Mentor Text - Writing by Kelsey Levering

Voice

kelseylevering — 2023-02-16 22:13:48 UTC

Books within this section of the library include expressive thoughts and feelings that show the character's voice. Everyone has a voice and everyone's voice is different. Voice also means voicing a certain topic within a story, so each story has a different voice!

Ideas

kelseylevering — 2023-02-16 22:13:53 UTC

This section of the library includes books that help bring out ideas for writing! Sometimes it can be hard to create new and unique ideas, so these books can help you brainstorm and get creative!

Presentation

kelseylevering — 2023-02-16 22:13:58 UTC

Books within this section of the library include the presentation of your writing. Presentation can mean many different things. For example, how your writing looks, sounds, feels. The way you portray your writing to the audience is called presentation!

Organization

kelseylevering — 2023-02-16 22:14:10 UTC

Keeping your writing organized is imperative! Without organization, your audience may not understand your writing and your voice! You want to keep your writing organized, so your audience better understands your story! Here are lots of books to read that can help you stay organized!

Word Choice

kelseylevering — 2023-02-16 22:14:14 UTC

In order to project your voice when writing, you need to select words that allow your readers to understand you and your story. Word choice is a big part of writing, so these books will help you learn how to choose certain words when writing!

Sentence Fluency

kelseylevering — 2023-02-16 22:14:22 UTC

These books will help you to make sure that your sentences sound fluent and accurate. Punctuation and grammar will help you keep your sentences flowing beautifully when writing!

Author: A True Story

kelseylevering — 2023-02-16 22:21:31 UTC

So begins the story of Helen Lester, author of Tacky the Penguin and many other popular books for children. By sharing her struggles as a child and later as a successful author, she demonstrates that hurdles are part of the process. She even gives writing tips, such as keeping a "fizzle box." Helen Lester uses her unique ability to laugh at her mistakes to create both a guide for young writers and an amusing personal story of the disappointments and triumphs of a writer's life.

Little Red Writing

kelseylevering — 2023-02-16 22:23:31 UTC

Acclaimed writer Joan Holub and Caldecott Honoree Melissa Sweet team up in this hilarious and exuberant retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, in which a brave little red pencil finds her way through the many perils of writing a story.

The Word Collector

kelseylevering — 2023-02-16 22:26:37 UTC

In this extraordinary new tale from Peter H. Reynolds, Jerome discovers the magic of the words all around him--short and sweet words, two-syllable treats, and multi-syllable words that sound like little songs. Words that connect, transform, and empower.From the creator of The Dot, I Am Human, and Happy Dreamer comes a celebration of finding your own words -- and the impact you can have when you share them with the world.

How to Write a Story

kelseylevering — 2023-02-16 22:29:25 UTC

From choosing an idea, to creating a problem for their character to resolve, to coming to The End, this empowering picture book breaks down the writing process in a dynamic and accessible way, encouraging kids to explore their own creativity—and share their stories with others!

The Day Punctuation Came to Town

kelseylevering — 2023-02-16 22:33:08 UTC

There's a new family in town: the Punctuations! When Exclamation Point, Question Mark, Period, and Comma join the letters at school, they form words like Wow! and Why? and Yes. But Comma isn't sure where he belongs. He just seems to get in the way. Is he really important?

Resources for Teachers

kelseylevering — 2023-02-20 17:36:19 UTC

This section of the library is a special section for teachers. Writing is a creative process and can sometimes be difficult to teach to 25 students at once. These resources that I have found seem to be very helpful for many teachers! Enjoy!

A Squiggly Story

kelseylevering — 2023-02-20 17:38:40 UTC

A young boy wants to write a story, just like his big sister. But there's a problem, he tells her. Though he knows his letters, he doesn't know many words. “Every story starts with a single word and every word starts with a single letter,” his sister explains patiently. “Why don't you start there, with a letter?” So the boy tries. He writes a letter. An easy letter. The letter I. And from that one skinny letter, the story grows, and the little boy discovers that all of us, including him, have what we need to write our own perfect story.

Teach Writing Well: How to Assess Writing, Invigorate Instruction, and Rethink Revision

kelseylevering — 2023-02-24 16:10:37 UTC

Ask great writers what the key to writing well is and they will tell you revision. Author Ruth Culham, both a successful writer and writing teacher, understands the challenges elementary teachers face when teaching writing and revision and now shares her knowledge in Teach Writing Well: How to Assess Writing, Invigorate Instruction, and Rethink Revision.

The Writing Thief: Using Mentor Texts to Teach the Craft of Writing

kelseylevering — 2023-02-24 16:12:57 UTC

Writing thieves read widely, dive deeply into texts, and steal bits and pieces from great texts as models for their own writing. Author Ruth Culham admits to being a writing thief—and she wants you and your students to become writing thieves, too!

