How I Use Mentor Texts for Craft

By Nell Cross Beckerman

Today I would like to share with you how I have used mentor texts in a granular, practical way: to get your first words on the page. Beginnings (and endings!) are some of the hardest parts of crafting your text, so any hacks to make it easier? I’m in!

I wrote my first three books, Down Under the Pier, When the Sky Glows, and Caves, in my “cloffice”—my closet office, the only place in the house I could close the door. When that got old, we moved to a new house where I fin ally had my own office. Which was great…until I realized when I turned on my computer that something had changed. My fingers felt frozen and my mind was static. I had writer’s block!

Around that time, I had been inspired by walks on my local hiking trail, called the Park to Playa trail. I knew I wanted to write a story about how paths and parks connect communities and bring us closer the nature. But for the first time, I couldn’t figure out how to start.

So, I did what I always do when faced with a new challenge in my publishing career. I thought: What would Kate Messner do?  (WWKMD). Ever since discovering Kate’s book Over and Under the Snow (published by Chronicle, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal), I have followed her as my unofficial mentor-from-afar (although I have been lucky enough for a few personal encounters!)

I love Over and Under the Snow so much I could recite it by heart. It is a lyrical adventure of a father and child as they cross country ski through the wonderland of woods that seem to be in their backyard, observing and learning about the animals over and under the snow (aka the “subnivean zone”) Through this adventure, the family bond deepens, the setting feels intimate and local, and the reader learns some STEM concepts without realizing they are learning at all. Perfection.

What if I used Kate’s introductory text, but swapped my words for hers? Wait…but isn’t that plagiarism? Definitely not what I’m proposing! Not imitating the story, but studying the craft. Let me show you what I mean:

Kate’s opening lines are simple and magical:

 Over the snow I glide.

Into woods frosted fresh and white.

 First, I sat down to pick apart why I liked these lines so much. I never studied creative writing in college and have no background in education (I’m a former documentary TV producer.) I’m still learning terms like “assonance” and “consonance.” But, I have been a reader my whole life, and I know when I like how words sound when I say them out loud.

 In layman’s terms, I noticed:

•   The repeated long sounds of “O” (over, snow)

•   The echoed long “I” sounds in I glide and white.

•   Alliteration of frosted fresh.

•   The inverted sentence structure: Over the snow I glide instead of I glide over the snow.

Here’s what I tried, using Kate’s structure but swapping in my own words.

                               

Kate’s words	My words
Over the snow I glide.	Up the path I climb   (repeating “p” sounds)
Into woods frosted fresh and white.	Stepping from pavement to earth, leaving the river of cars behind.   (Continuing the “p” sounds, repeating “v” sounds, repeating “I” sound in “climb” and “behind”)

 

As you can see, I already have veered off from Kate’s structure in the second line. Turns out, I just needed her to hold my hand for that very first line to get my fingers in action.

Those lines disappeared in revision, so there is no visible trace left of Over and Under the Snow in From Park to Playa: The Trails That Connect Us (published by Abrams, illustrated by Sophie Diao.) But I will always be grateful to Kate’s book for helping with the building blocks of mine.

How to Use This Strategy in Your Own Writing

If you find yourself staring at blank screen with an idea lodged in your head, try this:

•            Choose a mentor text you love, especially one with a tone or structure that fits your project.

•            Copy the text in full, by typing it out or writing it longhand. Follow line breaks and page turns. This will help the style seep into your creativity bank.

•            Study the opening lines closely. Listen for repeated sounds, rhythm, and sentence structure.

•            Swap in your own words, Mad Libs–style, using the same structure. Verb, noun, adjective, etc!

•            Let go of the result. This is a warm-up, not a final draft. Just gets words on the page so you can get your idea out.

I hope it goes without saying that you shouldn’t do this for a full book! That would be creepy, and I’m definitely not advocating anything that smells like plagiarism in any way shape or form.

