Literacy Matters Vol. 25 Winter 2025

Diary of a fly. Cronin, D. (2024). Harper Collins.

Waiting for biblioburro. Brown, M. (20111). Tryciyle Press. Illustrator: John Parra. ISBN: 978-1582463537 This story introduces young readers to the

Illustrator: Harry Bliss. ISBN: 978-0060001582 In Fly’s diary, readers ages 4-8 learn what ‘fly school’ is like and how to use diary

concept of a traveling library that brings books to children in remote areas in Colombia, South America. Ana loves books and writes a story for her friends to listen to while waiting for the mobile library to arrive on the backs of donkeys. Ana’s writing models the purpose of writing as a means to share stories to inform and entertain. The brevity and ease of writing modeled here by Ana can be inspirational for struggling writers or those who are not used to writing.

entries to include finds from nature, pictures, and drawings, along with short entries chronicled by date.

Turtle summer. A journal for my daughter Monroe M. A. (2007). Sylvan Dell Publishing. ISBN: 978-0977742370 In this scrapbook journal novel for 5-8-year-olds,

a young mother writes a journal for her daughter. She includes photos, drawings, and explanations of the life cycle of sea turtles and other natural life on a southeastern coast. This book can serve as a model for science journals and daily journaling.

One day, the end. Short. Shorter. Shorter than ever stories. Dotlich R. K. (2015). Boyds Mills Press. Illustrator: Fred Koehler. ISBN: 978162091451

Kindergarten diary. Portis A. (2010). Harper Collins. ISBN: 978-0061456916 In this colorfully illustrated picture book, kindergartener Annalina tells the author about

Colorful, humorous illustrations invite readers to figure out what details to share in the middle of different story topics. There is a short YouTube video version (https://youtu.be/Glws-Zf-DwA) and an extended version of this story with orally given details on how to add details to a story (https://youtu.be/Qbw1l-IR37Y).

Literacy Matters Literature Matters

the first days of kindergarten. Simple language entries are written on kindergarten writing paper and contain supporting illustrations. This book can be an inviting model for kindergarteners to do the same under their teachers’ guidance.

Ralph tells a story. Hanion, A. (2012). Two Lions. ISBN: 978-0-7614-6180-7

(hardover). ISBN 978-0-7614-6182-1 (ebook) First grader, Ralph is unable to write

The bittersweet time. Sparks Ducey, J. (1995). Eerdmans Pub Company. ISBN: 978-0802851130 In this story, during the hard times of the Great

about something he experienced until his classmates help him realize that even little experiences are worth writing about. In simple sentences and with compassion, 5-8-year-olds see how to overcome writer’s block through examples and step-by-step directions.

Depression, Jane keeps an inspiring journal about her dreams and how she wants to change the world around her. She keeps writing and reading and helping out in a bookstore. Her efforts pay off in the end. This story models how writing can be therapeutic and help dreams come true. Thus, it can serve as a personal motivator.

Rocket writes a story. Hills, T. (2012). Schwartz &Wade. Illustrator: Tad Hills. ISBN: 9780375870866 In this story, Rocket, a dog, experiences writer’s

Three days on a river in a red canoe. Williams, V. B. (1984). Greenwillow Books. ISBN: 978-0688040727 This story presents a boy’s diary written on a

block when trying to write a story. He takes walks to get inspired. A scent does the trick, and gradually, by examining the world around and the help of a bird and an owl, Rockey succeeds in writing a story with good descriptive details.

wide-lined notebook about a three-day canoe trip on a river. It provides various ideas for illustrating a journal entry and adding artifacts to make it a multimedia journal. The language of the story is simple and accessible to young children. Books to Foster StoryWriting The plot chickens. Auch, M. J. (2010). Holiday House. the story of Henrietta, a ferocious reader and motivated writer, to life as she discovers how to write about life on the farm using an old typewriter. Readers learn the main features of a good story and find out what Henrietta writes about to motivate them to write their own stories. Illustrator: Herm Auch. ISBN: 978-0-8234-2087-2 Bright, funny, and colorful illustrations bring

Little red writing. Holub, J. (2013). Chronicle Books. Illustrator: Melissa Sweet. ISBN: 9780811878692 In this humorously illustrated retelling of the

fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood , a brave little red pencil overcomes a series of hurdles, including an encounter with a wolf (pencil sharpener) when writing a story about courage. Pencil’s writing process is detailed through speech-bubbles about selecting powerful, descriptive words and sentences for her story. Thus, this story motivates the reader to follow in Pencil’s footsteps as reflective text composers/writers.

Literacy Matters | Volume 25 • Winter 2025 | 23 |

CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS