Simple Texts for Expanding

Simple Texts For Expanding

I've noticed my fifth graders enjoy listening to simple picture books and then rewriting single pages by adding thought shots, dialogue, and action.  The books provide the main idea and the students then provide the specific details that are missing in the book. 

For instance, after reading No, David by David Shannon, students might choose to describe David's actions, thoughts, and dialogue with his mother as he tries to steal a cookie from the cookie jar.


I've found the following books or series of books are easy to adapt to this type of writing.

No, David and related books by David Shannon

Dinosaur Vs. Bedtime and related books  by Bob Shea

Little Critter series by Mercer Mayer

Diary of a Worm and related books by Doreen Cronin

Cornelius P. Mud, Are You Ready For Bed? and related books by Barney Saltzberg

Good Night, Monkey Boy by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

Marshfield Dreams

Marshfield Dreams
by Ralph Fletcher

In Marshfield Dreams, Fletcher describes his early years growing up in a large family in Marshfield. This book a similar feel to Fletcher's Fig Pudding, but this book is a memoir and not a work of fiction.

If you working on personal narrative or memoir with your studtents this book is awesome.  It is filled with stories that demonstrate the keys aspects of the idea trait: exploded moments, precise details, dialogue, and thought shots. It covers every other trait as well, but I'm currently focusing on ideas in my classroom, so that's what I noticed. 

You could choose to read the entire book to your class or just pick and choose a few stories.  The book does blend together as a whole, but the majority of the stories could stand alone also.