Teaching)Writing)in)the)3–5)Classroom!!
Handout!11!(1!of!10)!
Mentor'Texts'
'
Notes'on'Henry’s(Freedom(Box'
Shaded)rows)indicate)places)in)the)text)where)we)see)glimmers)of)happiness)and/or)hope.)
'
What'the'text'says'
Cover!picture!
What'I'could'teach'
• Birds!in!picture:!The!birds!are!symbols!of!freedom!and!hope!
throughout!the!book.!
• Trees!with!a!few!leaves!on!them:!In!the!book,!trees!are!symbols!of!
family!and!stability,!and!the!leaves!represent!slave!children!and!other!
family!members!who!are!torn!from!their!families!by!the!wind.!
• There!is!an!interesting!contrast!between!birds,!which!use!the!wind!to!
exploit!their!freedom,!and!leaves,!which!have!no!control!over!how!
they!are!manipulated!by!the!wind.!
• Henry’s!face:!This!picture!contrasts!just!a!bit!with!the!opening!picture!
of!the!book!in!that!here,!Henry!seems!to!have!a!glimmer!of!a!smile,!
but!on!the!first!page,!he!is!almost!“stone!faced.”!!
“Henry!Brown!wasn’t!sure!
• Instead!of!saying!that!slaves!were!not!treated!like!human!beings,!
how!old!he!was.!Henry!was!a!
Levine!shows!us!by!using!the!example!of!age!and!birthdays,!which!
slave.!And!slaves!weren’t!
everyone!in!our!society!knows.!
allowed!to!know!their!
• Levine!also!uses!this!idea!of!birthdays!to!bring!the!story!full!circle!on!
birthdays.”!
the!last!page!of!the!book.!
“Do!you!see!those!leaves!
blowing!in!the!wind?!They!
are!torn!from!the!trees!like!
slave!children!are!torn!from!
their!families.”!
“Henry’s!heart!beat!fast.!
Maybe!the!master!would!set!
him!free.”!
• Levine!uses!a!simile!to!compare!leaves!to!slave!children.!
• Notice!in!the!picture!that!a!couple!of!leaves!are!floating!in!the!air.!!
• The!words!along!with!the!picture!act!as!foreshadowing!for!what!will!
come!next—Henry!being!taken!from!his!family!and!sent!away.!
This!quote!shows!what!Henry!was!feeling!and!thinking,!rather!than!just!
saying!Henry!hoped!to!be!freed!by!his!master.!Levine!helps!us!to!feel!
what!Henry!was!feeling—hope.!
“Henry!nodded,!but!he!didn’t! In!the!previous!sentence,!the!boss!told!Henry!not!to!tell!a!lie.!Here,!
say!thank!you.!That!would!
Henry!follows!his!boss’!directions,!but!in!a!somewhat!defiant!way.!We!
have!been!a!lie.”!
only!say!“thank!you”!when!we!appreciate!what!someone!does!for!us,!
and!Henry!does!not!appreciate!being!taken!from!his!family!and!sent!
away.!
Vaughn!Gross!Center!for!Reading!and!Language!Arts!at!The!University!of!Texas!at!Austin!
©!2015!Texas!Education!Agency/The!University!of!Texas!System!
Teaching)Writing)in)the)3–5)Classroom!!
What'the'text'says'
Handout!11!(2!of!10)!
What'I'could'teach'
“…Henry!watched!a!bird!soar! • Levine!uses!the!bird!to!represent!freedom.!
high!above!the!trees.!Free)
• Again,!Levine!tells!us!what!Henry!is!thinking.!She!does!this!often!to!let!
bird!)Happy)bird!!Henry!
us!know!what!kind!of!person!Henry!is—he!wants!his!freedom,!and!the!
thought.”!
birds!give!him!hope!that!one!day!he!will!achieve!it.!He!is!hopeful.!
“The!leaves!swirled!in!the!
wind.”!
This!quote!refers!back!to!leaves!manipulated!by!the!wind!as!symbols!of!
slave!children.!The!swirling!helps!us!understand!what!Henry!is!feeling.!
