Informational writing is one of the most challenging writing units to teach at the early elementary level. With the help of informational writing mentor texts, students are able to better understand the use of non-fiction text features and the incorporation of factual information to educate others about a chosen topic. While numerous mentor texts exist, I wanted to highlight my favorite informational writing mentor texts, including notable authors and series, guaranteed to ignite your students’ enthusiasm for informational writing!

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Informational Writing Mentor Texts

What If You Had Animal Series by Sandra Markle

Each book in the “What If You Had Animal” series explores various animals and their unique characteristics. The books pose a hypothetical question, inviting readers to imagine what it would be like if they had certain attributes or features of a particular animal.

For example, some titles in the series include “What If You Had Animal Teeth?,” “What If You Had Animal Hair?,” and “What If You Had Animal Ears?” Each book focuses on a specific aspect of an animal’s anatomy and explains how it serves the animal’s needs in the wild.

Who Would Win Series by Jerry Pallotta

The “Who Would Win?” series is one of my students’ favorite informational writing mentor texts series. It is a collection of children’s books that engage readers in hypothetical battles between different animals, exploring their characteristics, behaviors, and attributes to determine who would come out victorious in a head-to-head matchup.

Each book in this informational writing mentor texts series typically features two animals that might encounter each other in the wild or have some interesting characteristics to compare. The books present facts about each animal’s size, speed, strength, weaponry, and other relevant features. Jerry Pallotta uses a combination of informative text and engaging illustrations to describe the attributes of each animal and builds anticipation for the “winner” of the hypothetical battle.

Gail Gibbons

Gail Gibbons is a staple author in elementary classrooms for good reason. Her nonfiction children’s books cover a wide range of educational topics, providing young readers with clear and accessible information on subjects such as science, nature, history, and various aspects of the world around them. Gibbons’ books often feature vibrant illustrations and straightforward text, making complex topics easily understandable for children. They are also jam packed with nonfiction text features.

Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science Series

The “Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science” Part 1 and Part 2 series covers a wide range of topics within the field of science, providing age-appropriate information and illustrations to foster curiosity and understanding. The series is often categorized into different reading levels, making it suitable for children at various stages of reading development.

Popular titles in the series include “From Seed to Pumpkin” by Wendy Pfeffer, “Pop! A Book About Bubbles” by Kimberly Bradley, and “From Caterpillar to Butterfly?” by Deborah Heiligman.

TIME FOR KIDS Nonfiction Readers

Each book in the “TIME FOR KIDS” series typically features engaging and age-appropriate content, with vivid illustrations and photographs to complement the text. The goal is to provide young readers with informative and accessible nonfiction material that sparks their curiosity and supports their learning in various subject areas.

National Geographic Readers

National Geographic Readers are categorized by level, including Pre-Reader, Level 1, Level 2, and Readers, so teachers and parents can choose books that align with a child’s reading abilities and interests. The nonfiction texts focus on different themes related to exploration, science, nature, and culture.

There are tons of topics, and each contains a variety of non-fiction text features including, captions, labels, Q & A, fun facts, real pictures, a glossary, an index, table of contents, maps, and more. My students enjoy these informational writing mentor texts in my classroom library all year long, as the topics appeal to the wide majority of student interests!

Ordinary People Change the World Series by Brad Meltzer

The “Ordinary People Change the World” series by Brad Meltzer is a collection of children’s biographies that highlights the lives of historical figures who have made significant contributions to society. The series focuses on well-known figures such as Abraham Lincoln, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., and Amelia Earhart, portraying them as relatable individuals with extraordinary impact. Through engaging storytelling and vibrant illustrations, the series aims to inspire young readers by showcasing how ordinary people can bring about positive change and make a difference in the world.

Amazing Science Series

In the “Amazing Science” informational writing mentor texts, students learn all about matter, motion, temperature, electricity, air and more! The books include tons of facts, a table of contents, glossary, and index.

Explore Life Cycles by Mary R. Dunn

Another great informational writing mentor texts series is “Explore Life Cycles” by Mary R. Dunn. In this series, Dunn takes students through the process and stages of new life starting. Students learn about the life cycle of an apple tree, bean, sunflower, turtle, frog, and butterfly in this six book series.

Activities for Informational Writing Mentor Texts

Digital & Printable Informational Writing Prompts

Build writing confidence with these seventy informational writing prompts in both digital and printable format! These journal writing prompts are great for morning work, writing centers, or early finishers. 

Informational Writing Slides

Use these digital informational writing slides with any of the informational writing mentor texts above to help your little writers better understand the informational writing process. This presentation helps guide students as they brainstorm and write the introduction, body and conclusion of their informational piece. Plus, they’ll learn all about important text features.

More Writing Mentor Texts

Use any of the how-to writing mentor texts from this list for your procedural writing unit!

You will also want to check out these opinion writing mentor texts for your opinion writing unit!

Speaking of opinion writing, be sure to check out this Opinion Writing Activity with “The Day the Crayons Quit.”

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