I’ve only used this method once, but it’s a tool I’m grateful to have in my toolbox. And sometimes that’s all you need—a mentor text to hold your hand just long enough to get you started.

There are so many ways to use mentor texts to help your writing.  I hope you’ll join me and NF authors Laura Purdie Salas (please link to https://laurasalas.com/), Michelle Schaub (please link to https://www.michelleschaub.com), and Jolene Gutiérrez (https://www.jolenegutierrez.com/ ) as we reprise our NCTE panel Writers Inspiring Writers: How Both Authors and Students Use Mentor Texts to Reach Their Writing Dreams, hosted with writing prompt breaks from the Southern Nevada Writing Project (https://snwp.org/), offered for free on Zoom. Visit NellCrossBeckerman.com for details to sign up.

If you’ve tried something like this, I’d love to hear about it. What mentor text helped unlock your writing? 

About the Author: Nell Cross Beckerman is the author of Scholastic’s multi-award-winning series, Adventure Through Nature (Caves, Volcanoes, and Forests) and the forthcoming Coyote & Me (Beach Lane Books, illustrated by Yas Imamura.) Sign up for book, teaching, and event updates at NellCrossBeckerman.com

From Lyrical Poem to Nonfiction Debut Picture Book: One Writer’s Journey

By Judy Bryan

 

My debut picture book, ONE GRAIN OF SAND (Beach Lane Books 2027), started as a poem, a lyrical ode to everything one tiny grain of sand may have been. 

The idea for this story came to me on a sunny beach in Mexico. While sifting the warm sand through my fingers, I noticed many different colors, so unlike the sand I played in as a child on the sandbars of Lake Wisconsin. 

 

The first sentence formed immediately: 

 

Have you ever held a grain of sand, and wondered what was in your hand?

 

I’m curious by nature, so my brain began asking questions.

• Why are there so many colors?
• Why was it different from the sand where I’m from? 
• How did it all end up on this particular beach? 
• What was it made of? 

 

Those questions led me to research the different kinds of sand. I searched the internet, checked out books from the library, talked to geologists, and discovered every single grain used to be something else . . . rocks, bones, fossils, shells, glass, even a chip from the tip of a distant mountain. How they end up washed ashore on beaches around the world is a fascinating look into weathering, erosion, tides, and time.

 

Loaded with information, facts, and scientific terminology, I sat down to write. I knew the poem I’d started would be factual, but how could I make it engaging? I’d recently taken Renée LaTulippe’s Lyrical Language Lab (highly recommend!) and began incorporating what I’d learned: rhythm, rhyme, lyrical language, and poetic devices. These all help create vivid images that enchant and enlighten, which in turn make reading nonfiction entertaining and fun! They also help educators bridge the topic they’re teaching with language arts, turning lessons into rich, language-filled explorations. 

 

There are many excellent lyrical nonfiction picture books on the market today. They are filled with drama, fascinating subjects, insightful sidebars, and extensive back matter. Here are a few recent titles that have caught my attention, all gorgeously written and illustrated:

 

In the World of Whales by Michelle Cusolito, illustrated by Jessica Lanan (Neal Porter Books, 2025).

 

Forests: An Adventure Through Nature by Nell Cross Beckerman, illustrated by Kalen Chock (Orchard Books, 2025).

Interested in writing your own lyrical nonfiction picture book? Here’s a short Brain-Storming Activity to get you started.

• First, you need a topic. Something that interests you. Find a spot you love. It could be your own backyard, curled up in your favorite chair, or anywhere that inspires you. 
• Look around. Take a long, deep breath. Let it out slowly. Do that again. Quiet your mind.
• What do you see? 
• Hear? It helps to close your eyes.
• Smell? 
• Feel? 
• What piques your curiosity? 
• Begin asking questions.
• Write it all down. I find word banks helpful at this point. 

