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The Quickwrite Handbook: 100 Mentor Texts to Jumpstart Your Students’ Thinking and Writing
Helping students put words on a page can be hard enough. "I don't have anything to write about!" they say. And when writing does happen, how do you help them develop these ideas into more effective pieces? A powerful tool to jumpstart writing In The Quickwrite Handbook , master teacher Linda Rief shares 100 compelling mentor texts and shows how to use each one as a powerful tool for sparking successful writing. Each mentor text includes "Try this" suggestions for inviting students to get started. You'll also find "Interludes" woven examples of quickwrites that students crafted into more fully developed pieces. These mentor texts are curated in four Quickwrites go beyond writing prompts The pages of this book champion Linda's wise "Quickwrites-writing to find writing-are a powerful teaching tool that help students find ideas, discover their voices, and build their confidence as they discover they have important things to say." Quickwrites are more than a set of formulaic prompts. They are opportunities for students to use another writer's words to stimulate their thinking and-through writing themselves-to discover a voice they didn't know they had.
200 pages, Paperback
Published June 15, 2018
11 people are currently reading
263 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
June 21, 2018
So excited to cut back my grammar instruction and return to writing workshop this year. Love using mentors to teach reading and writing!
June 27, 2019
"The more I want students to know how to do something well, the more often they should do it.
We learn to read by reading and writing.
We learn to write by writing and reading.
A person can read without writing but cannot write without reading."
We learn to read by reading and writing.
We learn to write by writing and reading.
A person can read without writing but cannot write without reading."
November 11, 2019
This book is phenomenal. Any ELAR teacher who does any type of journaling with students grades 4 and up would easily be able to take their students deeper by adding the short mentor texts included in this book. Rief is the master of quickwrite, and she'll get your students and you writing quickly and deeply about important ideas.
July 22, 2018
Can’t wait to use this in my classroom!!!
August 3, 2018
A gift.
April 5, 2019
Great resource when in need of mentor texts and invitations to get students writing! Bravo Linda!
June 23, 2019
Fantastic resource. I truly appreciate all the excerpts and suggestions for writing prompts. I look forward to continuing to use this with students!
June 19, 2019
The Quickwrite Handbook: 100 Mentor Texts to Jumpstart Your Students' Thinking and Writing by Linda Rief is absolutely amazing! This will be my 21st year teaching 9th and 10th grade English, and this is one of the best, most user-friendly books I have ever purchased in terms of helping advance my students' writing skills, while also introducing them to new literature. All the leg work is done for you...yessss!! You know you are WAY too busy to read every single book your students may potentially be interested in reading, and I'm sure you do not have hours and hours to spend searching and hunting for the perfect excerpts to use in class (as mentor texts to help guide your lessons). It might be fun to do with the first 5, 10, or even 50 books (whoa!), but 100...no way! Guess what? You don't have to because everything is already done for you! It's all completely ready to go! Here's what's included:
1. 100 Mentor Texts - engaging pieces that get your kids thinking and writing...they could also be used for book talks!
2. Try This - suggestions for implementation, how to use the mentor text, and/or what to write about
3. Interludes - examples/samples of writing that show and explain the process of development beyond the original quickwrite
4. Teacher Notes - additional info to help guide your lessons and ideas for next steps
Although you can use these mentor texts in any order (and any way) you see fit, Linda Rief has already organized The Quickwrite Handbook in a way that makes total sense. In addition to an 18-page introduction (where Rief thoroughly explains the what, when, why, and how), each text is organized into one of the four following sections (also explained in the introduction):
1. Seeing Inward
2. Leaning Outward
3. Beyond Self
4. Looking Back
This book is packed full of engaging, interesting, and relatable pieces of varying lengths (ranging from a half page to 2+ pages) that are sure to spark your students' thinking and get them writing (and sharing and discussing!). In my opinion, it can easily be used with students in grades 7-12. Linda Reif talks about using these mentor texts with 8th graders, and I teach 10th graders. I could also see using them in a regular English 11 or 12 class to discuss craft moves, points of grammar, and overall development of a piece of writing. Either way, these texts give kids a starting point (which then leads to confidence in themselves and their writing) and most importantly, they help kids discover their voices and passions. All of this also helps build community in the classroom. Without hesitation, I recommend The Quickwrite Handbook by Linda Rief to secondary English teachers everywhere! I have found it to be educational, entertaining, and beneficial in so many ways. I am confident you will feel the same! Now, go out and get yourself a notebook, so you can join your students on this journey! Together, I promise, you will all become better writers (and have fun doing it!).
