Mentor Texts for Narratives

Weekly Update

I’m constantly challenging myself to keep an open mind when it comes to my writer's notebook. This week we were asked to create an art piece as one of our entries. At first, I didn’t understand what this had to do with writing or how this was going to help me be a better writer. However, the more and more I struggled to figure it out the clearer the answer became. Writing encompasses more than the physical act of putting words on a page. The process of writing is so expansive and delves into depths I didn’t even know existed for me. I realized that this piece of art could spark a story idea for me. Whatever creation I ended up with came from somewhere. The idea didn’t just spontaneously combust in my notebook. My brain led me there. Writing ideas don’t just have to come from strategies we discuss in class. Writing ideas can come from anywhere: a conversation with the person standing in front of you in line for coffee, a funny, but relatable, meme about work on twitter, the bird you see fly into the tree top by your window. The entire world is inspiration for writing. We just have to look for it.

My piece of art might not be “museum” worthy, but it was exactly what I needed this week.

Narrative Writing Mentor Texts

After reading Happy Like Soccer by Maribeth Boelts and Lauren Castillo and Shortcut by Donald Crews, I was really interested in finding some additional picture books that could be used in an elementary classroom as mentor texts for narrative writing. I consulted my favorite crystal ball (aka Google) and found four picture books I would definitely use in my classroom as mentor texts. For each picture book I have listed two characteristics I believe make it an excellent choice for a narrative writing mentor text. I used Mentor Texts: Teaching Writing Through Children’s Literature, K-6 and Craft Moves: Lesson Sets for Teaching Writing with Mentor Texts to help me point out each characteristic.

Enemy Pie by Derek Munson

“It was the perfect summer. That is, until Jeremy Ross moved into the house down the street and became Enemy Number One. Luckily, Dad has a surefire way to get rid of enemies - Enemy Pie. But one of the secret ingredients is spending an entire day with the enemy. In this funny yet endearing story, one little boy learns an effective recipe for turning a best enemy into a best friend. With charming illustrations that bring to life the difficulties and ultimate rewards of making new friends, Enemy Pie serves up a sweet lesson in friendship” (2000).

Intriguing Lead

Munson hooks the reader from the very beginning of the story. The main character lists every reason why this summer should be the best summer ever, but then goes on to say it wasn’t. This leads the reader wondering why the summer wasn’t great and what could have happened to make the main character feel this way. By using an intriguing lead, Munson succeeds in drawing the reader in and leaving them in suspense. This encourages the reader to keep reading and find out what happens ne

Satisfying Ending

Everyone loves a happy ending. Munson creates a satisfying ending by making sure there are no loose ends and the reader knows exactly how the main character’s problems were solved and how the main character feels about the solution. If readers were left with a bunch of questions they may be confused or unhappy. This allows readers to feel good about what they’ve read and satisfied about how the story ended.

Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall

“Jabari is definitely ready to jump off the diving board. He’s finished his swimming lessons. He’s passed his swim test. It’s just...maybe he should do some stretches first. ‘Looks easy,’ says Jabari, watching the other kids take their turns. But when his dad squeezes his hand, Jabari squeezes back. Gaia Cornwall makes her picture book debut in a story about what it takes to work up the courage to make a big important leap” (2017).

Dialogue

Cornwall uses dialogue to help the reader grasp Jabari’s emotions. At first, Jabari says he isn’t scared at all, but his later dialogue helps the reader see that he has some reservations about jumping. By using dialogue, Cornwall is explicitly showing the reader exactly how Jabari feels. The reader isn’t left guessing how Jabari might feel about the situation. Cornwall also uses dialogue to show how other characters affect Jabari’s feelings and actions. Jabari’s dad tells him to take a deep breath, and it’s okay to be scared. His dad helps him turn his feeling of fear into a feeling of surprise. All of this is shown to the reader through dialogue. Cornwall uses dialogue to expand the plot and the relationship between Jabari and his dad.

Sound Words (Onomatopoeia)

Just like in Shortcut by Donald Crews, Cornwall uses sound words to emphasize actions occurring throughout the story. Not only does she use sound words, but she also presents them visually to further emphasize the action. Making this choice allows the reader to see how important the action is to the plot of the story, as well as making the illustration more interesting. The sounds words fit into the illustration, thus making it feel more complete.

Resources

Cornwall, G. (2017). Jabari Jumps. Candlewick Press. Somerville, Massachusetts.

Dorfman, L.R. and Cappelli, R. (2017). Mentor Texts: Teaching Writing Through Children’s Literature, K-6. Stenhouse Publishers. Portland, Maine.

Munson, D. (2000). Enemy Pie. Chronicle Books LLC. San Francisco, California.

Shubitz, S. (2016). Craft Moves: Lesson Sets for Teaching Writing with Mentor Texts. Stenhouse Publishers. Portland, Maine.