He!is!helpless!against!the!wind!of!slavery,!and!he!has!multiple!emotions!
“swirling”!around!inside.!
“The!boss!yelled!at!the!new!
Levine!shows!(rather!than!tells)!us!that!Henry’s!new!boss!is!very!mean,!
boy.!He!poked!the!boy!with!a! which!contrasts!with!his!last!boss,!who!she!told!us!was!“good!to!Henry!
stick.!If!you!made!a!mistake,! and!his!family.”!
the!boss!would!beat!you.”!
“Henry!felt!like!singing.!But!
• Levine!shows!(rather!than!tells)!us!that!Henry!is!happy.!
slaves!didn’t!dare!sing!in!the!
• Again,!rather!than!telling!us!that!Henry!is!somewhat!defiant!(which!
streets.!Instead,!he!hummed!
we!learned!earlier!when!he!did!not!say!“thank!you”),!she!shows!us!
all!the!way!home.”!
when!he!hums!because!he!was!not!allowed!to!sing.!Humming!is!just!a!
softer!version!of!singing,!so!Henry!is!pushing!the!boundaries!of!what!
he!is!allowed!to!do.!
Illustration!!
We!see!Henry!with!his!family.!It!shows!us!how!happy!they!are!and!how!
slaves!had!families!just!like!everyone!else.!It!makes!what!comes!next!
very!difficult!to!understand.!
“But!Nancy!was!worried.!Her! • These!words!contrast!with!the!happy!mood!in!the!picture.!
master!had!lost!a!great!deal!
• All!of!the!children!in!the!mother’s!lap!are!like!leaves!connected!and!
of!money.!‘I’m!afraid!he!will!
protected!by!the!tree.!!
sell!our!children,’!she!said.!
• They!also!provide!foreshadowing!of!what!is!going!to!happen!next!in!
Henry!sat!very!still.”!
the!story.!
Illustration!
Here!we!see!a!close^up!of!Henry’s!head.!We!can!see!the!stress!and!
worry!on!his!face.!It!is!almost!like!we!are!inside!his!head.!
Vaughn!Gross!Center!for!Reading!and!Language!Arts!at!The!University!of!Texas!at!Austin!
©!2015!Texas!Education!Agency/The!University!of!Texas!System!
Teaching)Writing)in)the)3–5)Classroom!!
What'the'text'says'
“Henry!couldn’t!move.!He!
couldn’t!think.!He!couldn’t!
work.”!
Handout!11!(3!of!10)!
What'I'could'teach'
• These!short!sentences!help!us!understand!what!Henry!is!going!
through.!His!thinking!and!feeling!are!short!and!quick—like!he!is!in!
shock.!
• Levine!uses!three!words,!including!the!word!couldn’t,!in!all!three!
sentences!to!provide!parallelism!and!to!help!us!get!into!Henry’s!head!
and!heart.!He!is!overwhelmed!and!frozen!in!place.!
“Henry!twisted!tobacco!
leaves.!His!heart!twisted!in!
his!chest.”!
• Levine,!again,!provides!a!conflict!between!what!Henry!does!on!the!
outside—following!the!boss’!order!to!twist!the!tobacco—and!what!
he’s!feeling!on!the!inside—a!pain!in!his!heart.!
• Levine!shows!(rather!than!tells)!us!how!Henry!is!feeling.!His!heart!
hurts.!
“When!he!wiped!away!his!
tears,!Nancy,!too,!was!gone.”!
Levine!shows!(rather!than!tells)!us!how!Henry!is!feeling.!
Illustration!
We!see!Henry!watching!his!children!being!taken!away!in!a!cart,!and!
behind!him!is!another!cart!going!the!other!direction.!The!way!he!is!
standing!is!awkward.!It!is!like!he!is!being!pulled!in!two!directions—his!
feet!are!turned!toward!the!cart!behind!him,!and!his!body!and!head!are!
turned!the!other!direction,!watching!his!children!being!taken!away.!
