April 5: Birthright Claim your birthright: time.  Brutal, shaking truth is a refuge.  Truth clings to the hours  and minutes. In the lit cave  of too much and...

Poem 5: "Birthright" was written beside a poem by Ada Limon. Writing beside #mentortexts is so important, because you never know what might emerge when you do! #surprisedbywriting #AmWriting #NationalPoetryMonth #PoetryasPractice #WriteforYourLife

poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2026/04/apri...

MOWMT 27: Exploring the Why of Board Books with Robin Currie It happened the other day – a stroller child at the next table was chewing a copy of a board book I authored! When I told his mom, she said, “Oh, he loves to chew that one!” Take that, awards judges! ...

Check out this great blog post about the kinds of board books you can write!
@robincurrie.bsky.social on #RateYourStory #BookLove #MarchOn #MentorTexts www.rateyourstory.org/post/mowmt-2...

Excited to participate in Rate Your Story's March On With Mentor Texts for the 1st time! I love sharing picture books & finding out about new ones to read, enjoy & analyze so I can apply what I learn in my own writing! #RateYourStory #BookLove #MarchOn #MentorTexts Such an adorable badge too!!

MOWMT 29: The Culture of a Name with Maria Wen Adcock Picture Books About Cultural Name Awareness by Maria Wen AdcockWhat’s in a name? In a very practical sense, our names are our identities. When someone says our names, we know they’re talking to us. Cu...

Teaching children the cultural importance of names? Check out www.rateyourstory.org/post/mowmt-2... @mariawenadcock.bsky.social 's post on #RateYourStory #BookLove #MarchOn #MentorTexts for her book & others @yangsookchoi.bsky.social @authorjamilah.bsky.social

MOWMT 26: Diving into the Details with Lisa Rogers It’s All in the Details by Lisa RogersPrecision in writing can be hard-won. As writers, we can get carried away by our words, without making sure that each one communicates what we intend. Sometimes, ...

500 words. That's all children's authors have to surprise, delight, inspire, inform. These mentor texts exemplify precision in creating resonance & meaning.
#amwriting #kidlit #booksky #mentortexts #MOWMT #amreading #picturebooks #12x12PB #schoollibrarian

www.rateyourstory.org/post/mowmt-2...

Thank you @christymatthes.bsky.social for posting my guest blog at the fourth annual #RateYourStory March On With Mentor Texts event.
#kidlit #booksky #PB #ownvoices #mentortexts #MOWMT #amreading #picturebooks #diversebooks #12x12PB #schoollibrarians #amwriting #collectiondevelopment

MOWMT 10: Writing the Unexpected with Selene Castrovilla Writing the Unexpected: Crafting Unique Picture Book Biographies About Famous PeopleBy Selene CastrovillaGrowing up, I always knew I was a writer. But if you’d told me I would one day write about Geor...

Happy Birthday (yesterday) to my near and dear friend and talented writer Selene Castrovilla! Show her some love (and possibly win a prize) by commenting! on the original post.

www.rateyourstory.org/post/mowmt-1... #HappyBirthday #celebratebooks #mentortexts #MOWMT

It's that time again! Who's with me?
Registration is open all month at www.rateyourstory.org/post/2026-ma...

#MOWMT #RateYourStory #mentortexts #kidlitcommunity #KidLit #reading #amreading #amwriting #AmRevising

Richness of vocabulary allows a child to communicate a richness of thought in their spoken and written words. It all points to the essential nature of exposure to quality literature and quality conversations in the classroom. #vocabularybuilding #richlanguage #mentortexts

Do you know that we also love to teach writers? Join us for this free webinar, graciously hosted by Reading is Fundamental.
@stenhousepub.bsky.social @heinemannpub.bsky.social
#mentortexts

Read Local Highlight: The Power of Your Name By Anne Vaccaro Brady Chapter member Jyoti Rajan Gopal’s most recently published books are “The Power of Your Name” and “Over in the Mangroves.” In this interview she discusses what inspired her to…

Congrats on your new books @jyotigopal.bsky.social !! Read all about them here:
scbwiwestchester.wordpress.com/2025/10/20/r... #kidlit #kidlitart #amreadingkidlit #mentortexts #picturebooks #mangroves #names #homeschooling #kidlitmegafeed #kidlitcommunity

The Journey to Mentor Text Mastery A blog about how teachers can more effectively teach writing and improve student engagement. The focus is on HOW to write, not WHAT to write.

The considered journey towards mentor text mastery in the writing classroom. A journey of shared discovery using the support of trusted authors and their powerful works.

livinglifetwice-alwrite.blogspot.com/2025/10/the-...

#mentortexts #authors #readinglikewriters

a cartoon character is giving the ok sign and saying perfection . ALT: a cartoon character is giving the ok sign and saying perfection .

After a long week, it’s nice to just lay back and relax with a pile of picture books 🥰 #kidlitchat #mentortexts #kidlitcommunity #writesky

A moment that changed me | The Guardian <p>Writers reflect on a moment when their life turned on its axis<br></p>

This is just about a perfect collection of personal essay #MentorTexts - a *wide* variety of topics from authors who are diverse in just about every way imaginable. Great work from @theguardian.com. #EduSky www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

Mentor Sentences from "The World" by Sophie Gilbert Mentor Sentences Craft moves: What does the author DO? Try it: Why? Just as Anderson was making futile attempts to protect her own image, an unknown college student was becoming the first woman to...

