Mentor Texts, 2nd Edition ~ Dorfman and Cappelli

The second edition includes brand-new “Your Turn Lessons,” built around the gradual release of responsibility model, offering suggestions for demonstrations and shared or guided writing. Reflection is emphasized as a necessary component to understanding why mentor authors chose certain strategies, literary devices, sentence structures, and words.

Lynne and Rose offer new children’s book titles in each chapter and in a carefully curated and annotated Treasure Chest. At the end of each chapter a “Think About It—Talk About It—Write About It” section invites reflection and conversation with colleagues.

The book is organized around the characteristics of good writing—focus, content, organization, style, and conventions. Rose and Lynne write in a friendly and conversational style, employing numerous anecdotes to help teachers visualize the process, and offer strategies that can be immediately implemented in the classroom. This practical resource demonstrates the power of learning to read like writers.