“Henry!no!longer!sang.!He!
couldn’t!hum.”!
Levine!shows!(rather!than!tells)!us!that!Henry!has!lost!all!happiness.!He!
cannot!even!hum.!
“One!morning,!Henry!heard!
singing.!A!little!bird!flew!out!
of!a!tree!into!the!open!sky.!
And!Henry!thought!about!
being!free.”!
• The!bird’s!singing!contrasts!with!Henry!being!unable!to!sing!on!the!
previous!page.!
• Again,!the!bird!represents!freedom.!It!also!gives!Henry!hope!for!his!
own!freedom.!
“As!he!lifted!a!crate,!he!knew! Levine!provides!some!foreshadowing.!We!know!the!title!of!the!book!is!
the!answer.”!
Henry’s)Freedom)Box,!so!she!makes!us!think,!“Is!this!crate!his!freedom!
box?”!
“‘I!will!cover!my!mouth!and!
hope,’!Henry!said.”!
For!the!first!time,!Levine!uses!the!word!hope.!Through!Henry’s!words,!
we!learn!that!he!uses!his!hopefulness!to!help!him!survive!the!adversity!
he!has!faced!and!may!continue!to!face.!
Vaughn!Gross!Center!for!Reading!and!Language!Arts!at!The!University!of!Texas!at!Austin!
©!2015!Texas!Education!Agency/The!University!of!Texas!System!
Teaching)Writing)in)the)3–5)Classroom!!
What%the%text%says%
Handout!11!(4!of!10)!
What%I%could%teach%
“Then!he!printed!on!the!
crate!in!big!letters:!THIS!SIDE!
UP!WITH!CARE.”!
These!words!help!us!to!remember!that!Henry!will!be!in!this!box,!and!it!
would!be!difficult!to!travel!in!a!box!in!which!we!are!upside!down.!Dr.!
Smith!writes!these!words!to!try!to!make!sure!Henry’s!trip!in!the!box!is!
successful.!
“He!opened!a!bottle!of!oil!of!
vitriol.!‘No!’!cried!James.!
Henry!poured!it!on!his!hand.!
It!burned!his!skin!to!the!
bone.”!
Levine!shows!(rather!than!tells)!us!that!Henry!is!desperate!to!be!free.!
He!is!so!desperate!that!he!feels!the!need!to!pour!acid!on!his!hand!and!
hurt!himself!badly!to!make!sure!his!plan!is!successful.!
Illustration!
The!box!takes!up!most!of!the!picture.!We!can!see!that!Henry!is!lying!on!
his!side!because!the!words!“THIS!SIDE”!are!on!the!side!rather!than!on!
top.!
“His!face!got!hot.!His!eyes!
ached.!He!thought!his!head!
would!burst.”!
• Again,!Levine!uses!short!sentences!to!get!across!what!is!happening!in!
Henry’s!head.!
“I!am!mail,!thought!Henry.!
But)not)the)kind)they)
imagine!”!
• Levine!shows!(rather!than!tells)!us!that!Henry!is!getting!closer!to!his!
freedom.!He!is!not!thinking!about!losing!his!family!or!being!
uncomfortable!in!the!box.!His!thoughts!are!more!light[hearted.!
• These!words!fit!well!with!the!illustration!on!this!page.!
• We!could!even!say!it!is!a!play!on!words!between!the!homophones!
male!and!mail!(not!sure!whether!Levine!intended!a!play!on!words).!
“At!last!Henry!had!a!
birthday—March!30,!1849,!
his!first!day!of!freedom!”!
• This!quote!takes!us!full!circle,!back!to!the!first!page,!when!we!learned!
that!slaves!were!not!allowed!to!know!their!birthdays.!
• Levine!helps!us!consider!the!questions:!What!does!it!mean!to!be!
born?!Or!maybe!reborn?!Which!birthday!is!more!important!for!
people!who!were!a!slave—the!day!they!were!actually!born!(into!
slavery)!or!the!day!that!they!were!reborn!(into!freedom)?!
