Hello Common Core Reading © 2013 Jen Jones
Suggested mentor text Lists for
Comprehension Skills, Strategies,
Standards and Grade Level Complexity
LITERACY Hello common core Reading
^ 2013, Jen Jones Hello Common Core Reading ^ 2013, Jen Jones Hello Common Core Reading
aligned to my Hello Common Core Fiction Set for 3-6
Hello Common Core Reading © 2013 Jen Jones
RL.1 Suggested mentor texts for teaching how to Ask & Answer
Questions Amelia’s Road
Are You a Spider? Charlie Anderson Fly Away Home
An Angel for Solomon Singer Knots on a Counting Rope Officer Buckle and Gloria
Stone Fox The Cinder Eyed Cats The Patchwork Quilt Trumpet of the Swans
Yanni Rubbish Amazing Grace
The Relatives Came The Stranger
Grandfather Twilight The Other Side Each Kindness
This is the Rope
Hello Common Core Reading © 2013 Jen Jones
RL.1
Suggested mentor texts for Predicting
Babushka Baba Yaga Ella the Elegant Elephant
It looked like spilt Milk Just a Dream
Tuesday Bad Day at Riverbend
Pink and Say Sarah, Plain and Tall
Just Plain Fancy Bea and Mr. Jones
Day Gogo Went Cat Heaven
Cinnamon’s Day Out Coyote Cry
Just a Dream Mouse’s Birthday
Tiger Called Thomas Wretched Stone
Hello Common Core Reading © 2013 Jen Jones
RL.1
Suggested mentor texts for Inferring
Alexander Who Use to be Rich Last Sunday Annie and the Old One
Basket Moon How Many Days to America?
Cornelius Dear Mrs. LaRue
Harry and the Terrible Whatzit Hattie and the Fox
Hug Encounter
More Than Anything Else Something Beautiful
Tar Beach Teammates
The Garden of Abdul Gasazi The Royal Bee
The Sweetest Fig Tight Times Time for Bed
Fly Away Home
Hello Common Core Reading © 2013 Jen Jones
RL.1
Suggested mentor texts for Visualizing
Abuela All the Small Poems
Appalachia Barn Dance
Carl Goes Shopping Charlotte’s Web
Color Me a Rhyme Could Be Worse
Gilberto and the Wind Grandpa’s Face
I Love you the Purplest I’m in Charge of Celebrations
One Leaf Rides the Wind Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me Painted Words/Spoken Memories
Two Bad Ants The Storm Book When I’m Sleepy The Snowy Day See the Ocean
Hello Common Core Reading © 2013 Jen Jones
RL.2 Suggested mentor texts with a
Moral, Lesson, Message
Just the Two of Us The Tin Forest
Mr. Peabody's Apples
A Splendid Friend Indeed Say Hello to Zorro!
Miss Malarkey Leaves No Reader Behind My Very Own Room
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble
Squids Will Be Squids
Three Hens and A Peacock
Our Tree Named Steve
Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge
17 Things I’m Not Allowed to do Anymore
The Giving Tree
Those Shoes
Thunder Cake
Tight Times
Dirty Gert Birthday Presents The Pig’s Picnic
Hello Common Core Reading © 2013 Jen Jones
RL.2 Suggested mentor texts for teaching Summary & Synthesis
Just the Two of Us Day of the Dragon King Annie and the Wild Ones Charlie Needs a Cloak Freedom School, Yes!
Regards to the Man in the Moon Sleeping Ugly The Magic Fish
The Mitten The Trouble with Trolls Charlie the Caterpillar
Chrysanthemum Clara Caterpillar
Owen Tea With Milk
The Alphabet Tree Smoky Night
The Story of Jumping Mouse The Table Where Rich People Sit
Hello Common Core Reading © 2013 Jen Jones
RL.3
Suggested mentor texts for teaching Beginning, Middle, End
Train to Somewhere
The Lotus Seed
How Many Days to America?
Aunt Isabel Tells a Good One
Paddle to the Sea
Pink & Say
Three Days on a River in a Red Canoe
Jumanji The Harmonica
Sir Cumference and the First Round Table
The Wretched Stone
Velma Gratch and the Way Cool Butterfly Dandelions
White Socks Only
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Duffy & the Devil: A Cornish Tale
The Story of Ruby Bridges
Baghead Mr. Lincoln’s Way
Hello Common Core Reading © 2013 Jen Jones
RL.3
Suggested mentor texts for teaching Characters
Candy Shop Chester Chowder
Amber on the Mountain One Green Apple
My Lucky Day Widget
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! Fanny’s Dream
Henry’s Freedom Box Wilma Unlimited
Thank You, Mr. Faulkner Sukey and the Mermaid
The Day of Ahmed’s Secret The Talking Eggs
Probuditi! Wind-Wild Dog
Weslandia Diary of a Worm
Hello Common Core Reading © 2013 Jen Jones
RL.3
Suggested mentor texts for teaching Character Conflict
Man vs. Man Crow Boy
Number the Stars Pepe the Lamplighter The Big Orange Splot
The War With Grandpa The Yellow Star
Man vs. Nature Amos & Boris Brave Irene
Hatchet Just a Dream
My Side of the Mountain
Man vs. self Ira Sleeps Over
Ira Says Goodbye Annie and the Old One
Hello Common Core Reading © 2013 Jen Jones
RL.3
Suggested mentor texts: Character actions Cause & Effect
Abiyoyo Sierra
Stories For All Seasons That’s Good! That’s Bad!
