Announcing the Teachers Write Summer 2019 Mentor Texts!

Who’s ready for a great summer of writing? For those who don’t already know about Teachers Write, it’s a free summer writing camp that I offer for teachers and librarians (and anyone else who loves to write, too!). This summer’s camp runs from July 8-26. Each weekday, Monday through Thursday, we’ll be learning from mentor texts, talking about writing craft, and chatting with the authors of those mentor texts for some Q&A. You’ll get each day’s Teachers Write post via email if you sign up.

Teachers Write 2019 won’t begin for a while yet, but here are some things you can do now to get ready.

1. Click here and sign up to join us, if you haven’t already!
2. Get a notebook and a pen or pencil you love, if you prefer to do quick-writes by hand.  If not, get your laptop or tablet ready to go.
3. Order this summer’s mentor texts, or pick them up from your library, and start reading.

Here are our mentor texts for this summer. Please consider taking the list to your local independent bookstore if you have one. Indie booksellers support our communities in so many ways!

Week 1, we’ll be taking a close look at two amazing nonfiction picture books.

Week 2, we’ll look at two more picture books – both written in rhyme. You may have heard from other writers that rhyming picture books are among the toughest to write well. That’s true – but these two authors are masters of the craft and will have some great tips for us!

Week 3, we’ll be looking at what I think is one of the best middle grade novels published in 2018. This one is a master class in character development, dialogue, and so many other elements of craft.

We’ll have official Teachers Write posts Monday through Thursday each week. I’ve left Fridays open for other authors who would like to offer a mini-lesson or writing prompt on their own websites. If you’re an author who’d like to do that, just use the hashtag #TeachersWrite so our campers will be able to find your post on social media!

Teachers Write has always been free for participants – all I ask is that if you can, you support it by purchasing one or more of my books this summer. Or if you can’t do that, please request them at your local library.

If you work with readers in early elementary school or want to write picture books or easy readers, you might like one of these…

If you work with chapter book readers or want to explore series writing, you might want to choose one of my Ranger in Time historical adventures.

And if you work with older readers or want to write novels, maybe try one of these…

The countdown is on for our summer of writing and learning together! Spread the word, share the sign-up form, pick up your notebook, start reading, and I’ll see you in July!