• These!questions!bring!together!the!ideas!of!humanity,!freedom,!birth,!
and!rebirth.!
%
%
%
Vaughn!Gross!Center!for!Reading!and!Language!Arts!at!The!University!of!Texas!at!Austin!
©!2015!Texas!Education!Agency/The!University!of!Texas!System!
Teaching)Writing)in)the)3–5)Classroom!!
Handout!11!(5!of!10)!
Picture'Book'Mentor'Texts'for'Teaching'Writing'
!
Book'
Author(s)'
General'Lesson'or'Idea'
Introducing'Writing'in'General'
Author,)a)True)
Story)
Helen!Lester!
Teach!students!what!it!is!like!to!be!a!writer—both!the!positive!
aspects!and!the!struggles.!
You)Have)to)Write)
Janet!S.!Wong! Inspire!students!to!write!about!anything.!
I’m)in)Charge)of)
Celebrations)
Byrd!Baylor!
Inspire!students!to!pay!attention!to!all!of!the!things!to!celebrate!
through!writing!about!them.!
ish)
Peter!H.!
Reynolds!
Introduce!writing!in!general!and!ideas!for!writing.!
Library)Mouse)
Daniel!Kirk!
Introduce!the!idea!that!anyone!can!be!a!writer.!
Arthur)Writes)a)
Story)
Marc!Brown!
Introduce!writing!a!story!and!sticking!with!what!you!know.!
Aunt)Isabel)Tells)a)
Good)One)
Kate!Duke!
Introduce!writing!narrative!texts.!
Teach!the!suffix!^ish.!
Developing'Ideas'for'Writing'
Rocket)Writes)a)
Story)
Tad!Hills!
Introduce!how!to!examine!what!is!around!you!to!come!up!with!
writing!ideas.!
Joseph)Had)a)Little)
Overcoat)
Simms!Taback! Introduce!how!to!narrow!focus!when!coming!up!with!a!writing!
idea.!
A)Chair)for)My)
Mother)
Vera!B.!
Williams!
Model!writing!about!small!moments!and!feelings.!
Wilfrid)Gordon)
McDonald)
Partridge)
Mem!Fox!
Introduce!the!term!memories!and!discuss!how!they!can!spark!
ideas!for!writing.!Share!some!of!your!memories!with!students!and!
let!them!share!their!own!memories!and!use!them!in!writing.!
Thank)You,)Mr.)
Falker)
Patricia!
Polacco!
Model!writing!about!your!experiences!when!you!were!younger.!
The)Secret)
Knowledge)of)
GrownTUps)
David!
Wisniewski!
Use!everyday!rules!(e.g.,!“You!have!to!drink!your!milk.”)!to!come!
up!with!story!ideas.!
The)Important)
Book)
Margaret!
Wise!Brown!
Write!about!why!everyday!objects!or!content!area!concepts!are!
important.!
Model!the!use!of!different!sentence!lengths!and!structures.!
Vaughn!Gross!Center!for!Reading!and!Language!Arts!at!The!University!of!Texas!at!Austin!
©!2015!Texas!Education!Agency/The!University!of!Texas!System!
Teaching)Writing)in)the)3–5)Classroom!!
Book'
Handout!11!(6!of!10)!
Author(s)'
General'Lesson'or'Idea'
Characters,'Setting,'and'Plot'for'Narrative'Texts'
The)Paperboy)
Dav!Pilkey!
Model!how!to!use!simple!imagery!to!establish!setting.!
Working)Cotton)
Sherley!Anne!
Williams!
Model!the!development!of!setting!through!imagery.!
Henry’s)Freedom)
Box)
Ellen!Levine!
Model!character!development!through!behaviors.!
Alice)the)Fairy)
David!
Shannon!
Model!the!development!of!a!silly!character!through!her!
behaviors.!
The)Wednesday)
Surprise)
Eve!Bunting!
Model!plot!with!a!climax.!
Sam,)Bangs,)&)
Moonshine)
Evaline!Ness!