The Gingerbread Boy If you Give a Moose a Muffin
The Tiny Seed If You Decide to Go to the Moon
Why I Will Never, Ever Have Enough Time to Read This Book
Old Henry Why Mosquitos Buzz in People’s Ears
The Flea’s Sneeze The Napping House
The Grumpy Morning The Stray Dog
Alexander & the Terrible, Horrible... Because a Little Bug Went Ka-Choo!
Hello Common Core Reading © 2013 Jen Jones
RL.4 Suggested mentor texts: books that evoke Feelings & Senses
Night Sounds, Morning Colors
Saturdays and Teacakes
Chicken Cheeks Nothing Ever Happens on 90th Street
The Salamander Room What You Know First
Scaredy Squirrel Pinduli
Mars Needs Moms! The Friend
The Silver Swan The Honest to Goodness Truth
Tangerine Knots on a Counting Rope
Word After Word After Word When I Was Young in the Mountains
All the Places I Love The Rag Coat
Fireflies The Orange Shoes
Hello Common Core Reading © 2013 Jen Jones
RL.4 Suggested mentor texts for teaching Figurative Language
Similies/Metaphors: Zero is the Leaves on the Tree
You’re Finally Here! Rimshots
A Turkey for Thanksgiving Snowflake Bentley
Up North at the Cabin
Personification: Scarecrow
The Snow Speaks The Lonely Scarecrow
The Perfect Bear Red Sings from the Tree Tops
Stelluluna Bad Boys
Alliteration: The Z Was Zapped
The Great Fuzz Frenzy Some Smug Slug
Four Famished Foxes
Hello Common Core Reading © 2013 Jen Jones
RL.4 Suggested mentor texts for teaching Figurative Language
Idioms: More Parts
Who Let the Cat Out of the Bag? Bunny Money
Monkey Business The King Who Rained
There’s A Frog in My Throat A Chocolate Moose for Dinner
Crash, Bang and Boom Fingers are Always Bringing me News
Miss Alanieus: A Vocabulary Disaster Ounce, Dice, Trice
The Sixteen Hand-Horse What is That Sound?
What is That Thing? Whose Stuff Is This?
Hyperbole: Steamboat Annie Library Lill
Widdermaker Apples to Oregon My Dad Saving Sweetness
Clever Beatrice A Million Fish-More or Less
Hello Common Core Reading © 2013 Jen Jones
RL.5 Suggested mentor texts for teaching Text Structure
Circular: If you Give a Mouse a Cookie If You’re Not From the Prairie
Watch the Stars Come Out
Cumulative: In Enzo’s Splendid Garden The Cake that Mack Ate
The Napping House This is the Teacher
The Bee Tree
Increasing: Bark, George
Mushroom in the Rain A House for a Hermit Crab
There Was An Old Lady Who...
Linear: Max’s Dragon Shirt
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Tops and Bottoms
Hello Common Core Reading © 2013 Jen Jones
RL.6 Suggested mentor texts for teaching Point of View
I Am the Dog, T am the Cat
Going Home
Raising Yoder’s Barn Miz Berlin Walks
Arnie the Doughnut Aunt Flossie’s Hats
The Butterfly Two Bad Pilgrims
The Wreck of the Zephyr Been to Yesterdays
I Love My Hair In Momma’s kitchen The River Ran Wild
The Baby Sister Morning Milking Duck! Rabbit!