Did anything spark an idea? Are you excited? Tingling? Fingers itching to get started? I hope so! The next step is researching to find answers. WARNING: This could take you down a long, but fascinating, rabbit hole of information. 

Enjoy the journey! I’m rooting for you and can’t wait to read your story.

 

Judy Bryan is a children’s author and poet. Her books inspire, entertain, and foster a natural curiosity about the world. An active member of SCBWI and past Assistant Regional Advisor for Wisconsin, Judy also belongs to the Courage To Create Community and the 12X12 Picture Book Challenge. She’s a mom to three wonderful humans and two cuddly cats. When not reading or writing, she enjoys boating, kayaking and hiking Wisconsin’s Ice Age trails with her husband. For more information, please visit https://judybryanauthor.com.

 

 

 

WEAVING THROUGHLINES INTO NARRATIVE NONFICTION

By Donna Janell Bowman

Have you noticed that the term “throughline” pops up in webinars and editorial letters more often these days, but not always with clear definitions? In 2021, after realizing that the term is rarely highlighted in craft books beyond screenwriting, I embarked on my first deep dive to better understand how throughlines ensure structure and continuity in fiction and narrative nonfiction. Sometimes, throughlines emerge organically during the writing process. At other times… not so much. Being conscious of throughlines was certainly helpful during my writing of Wings of an Eagle: The Gold Medal Dreams of Billy Mills, a collaboration with Native Olympian Billy Mills. Let’s try to demystify the term here.

Note — As you read this article, keep in mind that there are countless variations in children’s narratives. For example, narrative nonfiction picture books often have unique structures, creative approaches, non-human subjects, and illustrations that tell part of the story. Throughlines will vary, too.

What are throughlines?

Technically, a throughline is any storytelling element that is employed from a story’s beginning to its ending. Think of throughlines as threads of different colors and textures that, when woven together, result in a satisfying layered tapestry.

Critical Throughline — The Character Arc / Internal Throughline

Sticking with the weaving analogy, the character throughline is like the Warp threads — the foundational spine — in a tapestry. In a human-centered (or living being) narrative, the character’s journey and struggle toward a goal or resolution IS the story. Not surprisingly, the character arc in a narrative is akin to the Character Spine or Super-objective in a screenplay. On a theoretical stage, an actor might ask “what’s my motivation” so that they can stay in character throughout the fictional story. In narrative nonfiction, research reveals the character backstory, traits, inciting incident (if applicable), and the motivation that propels them into action. By stitching every scene or spread with the essence of the character and their slow transformation, we ensure a strong character arc throughline that holds up the entire story and results in the narrative theme, which we’ll address later. Every other throughline in a story is in service to the character throughline.
            I am so grateful for my collaboration with Billy Mills, because, from my very first draft of Wings, I knew the story focus, and I knew Billy’s internal motivation — to chase his Olympic dream as a way to emotionally survive poverty, heartbreak, grief, and systemic racism. I also knew the story’s ending — Billy’s Olympic success and what he did with it. For the character throughline to be cohesive, every scene between the beginning and the ending had to show his internal transformation.

Character + goal/problem + motivation + ordeal = character transformation / character arc

The character throughline is like the Warp threads of a tapestry

Tip — What if research doesn’t reveal enough backstory or details to authentically show character change? When there isn’t enough evidence for internality and an obvious character transformation, try crafting the protagonist as a Flat/Steadfast character. For narrative purposes, this kind of character doesn’t transform as an individual on the page. Rather, they change their world in a notable way. The throughline for this kind of character might rely more on their pragmatic efforts, external goals or processes, or how others perceived the character and their contribution. Bring them to life by showing them in action.

Critical Throughline #2 — The Narrative Arc Throughline:

As you know, in most narratives, the all-important character arc begins when the character is propelled into action by their goal/want/problem. The plot — the action/things that happen in a story — becomes a narrative arc when the author gives the events meaning for the character through a beginning-middle-ending structure. As mentioned earlier, once you know your story focus, select scenes that specifically drive the story forward and reveal the character arc. 