Model!plot!with!a!climax.!
Charlie)Anderson)
Barbara!
Abercrombie!
Model!plot.!
Model!the!use!of!dialect!and!its!connection!to!point!of!view.!
Other'Text'Structures'
How)I)Became)a)
Pirate)
Melinda!Long!! Model!how!to!create!a!list!of!pros!and!cons!that!can!be!used!to!
create!a!narrative!or!informational!text.!
Diary)of)a)Spider)
Doreen!
Cronin!
Model!how!to!create!a!Venn!diagram!to!compare!and!contrast!
two!animals!and!how!to!use!it!to!write!a!text.!
The)Pigeon)Wants)
a)Puppy)
Mo!Willems!
Model!persuasion!and!write!a!persuasive!letter!to!convince!
someone!to!get!you!a!puppy.!
What)if)You)Get)
Lost?)
Anara!Guard!
Model!procedural!text!and!how!to!write!out!steps!to!follow.!
Scaredy)Squirrel)
Melanie!Watt! Model!a!procedural!text.!
How)to)Make)an)
Apple)Pie)and)See)
the)World)
Marjorie!
Priceman!
Model!a!procedural!text.!
Animalia)
Graeme!Base!
Model!and!create!a!collaborative!ABC!book!that!uses!alliteration.!
Through)My)Eyes)
Ruby!Bridges!
Model!the!use!of!sequence!in!an!informational!text.!
That’s)Good!)That’s) Margery!
Bad!)
Cuyler!
Model!a!sequence!that!could!be!used!to!create!a!collaborative!
book.!
Vaughn!Gross!Center!for!Reading!and!Language!Arts!at!The!University!of!Texas!at!Austin!
©!2015!Texas!Education!Agency/The!University!of!Texas!System!
Teaching)Writing)in)the)3–5)Classroom!!
Book'
Author(s)'
Handout!11!(7!of!10)!
General'Lesson'or'Idea'
First)the)Egg)
Laura!Vaccaro! Model!the!use!of!sequences!that!exist!in!nature!to!create!a!simple!
Seeger!
children’s!book.!Use!this!model!to!create!a!collaborative!book.!
What’s)Up,)What’s)
Down)
Lola!M.!
Schaefer!
Model!a!sequence!that!can!be!used!to!show!the!relationships!
between!different!content!area!concepts!(e.g.,!“what’s!up,!what’s!
down”;!“what’s!in,!what’s!out”;!“what’s!right,!what’s!left”).!
Insectlopedia)
Douglas!
Florian!
Model!poetry!that!uses!various!rhyme!schemes,!figurative!
language!elements,!and!graphic!elements.!
Don’t)Take)Your)
Snake)for)a)Stroll)
Karin!Ireland!
Model!how!to!write!a!funny!poem!with!a!specific!rhyming!
pattern.!
If)Not)for)the)Cat)
Jack!Prelutsky! Model!how!to!write!haiku!poetry!about!animals.!
Science)Verse)
Jon!Scieszka!
The)Gardener)
Sarah!Stewart! Model!letter!writing!and!how!to!use!it!to!develop!character.!
Dear)Mrs.)LaRue:)
Letters)From)
Obedience)School)
Mark!Teague!
Model!how!to!write!fun!poetry!about!science!topics.!
Model!letter!writing.!
Model!how!to!write!from!a!different!perspective.!
Dear)Mr.)Blueberry) Simon!James!
Model!letter!writing.!
Putting'Self'Into'Writing,'Using'Emotions'and'Moods,'and'Writing'From'Different'Perspectives'
I)Am)America)
Me)I)Am!)
Charles!Smith! Talk!about!putting!yourself!into!your!writing.!Use!books!to!inspire!
Jack!Prelutsky! students!to!think!about!their!individuality.!Then,!work!on!creating!
a!cinquain!poem.!Have!each!student!create!a!poem!about!himself!
or!herself.!
Today)I)Feel)Silly)
and)Other)Moods)
Jamie!Lee!
