Mentor Text Linky

I just found a linky that I am super excited about!  It is a new mentor text linky going on over at Collaboration Cuties. 

Every Sunday, people can link up with their favorite mentor texts.  After this week, there will be a schedule to follow based on subject area, but this week, anything goes.  I can't wait to see what everyone links up with!

Since anything goes this week, I will write about one of my favorite books to use at the very beginning of Writing Workshop, when kids think that they have absolutely no good ideas to write about.  The book is called Nothing Ever Happens on 90th Street. 

In the story, a little girl, Eva, has her writing notebook and is supposed to "write about what you know,"  according to her teacher.  But Eva keeps thinking, "Nothing ever happens on 90th street."  She's sitting out on her apartment steps, and we begin to meet her neighbors.  They all stop by to give Eva some writing advice.  We realize that Eva's neighbors are all very interesting people, but she is so used to seeing them every day that she doesn't realize they would be great writing topics.  Also, the advice that her neighbors give her is all really good writing advice.  When I read this story to my class, I like to write an anchor chart with them as we go titled: "Writing Tips from 90th Street."  

If you need a fun, inspiring book to get your writing workshop started, or your students need a reminder throughout the year that writing topics are all around them, this is the perfect mentor text for you! Let me know what you think if you have also read this book to your class.  What are some other books you like to use to get writing workshop started?