The Writing Thief

Chapter 4: Narrative Writing

(summarized by Jennifer j. Simmons)
Writing
Trait
Narrative
writing
process

Narrative
writing
process

Mentor Text

PB*
CB**
ET***

Grade
s

Rocket Writes a Story

Tad Hills (2012)
Schwartz & Wade

PB

Elem

Little Red Writing

Joan Holub; (2013) Melissa Sweet, Ill.
Chronicle

PB

Elem

Comments
How to find a topic,
organize your
writing,
Connect with
audience , and
choose words
Enchanting
collection of writing
possibilities

Ideas Trait: central message and details that support the message

Finding a
topic

Grandpa Green
Lane Smith (2011)
Roaring Brook
Jangles: A Big Fish Story
David Shannon (2012)
Blue Sky

PB

Elem

Life as a series of
memories

PB

Elem

One story about

one fish

Developing
the topic

The Black Bear Story (webpage)

Black Bear Diner
Blackbeardiner.com/about-us

ET

ElemMiddle

Nonfiction narrative
about the history of
the Black Bear
Diner

Using
details;
Fluency

Inside Out and Back Again

Thanhha Lai (2011)
Harper

CB

Grades
3-6

Lyrical text; poetic

details

Focusing
the topic

Organizational Trait: Internal structure of the piece. Narrative writing uses a chronological
sequence of events; pacing is key.

Creating
the lead

Tuck Everlasting
Natalie Babbitt (1975)
Rarrar, Straus, and Giroux

CB

Grades
3-6

Spellbinding lead,
sensory images.

Using
sequence
and
transition
words
Developing
the body
Ending with
a sense of
resolution

Over and Under the Snow

Kate Messner (2011)
Christopher Neal, Ill.
Chronicle
Alex the Parrot: No Ordinary Bird
Stephanie Spinner (2012)
Meilo So, Ill. Knopf
The Lion King and The Lion King:
Alternate Ending (wiki posts)
Disney Studios
Disney.wikia.com/wiki/The_Lion_King
Disney.wikia.com/wiki/The_Lion_King:Altern
ative_Ending

PB

Elem

PB

Elem

ET

ElemMiddle

Demonstrates
pivotal role of
sequence and
transition words;
Use of prepositions
Nonfiction narrative,
organized into short
chapters

Alternative endings

Voice Trait: The tone and tenor of the piece. Includes emotion; connects the reader;
expressive and compelling.

Establishin
g a tone

Some Dudes Fry Sauce (Ad, product

description)
by Some Dudes Fry Sauce

ET

ElemMiddle

Writer cares about

the topic, presents it
in a compelling way

Marshfield Dreams: When I Was a Kid

Ralph Fletcher (2005)
Henry Holt

CB

Grades
3-8

Memoir writing

Creepy Carrots
Aaron Reynolds (2012)
Peter Bronw, Ill.
Simon & Schuster Books

PB

Elem

Writer connects to
reader by sharing
what reader wants
to know

Dragons Love Tacos

Adam Rubin (2012)
Daniel Salmieri, Ill.
Dial books for Young Readers

PB

Elem

Joy and surprise in

topic lets voice
come through

The Writing Thief (p. 186)

Conveying
the
Purpose
Creating a
connection
to reader;
Word
choice
Taking
risks;
Just right
words and
phrases

Word Choice Trait: The vocabulary the writer uses to convey meaning and enlightenment

Using
Strong
Verbs

The One and Only Ivan

Katherine Applegate (2012)
Harper

CB

Elem

Stunning in word
choice and
presentation

Word
choice

The Word Collector

Sonja Wimmer, translated by Jon
Brokenbrow
(2011) Cuento de Luz

PB

Elem

Striking words and

phrases

Word
choice

The Scarlet Stockings Spy

Trinka Hakes Noble (2004)
Robert Papp, Ill. Sleeping Bear

PB

Elem

Using words that

are specific and
accurate

Effective
use of
language

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2

Movie Review (2013)
Rotten Tomatoes

ET

ElemMiddle

Funny, made-up
terms in brief writing
piece

Sentence Fluency Trait: The way words and phrases flow through the piece.

Varying
sentence
patterns

Wonder
R. J. Palacio (2012)
Alfred A. Knopf

CB

ElemMiddle

Point of view, use of

dialogue and
internal dialogue

Breaking
the rules
for fluency

Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse

Marilyn Singer (2010)
Jose Masse, Ill. Dutton Childrens

PB

Elem

Structure and
fluency; reversible
verse

Conventions Trait: The mechanical correctness of the piece, such as spelling, grammar,
punctuation, paragraphing, capitalization. Dialogue and dialect are special cases of narrative
writing.
Spelling

Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote: A Migrants

Tale
Duncan Tonatiuh (2013)
Abrams Books for Young Readers

PB

Elem

Control in spelling;
connection between
English and
Spanish

Using
Punctuation
and
Indenting
Paragraphs

Exclamation Mark
Amy Krouse Rosenthal (2013)
Tom Lichtenheld, Ill.
Scholastic

PB

Elem

Importance of
finding your inner
exclamation mark;
self-discovery

Capitalizatio
n

10 Accidental Inventions You Wont

Believe (blog post)
Marianne English
www.geniusstuff.com/blog/list/10accidental-inventions/

ET

ElemMiddle

Capitalization of
names,
abbreviations,
dialogue

Grammar
and Usage

Pirates vs. Cowboys

Aaron Reynolds (2013)
David Barneda, Ill.
Alfred A. Knopf,

PB

ElemMiddle

Why writers may

break the rules of
Standard English

Using White
Space;
planning

Think
(sign)
The Writing Thief, p. 187

ET

ElemMiddle

Writer runs out of

room

Incorporatin
g Text
Features

Goodnight iPad: A Parody for the Next

Generation
Ann Droyd (2011, David ilgrim, pseud.)
Blue Rider

PB

Elem

Presentation; titles,
headings, page
numbers, bullets

*Picture Book
**Chapter Book
***Everyday Text