Curtis!
Introduce!emotions!and!how!they!influence!the!voice!we!use.!
How)Are)You)
Peeling:)Foods)
With)Moods)
Saxton!
Freymann,!
Joost!Elffers!
Introduce!different!moods.!Have!students!identify!and!write!
sentences!that!demonstrate!different!moods.!
Yesterday)I)Had)the) Jeron!Ashford! Introduce!the!relationship!between!moods!and!colors.!Have!
Blues)
Frame!
students!create!their!own!color^day!poem.!Other!books!that!
connect!colors!and!other!concepts!include!Dr.!Seuss’!My)Many)
Colored)Days,!Susan!Bosak’s!Dream,!and!Joyce!Sidman’s!Red)Sings)
From)Treetops.!
Diary)of)a)Worm)
Doreen!
Cronin!
Model!writing!from!a!different!perspective.!Create!your!own!
journal!entry!for!a!different!animal!or!object.!
Vaughn!Gross!Center!for!Reading!and!Language!Arts!at!The!University!of!Texas!at!Austin!
©!2015!Texas!Education!Agency/The!University!of!Texas!System!
Teaching)Writing)in)the)3–5)Classroom!!
Book'
Author(s)'
Handout!11!(8!of!10)!
General'Lesson'or'Idea'
Word'Choice'and'Parts'of'Speech'
Max’s)Words)
Kate!Banks!
Introduce!word!consciousness!and!collecting!words!to!use!in!
writing.!
Tulip)Sees)America)
Cynthia!
Rylant!
Discuss!nouns!and!using!nouns!in!informational!writing.!
Teach!the!use!of!capitalization!for!geographical!places.!
What)If…)
Regina!J.!
Williams!
Model!the!effective!use!of!verbs!to!create!imagery.!
The)King)Who)
Rained)
Fred!Gwynne!
Introduce!homophones!and!word!play.!
Piggie)Pie!)
Margie!
Palatini!
Teach!different!ways!to!say!“said.”!
Nouns)and)Verbs)
Have)a)Field)Day)
Robin!Pulver!
Introduce!the!importance!of!nouns!and!verbs!working!together!in!
sentences.!
Hairy,)Scary,)
Ordinary:)What)Is)
an)Adjective?)
Brian!P.!
Cleary!
Introduce!adjectives.!
Sentences,'Capitalization,'and'Punctuation'
Miss)Rumphius)
Barbara!
Cooney!
Model!the!use!of!various!sentence!structures!and!quotation!
marks.!
Snowflake)Bentley)
Jacqueline!
Briggs!Martin!
Model!the!effective!use!of!prepositional!phrases!and!transitions.!
Punctuation)Takes)
a)Vacation)
Robin!Pulver!
Introduce!the!importance!of!punctuation.!
The)Punctuation)
Station)
Brian!P.!
Cleary!
Introduce!how!different!kinds!of!punctuation!are!used!to!
communicate!meaning.!
Punctuation)
Celebration!
Elsa!Knight!
Bruno!
Introduce!how!different!kinds!of!punctuation!are!used!to!
communicate!meaning.!
Eats,)Shoots,)&)
Leaves!and!
TwentyTOdd)Ducks)
Lynne!Truss!
Model!the!importance!of!different!punctuation!marks!in!a!
humorous!way.!
Goggles)
Ezra!Jack!
Keats!
Model!how!to!use!ellipses.!
!
Vaughn!Gross!Center!for!Reading!and!Language!Arts!at!The!University!of!Texas!at!Austin!
©!2015!Texas!Education!Agency/The!University!of!Texas!System!
Teaching)Writing)in)the)3–5)Classroom!!
Handout!11!(9!of!10)!
Picture'Book'Series'and'Authors'to'Study'
'
The!following!chart!shows!book!series!and!books!written!by!one!author!that!could!be!used!as!part!of!a!
genre!study!or!author!study!or!to!model!certain!writing!elements.!
'
Book)
Author!
General'Lesson'or'Idea!
