Mentor Texts for Comprehension That Work for ANY Classroom

Here is a list of suggested mentor texts perfect for any classroom that focus on comprehension skills and strategies! 

Character Traits

My New Friend is So Fun!  by Mo Willems 

Readers compare how they are alike and different from characters so they can make connections.

The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf

The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson

Tension

Lon Po Po by Ed Young

Readers describe how the main characters act as tension rises so they can compare how they would have acted in the story.

Fireboat: The Heroic Adventures of the John J. Harvey by Maira Kalman 

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by National Geographic Learning 

Cause and Effect

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

Readers use the words ‘if’ and ‘then’ to describe cause and effect so they can make connections between events in a story.

Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts

One Plastic Bag by Alice McLerran

Finding Evidence

The Great Fire by Jim Murphy

Readers use evidence in the text to describe the mood so they can better understand how people in the text feel.

Harriet, You’ll Drive Me Wild!  By Mem Fox

My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother by  Patricia Polacco

Synthesizing 

Roxaboxen by Alice McLerran

Readers share their first thoughts about a book so they can think more deeply about each of their ideas

The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton

The Book of Bad Ideas by Laura Huliska-Beith

Theme

The Book Itch by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson (suggested for older grades) 

Readers consider all the reasons the author wrote a book so they can determine a theme.

Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting

One Green Apple by Eve Bunting

Wangari’s Tree of Peace by Jeanette Winter

Readers identify parts that describe the theme so they can judge how well the writer described the theme.

Stick and Stone by Beth Ferry

That Book Woman by Heather Henson

Questioning

The Invisible Boy by Patrice Barton

Readers ask questions about events in a story so they can think of other things that could have happened.

White Socks Only by Evelyn Coleman

The Three Questions by Jon J. Muth

Problem/Solution

The Adventures of Beekle the Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat

Readers identify the main problem so they can think of possible solutions.

The Monster at the end of this Book by Jon Stone

Fire on the Mountain by John N Maclean

Setting

Trombone Shorty by Troy Andrews

Readers look for words and phrases that describe the setting so they can picture it in their minds.

Four Feet, Two Sandals by Karen Lynn Williams

Pigs by My Incredible World

Compare and Contrast

Tight Times by Barbara Shook Hazen

Readers identify the traits of characters in a book so they can compare how they are alike and different.

Always in Trouble by Corinne Demas

Let me Finish! By Minh Lê

Metacognition 

What do you do with an Idea? By Kobi Yamada

Readers ask themselves questions so they can begin to understand how their mind’s think.

Mama Panya’s Pancakes by Mary Chamberlin

What Do You Do With a Problem? by Kobi Yamada

Main Idea and Details

Firefires by Mary R. Dunn

Readers identify main ideas so that they can think of key details the author could have included.

Max’s Words by Kate Banks

I Lost my Tooth in Africa by Baba Wague Diakite

Visualizing 

The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires

Readers form pictures in their minds as they read so that they can better understand the text.

Crow Call by Louis Lowery

That Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown by Cressida Cowell

Analyzing 

The Lotus Seed by Sherry Garland

Readers identify the writer's best phrases or sentences so that they can analyze the writer’s style. 

The Old Woman Who Named Things by Cynthia Rylant

The Best Beekeeper of Lalibela by Cristina Kessler

Judging

Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah by Laurie Ann Thompson

Readers judge the topics from the text so they can support their judgments with reasons.

Malala by Sarah J. Robbins

Wilma Jean the Worry Machine by Julia Cook

Background Knowledge

My Name is Sangoel by Karen Williams

Readers describe what they know about settings so they can use their background knowledge during reading.

The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant

My Librarian is a Camel by Margriet Ruurs

Inferring

One Green Apple by Eve Bunting

Readers identify evidence in the text and what they already know so they can make inferences.

The Watering Hole by Jane and Christopher Kurtz 

Tuesday by David Wiesner

Summarizing

Queen of the Falls by Chris Van Allsburg

Readers summarize their opinions of a text so they can retell what they think of a text.

Ralph Tells a Story by Abby Hanlon

The Librarian of Basra  by Jeanette Winter

Making Connections

What Does it Mean to Be Present? By  Rana DiOrio

Readers identify strong phrases in a text so that they can make connections to the text.

Unlovable by Dan Yaccarino

Stephanie’s Ponytail by Robert Munsch

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