to" things in a poem. Some poems may be practical, and some may not be, which will help students with their writing. Only some of the time does it have to be practical and can add some fun to their writing.

Activity: Students will create a poem on any "How-to" they would like. For example, students could write about how to ride a bike or make your bed in a poem.

Daniel Finds a Poem: Written and Illustrated By: Micha Archer

aeblaha — 2024-11-13 18:16:53 UTC

This book is about a boy who finds everything that makes a poem unique. This book allows students to become aware that their writing will differ from their peers' writing because each person has their own ideas.

Activity: Students will create a poem that describes themself, and then peers will take turns reading the different poems to see if they can match the words expressed by the person who wrote the poem.

Where the Sidewalk Ends: Written and Illustrated By: Shel Silverstein

aeblaha — 2024-11-13 18:17:51 UTC

This book contains poems that explore the imagination. Students will understand how to incorporate imagination into their writing by reading these poems.

Activity: Students will create writing that allows them to use their imagination. Everything presented in the writing must come from their imagination. No ideas can be real or have happened before.

Hair Love: Written By: Matthew A. Cherry and Illustrated By: Vashti Harrison

aeblaha — 2024-11-13 18:18:38 UTC

Hair Love is about a young girl who loves her hair even though it may be crazy. Her dad also loves his daughter very much. He knows she has a special event to attend and wants to do anything to help her with her hair, but he has a lot to learn. This book will help young writers understand that asking for help to make something special in their writing is okay.

Activity: Students will write anything of their choice and then work with a partner to enhance their writing, remembering to add that special touch to shine in their writing.

aeblaha — 2024-11-13 18:23:06 UTC

The books in this section will help writers generate ideas they may want to write about. All books have different types of lessons and stories they tell, just like Every student's writing.

aeblaha — 2024-11-13 18:24:10 UTC

The books in this section will help young writers understand letters and word choice to create their writing.

aeblaha — 2024-11-13 18:25:48 UTC

The books in this section will help students see that different stories can be told from or understood from various perspectives. They will also help them decide what kind of audience perspective they want to use in their writing.

aeblaha — 2024-11-13 18:27:08 UTC

The books in this section will allow students to see how writing can be expressed differently. Writing doesn't have to be a paper; poems are also pieces of writing.