During my research and conversations with Billy, a few obvious narrative throughlines for Wings revealed themselves. For example, we wanted the narrative to end with Billy’s post-Olympics Giveaway — a Lakota tradition of generosity. For that scene to be cohesive and powerful, I first stitched the idea into a third spread scene that shows Billy’s first memory of a Giveaway when he was a child.

Tip — Occasionally, a major throughline must change mid-story. For example, the beginning of Anita Pazner’s book, Words Matter: The Story of Hans and Sophie Scholl, and the White Rose Resistance, shows the two characters naively excelling as members of the Hitler Youth group and the League of German Girls — the initial narrative throughlines. But when the characters learn the truth about Hitler’s horrifying plans, they turn against Hitler, form the White Rose Resistance, and spend the rest of their short lives acting against him. If this kind of switch is necessary for your character, logically resolve the first throughline(s) before picking up the new thread.  

Themeline (Theme Throughline)

By the end of a narrative, what the character endured — internally and externally — reveals a universal relatable truth, the organic moral of the story. It is literally why the story matters and likely what drew you to the real character in the first place. The themeline begins in the character setup, possibly faint at first, but as the narrative progresses and the character changes as a result of the narrative arc, the themeline becomes such a prominent thread in the story tapestry, the reader grabs hold of it and takes it into their own life.

The theme slowly reveals itself through the character’s actions and reactions, direct quotes or internality, or the author’s creative storytelling choices.

Tip: There can be more than one theme in a narrative, but there should be one primary theme.

Sub throughlines:

While the character and narrative throughlines are foundational, sub throughlines are like colored and textured threads that produce an intentional tone and reader experience. As already mentioned, technically, a throughline can be anything that stitches through the length of a narrative, including voice, refrains and irregular refrains, repetition, subtext, subplot, visual or narrative motifs, an objective correlative, literary devices, etc..

Weaving sub throughlines into the lyrical voice in Wings of an Eagle: The Gold Medal Dreams of Billy Mills was surprisingly enjoyable. Inspired by Billy’s memories and the poetry of Native Americans, I crafted bird-inspired metaphors, similes, and verbs throughout the text. So, too, with the use of “footsteps.” You will also find the refrain of “We are stronger together,” which was inspired by the Lakota prayer, “We are all related.” Any other sub throughlines are fodder for another day.

Authors aren’t the only creators to use throughlines. In addition to the use of pictographs and a traditional Lakota art style in Wings, illustrator S.D. Nelson added the visual refrain of a background eagle that stays with Billy throughout the story. The artistic choice works in beautifu synergy with the text.

I hope this distillation has demystified throughlines for you. Now it’s your turn! How will you stitch your narrative with just the right throughlines to weave a memorable story tapestry for your readers?

Happy writing, friends! 

 

Donna Janell Bowman is an award-winning author of books for young readers, including Wings of an Eagle: The Gold Medal Dreams of Billy Mills, co-authored with Billy Mills (Oglala Lakota); Step Right Up: How Doc and Jim Key Taught the World About Kindness; Abraham Lincoln’s Dueling Words; King of the Tightrope: When the Great Blondin Ruled Niagara; and others. Donna’s books have garnered such accolades as starred reviews, state book awards, a Robert F. Sibert Award Honor from ALA, and awards and honors from NCTE, NCSS, ALSC, TLA, Oprah Daily, Library of Congress Great Reads, Best-Of-The-Year lists, and more. Armed with an MFA in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts, she writes from her Central Texas home and enjoys teaching writers and speaking at schools around the country. www.donnajanellbowman.com

 

 

YOU, ROCK! Playing With Point of View in Nonfiction Picture Book

By Chana Stiefel

Stuck on a manuscript? It might help to change your perspective. In other words, try playing with POV (Point of View). POV is the perspective from which your story is told (first, second, or third person). Changing the POV (say, from third to first person) can make all the difference in how readers relate to your characters and/or how they absorb the information and lessons you are trying to convey. It’s the difference between books titled ALL ABOUT ROCKS (3rd person POV), YOU, ROCK! (2nd person, I am claiming this title!), and I AM A ROCK (1st person). 

