Text Structures From Nonfiction Picture Books

Kayla Briseño has taught English all over the world and nearly every age, from elementary through adults. She has conducted professional development workshops with Gretchen Bernabei for over a decade, sharing and generating impactful writing instruction, while being a long time contributor to Trail of Breadcrumbs publications. Text Structures from Picture Books is her debut book. She and her husband, Stephen, are both self-declared book nerds, coffee aficionados, and national park fanatics. When she’s not teaching or helping teachers, you can find her creating art with her daughter, Zinnia, reading a good book, or enjoying a stroll along the San Antonio Riverwalk, where she lives with her family. Follow her on Twitter at @kayla_briseno. A popular workshop presenter and winner of NCTE’s James Moffett Award in 2010, Gretchen Bernabei has been teaching kids to write in middle school and high school classrooms for more than thirty years. In addition to four other professional books and numerous articles for NCTE journals, she is the author of National Geographic School Publications’ The Good Writer’s Kit, as well as Lightning in a Bottle, a CD of visual writing prompts.

In Text Structures from Nonfiction Picture Books, Kayla Briseño and Gretchen Bernabei unlock one of the secrets to teaching students to write well: make text structures visible, and invite students to try them. This practical book is jampacked with lively, high-engagement lessons that use beautiful and powerful picture books as a launchpad for excellent, well-crafted writing.

• Reference ChartForewordAcknowledgmentsAbout the AuthorIntroductionHow to Use This BookAn overview of the LessonsWhat is a Kernel Essay?What are Text Structures?Introducing Your Students to Kernel EssaysIntroducing Your Students to TruismsIntroducing Your Students to Reading ResponsePart 1: BOOKS ABOUT PEOPLEPart 2: BOOKS ABOUT PLACESPart 3: BOOKS ABOUT THINGSPart 4: BOOKS ABOUT ANIMALSAppendix