Reading/Writing Workshop Skill Books

Reading/Writing Workshop Mentor Texts

The following is a list of titles that can help support your reading/writing workshop lessons. All of these titles are a part of our library collection. Strong Strong Many Personal Point of Memoirs Moments Leads Endings Moments Narratives View Summarizing

Questioning What’s Making Synthesizing Pattern Realistic Character Similies Important Connections Books Fiction Traits & (evaluating) Metaphors Onomatopoeia Flashback Alliteration Comeback Inferencing Research Memorable Cumulative Lines Details Language Tales

Children’s Books to Help You Introduce Reader’s Writer’s Workshop/Literacy Aunt Chip and the Great Triple Creek Dam Affair- Patricia Polacco Thank You, Mr. Falker- Patrica Polacco Max’s Words- Kate Banks Author: A True Story- Helen Lester A Quiet Place- Douglas Wood Charlie Cook’s Favorite Book- Julia Donalson Walter’s Magic Wand- Eric Houghton Edward and the Pirates- David McPhail The Girl Who Hated Books- Manjusha Pawagi Wild About Books- Judy Sierra Author Day for room 3T- Robin Pulver Book! Book! Book!- Deborah Bruss I Hate to Read!- Rita Marshall That Book Woman- Heather Henson The Hard Times Jar- Ethel Footman Smothers The Best Story- Eileen Spinelli Ish- Peter Reynolds

Children’s Books to Help You Teach the Skill of Predicting Bad Day at Riverbend- Chris Van Allsburg Bea and Mr. Jones- Amy Schwartz Cat Heaven- Cynthia Rylant It Looked Spilt Milk- Charles Shaw Suddenly- Colin McNaughton Bubba and Beau, Meet the Relatives- Kathi Appelt The Empty Pot- Demi King of the Playground- Phyllis Naylor The Little Ren Hen Makes a Pizza- Philemon Sturges Roller Coaster- Marla Frazee Babushka Baba Yaga- Patricia Polacco Earthquack!- Margie Palatini Peach and Blue- Sarah Kilborne Mirandy and Brother Wind- Patricia McKissack The Graves Family- Patricia Polacco Wilma Unlimited- Kathleen Krull Back to top

Children’s Books to Help You Teach the Skill of Small Moments The Other Way to Listen- Byrd Baylor I’m in Charge of the Celebration- Byrd Baylor Do Like Kyla- Angela Johnson Home Run- Robert Burleigh Come on Rain- Karen Hesse Knuffle Bunny- Mo Willems Sheila Ray’s Peppermint Stick- Kevin Henkes Roller Coaster- Marla Frazee Saturday and Teacakes- Lester Laminack The Kissing Hand- Audrey Penn Koala Lou- Mem Fox Baghead- Jarrett Krosoczka Trevor’s Wiggly Wobby Tooth- Lester Laminack Jin Woo- Eve Bunting Fireflies- Julie Brinckloe Jamacia’s Find- Juanita Havill Amazing Grace- Mary Hoffman Aunt Flossie’s Hats- Elizabeth Fitzgerald Howard Crab Cakes Later- Elizabeth Fitzgerald Howard Goggles- Ezra Jack Keats Night Shift Daddy- Eileen Spinelli Snowy Day- Ezra Jack Keats Everybody Cooks Rice- Norah Dooley Roxaboxen- Alice McClerran A Chair for My Mother- Vera B. Williams

Back to top Children’s Books to Help You Teach the Skill of Strong Leads All the Places to Love- Patricia MacLachlan Bigmama’s- Donald Crews (starts with a question) Charlie Anderson- Barbara Abercrombie (introduces character and setting) Bee Tree- Patricia Polacco (starts with Dialogue) Cinder-Elly -Frances Minters (reminds you of another book) Cross-Country Cat – Mary Calhoun (makes you want to read it) Imogene’s Antlers- David Small (catches the reader’s attention) James and the Giant Peach- Roald Dahl Louis the Fish- Arthur Yorinks Math Curse- Jon Scieszka Tree of Cranes- Allen Say Possum Magic- Mem Fox Thunder Cake- Patricia Polacco Peter’s Chair- Ezra Jack Keats