The Writing Revolution: A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through Writing in All Subjects and Grades

kelseylevering — 2023-02-24 16:15:07 UTC

The Writing Revolution (TWR) provides a clear method of instruction that you can use no matter what subject or grade level you teach. The model, also known as The Hochman Method, has demonstrated, over and over, that it can turn weak writers into strong communicators by focusing on specific techniques that match their needs and by providing them with targeted feedback.

The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child

kelseylevering — 2023-02-24 16:17:13 UTC

Donalyn Miller says she has yet to meet a child she can't turn into a reader. No matter how far behind Miller's students might be when they reach her 6th grade classroom, they end up reading an average of 40 to 50 books a year.

Miller's unconventional approach dispenses with drills and worksheets that make reading a chore. Instead, she helps students navigate the world of literature and gives them time to read books they pick out themselves. Her love of books and teaching is both infectious and inspiring.

Read Write Teach Choice and Challenge in the Reading-Writing Workshop

kelseylevering — 2023-02-24 16:19:33 UTC

Veteran teacher and author Linda Rief has inspired thousands of practitioners across the nation to lead adolescent students on a journey to becoming lifelong readers and writers. In ReadWriteTeach, Linda offers the what, how, and why of a year’s worth of reading and writing for middle and high school students with a framework that is as flexible as it is comprehensive.

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

kelseylevering — 2023-05-11 15:41:30 UTC

This book is a great first introduction to Mouse, the star of the If You Give... series and a perennial favorite among children. With its spare, rhythmic text and circular tale, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie is perfect for beginning readers and story time. Sure to inspire giggles and requests to "read it again!"

Ralph Tells a Story

kelseylevering — 2023-05-11 15:59:43 UTC

Nothing ever happens to Ralph. So every day when it’s time to write stories, Ralph thinks really hard. He stares at his paper. He stares at the ceiling. But he has no stories! With the help of his classmates, Ralph realizes that a great story can be about something very little…and that maybe he really does have some stories to tell. Debut author/illustrator Abby Hanlon’s endearing text and charming watercolor and colored pencil illustrations prove that writing can be fun!

Write! Write! Write!

kelseylevering — 2023-05-11 16:23:15 UTC

Write! Write! Write! is a poetry collection that explores every stage and every aspect of the writing process, from learning the alphabet to the thrilling moment of writing a thought for the first time, from writer's block to finding inspiration, and from revision to stapling your finished work into a book. These poems also celebrate how writing teaches patience, helps express opinions, and allows us to imagine the impossible. This book, brimming with imagination and wonder, will leave readers eager to grab a pen, pencil, or keyboard--and write!

Max's Words

kelseylevering — 2023-05-11 16:26:52 UTC

Max's brothers have grand collections that everyone makes a big fuss over. Benjamin collects stamps and Karl collects coins, and neither one will share with their little brother. So Max decides to start a collection of his own. He's going to collect words. He starts with small words that he cuts out of newspapers and magazines, but soon his collection has spilled out into the hall. All the while, his brothers are watching. Benjamin brags that he has one thousand stamps. Karl is just a few coins short of five hundred. But a thousand stamps is really just a bunch of stamps, and a lot of coins is only a heap of money. A pile of words, however, can make a story.

What Do You Do With an Idea?

kelseylevering — 2023-05-11 16:29:19 UTC

This is the story of one brilliant idea and the child who helps to bring it into the world. As the child's confidence grows, so does the idea itself. And then, one day, something amazing happens. This is a story for anyone, at any age, who's ever had an idea that seemed a little too big, too odd, too difficult. It's a story to inspire you to welcome that idea, to give it some space to grow, and to see what happens next. Because your idea isn't going anywhere. In fact, it's just getting started.

Mapping My Day

kelseylevering — 2023-05-11 16:31:13 UTC

In our current GPS-ruled world, map-reading is something of a dying art. But learning to read, understand, and draw maps is a fun and active way for children to develop spatial thinking skills— how we think about and understand the world around us and use concepts of space for problem solving. Early exposure to maps concepts can help foster this type of cognitive development in children and boost their math and science learning as they progress through school.

Last Stop on Market Street

kelseylevering — 2023-05-11 16:34:26 UTC

Every Sunday after church, CJ and his grandma ride the bus across town. But today, CJ wonders why they don’t own a car like his friend Colby. Why doesn’t he have an iPod like the boys on the bus? How come they always have to get off in the dirty part of town? Each question is met with an encouraging answer from grandma, who helps him see the beauty—and fun—in their routine and the world around them.

This energetic ride through a bustling city highlights the wonderful perspective only grandparent and grandchild can share, and comes to life through Matt de la Peña’s vibrant text and Christian Robinson’s radiant illustrations.

