I hope to continue to grow this list of resources for teaching mentor text work, and I also want to add how I am adapting to remote or distance learning as the teaching community adjusts during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Emmy Kastner’s So Tortoise Dug is a gentle, inspiring story about a tortoise who does what tortoises do best—dig! But as Tortoise digs, she discovers more than dirt and tunnels. She uncovers wonder, quiet courage, and the joy of moving at her own pace. Through Kastner’s warm language and playful illustrations, readers are invited to celebrate curiosity, self-trust, and the slow beauty of discovery. I also really love the nonfiction connections here as we encourage (as both teachers and parents) kids to be aware of the world around them. The book is based off of the real relationship of how two species coexist in the wild: the gopher tortoise and the Florida mouse. In the Author’s Note, Emmy goes on to explain that the book is a “pourquoi tale (“pourquoi” is the french word for “why”) This type of story is a fictional explanation of why something is the way that it is.” I love the idea of writers being able to explain real-world concepts through made up stories.
For writers and journalers alike, So Tortoise Dug reminds us that every creative journey takes time. It encourages us to keep going, keep digging, and find joy in uncovering what’s beneath the surface of our thoughts, stories, and dreams.
In this post, you can find…
Tips for using this book as a mentor text for writing
Ways to use the book with preschoolers, grades k-5, grades 6-8, grades 9-12, and for disciplinary literacy projects
Journaling prompts linked to the book (including nature journaling)
One grammar exercise to access grammar instruction
Mary Lyn Ray and Felicita Sala’s When You Find the Right Rock is a quiet celebration of attention and belonging—of the small, ordinary things that feel extraordinary when noticed with care. Through poetic language and luminous illustrations, Ray and Sala capture the simple act of finding a rock and transform it into something magical: a story about connection, grounding, and discovery. I think one of my favorite parts of this book when reading it to our little one was pausing on lines like,
“Still, there might be times when rocks don’t seem like much to look at. But then one will surprise you—like when you notice something special about you that surprises you. Just when you were maybe feeling sort of ordinary, there it is.”
For writers and journalers, this book is a meditation on presence. It reminds us that meaning often hides in small moments—holding a smooth rock, feeling its weight, noticing its color or warmth. When You Find the Right Rock invites us to pause, look closer, and find joy in what fits just right in our hands and hearts.
In this post, you can find…
Tips for using this book as a mentor text for writing
Ways to use the book with preschoolers, grades k-5, grades 6-8, grades 9-12, and for disciplinary literacy projects
Journaling prompts linked to the book (including nature journaling)
One grammar exercise to access grammar instruction
Joyce Sidman and Melissa Sweet’s Dear Acorn (Love, Oak) is a gentle and poetic exploration of connection, patience, and transformation. Told through a series of tender letters from an old oak tree to a newly fallen acorn, this picture book beautifully captures the rhythm of life cycles—growth, waiting, change, and renewal. Through Sidman’s lyrical language and Sweet’s rich mixed-media illustrations, readers are invited to consider how all things in nature are intertwined. On the blog, I have been a huge fan of the illustrations from Melissa Sweet. How to Write a Poem by Kwame Alexander and How to Read a Book by Kwame Alexander are two of the first picture books I recommend to teachers to lead conversations about reading and writing in their classrooms at any level.
For writers and journalers alike, Dear Acorn is an invitation to reflect on relationships, resilience, and the quiet passage of time. It reminds us that even the smallest beginnings hold the promise of something enduring and strong. In Dear Acorn the lost art of letter writing can help writers tap into new ideas and people working in a journal to access different parts of the world around them.
In this post, you can find…
Tips for using this book as a mentor text for writing
Ways to use the book with preschoolers, grades k-5, grades 6-8, grades 9-12, and for disciplinary literacy projects
Journaling prompts linked to the book (including nature journaling)
One grammar exercise to access grammar instruction
Julie Morstad’s picture book A Face is a Poem offers readers a playful and poetic way of seeing something familiar—our own faces. Instead of describing features literally, Morstad leans on metaphor: freckles as sprinkles, flowery faces, faces that you find in the clouds. Each page invites readers to view the ordinary as extraordinary. I actually paused in the bookstore when I saw the cover of this book because the colors and imagery were so beautiful.
For writers, this text is a gift. It reminds us that description doesn’t have to be technical—it can be imaginative, metaphorical, and deeply personal. For journalers, it opens the door to self-reflection and self-expression through the lens of poetry. This post serves as a how-to guide for using this text in multiple ways: in the classroom, at home, or within your own notebook.
In this post, you can find…
Tips for using this book as a mentor text for writing
Ways to use the book with preschoolers, grades k-5, grades 6-8, grades 9-12, and for disciplinary literacy projects
Journaling prompts linked to the book (including nature journaling)
One grammar exercise to access grammar instruction
Our daughter’s favorite part of a trip to Lowe’s is walking through the garden section to see the flowers and collecting a stack of “rainbows”—color paint sample cards. After one of these trips, I remembered that I had a writing prompt kit called Paint Chip Poetry. This little box includes a wide variety of colors, each paired with a word or phrase, along with prompts to spark ideas. There’s something magical about color—how a single shade can evoke a memory, tell a story, or capture the essence of a season. When we combine that sensory experience with the power of words, we open up an entirely new pathway to creativity.
