Mentor Texts for Non-Fiction Writing

Is It a Fruit? by Jan Pritchett is a great text to use for K-3 nonfiction writing.  (Rigby book)
1. The title mentors writers on how to hook a reader with a question.
2. The author provides 3 details to support what characteristics are needed in order to be labeled as a fruit.
3. The question "Is it a fruit?" and details/evidence to support are repeated.
4. Simple pictures and lables are provided.
5. For students ready to add more as they work through the unit and their piece there are "extras"- each page has a Fruit Fact and the author provides a table.  
6. There is an index at the end of the text to mentor how to create one too. It's an easy way to show how a reader would  use the table to to better understand the teaching point- is it a fruit-yes or no?

This simple text could be used several time over the course of the week.  It could be the model for all of these elements of non-fiction writing without having to find a million texts.

Happy Writing!