 

Why Is Point of View Important?

 

POV helps the reader understand the character’s feelings and actions. Each character in a story has their own perspective, so whoever is telling the story will impact the reader’s opinion and connection to the character and events. A quick reference guide:

 

Point of view	Key words	Impact
First person	I, we, me, us, mine, ours	The reader experiences the story directly through the narrator’s thoughts and feelings. st person personalizes the story, creates a more intimate connection, and can make big topics relatable.
Second person	You, your, yours	The narrator addresses the audience directly, creating a connection. 2nd person draws in the reader. The reassuring voice allows the child to see themselves in the story.
Third person	Names, he, she, him, her, it, they, them, theirs	The narrator is not part of the story. An all-knowing (i.e. omniscient) narrator tells the story about others. The reader gains insights to many characters’—or to one character’s (limited third person)—thoughts and feelings. 3rd person allows you to be bold creatively.

 

In this post, we’ll focus on picture books with first and second person POV. Let’s look at some mentor texts. 

 

The Power of First-Person POV

 

For years, I was working on a picture book biography about Captain Barrington Irving, who broke records as the youngest person and first Black man to fly solo around the world. I wrote the first several drafts in third person. The opening page read:

 

“As a little boy, Barrington Irving bugged his mom with big questions.

 

“How does a washing machine work?”

“Why is the sun so hot?”

“How do birds fly?”

He didn’t know that one day he too would soar like a seagull—high into the clouds.” 

The problem: An editor said the story felt distant, removed. Finally, after years of playing with it, I realized that I needed to tell Barrington’s story from his own first-person perspective. After all, it is Barrington’s story to tell. I also wanted to add another layer. When my children were young, they loved to play “airplane” by lining up chairs like the rows in a jet. Why not include “you,” the child reader, in the co-pilot seat? So I sprinkled in some second-person too, to make the story more interactive.

 

Here’s the revised opening that appears in Let's Fly, co-written by me and Barrington Irving, illustrated by Shamar Knight-Justice (PRH, 2025).*

 

“I’m a dream chaser. A solo flier. A world-record breaker. I’m Captain Barrington Irving. People said I’d never make my dreams come true. But I powered through. Want to know how? Buckle up!

 

Flight control…check! Fuel…check! Electric power on! Cockpit door locked. Start the engine. Ground control…ready for takeoff! Let’s fly!

 

As a reader, can you feel the difference?

 

Author Lesle’a Newman’s upcoming picture book Song of th Dead Sea Scrolls, illustrated by Vesper Stamper (Enchanted Lion, Fall 2026), is told in first person from the perspective of these ancient manuscripts. “In 2018, I was lucky enough to spend time at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, where I was  shown actual pieces of the Dead Sea Scrolls,” Newman says. “As a poet, I always start a project with a question. In this case I wondered, what would it be like to spend thousands of years in a dark cave while history unfolded all around you? And so I wrote my book in the voices of the scrolls themselves to see what they had to say.”

 

Similarly, author Jilanne Hoffman wrote A River of Dust (Chronicle, 2023), about the global journey of dust from Africa that provides nutrients for the Amazon, in first person from the POV of dust.  “In my first draft of A River of Dust, third-person omniscient felt distant, like a travelogue,” she explains. “When I finally tried to write from the perspective of dust (thank you, Miranda Paul for suggesting!), I wrote several openings: quirky dust, sassy dust, silly dust, etc. before finally landing on regal, yet vulnerable, a fitting voice for a phenomenon of global importance.”