One of my favorite tools for inspiring outdoor journaling is using paint chips taped into a notebook. Paint chip poetry and color-based activities offer an accessible, playful, and deeply reflective way to connect with nature, especially when paired with time spent outside. Whether you’re journaling in your backyard, at a park, or on a classroom nature walk, these activities add a vibrant lens to the experience.
This post outlines five color-inspired journaling activities to try with your students or in your own nature notebook. It also includes recommended picture books that serve as wonderful resources for kids of all ages, from upper elementary to high school.
Whether or not school was in session, I always found that the lessons embedded in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speeches were invaluable mentor texts for teaching writing and inspiring young people. My last year in the classroom, I was particularly moved by a tweet from Julia E. Torres, a librarian, educator, and activist, in which she shared a conversation she overheard:
“Just overheard a child in the hallway on the phone, ‘We are watching MLK videos again because you know they can neeeeever teach us anything new.’ This was a middle school student. Let’s think about that…”
That gave me pause. How often did I see my colleagues relying on MLK videos, or worse, skipping over this day entirely? How often had I felt like I couldn’t carve out the time to honor his legacy? I knew I needed to take the lesson of teaching dreams to a new level. I wanted my students to see Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. not just as a figure in history, but as an author to imitate and admire. His speeches made people listen to the issues that mattered. And no matter how pressured we feel to move through the curriculum, some lessons are simply more important.
On that day, it mattered. I reflected on how I could integrate Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech into our mentor text work. The lesson wouldn’t take the entire hour, but my goal was clear: I wanted my students to notice the craft of his writing—specifically his use of repetition, metaphors, and the cadence of his voice—and then have them write about their own dreams in a similar way.
This post outlines the three-step process I used to teach his speech as a mentor text and offers further activities to extend the lesson.
Gustavo, the Shy Ghost by Flavia Z. Drago is a heartwarming story of bravery, friendship, and self-expression—making it a rich mentor text for writing exercises across various disciplines. With its themes of shyness, the supernatural, and the courage to be seen, Gustavo’s journey offers endless opportunities for deep reflection and creativity in classrooms. Let’s explore how you can use this story as a springboard for disciplinary writing in all subject areas!
At each step of the process in this post, I will stop and show you some things I consider when I plan for that part of the lesson. These considerations come from the questions and experiences from teaching the mentor text routine to sixth graders. I teach these lessons to students with third-grade level reading and eleventh-grade level reading in the same room. I have coached teachers that have ranged from 4th grade to 10th grade with this process. The results are the same, but you may have to adjust the strategies for your content and level.
These considerations are not meant to be overwhelming, but I want to share what has worked for me along the way. I have also broken them down in terms of estimated time. When I was doing mentor text work daily it took 5-10 minutes each day because of the routine that I chose to implement in my room. One single mentor text lesson taught alone might take 20-25 minutes.
This quickstart guide walks you through everything you need to get started with teaching mentor texts in your classroom right away. There are 7 key elements to teaching mentor texts. At the end of this post, download the free template to get started with a book of your choice! You will also have access to my mentor text work. This includes 180+ slides and sentence frames featuring 55+ books.
The I Am series by Susan Verde and Peter Reynolds is one of the most identifiable book series in classrooms and stores. The art by Peter Reynolds is so specific to him, and the books have almost become synonymous with social & emotional text lists, mindfulness, and meditation for young people. There are 7 books in the series. This post covers 4 of them and how to use them in your classroom for teaching mindfulness through read-aloud and also writer moves for kids through mentor texts. While the recommended reading age for the books often states 3-7, these mentor texts could be used in any level classroom.
Let’s dive into using the I Am series as a whole group mentor text, and then let’s take a quick look at how 4 of the books can be broken down further for writing moves.
Nikkolas Smith’s The History of We is a breathtaking picture book that explores humanity’s collective story from our earliest beginnings to the present moment and our shared responsibility to create a more compassionate world. Through his poetic text and powerful illustrations, Smith shows how we are all part of something bigger: a global community bound by love, struggle, and hope.
For writers, The History of We offers a reminder that personal stories connect to a much larger narrative. For journalers, it’s an invitation to reflect on identity, ancestry, and legacy—to ask: Where do I come from? What stories do I carry? What part of the “we” am I helping to write? It is also a picture book with a strong reminder about the danger of single stories. On how we can avoid making generalizations and assumptions in order to really take the time to get to know the multiple points of views that exist within a community, culture, and world around us.
In this post, you can find…
Tips for using this book as a mentor text for writing
Ways to use the book with preschoolers, grades k-5, grades 6-8, grades 9-12, and for disciplinary literacy projects
Journaling prompts linked to the book (including nature journaling)
One grammar exercise to access grammar instruction