Children’s Books to Help You Teach the Skill of Strong Endings Milo’s Hat Trick- Jon Agee Fireflies- Julie Bringkloe Night Tree- Eve Bunting The Memory String- Eve Bunting Stellaluna- Janell Cannon Bridge to Terabithia- Katherine Paterson Every Living Thing- Cynthia Rylant Fig Pudding- Ralph Fletcher Paperboy- Dav Pilkey Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes- Eleanor Coerr Jamaica’s Find- (end with small action) Amazing Grace- (end with Dialogue) Going Home- (end with small action) The Memory String- (end with dialogue) Fly Away Home- Eve Bunting (end with feeling) Just Us Women- (circular ending) Jin Woo- (end with feeling)

Children’s Books to Help You Teach the Skill of Many Moments Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day- Judith Viorst Joshua By the Sea- Angela Johnson When I Was Young in the Mountains- Cynthia Rylant Do Like Kyla- Angela Johnson Pictures From My Vacation- Lynne Rae Perkins Just a Dream- Chris Van Allsburg

Children’s Books to Help You Teach the Skill of Personal Narratives Atlantic- Brian G. Karas The Day Gogo Went to Vote- Elinor Sisulu Roxaboxen- Alice McLerran Tar Beach- Faith Ringold My Mama Had a Dancing Heart- Libba Gray Letting Swift River Go- Jane Yolen The Day Jimmy’s Boa Ate the Wash- Trinka Hakes Noble Market Square Dog- James Herriot The Lost Thing- Shaun Tan The Art Lesson- Tomie dePaola Fireflies- Julie Brinckloe The Rag Coat- Lauren Mills More Than Anything Else- Marie Bradby Come On, Rain- Karen Hesse I’m in Charge of Celebrations- Byrd Baylor The Hello, Goodbye Window- Norton Juster Butterfly House- Eve Bunting Smoky Night- Eve Bunting Mrs. Rumphius- Barbara Conney Girl Wonder, A Baseball Story in Nine Innings- Deborah Hopkinson Thundercake- Patricia Polacco Too Many Tamales- Gary Soto The Gardener- Sara Stewart Alexander books- Judith Biorst Dear Mr. Henshaw- Beverly Cleary Love That Dog- Sharon Creech

Children’s Books to Help You Teach the Skill of Point of View Voices in the Park- Anthony Browne Hey, Little Ant- Phillip Hoose Encounter- Jane Yoken Ben’s Dream- Chris Van Allsburg Bull Run- Paul Fleischman Cinderella’s Rat- Susan Meddaugh Dear Mrs. LaRue, Letters from Obedience School- Mark Teague Moose Tracks- Karma Wilson

Back to top Children’s Books to Help You Teach the Skill of Retelling/Summarizing- Readers identify key elements and condense important information into their own words during and after reading to solidify meaning. Mirette on a High Wire- Emily Arnold Hattie and the Fox- Mem Fox Mouse Paint- Ellen Walsh Edward the Emu- Sheena Knowles Togo- Robert Blake Buster- Denise Fleming Clever Beatrice- Margaret Wiley Miss Nelson is Missing- Harry Allard

Children’s Books to Help You Teach the Skill of Memoirs Chicken Sunday- Patricia Polacco Just Us Women Shortcut- Donald Crews The Two of Them- Aliki When I Was Young in the Mountains Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge- Mem Fox Thank you Mr. Falker- Patricia Polacco When I was Little- Jamie Lee Curtus The Pain and the Great One- Judy Blume Home Place- Crescent Dragonwagon How I Learned Geography- Uri Shulevitz The House on Mango Street The Art Lesson Nana Upstairs, Nana Downstairs Homesick Little By Little- Jean Little I Have an Olive Tree- Eve Bunting 26 Fairmount Avenue- Tomie dePaola