I’m)in)Charge)of)
Celebrations,!etc.)
Byrd!
Baylor!
Baylor’s!books!make!direct!connections!to!nature!and!can!
be!used!to!teach!elements!such!as!imagery!and!poetry.!
The)Memory)String,)Fly)
Away)Home,)etc.)
Eve!
Bunting!
Bunting’s!books!are!beautifully!written!and!connect!to!
multiple!writing!elements.!
Grammar)Tales!(series))
Pamela!
Chanko!
This!series!of!books!is!devoted!to!each!part!of!speech.!The!
books!can!be!used!to!introduce!specific!parts!of!speech.!
Click,)Clack,)Moo:)Cows)That) Doreen!
Type!(series),!Diary)of)a)
Cronin!
Worm)(series),!etc.)
Written!with!a!wonderful!sense!of!humor,!Cronin’s!books!
can!be!used!to!teach!many!writing!elements,!including!
perspective!taking,!persuasion,!and!letter!writing.!
When)I)Was)Little,)Big)
Jamie!Lee!
Words)for)Little)People,!etc.!) Curtis!
Curtis’!books!connect!to!students!through!her!sense!of!
humor,!pictures,!and!interesting!perspective.!They!can!be!
used!to!teach!word!choice,!rhyming,!and!emotions.!
Word)Fun)(If)You)Were)
a…[Noun,)Verb,)etc.]))
Michael!
Dahl!
This!series!of!books!is!devoted!to!each!part!of!speech.!The!
books!can!be!used!to!introduce!specific!parts!of!speech.!!
Strega)Nona,!The)Art)
Lesson,!The)Knight)and)the)
Dragon,)etc.!
Tomie!
dePaola'
Many!of!dePaola’s!books!can!be!used!for!teaching!writing!
elements!such!as!story!elements!and!characters.'
Joyful)Noise:)Poems)for)Two)
Voices,!Weslandia,)Graven)
Images,)etc.)
Paul!
Fleischman’s!various!texts!(poetry,!narratives,!etc.)!can!be!
Fleischman! used!to!model!effective!word!choice,!story!structure,!use!of!
punctuation,!etc.!
Lincoln,)a)Photobiography;!
Russell!
The)Voice)That)Challenged)a) Freedman!
Nation;!etc.!
Freedman!writes!excellent!informational!texts!about!
historical!figures,!wars,!etc.!!
From)Seed)to)Plant!and!
other!informational!texts!)
Gail!
Gibbons!
Gibbons!has!written!many!informational!texts!that!are!
excellent!models!for!such!writing.!
Chrysanthemum,!Lilly’s)
Purple)Plastic)Purse,!etc.)
Kevin!
Henkes!
Henkes’!writing!can!be!used!to!model!elements!such!as!
describing!words,!feelings,!dialogue,!and!alliteration.!
Down,)Down,)Down;!etc.)
Steven!
Jenkins!
Jenkins’!informational!texts!present!facts!related!to!animals!
and!other!science!areas!in!a!visually!interesting!way.!!
The)Snowy)Day,!A)Letter)to)
Amy,!etc.!
Ezra!Jack!
Keats'
Keats’!narrative!texts!and!characters!model!how!simple!
ideas!can!result!in!wonderful!stories.'
Wilma)Unlimited,!
Harvesting)Hope,!Lives)of…!
series,!etc.!!
Kathleen!
Krull!
Krull’s!informational!texts!can!inspire!young!writers!to!
create!their!own!texts!about!famous!women,!artists,!and!
other!historical!figures.!
Vaughn!Gross!Center!for!Reading!and!Language!Arts!at!The!University!of!Texas!at!Austin!
©!2015!Texas!Education!Agency/The!University!of!Texas!System!
Teaching)Writing)in)the)3–5)Classroom!!
Book)
Author!
Handout!11!(10!of!10)!
General'Lesson'or'Idea!
Henry’s)Freedom)Box,!If)
You…!series,!etc.'
Ellen!