Voices in the Park

kelseylevering — 2023-05-11 16:35:54 UTC

I called his name . . .
I settled on a bench . . .
I was amazed . . .
I felt really, really happy . . .

Four people enter a park, and through their eyes we see four different visions. There's the bossy woman, the sad man, the lonely boy, and the young girl whose warmth touches those she meets. As the story moves from one voice to another, their perspectives are reflected in the shifting landscape and seasons. This is an intriguing, multi-layered, enormously entertaining book that demands to be read again and again.

The Incredible Book Eating Boy

kelseylevering — 2023-05-11 16:38:04 UTC

Like many children, Henry loves books. But Henry doesn’t like to read books, he likes to eat them. Big books, picture books, reference books . . . if it has pages, Henry chews them up and swallows (but red ones are his favorite). And the more he eats, the smarter he gets—he’s on his way to being the smartest boy in the world! But one day he feels sick to his stomach. And the information is so jumbled up inside, he can’t digest it! Can Henry find a way to enjoy books without using his teeth?

With a stunning new artistic style and a die-cut surprise, Oliver Jeffers celebrates the joys of reading in this charming and quirky picture book. It’s almost good enough to eat.

My Pen

kelseylevering — 2023-05-11 16:39:20 UTC

My pen rides dinosaurs and hides an elephant in a teacup.

What can your pen do?

Acclaimed author and illustrator Christopher Myers uses rich black-and-white illustrations to bring a sketchbook to life, showing that with a simple pen, a kid can do anything!

Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type

kelseylevering — 2023-05-11 16:41:54 UTC

The quirky, hilarious farmyard tale that started it all from New York Times bestselling duo of Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin! Now the inspiration for a new Christmas special, CLICK, CLACK, MOO: Christmas on the Farm.

Farmer Brown has a problem. His cows like to type. All day long he hears:

Click, clack, moo.
Click, clack, moo.
Click, clack, moo.

But Farmer Brown’s problems REALLY begin when his cows start leaving him notes! Come join the fun as a bunch of literate cows turn Farmer Brown’s farm upside-down!

Fancy Nancy

kelseylevering — 2023-05-11 16:43:44 UTC

Meet Nancy, who believes that more is ALWAYS better when it comes to being fancy. She loves to wear fancy clothes, play with fancy toys, and most of all, use fancy words! But everyone in her family is just the opposite. From the top of her tiara down to her sparkly studded shoes, Nancy is determined to teach her family a thing or two about being fancy.

Big Words for Little People

kelseylevering — 2023-05-11 16:51:42 UTC

The #1 national bestselling team behind "It's Hard to Be Five" returns with the eighth book in the Books to Grow By series. Little ones will have big fun as Curtis and Cornell give them the language of good values as they learn big words in this hilarious and boisterous book. Full color.

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs!

kelseylevering — 2023-05-11 16:54:18 UTC

You thought you knew the story of the “The Three Little Pigs”… You thought wrong.

In this hysterical and clever fracture fairy tale picture book that twists point of view and perspective, young readers will finally hear the other side of the story of “The Three Little Pigs.”

Fireflies!

kelseylevering — 2023-05-11 16:55:46 UTC

Fireflies is Julie Brinckloe's "reflects a classic theme in children's literature—the need to set something free in order to keep it." (The Horn Book)

A young boy is proud of having caught a jar full of fireflies, which seems to him like owning a piece of moonlight, but as the light begins to dim he realizes he must set the insects free or they will die.

The Couch Potato

kelseylevering — 2023-05-11 17:16:52 UTC

Feeling fried? Peel yourself on the couch and meet your new pal-tato! The winning fourth picture book from the #1 New York Times bestselling creators of The Bad Seed, The Good Egg, and The Cool Bean, Jory John and Pete Oswald, will get you and your kids moving!

The Couch Potato has everything within reach and doesn't have to move from the sunken couch cushion. But when the electricity goes out, Couch Potato is forced to peel away from the comforts of the living room and venture outside. Could fresh air and sunshine possibly be better than the views on screen?

Readers of all ages will laugh along as their new best spuddy learns that balancing screen time and playtime is the root to true happiness.

Can I Be Your Dog?

kelseylevering — 2023-05-11 17:18:48 UTC

A heart-tugging dog adoption story told through letters--deeply sincere and almost desperate pleas for a forever home--from the dog, himself!

This picture book shares the tale of Arfy, a homeless mutt who lives in a box in an alley. Arfy writes to every person on Butternut Street about what a great pet he'd make. His letters to prospective owners share that he's house broken! He has his own squeaky bone! He can learn to live with cats! But, no one wants him. Won't anyone open their heart--and home--to a lonesome dog? Readers will be happily surprised to learn just who steps up to adopt Arfy.

Troy Cummings's hilarious and touching story is a perfect gift for a child wanting a dog, and for pet adoption advocates. It also showcases many different styles of letter writing, making it appealing to parents and teachers looking to teach the lost art of written communication.