Children’s Books to Help You Teach the Skill of Sensory Images- Readers create images in their minds that reflect or represent the ideas in the text. These images may include any of the five senses and serve to enhance understanding of the text. Night in the Country- Cynthia Rylant Twilight Comes Twice- Ralph Fletcher Pictures of Hollis Woods- Patricia Reilly Giff Come On, Rain!- Karen Hesse I’m in Charge of Celebrations- Byrd Baylor Old Black Fly- Jim Aylesworth Fishing in the Air- Sharon Creech Where the River Begins- Thomas Locker Puddles- Jonathan London The Ghost-Eye Tree- Bill Martin Jr. How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World- Marjorie Priceman Owl Moon- Jane Yolen Up North in the Cabin- Martha Chall Song and Dance Man- Ackerman Night Tree- Eve Bunting My Father’s Hands- Joanne Ryder

Children’s Books to Help You Teach the Skill of Dialogue Saturdays and Tea Cakes- Lester Laminack I am the Dog, I am the Cat- Donald Bee Tree- Patricia Polacco Going Home- Eve Bunting I Like to be Little- Charlotte Zolotow Strong to the Hoop- John Coy Aunt Isabel Tells a Good One- Kate Duke Yertle the Turtle- Dr. Seuss

Children’s Books to Help You Teach the Skill of About the Author Meanest Thing to Say- Bill Cosby Appalachia- Cynthia Rylant Owl Moon- Jane Yolen

Children’s Books to Help You Teach the Skill of Questioning-Readers ask questions about the text and the author's intentions and seek information to clarify and extend their thinking before, during and after reading. An Angel for Solomon Singer- Cynthia Rylant Monarch Butterfly- Gail Gibbons Why is the Sky Blue- Sally Grindley Big Al- Andrew Clements The Librarian Who Measured the Earth- Kathryn Lasky The Van Gogh Café- Cynthia Rylant Charlie Anderson- Berbara Abercrombie A Day’s Work- Eve Bunting Fly Away Home- Eve Bunting The Lotus Seed- Sherry Garland Grandfather’s Journey- Alan Say The Mary Celeste- Jane Yolen How Come?- Kathy Wollard Who’s in the Hall?- A Mystery in Four Chapters- Betsy Hearne The Red Book- Barbara Lehman Shortcut- Donald Crews The Three Pigs- David Wiesner Is Your Mama a Llama?- Deborah Guarino The Web Files- Margie Palatini The Talking Eggs- Robert San Souci Not a Box- Antoinette Portis If I Were a Tree- Dar Hosta

Children’s Books to Help You Teach the Skill of Determining What’s Important- Readers judge, justify, and/or defend understandings to determine importance based on stated criteria. Flight- Robert Burleigh Magic School Bus Books- Joanna Cole The Milk Makers- Gail Gibbons Somewhere Today- Bert Kitchen Water Dance- T. Locker Medieval Feast- Aliki The Great Kapok Tree- Lynne Cherry Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad- Raith Ringold Sierra- Diane Siebert

Children’s Books to Help You Teach the Skill of Making Connections- Readers relate what they read to personal experiences (text-to-self), to information from other text (text-to- text), and to information about the world (text-to-world) in order to enhance understanding of self, text, and life. A Chair for My Mother- Vera Williams A River Dream- Chris Van Allsburg Fireflies- Julie Brinkloe Hurricane- David Wiesner Ira Sleeps Over- Bernard Waber My Great Aunt Arizona- Gloria Jouston Owen- Kevin Henkes The Honest to Goodness Truth- Patricia McKissack When Was Young in the Mountains- Cynthia Rylant The Great Kapok Tree- Lynne Cherry Earrings- Judith Viorst Tough Borris- Mem Fox The Pain and the Great One- Judy Blume Nana Upstairs Nana Downstairs- Tomie DePaola Every Living Thing- Cynthia Rylant My Rotten Red-Headed Older Brother- Patricia Polacco Edward the Emu- Sheena Knowles Gregory the Terrible Eater- Mitchell Sharmat When Sophie Gets Angry- Molly Bang The Younger Brother’s Survival Guide- Lisa Kopelke The Journey- Sarah Stewart

