50+ Powerful Small Moments Mentor Texts

The search for small moments mentor texts for narrative writing signals the official beginning of story-telling in writer’s workshop!

There’s something so special about sharing these book gems with students, providing them with a wide range of inspiration for authoring their very own personal narrative writing pieces.

As you teach the idea of small moments during writing block, refer to these small moments mentor texts so that students hear good story examples of narrative writing.

Small Moments Mentor Texts

Though this list of small moments mentor texts isn’t exhaustive, you’ll definitely find a variety of selections to fit your teaching needs.

  • A Bike Like Sergio’s (Maribeth Boelts)
  • A Chair for My Mother (Vera B. Williams)
  • A Letter to Amy (Ezra Jack Keats)
  • A Moment in Time (Jennifer Butenas)
  • Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (Judith Viorst)
  • Amazing Grace (Mary Hoffman)
  • Aunt Flossie’s Hats (Elizabeth Howard)
  • Baby Goes to Market (Atinuke and Angela Brooksbank)
  • The Bear and the Piano (David Lichtfield)
  • Bibbity Bop, Barber Shop (Natasha Anastasia Tarpley)
  • Bigmama’s (Donald Crews) 
  • The Big Big Sea (Martin Waddell)
  • Blackout (John Rocco)
  • Come On, Rain! (Karen Hesse)
  • Cotton Candy Skies and French Fries (Theresa Del Vecchio)
  • The Dandelion Seed (Joseph Anthony)
  • Daniel’s Good Day (Micha Archer)
  • Early Sunday Morning (Denene Millner)
  • Every Friday (Dan Yaccarino)
  • Extra Yarn (Marc Barnett, Jon Klassen)
  • Flying Over Brooklyn (Myron Uhlberg)
  • Fireflies (Julie Brinckloe) 
  • Freedom Soup (Tami Charles)
  • Honey, I Love (Eloise Greenfield)
  • The Ghost of Sifty, Sifty Sam (Angela Shelf Medearis)
small moments mentor texts
small moments mentor texts
  • Goggles (Ezra Jack Keats)
  • Grandpa’s Stories: A Book of Remembering (Joseph Coelho)
  • Green Pants (Kenneth Kraegel)
  • Hair Love (Matthew A. Cherry)
  • Hike (Pete Oswald)
  • Home in the Woods (Eliza Wheeler)
  • Ira Sleeps Over (Bernard Waber)
  • It Takes a Village (Jane Cowen-Fletcher)
  • Jabari Jumps (Gaia Cornwell)
  • Jamaica’s Find (Juanita Havill)
  • Jin Woo (Eve Bunting)
  • Joshua’s Night Whispers (Angela Johnson)
  • Julius, The Baby of the World (Kevin Henkes)
  • Kissing Hand (Audrey Penn)
  • Kitchen Dance (Maurie J. Manning) 
  • Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale (Mo Willems)
  • The Leaving Morning (Angela Johnson) 
  • Life on Mars (Jon Agee)
  • Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse (Kevin Henkes)
  • Mama Zooms (Jane Cowen-Fletcher)
  • Mr. George Baker (Amy Hest)
  • Night Shift Daddy (Eileen Spinelli)
  • Nothing Ever Happens on 90th Street (Roni Schotter)
  • Ohana Means Family (Llima Loomis)
  • The Other Way to Listen (Byrd Baylor)
  • Owen (Kevin Henkes)
  • Owl Moon (Jane Yolen)
  • The Paperboy (Dav Pilkey)
  • Rain Feet (Angela Johnson)
  • Ralph Tells a Story (Abby Hanlon)
  • Red Rubber Boot Day (Mary Lyn Rae)
  • The Relatives Came (Cynthia Rylant) 
  • Roller Coaster (Maria Frazee) 
  • Salt Hands (Jane Chelsea Aragon) 
  • The Sandwich Swap (Queen Rania of Jordan Al Abdullah, Kelly DiPucchio)
  • Saturdays and Teacakes (Lester Laminack)
  • Sheila Rae’s Peppermint Stick (Kevin Henkes)
  • Shhh! We Have a Plan (Chris Haughton)
  • Shortcut (Donald Crews)
  • Sleep Tight Farm: A Farm Prepares for Winter (Eugenie Doyle)
  • The Snowy Day (Ezra Jack Keats) 
  • Thunder Cake (Patricia Polacco) 
  • Tiny, Perfect Things (M.H. Clark)
  • Tight Times (Barbara Shook Hazen)
  • Twister! (Darleen Bailey Beard)
  • The Two of Them (Aliki)
  • The Underbed (Cathryn Clinton Hoellwarth)
  • Uptown (Bryan Collier)
  • The Wall (Eve Bunting)
  • Wemberly Worried (Kevin Henkes)
  • Wemberly’s Ice Cream Star (Kevin Henkes)
  • When Charley Met Emma (Amy Webb)
  • Zoom (Istvan Banyai)

Final Thoughts: Small Moments Mentor Texts

Now you have a quality selection of small moments mentor texts to refer to as you’re planning writer’s workshop.

No longer search endlessly in a million different places online or in your school’s library database looking for that just-perfect book.

If you found this list of mentor texts for small moments helpful, you may be interested inmentor texts that teach narrative writing.