What are mentor texts?
Mentor texts are models for writers, well-done examples of specific writing skills that authors can use to learn how to become better writers.
Whatever areas upon which you feel you could improve as a writer, finding a mentor text to inspire and teach you is always a great idea. First, know your target audience and read the kinds of books that you feel will reach that audience. After that, whether you want help with character development, plot and story arc, pace, voice, dialogue, structure, tense, point of view, or world-building, find the books that feature the specific skills you’re looking for and read as many as you can.
Here are ten recommendations:
Picture Books:
The Napping House by Audrey Wood. Cumulative text, humor, story arc.
Plants Fight Back by Lisa Amstutz. Humorous, rhyming nonfiction with sidebars and a gold mine of information for the school curriculum.
teaches math skills.
Ah-Choo! by Lana Wayne Koehler and Gloria G. Adams. Interactive, rhyme, repetition, story arc,
teaches empathy.
Chapter Books:
The Zoe and Sassafras series by Asia Citro. Relatable characters, story arc, dialogue, voice,
how to write a series.
The Cody series by Tricia Springstubb. Relatable characters, life lessons, dialogue, voice, story arc, how to write a series.
Middle Grade:
Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston. Fantasy, character development, voice, world-building.
Young Adult:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Social/political issues, strong character development, suspense, world building, writing a series
Here’s a tip from the writers at Journeytokidlit.com: “Try typing out the full story or 1st chapter to get a better sense of what it was like to be the writer of the book. It will help you learn word choice, sentence structure, and voice.”
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