 

More great examples:

 

 

The Pull Toward Second-Person POV

 

For his upcoming picture book biography You Can Move Mountains, about painter Bob Ross, author Richard Ho chose to  tell the story in second person. Here are the opening lines: 

You start with a blank canvas.

Any size or shape will do.

Because the canvas is your world . . .

. . . and you’re the creator.

A bit later in the story:

The canvas beckons.

A limitless sky . . .

. . . and a waiting horizon.

Start filling it in.

 

“I knew from early on that I wanted to model the book after an episode of The Joy of Painting, Ross’ beloved show on PBS,” Ho says. “So much of the show's charm is in how Bob talks directly to the viewer, offering half-hour pep talks to encourage all of us to live an

artful life.”

 

Many SEL (Social Emotional Learning) picture books are also told in second person. For example, my next book, Awe!, illustrated by Susan Gal (coming from Scholastic 3/3/26) explores the benefits of experiencing this “Awesome, Wondrous, Empowering emotion.” I wrote in second person because I wanted to draw children in—to see themselves in the story and to feel inspired to search for awe every day.

Rebecca Gardyn Levington, author of many SEL books including Whatever Comes Tomorrow, about managing anxiety, notes that “picture books are meant to be read TO a child by a parent or caregiver. So, when books are written in second person, the parent/caregiver literally becomes the narrator of the book and therefore it feels, to the child, that the reassuring words are coming directly from their loved ones' mouths and being spoken TO them ("you") specifically, offering them even more connection and comfort.” 

 

 

 

Which POV Should You Choose?

 

Whichever POV you ultimately choose should be deliberate and intentional. The story should feel natural (not forced) and serve a purpose in taking your story to the next level. In the meantime, enjoy the process of playing with POV until you discover the best approach.

 

Try These Exercises

 

1. Review your favorite picture books. Determine what POV the author chose. What works? What doesn’t?
2. Reimagine those stories from a different POV. 
3. Apply this to your own manuscripts. Which POV makes your story shine? Creates the strongest connection with the reader? Has the most creative hook? 
4. Compare and contrast different picture books on the same topic told from different points of view. Which works best for you? Which will appeal most to children?

 

One final note: When switching POV, you might be wondering…is a story narrated by an inanimate object like the moon still nonfiction? Melissa Stewart has delved into this topic in her book 5 Kinds of Nonfiction, as well as in these posts: 

• What is creative nonfiction? 

• What is informational fiction?

 

I hope this post gives you a fresh new perspective on playing with POV! More resources are included below. Please let me know how it goes. And remember, YOU ROCK! 

 

*P.S. An author asked how co-authoring worked for Let's Fly. In other words, how do you co-write an autobiography told in first person? In short, I wrote the manuscript based on several interviews with Barrington Irving, as well as news articles, a trip log, and other resources. I also met Barrington for a tour of his airport in Florida. He read multiple drafts of the manuscript, offered feedback, and gave approval. 

 

Further Resources:

 

• Julie Hedlund is kindly offering my 12 x 12 webinar on POV from 2025 at 25% off: https://12x12challenge.com/chana25
• https://taralazar.com/2024/01/26/storystorm-2024-day-26/ 
• https://childrenslibrarylady.com/book-teaching-point-of-view/

 

 

About the Author: Chana Stiefel is the award-winning author of more than 30 books for children. Her nonfiction picture books include AWE! (Scholastic, 3-3-26), Let’s Fly!, Let Liberty Rise, and The Tower of Life, which received many honors, including the 2023 Sydney Taylor Book Award and a Robert F. Sibert Honor. Chana’s most recent nonfiction middle grade is How Rude: Animals That Burp, Toot, Spit, and Screech to Survive. She loves to visit schools and libraries to share her passion for reading and writing with children. Chana is represented by Miranda Paul at Aevitas. Follow @chanastiefel on Instagram. Learn more at chanastiefel.com.