Here's a small set of mentor sentences from a recent article I read. Writing beside well crafted sentences strengthens my practice and gives me ideas for what to write about in the future. #MentorTexts #EduSky #CraftMoves #WritingCraft #WriteBesideThem docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Mentor Sentences from "When I'm 84" by Mark Leibovich Original article Mentor Sentence Craft moves: What does the author DO? Try it: Why? He is among the most scrutinized, fetishized, analyzed, and catechized people in history. List of -ed verbals to...

Finally got around to "When I'm 84: The World Still Needs Ringo Starr" by Mark Leibovich. Collected mentor excerpts to write beside. Great #MentorText for biography writing and for music lovers! #MentorTexts #WriteBesideThem #WriteforYourLife #MovingWriters docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Who else is a winner?
There's still time to read any #MOWMT posts you might have missed!
#kidlit #mentortexts #amwriting #amrevising #kidlitcommunity

Today’s library haul! 📚
#nonfiction #pbbiography #history #amwriting #mentortexts

Metaphor as an Organizing Force in the College Entrance Essay March 25, 2025 The college entrance essay: Should we teach it or shouldn’t we?  This year, the guidance department of our high school, New Directions Secondary School in the Bronx, NY, asked m…

New post up at Moving Writers about how I teach my students to build a metaphor throughout a college entrance essay! movingwriters.org/2025/03/25/m... #mentortexts @rebekahodell1.bsky.social

MOWMT: Compelling Page Turns with Sarah Hovorka March 25, 2025[Note: Click on the Title / Links to buy the Books.]If you’ve ever searched for “page turns in a picture book manuscript” you’ll see a variety of contradictory advice usually focused on ...

www.rateyourstory.org/single-post/...

Enter for a chance to win a picture book submission package critique!

#BookLove #MarchOn #MentorTexts #RateYourStory

Who else is having fun reading mentor texts for MOWMT?
These authors have some great tips to share!
(Psst! My post will be up on March 25th - stay tuned!)
#MOWMT #marchonwithmentortexts #mentortexts #picturebooks #kidlit #kidlitcommunity #RateYourStory

A grouping of 9 different animal-related picture books.

Some of today’s library treasures!😍 #NF #PB #MentorTexts #AmWriting

MOWMT: Mining Your Reading Pile by Lynne Marie March 3, 2025[Note: Click on the Titles to Buy the Books] I'm excited to kick off March On With Mentor Texts this year. As many who know me know, I have used Mentor Texts since the beginning of my car...

Starting the year off strong in the #Kidlit community! 📚 January brought #Storystorm, February had #NFFest, and now we’re Marching on with #MentorTexts! 🚀 #WritingCommunity #KidlitWriters #MarchOn

@literallylynne.bsky.social

www.rateyourstory.org/single-post/...

MOWMT: Playing with Point of View by Roxanne Troup March 4, 2025[Note: Click on Titles to Buy Books]Point of view (POV) is the lens with which we tell a story. But choosing the right point of view can be a challenge. Occasionally, we get it right the ...

#BookLove #MarchOn #MentorTexts #RateYourStory

www.rateyourstory.org/single-post/...

@literallylynne.bsky.social Interesting POV post in March On With Mentor Texts by @roxannetroup.bsky.social Check out her thoughts! Check out the books too!

MOWMT: Playing with Point of View by Roxanne Troup March 4, 2025[Note: Click on Titles to Buy Books]Point of view (POV) is the lens with which we tell a story. But choosing the right point of view can be a challenge. Occasionally, we get it right the ...

"POV is the lens with which we tell a story. But choosing the right point of view can be a challenge." Check out this craft post with PB mentor texts to study (by me!).
#kidlit #mentortexts #storytelling #writerstoolbox

www.rateyourstory.org/single-post/...

I posted this in the old place, and maybe it'll do some good for the #EduSky crowd. This is a collection of right around 300 #MentorTexts that I've curated in recent years. While they certainly betray my idiosyncrasies, I think there's a lot here that will speak to teens. padlet.com/himsjaso1809...

Blog This treat of a mentor text is a little older (published in 2003), but I just love the way it is crafted, using a cumulative format mirroring the style of "There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly".....

🌵This is a fun one! AROUND ONE CACTUS - OWLS, BATS AND LEAPING RATS by Anthony D. Fredericks

Great example of rhyming couplets in a cumulative story scheme!

collazocove.com/blog

#AmWriting #NF #PB #MentorTexts 📚👍🏼

Blog Today I read two non-fiction picture books created by the late Steve Jenkins. One written with his wife Robin Page and the other written by Sneed B. Collard III, illustrated by Steve.

🔥New on the blog: Exploring Mentor Texts: Steve Jenkins Style!

#AmWriting #NF #PB #MentorTexts #KidLit

collazocove.com/blog

Stack of four picture books about seashells and the ocean laying on top of one another

I'm reading!

I have a pile of mentor texts to study structure, language, and scenes for my WIP. So much to learn and absorb.

I never knew writing for children would be so hard...and so much fun!

#kidlit #WIP #Iamreading #mentortexts #nonfictionpb

Blog Picture Book: SLEEPY - SURPRISING WAYS ANIMALS SNOOZE Author: Jennifer Ward Illustrator: Robin Page

Okay, this is a new favorite!

Up on the blog:
SLEEPY - SURPRISING WAYS ANIMALS SNOOZE
by Jennifer Ward and illustrated by Robin Page.

Check it out! collazocove.com/blog

#AmWriting #MentorTexts #KidLit #PB #NF 📚👍🏼