THE WRITING THIEF: USING MENTOR TEXTS TO TEACH THE CRAFT OF WRITING
When you write, revise (endlessly), and eventually publish, it’s very scary to know your words and thoughts are “out there” in the world for all to read and criticize. So, imagine the courage it takes for me to say, “I love this book.”
Creating The Writing Thief was a joy ride for me from beginning to end, and I think the voice and ideas in the book reflect it. I’ve never been as happy writing as when I was working on this text. Seriously. The early reviews have been swift and overwhelmingly good.
The Writing Thief takes using mentor texts in new directions and with new purpose. It has wonderfully insightful passages about using reading to teach writing from some of your favorite authors and mine: Kate Messner, Ralph Fletcher, Nicola Davies, Lester Laminack, Toni Buzzeo, Lisa Yee, David Harrison, and Lola Schaefer. It has over 90 books and everyday text citations and teaching ideas organized by mode (narrative, informational, opinion/argument) and by the four key qualities of each trait (ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, conventions, and presentation). It has updated writing research and thoughts about the Common Core State Standards.
“I really do love everything about this book including the cover and the title. Most of all, it has my heart on every page. I hope it finds a place in yours, too.”