Levine'
Most!of!Levine’s!texts!are!based!on!real^life!stories.!Her!If)
You…!series!helps!students!experience!important!historical!
time!periods,!events,!etc.!
All)the)Places)to)Love,!I)
Didn’t)Do)It,)etc.)
Patricia!
The!figurative!language!and!effective!details!in!Maclachlan’s!
Maclachan! books!and!poetry!are!excellent!models!for!creating!imagery.!
Thank)You,)Mr.)Falker;!My)
Rotten)Redheaded)Older)
Brother;!Junkyard)Wonders;)
etc.'
Patricia!
Polacco'
Polacco!writes!narrative!texts!that!can!be!used!to!focus!on!
multiple!writing!elements,!including!personal!narrative!
writing,!character!development,!imagery,!and!adding!
details.'
My)Dog)May)Be)a)Genius,)A)
Pizza)the)Size)of)the)Sun,!If)
Not)for)the)Cat,!etc.)
Jack!
Prelutsky!
Prelutsky!writes!entertaining!poetry!and!other!kinds!of!
texts!that!can!be!used!to!model!rhyming,!word!choice,!and!
other!writing!elements.!
Martin’s)Big)Words,!Helen’s)
Big)World,)etc.!
Doreen!
Rappaport!
These!books!model!how!to!write!about!history.!The!books!
can!be!used!to!model!the!use!of!quotations!and!other!
elements!like!sequencing!and!writing!effective!sentences.!
Snow,)In)November,)The)
Relatives)Came,)When)I)
Was)Young)in)the)
Mountains,)Poppleton)
(series),!Henry)and)Mudge)
(series),!etc.!
Cynthia!
Rylant'
Rylant’s!use!of!details!is!an!excellent!model!that!can!be!
seen!in!many!of!her!books.!Of!course,!many!other!writing!
elements!can!be!modeled!with!her!texts,!including!
characters,!imagery,!word!choice,!and!sentence!structure.'
David!series,!A)Bad)Case)of)
the)Stripes,!Duck)on)a)Bike,!
Alice)the)Fairy,!etc.)
David!
Shannon!
The!David!series!can!be!used!to!teach!writing!elements,!
including!punctuation,!perspective!taking,!and!
capitalization.!His!other!books!can!be!used!for!modeling!
elements!such!as!characters!and!problem^solution.!
Where)the)Sidewalk)Ends,)A)
Light)in)the)Attic,!etc.!)
Shel!
Silverstein!
Humorous!poetry,!wonderful!word!choice,!and!imaginative!
imagery!are!the!signatures!of!Silverstein’s!work.!
Jumanji,)The)Polar)Express,)
Just)a)Dream,)Zathura,)The)
Stranger)
Chris!Van!
Allsburg!
Van!Allsburg’s!books!can!be!used!to!teach!various!writing!
elements,!such!as!problem^solution,!character!
development,!and!plot.!
Flotsam,!Tuesday,!Sector)7,)
etc.!
David!
Wiesner!
These!wordless!picture!books!can!be!used!for!many!
purposes.!Students!can!write!their!own!words,!sentences,!
and!entire!stories!to!match!Weisner’s!pictures.!
Pigeon!book!series,!Piggy!
and!Elephant!series,!
Knufflebunny!series,!etc.!
Mo!
Willems!
Willems!has!several!book!series!geared!toward!very!young!
students!(prekindergarten!to!first!grade),!but!they!can!be!
used!in!any!elementary!classroom!to!teach!everything!from!
persuasion!to!dialogue!to!word!choice.!
The)Other)Side,!This)Is)the)
Rope,)Feathers,)etc.!
Jacqueline!
Woodson!
Woodson’s!texts!provide!models!for!using!various!sentence!
structures,!character!development,!effective!details!and!
word!choice,!and!many!other!writing!elements.!
!
Vaughn!Gross!Center!for!Reading!and!Language!Arts!at!The!University!of!Texas!at!Austin!
©!2015!Texas!Education!Agency/The!University!of!Texas!System!