Mentor Texts for Reading and Writing

Download the complete list of Oz Lit Teacher recommended mentor texts
- Over 100 picture story books
- Organised by genre and year level.
- Each with teaching recommendations for reading (comprehension strategies) and writing (6+1 traits)

Download the list of mentor texts with Indigenous perspectives
- Books for a range of year levels.
- All written by Indigenous Australian authors.
- Each with teaching recommendations for reading (comprehension strategies) and writing (6+1 traits).
Mentor texts with teaching suggestions
The mentor texts below are organised in alphabetical order by author surname.
(HOT TIP: To find a title quickly, press Ctrl + F on your keyboard and search for the name of your book.)
Click on the book covers below to download a free PDF of my teaching recommendations for each book. This printable 'bookplate' is designed to be stuck inside the front cover of the book in your school library.
For more information on mentor texts and how to use them, see these blog posts on the topic:
Latest Reviews
A-B

Let's Save The great Barrier Reef
By Catherine Barr and Jean Claude
4-6 Non-fiction
C-D

Grandma's Guide To Happiness
By Andrew Daddo and Stephen Michael King
2-6 Narrative

EVERTHING YOU KNOW ABUT SHARKS IS WRONG!
By Dr Nick Crumpton
4-6 Persuasive/Informative
E-F
G-J

Somebody's Land
By Adam Goodes, Ellie Laing and David Hardy
F-6 Narrative non fiction
K-L

Peregrines In The City
By Andrew Kelly, Sue Lawson and Dean Jones
4-10 Narrative non-fiction
M-O

Hold On! Saving The Spotted Handfish
By Gina M Newton and Rachel Tribout
3-6 Narrative non-fiction

Our World Bardi- Jaawi: Life At Ardiyooloon
By One Arm Point Remote Community School
2-6 Multi genre
P-S

The Boy Who Tried To Shrink His Name
By Sandhya Parappukkaran and Michelle Pereira
4-6 Narrative

Big Red Kangaroo
By Claire Saxby and Graham Byrne
3-6 Dual narrative and non fiction
T-V
W-Z

Meet... Banjo Paterson
By Kristin Weidenbach and James Gulliver Hancock
4-6 Narrative non-fiction

Matthew Flinders: Adventures On Leaky Ships
By Carole Wilkinson and Prue Pittock
4-7 Narrative non-fiction