Children’s Books to Help You Teach the Skill of Synthesizing- Readers create original insights, perspectives and understandings by reflecting on text(s) and merging elements from text and existing schema. The Alphabet Tree- Leo Leonni Fables- Arnold Lobel The Rag Coat- Lauren Mills Smokey Night- Eve Bunting Tea With Milk- Allen Say See the Ocean- Estella Condra A Rainbow of my Own- Don Freeman The Lotus Seed- Sherry Garland The Quicksand Book- Tomie DePaola Sleeping Ugly- Jane Yolen The Trouble With Trolls- Jan Brett Stone Soup- Jon Muth Smallest Cow in the World- Katherine Paterson Judy Moody Saves the World- Megan McDonald Apple Pie 4th of July- Janet Wong Charlie Anderson- Barbara Abercrombie Emily Mirette on the High Wire- Emily Arnold The Table Where Rich People Sit- Byrd Baylor

Children’s Books to Help You Teach the Skill of Visualizing (Mental Images) Napping House- Audrey Wood Color a Rhyme- Jane Yolen Encounter- Jane Yolen Up North at the Cabin- Marsha Chall Twilight Comes Twice- Ralph Fletcher Night in the Country- Cynthia Rylant The Legend of the Sleeping Bear- Wargin One Tiny Turtle- Nicola Davies The Snow Walker- Margaret Wetterer The Salamander Room- Anne Mazer Zoom- Istvan Banyai Re-Zoom- Istvan Banyai I’m in Charge of Celebrations- Byrd Baylor Fishing in the Air- Sharon Creech All the Small Poems and Fourteen More- Valerie Worth Elbert’s Bad Word- Audrey Wood A Bad Case of Stripes- David Shannon Time Flies- Eric Rohmann The Girl Who Hated Books- Maniusha Pawagi Pictures of Hollis Woods- Patricia Reilly Giff Come On, Rain!- Karen Hesse I’m in Charge of Celebrations- Byrd Baylor Old Black Fly- Jim Aylesworth Fishing in the Air- Sharon Creech Where the River Begins- Thomas Locker Puddles- Jonathan London The Ghost-Eye Tree- Bill Martin Jr. How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World- Marjorie Priceman Owl Moon- Jane Yolen Song and Dance Man- Ackerman Night Tree- Eve Bunting

Children’s Books to Help You Teach the Skill of Realistic Fiction Fireflies- Julie Bringkloe Owl Moon- Jane Yolen Chair for My Mother- Vera Williams Kissing Hand- Audrey Penn Snowy Day- Ezra Jack Keats Just Us Women- Jeanette Franlins Caines The Stray Dog- Marc Simont When Sophie Gets Angry- Molly Bang Ira Sleeps Over- Bernard Waber Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon- Patty Lovell Jessica- Kevin Henkes Goggles- Ezra Jack Keats The Paperboy- Dav Pilky Ella Sarah Gets Dressed- Margaret Chodos Irvine The Name Jar-Jengsook Choi Grandpa Never Lies- Ralph Fletcher One of the Three- Angela Johnson Goin’ Someplace Special- Patricia McKissack Fishing Day- Andrea Piakney Freedom Summer- Deborah Wiles

