Want students comparing and connecting across books, not just reading one at a time? Volume 4 of my Yearlong Mentor Text Curriculum gives 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade teachers 20 paired picture book units: 40 weeks of grammar, vocabulary, reading, and writing across 40 books.
Each two-week unit pairs two books: a fiction and nonfiction pair, two books on a shared theme, or two texts written for direct comparison. Every activity in the unit uses both books, so skills from week one carry into week two, and by the end of each unit students have compared, connected, and written across two real texts!
The books are not included. Most are in school and public libraries, and many are available as online read-alouds.
What’s included:
Mentor sentence lessons: one for each book. Students notice, label, revise, and imitate a sentence from the book. Each lesson has:
A teacher sentence page
A student sentence page
A lesson plan with answers for each day of the routine
A quiz with editing practice and an answer key
Interactive notebook activities: extra practice with each week’s grammar skill.
Reading comprehension activities: built to carry across each two-week unit, so skills from the first book continue into the second. Skills include:
Inferring
Summarizing
Theme
Character traits
Figurative language
Comparing characters and texts
Citing evidence
Integrating information from two sources
Vocabulary activities: Tier 2 and Tier 3 words from each book, practiced in context instead of from a word list. Every book has four vocabulary pages:
A “What Do You Think?” page for applying the words
A “Show What You Know” page to check understanding
Two more activities built around that book’s words
Writing prompts: one for each book, tied to its theme or topic.
Google Slides: links to digital versions of the activities.
The 20 book pairs:
My First Day by Phùng Nguyên Quang and Same, Same but Different by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw
Eraser by Anna Kang and Linus the Little Yellow Pencil by Scott Magoon
The Jade Bracelet by Hà Dinh and Your Name Is a Song by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow
A Rock Is Born by Richard Ho and A Stone Is a Story by Leslie Barnard Booth
Hurricanes! by Gail Gibbons and Hurricane by John Rocco
The Cool Bean by Jory John and Pete Oswald and The Smart Cookie by Jory John and Pete Oswald
Stumpkin by Lucy Ruth Cummins and Pumpkin Circle: The Story of a Garden by George Levenson
Leif and the Fall by Adam Grant and Allison Sweet Grant and Fall Leaves by Loretta Holland
Odder: An Otter’s Story (the picture book, not the novel) by Katherine Applegate and The Spirit of Springer by Amanda Abler
Merry and Hark: A Christmas Story by April Genevieve Tucholke and The Urban Owls by Christian Cooper
Hidden Hope by Elisa Boxer and The Whispering Town by Jennifer Elvgren
Let the Children March by Monica Clark-Robinson and Pies from Nowhere by Dee Romito
Love, Z by Jessie Sima and Love by Matt de la Peña
Give Bees a Chance by Bethany Barton and The King of Bees by Lester Laminack
The Tree Lady by H. Joseph Hopkins and Seeds of Change by Jen Cullerton Johnson
The Littlest Drop by Sascha Alper and Follow the Moon Home by Philippe Cousteau and Deborah Hopkinson
The Ocean Gardener by Clara Anganuzzi and Coral Reefs by Gail Gibbons
Cactus Hotel by Brenda Guiberson and The Ballad of Cactus Joe by Lily Murray
Katie’s Trunk by Ann Turner and The Scarlet Stockings Spy by Trinka Hakes Noble
Digging for Words: José Alberto Gutiérrez and the Library He Built by Angela Burke Kunkel and Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré by Anika Aldamuy Denise
Why pair picture books?
Comparing two texts is one of the hardest reading skills to teach with a single book. Pairing them lets students practice it all year with books they already know well, while the mentor sentence routine teaches grammar in context instead of with fix-the-sentence drills.
New to mentor sentences? My Mentor Sentences for 3-5 page walks through how they work in upper elementary.
Which volume should I choose?
All four volumes for grades 3-5 follow the same weekly structure with a different set of books, so there’s no overlap between them. Volume 4 is the only one that pairs two books in each unit. Pick the book list you most want to read aloud this year! Take a look at Volume 1, Volume 2, and Volume 3.
Is this a full ELA program?
It covers grammar, vocabulary, and reading comprehension for 40 weeks, with a writing prompt every week. The prompts are meant to go alongside your writing curriculum, not replace it. Homeschool families can use it, too!
This purchase is for one teacher. Please don’t share the files with other teachers. Thank you!