Pinkalicious

kelseylevering — 2023-05-11 17:20:32 UTC

Pinkalicious loves all things pink. From fairy dresses to cotton candy to bubblegum. Most importantly she loves eating pink cupcakes. Mommy and Daddy warn her not to eat too many, but Pinkalicious can’t help herself. They’re just too good! But when Pinkalicious eats one too many, she turns pink herself! What will she do?

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

kelseylevering — 2023-05-11 17:22:11 UTC

From soaring to high heights and seeing great sights to being left in a Lurch on a pricklely perch, Dr. Seuss addresses life’s ups and downs with his trademark humorous verse and whimsical illustrations.

The inspiring and timeless message encourages readers to find the success that lies within, no matter what challenges they face. A perennial favorite and a perfect gift for anyone starting a new phase in their life!

The Day the Crayons Quit

kelseylevering — 2023-05-11 17:24:17 UTC

Poor Duncan just wants to color. But when he opens his box of crayons, he finds only letters, all saying the same thing: His crayons have had enough! They quit! Blue crayon needs a break from coloring all those bodies of water. Black crayon wants to be used for more than just outlining. And Orange and Yellow are no longer speaking—each believes he is the true color of the sun. What can Duncan possibly do to appease all of the crayons and get them back to doing what they do best?

With giggle-inducing text from Drew Daywalt and bold and bright illustrations from Oliver Jeffers, The Day the Crayons Quit is the perfect gift for new parents, baby showers, back-to-school, or any time of year! Perfect for fans of Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems and The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Sciezka and Lane Smith.

Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse

kelseylevering — 2023-10-02 16:10:24 UTC

Lilly loves all sorts of things. She loves school, she loves dressing up, she even grows to love her stinky baby brother, Julius. In fact, Lilly loves everything! But when Lilly brings her purple plastic purse to school and can't wait until sharing time to show off the purse and her movie star sunglasses, her teacher, Mr. Slinger, has to take away her prized possessions.

Lilly's fury leads her to draw a mean picture of her favorite teacher. It isn't until Mr. Slinger gives her belongings back to her with a kind note and snacks that Lilly realizes she owes Mr. Slinger an apology.

Lilly, the star of Chester's Way and Julius, the Baby of the World, is back. And this time she has her name in the title--something she's wanted all along. If you thought Lilly was funny before, you are in for a treat. So hurry up and start reading. Lilly can't wait for you to find out more about her.

Hooray for Diffendoofer Day!

kelseylevering — 2023-10-02 16:14:41 UTC

Hooray for Diffendoofer Day! is a joyous ode to individuality starring unsinkable teacher Miss Bonkers and the quirky Diffendoofer School (which must prove it has taught its students how to think--or have them sent to dreary Flobbertown). Included is an introduction by Dr. Seuss's longtime editor explaining how the book came to be and reproductions of Dr. Seuss's original pencil sketches and hand-printed notes for the book—a true find for all Seuss collectors!

Sisters

kelseylevering — 2023-10-02 16:15:56 UTC

Sisters are different in so many ways, yet alike in many more. But there is one heartfelt way in which they are most alike—they love each other so very much.

Dearly, Nearly, Insincerely What is an Adverb?

kelseylevering — 2023-10-02 16:27:50 UTC

Bursting with adverbs, this addition to the Words Are CATegorical® series creatively clarifies the concept of adverbs for young readers with delightfully playful rhymes and extremely humorous illustrations. For easy identification, adverbs are printed in color and key words are illustrated on each page.

If You Give a Moose a Muffin

kelseylevering — 2023-10-02 16:30:45 UTC

If a big hungry moose comes to visit, you might give him a muffin to make him feel at home. If you give him a muffin, he'll want some jam to go with it. When he's eaten all your muffins, he'll want to go to the store to get some more muffin mix...

Diary of a Spider

kelseylevering — 2023-10-02 16:32:31 UTC

This is the diary . . . of a spider. Actually, he's a lot like you. He goes to gym class and has Grandparents Day at school. But he also spins sticky webs, scales walls, and takes wind-catching lessons. Lucky for him, his best friend is a fly!

Conventions

kelseylevering — 2023-10-03 13:51:49 UTC

Writing conventions are rules of writing that are used to make writing more comprehensible so everyone can read! Conventions include spelling, punctuation, and capitalization, etc. These books that I have chosen for you include stories about conventions or helpful tips! Enjoy!

Peek-A-Boo Haiku

kelseylevering — 2023-11-14 14:46:00 UTC

Each haiku in this lift-the-flap board book will have readers guessing the animal it describes—with the answer revealed under a flap on each page! With lovely text, sweet illustrations, and cute creatures, this lyrical and interactive book is a joy to read!