Children’s Books to Help You Teach the Skill of Character Traits Angel for Soloman Singer- Old Henry- Joan W. Bios The Old Woman Who Named Things- Cynthia Rylant An Angel for Soloman Singer- Cynthia Rylant Wing Walker- Rosemary Wells Amazing Grace- Hoffman Amos&Boris- William Steig Chrysanthemum- Kevin Henkes Crow Boy- Yashima Miss Rumphius- Cooney My Great Aunt Arizona- Houston Song and Dance Man- Ackerman Enemy Pie- Derek Munson Bootsie Barker Bites- Barbara Bottner Jamaica’s Blue Marker- Juanita Havill The Journey- Sarah Stewart

Back to top Children’s Books to Help You Teach the Skill of Similies & Metaphors Love is a Handful of Honey- Giles Andreae Brave as a Mountain Lion- Ann Herbert Scott Knots on a Counting Rope- Bill Martin, Jr. Like Jake and Me- Mavis Jukes Quick as a Cricket- Audrey Wood Swamp Angel- Paul Zelinsky The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses- Paul Goble Amber on the Mountain- Tony Johnston

Children’s Books to Help You Teach the Skill of Voice- a personality through writing Voices in the Park- Anthony Browne My Five Senses- Aliki Very Busy Spider- Eric Carle Very Hungry Caterpillar- Eric Carle Autumn Street- Lois Lowry Boy- Roald Dahl Dream Keeper and Other Poems by Langson Hughes (especially “Mother to the Sun”) Everybody Needs a Rock- Byrd Baylor Relatives Came-Cynthia Rylant Taste of Blackberries- Dorris Smith True Story of the Three Little Pigs- Jon Sciezka White Dynamite and the Curly Kid- Bill Martin Jr.

Children’s Books to Help You Teach the Skill of Setting An Angel for Soloman Singer- Cynthia Rylant Way to Start a Day- Byrd Baylor Freak the Mighty- Rodman Philbrick From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basis E. Frankweiler- E.L. Konigsburg Great Kapok Tree- Lynne Cherry Snow White in New York- Fiona French Tar Beach- Faith Ringgold Covered Wagons, Bumpy Trails- Kay Verla Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs- Judi Barrett The Lorax- Dr. Seuss The Red Book- Barbara Lehman Thunder Cake- Patricia Polacco The Web Files- Margie Palatini The Relatives Came- Cynthia Rylant Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe Owl Moon by Jane Yolen Sierra by Diane Siebert

Children’s Books to Help You Teach the Skill of Personification The Little Yellow Leaf- Carin Berger Journey- Patricia MacLachlan Giving Tree- Shel Silverstein If You Give a Pig a Pancake- Laura NUmeroff Officer Buckle and Gloria- Peggy Rathmann Sylvester and the Magic Pebble- William Steig Velveteen Rabbit- Margery Williams Toys Go Out- Emily Jenkins The Barn- Debbie Atwell There is a Flower at the Tip of My Nose Smelling Me- Alice Walker Chicka Chicka Boom Boom- Bill Martin Jr.

Children’s Books to Help You Teach the Skill of Onomatopoeia Clink Clank Clunk! – Miriam Aroner The Squeaky Door- Margaret Read MacDonald One Green Apple- Eve Bunting Night Noises- Mem Fox Chicky Chicky Chook Chook- Cathy MacLennan Charlie Parker Played Be Bop- Chris Raschka Umbrella- Taro Yashima

Children’s Books to Help You Teach the Skill of Flashback Alexander Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday- Judith Viorst Miss Rumphius- Barbara Cooney Old Bear- Kevin Henkes

Children’s Books to Help You Teach the Skill of Alliteration Animalia- Graeme Base Some Smug Slug- Pamela Duncan Edwards Absolutely Awful Alphabet- Mordechai Gerstein Worrywarts- Pamela Duncan Edwards Back to top

Children’s Books to Help You Teach the Skill of Comeback Lines Time for Bed- Mem Fox When I was Young in the Mountains- Cynthia Rylant The Listening Walk- Paul Showers The Napping House- Audrey Wood I Like to Be Little- Charlotte Zolotow Baloney- Jon Scieszka