First Day Jitters Snow Lambs Encounter
Hello Common Core Reading © 2013 Jen Jones
RL.9
Suggested mentor texts for teaching Compare & Contrast
Just the Two of Us (book & video)
Wild by Emily Hughes & Jemmy Button by Jen Uman
The Hundred Dresses & Each Kindness Rabbityness & The Tenth Good Thing about Barney Wilifred Gordon McDonald Partridge & A Angel for
Solomon Singer Big Bad Bunny & The Black Rabbit
Owl Babies & Little Lost Owl Brothers of the Knight & 12 Dancing Princesses
Bubba the Cowboy Prince & Chickerella Jack & the Beanstalk & Kate and the Beanstalk
Sleeping Beauty & Sleeping Ugly Button Soup and Stone Soup Old MacDonald & Piggie Pie
Gingerbread Boy & Bad Boys Get Cookie! Snow & The Snowy Day
Manana Iguana & Armadilly Chili The Three Little Tamales & The Three Little
Javelinas
Hello Common Core Reading © 2013 Jen Jones
Suggested mentor texts for teaching Historical Fiction
The Civil War Diary of a Drummer Boy
Pink & Say The Promise Quilt
Civil Rights Freedom on the Menu
I Have a Dream White Socks Only & The Other Side
African American History Chicken Sunday
Cornrows Black Snowman
Asian American History Look at the Moon
Grandfather’s Journey Baseball Saved Us
Hispanic American History Under the Mesquite
A Day’s Work Amelia’s Road
Hello Common Core Reading © 2013 Jen Jones
Suggested mentor texts for teaching Historical Fiction
Depression Era The Gardener
Potato Something Permanent
Immigration Immigrant Kids
Peppe the Lamplighter The Memory Coat
My Grandmother’s Journey Watch the Stars Come Out
When I First Came to This Land Train to Somewhere
Native American History Abuelita’s Heart
Children of the Earth and Sky Hiawatha
Knots on a Counting Rope The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush
Love Flute
Hello Common Core Reading © 2013 Jen Jones
RL.9
Suggested mentor texts for teaching Myths, Legends & Folktales
That’s What Leprechauns Do Leprechaun’s Gold
Ming Lo Moves the Mountain Why the Sky is Far Away
Arrow to the sun The Legend of the Bluebonnet
The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush Anansi the Spider
Coyote: A Trickster Tale From the Am. Southwest Raven: A Trickster Tale from the Pacific
Northwest Cyclopes
Mount Olympus Basketball Greek Myths: DK Readers
Favorite Greek Myths The Gods & Goddesses of Olympus
Heroes, Gods & Monsters of the Greek Myths King Midas: The Golden Touch
Magical Creatures
Hello Common Core Reading © 2013 Jen Jones
RL.10 Suggested mentor texts in the 3rd Grade Lexile Band 520-820
Tsunami! By Kajikawa The Great Kapok Tree
Hewitt Anderson’s Great Big Life The Talented Clementine
Stink the Incredible Shrinking Kid Donovan’s Word Jar
Punished! If the Shoe Fits
Mr. Lincoln’s Way There’s A Frog in My Throat!
Horrible Harry and the Dead Letters May Way for Dyamonde Daniel
Nothing Ever Happens on 90th Street More Than Anything Else
Bad Kitty Gets a Bath Stuck in the Middle & Take the Court
Trash Crisis on Earth & Invasion of the Relatives
Text Complexity
Weblink: “What Does a Close Reading Look Like in 3rd Grade?”
Hello Common Core Reading © 2013 Jen Jones
RL.10 Suggested mentor texts in the 4th Grade Lexile Band 740l-940l
Free Baseball
The Secret of Robber’s Cave Tar Beach
Umbrella Summer Thank You, Mr. Faulkner
Abiyoyo Medusa Jones
The Memory Coat The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me
A Pizza the Size of the Sun If Not for the Cat
See You Gladiator, The Time Warp Trio Sitting Bull Remembers
Because of Winn-Dixie (book & movie) The Fairy Tale Detectives & The Sisters Grimm
The Adventures of Spider & West African Folktales A Crooked Kind of Perfect
Bunnicula
Text Complexity
Weblink: “What Does a Close Reading Look Like in 4th Grade?”
Hello Common Core Reading © 2013 Jen Jones
RL.10 Suggested mentor texts in the 5th Grade Stretch Band 83ol-1010l
Life of Pi Rules
Emmy & the Incredible Shrinking Rat How to Steal a Dog
The Thing about Georgie Bud, Not Buddy Maniac Magee
Utterly Me, Clarice Bean Ralph S. Mouse
Ida B, and her Plans to Maximize Fun The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg
Bound for Oregon Abuelita’s Heart
Mystery on the Iditarod Trail Baseball in April and Other Stories Percy Jackson and the Olympians
The Egypt Game
Text Complexity
Weblink: “What Does a Close Reading Look Like in 5th Grade?”
Hello Common Core Reading © 2013 Jen Jones
RL.10 Suggested mentor texts in the 6th Grade Stretch Band 925l-1070l
The Journal of James Edmond Pease, A Civil War Union Soldier, Virginia, 1863: My Name is America
The Dark is Rising Bud, Not Buddy Elijah of Buxton
Ida B., and Her Plans to Maximize Fun The Phantom Tollbooth
The Big Field The Golden Goblet
Island of the blue Dolphins American Tall Tales
The Golden Fleece, and the Heroes Who Lived Before Achilles
The Golden Compass The Wump World
The Tale of the Mandarin Ducks Nim’s Island
Text Complexity
Weblink: “What Does a Close Reading Look Like in 5th Grade?”
These mentor text lists were created and included in my Hello Literacy Common Core Reading package for all Reading Literature
standards 1-10 for grades 3-6.
There are over 350 reading response sheets, graphic organizers and reading activities
addressing RL. 1, RL. 2, RL. 3, RL.4, RL. 5, RL.6, RL.7, RL.9 and RL.10…enough to last all year!
You can check them out by clicking on the images below! Thank You! –Jen Jones
K-2 Mentor Text Lists