MENTOR TEXT TALK - SPECIAL EVENT with @judycoo Judy Cooper, author and RYS Inbox Coordinator. -
Join Lynne Marie and peers to read and discuss different mentor texts on Thursday July 16th, 2026 at 7:00pm-8:00pm EDT. It's free to all to join us live (members and non-members of Rate Your Story). Members can access the replay. Rate Your Story’s Zoom Room: us02web.zoom.us/j/9930468519
Tonight! Join Lynne Marie & peers to read and discuss different mentor texts tonight, Thursday July 2nd, 2026 at 7:00pm -8:00pm EDT It's free to all to join us live (members and non-members of Rate Your Story). Members can access the replay. Rate Your Story’s Zoom Room: us02web.zoom.us/j/9930468519
Tonight! Join Lynne Marie and peers to read and discuss different mentor texts tonight, Thursday June 25th, 2026 at 7:00pm -8:00pm EDT It's free to all to join us live (members and non-members of Rate Your Story). Members can access the replay. RYS’s Zoom Room: us02web.zoom.us/j/9930468519
JOIN US for a Launch&Learn for Dea Lenihan & Lynne Marie's A SLICE OF AMERICA, w/ special guest Judy Cooper! Includes a copy of book, a Draw w/ Dea Session, a reading & the webinar-only $17.50!!! REPLAY AVAILABLE to Registered Rate Your Story Members. Register here: docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLS....
Tonight! Join Lynne Marie and peers to read and discuss different mentor texts tonight, Thursday June 4th, 2026 at 7:00pm -8:00pm EDT It's free to all to join us live (members and non-members of Rate Your Story). Members can access the replay. RYS’s Zoom Room: us02web.zoom.us/j/9930468519
Check Out Our MAY Crafty Webinar on What Do Librarians Look For? It's a great one for unpublished and published authors AND for this webinar, you may invite a friend or friends, or your critique group, for FREE! No replay except for RYS Members, but if they can make it live, the more, the merrier!
Join Lynne Marie and peers to read and discuss different mentor texts on Thursday April 30th, 2026 at 7:00pm -8:00pm EDT It's free to all to join us live (members and non-members of Rate Your Story). Members can access the replay. Rate Your Story’s Zoom Room: (us02web.zoom.us/j/9930468519...)
Mentor Text Talk is back tonight 4-9-26! Join Lynne Marie and peers to read and discuss different mentor texts. Thursdays 7:00-8:00pm EDT) and free to all to join us live (RYS members and non-members ). Members can access the replay. RYS Zoom Room: us02web.zoom.us/j/9930468519
www.rateyourstory.org/post/mowmt-3...
MOWMT 30: Gifting a Giggle with Kari Ann Gonzalez
How do you engage readers? There are so many ways! High-interest content, gorgeous thought-provoking illustrations, impeccable rhymes and lyrical language, or my personal favorite, gift readers a gigg...
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MOWMT 29: The Culture of a Name with Maria Wen Adcock
Picture Books About Cultural Name Awareness by Maria Wen AdcockWhat’s in a name? In a very practical sense, our names are our identities. When someone says our names, we know they’re talking to us. Cu...
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MOWMT 26: Diving into the Details with Lisa Rogers
It’s All in the Details by Lisa RogersPrecision in writing can be hard-won. As writers, we can get carried away by our words, without making sure that each one communicates what we intend. Sometimes, ...
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MOWMT 25: Finding Voice in NF with Lydia Lukidis
Finding the Right Voice & Tone in Nonfiction Picture Books By Lydia Lukidis Writing compelling nonfiction for children isn’t just about sharing facts, it’s about sparking curiosity and making learnin...
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MOWMT 24: Squirrels, Porcupines, and Bears, oh my! with Erin Dealey
Squirrels, Porcupines, and Bears--oh my!Mentor texts with animal characters and how the rules, as well as my upcoming book Squirrel Draws Big Feelings evolved… No animals allowed!Twenty years ago, whe...
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MOWMT 22: Page-Turning Secrets with Mary Boone
MOWMT: The Secret to Writing Page-Turning NonfictionBy Mary BooneFacts matter. Accuracy matters. Research matters.But here’s the truth: Kids don’t fall in love with books because of footnotes, bolded ...
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MOWMT 19: Origin Stories for Beloved Objects with Nancy Churnin
Children have a natural curiosity about the world. How and why were Band-Aids invented? Who created the giant balloons for Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade? How did Winnie the Pooh and Teddy Bears get t...
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www.rateyourstory.org/post/mowmt-1... Great post! Congratulations to Claire on her debut book. She's proof positive that sometimes trying a new genre can really pay off!👏 @cfreeland.bsky.social
MOWMT 16: Board Books with Claire Freeland
When I transitioned from writing picture books to writing board books, I was struck by their unique challenge. Instead of a focus on plot and story, the focus is on rhythm and participation. One of th...
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MOWMT 15: Fresh Perspectives with Leah Schanke
Writing for Children from a Fresh Perspective by Leah SchankeHave you ever found a historical figure you would love to write about, only to discover there are already multiple biographies about them o...
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www.rateyourstory.org/post/momwt-1... Doesn't everyone love a little 'magic'? Great post!
MOMWT 14: Magic in Mentor Texts with Lynne Marie
Conjuring magic in picture books isn’t as easy as it may seem. First, the magic must be seeded in the ordinary world. It can’t just come out of nowhere, magically or not. Since essentially everything ...
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MOWMT 12: Metafiction Mentor Texts with Evelyn Bookless
Using Metafiction To Turn Reading Into A GameGreetings, March on Mentor Text readers!When I was inspired to attempt to write a story based on a childhood game after being dazzled by THE LEGEND OF ROCK...
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MOWMT 11: Heart and History in PBs with Jolene Gutiérrez
As a teacher librarian, many of the resources I share with my students feature important history. Dry nonfiction isn’t enough to hook readers--these stories need to have heart. I want my students to w...
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MOWMT 10: Writing the Unexpected with Selene Castrovilla
Writing the Unexpected: Crafting Unique Picture Book Biographies About Famous PeopleBy Selene CastrovillaGrowing up, I always knew I was a writer. But if you’d told me I would one day write about Geor...
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MOWMT 9: Inviting Engagement with Jeanette Fazzari
First of all, we'd like to wish everyone a Happy National Meatball Day! Celebrate with Jeanette's book, Meatballs for Grandpa! Inviting Engagement in Character- Driven Storiesby Jeanette Fazzari Jone...
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MOWMT 4: Character Challenges with Beth Anderson
By Beth Anderson While fiction books may portray emotions as monsters or other types of characters, nonfiction seems to present a different kind of challenge when you’re working with complex concepts ...
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MOWMT 3: Crafting Curriculum Connections with Alison McGauley
As someone who hails from a family of educators and has been an elementary teacher for twenty years, I am certainly mindful of teachable moments! When I draft and revise stories, I always consider cur...
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MOWMT 2: Making Big Concepts Kid Relatable with Judy Cooper
Making Big Concepts Kid Relatable: Courage, Persistence, Forgiveness and Faith“Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistentl...
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www.rateyourstory.org/post/mowmt-1... There's still time to read these amazing blog posts! It's free and there are awesome prizes.
MOWMT 1: Fair-Weather Fairytales with Lynne Marie
You might have heard that, as far as stories, everything has been done before, and that there’s nothing truly new under the sun. Well, that’s not exactly true! Yes, it’s correct that with most tales, ...
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