Children’s Books to Help You Teach the Skill of Inferencing (Drawing Conclusions)- Readers think about and search the text, and sometimes use personal knowledge to construct meaning beyond what is literally stated. Wreck of the Zephyr- Chris Van Allsburg Encounter- Jane Yolen Fireflies!- Julie Brin Fly Away Home- Eve Bunting If you Listen- Charlotte Zolotow How Many Days to America- Eve Bunting Lunch- Denise Fleming Miss Rumphius- Barbara Cooney Rainbow Fish- Marcus Pfister The Story of Jumping Mouse- John Stepto June 29, 1999- David Wiesner Peppe the Lamplighter- Elisa Bartone The Table Where Rich People Sit- Byrd Baylor Going Home- Eve Bunting Shoes from Grandpa- Mem Fox Grandpa’s Face- Eloise Greenfield She’s Wearing a Dead Bird on Her Head- Kathryn Lasky George and Martha- James Marshall The Tale of Mandarin Ducks- Katherine Paterson Mystery of Eatum Hall- John Kelly Shivers in the Fridge- Fran Manushkin Moose Tracks- Karma Wilson My Lucky Day- Keiko Kasza The Journey of Oliver K. Woodman- Darcy Pattison The Stray Dog- Marc Simont Seven Blind Mice- Ed Young Tuesday- David Wiesner How Are You Peeling?- Saxton Freymann Mama: A True Story- Jeanette Winter Bootsie Barker Bites- Barbara Bottner The Arrival- Shaun Tan Duck! Rabbit!- Amy Rosenthal The Flower Man- Mark Ludy Rose Blanche- Roberto Innocenti The Gardener- Sarah Stewart The Journey- Sarah Stewart Not a Box- Antoinette Portis

Children’s Books to Help You Teach the Skill of Writing With Research Details Captain Fact Series- Knife & Packer Make Way for Ducklings- Robert McCloskey Like Jake and Me- Mavis Jukes Perfect Puppy for Me- O’Connor & Hartland Popcorn Book- Tomie dePaola Verdi- Janell Cannon

Back to top Children’s Books to Help You Teach the Skill of Memorable Language Fireflies!- Julie Brinckloe Home Place- Crescent Dragonwagon Jumanji- Chris Van Allsburg Memory Box- Mary Kay Shanl Owl Moon- Jane Yolen The Relatives Came- Cynthia Rylant

Children’s Books to Help You Teach the Skill of Cumulative Tales Book that Jack Wrote- Jon Scieszka Napping House- Audrey Wood No Jumping on the Bed- Ted Arnold Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly- Simms Taback Home Run- Robert Burleigh Drummer Hoff- Barbara Emberly The Fat Cat: a Danish Folktale- Margaret McDonald

Children’s Books to Help You Teach the Skill of Pattern Books Goodnight Moon- Margaret Wise Brown It Looked Like Spilt Milk- Charles Shaw Dinner at Panda Palace- Stephanie Calmenson Duck on a Bike- David Shannon Where’s Mary’s Hat?- Stephane Barroux Hattie and the Fox- Mem Fox Is Your Mama a Llama?- Deborah Guarino Millions of Cats- Wanda Gag We’re Going on a Bear Hunt- Michael Rosen What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?- Steve Jenkins Edward the Emu- Sheena Knowles Important Book- Margaret Wise Brown Oh, The Places We’ll Go- Dr. Seuss Some Smug Slug- Pamela Duncan Edwards The Napping House- Audrey Wood I am the Dog, I am the Cat- Donald Hall Tops and Bottoms- Janet Stevens When I Was Young in the Mountains- Cynthia Rylant Noisy Nora- Rosemary Wells Not a Box- Antoinette Portis If I Were a Tree- Dar Hosta