Thank you for reading my review. I hope it was helpful. :-)
1. 100 Mentor Texts - engaging pieces that get your kids thinking and writing...they could also be used for book talks!
2. Try This - suggestions for implementation, how to use the mentor text, and/or what to write about
3. Interludes - examples/samples of writing that show and explain the process of development beyond the original quickwrite
4. Teacher Notes - additional info to help guide your lessons and ideas for next steps
Although you can use these mentor texts in any order (and any way) you see fit, Linda Rief has already organized The Quickwrite Handbook in a way that makes total sense. In addition to an 18-page introduction (where Rief thoroughly explains the what, when, why, and how), each text is organized into one of the four following sections (also explained in the introduction):
1. Seeing Inward
2. Leaning Outward
3. Beyond Self
4. Looking Back
This book is packed full of engaging, interesting, and relatable pieces of varying lengths (ranging from a half page to 2+ pages) that are sure to spark your students' thinking and get them writing (and sharing and discussing!). In my opinion, it can easily be used with students in grades 7-12. Linda Reif talks about using these mentor texts with 8th graders, and I teach 10th graders. I could also see using them in a regular English 11 or 12 class to discuss craft moves, points of grammar, and overall development of a piece of writing. Either way, these texts give kids a starting point (which then leads to confidence in themselves and their writing) and most importantly, they help kids discover their voices and passions. All of this also helps build community in the classroom. Without hesitation, I recommend The Quickwrite Handbook by Linda Rief to secondary English teachers everywhere! I have found it to be educational, entertaining, and beneficial in so many ways. I am confident you will feel the same! Now, go out and get yourself a notebook, so you can join your students on this journey! Together, I promise, you will all become better writers (and have fun doing it!).
Thank you for reading my review. I hope it was helpful. :-)
June 30, 2023
As a high school English teacher, I have long sought ways to move away from isolated grammar instruction, and instead integrate mentor texts that exemplify effective grammar mechanics across various writing styles. However, the process of actually selecting appropriate excerpts and determining areas of focus often felt overwhelming. This handbook not only simplifies the task of choosing mentor texts, but it also presents an outstanding collection of examples.
One of the standout qualities of this handbook is the diverse range of mentor text selections. Linda Rief skillfully curates texts that vary in length, genre, formatting, and syntax. This variety allows students to explore different writing styles and adapt their own writing accordingly. Whether it's a thought-provoking essay, a captivating short story or novel excerpt, or a beautifully crafted poem, the mentor texts in this handbook showcase exemplary writing in a way that inspires and engages students.
Another commendable aspect of this resource is the thoughtfully designed prompts that accompany each mentor text. These prompts encourage critical thinking and provide students with opportunities to reflect on or emulate the writing techniques demonstrated in the text. What's particularly impressive is the flexibility of these prompts, as they can be easily modified to suit the needs of both advanced and struggling students. By incorporating these prompts into classroom activities, teachers can foster a deeper understanding of writing mechanics and nurture their students' creativity. I have already begun accumulating my own mentor texts that better pair with my novel units, and I can’t wait to use them in the upcoming school year (I was really overthinking it prior to reading this text).
I also found Linda Rief's inclusion of her own and her students' responses to the prompts to be a particularly valuable addition. By sharing these examples, she offers practical insights into how students can effectively engage with the mentor texts, and her encouragement for teachers to take a few minutes to respond to the prompts, themselves, demonstrates her understanding of the importance of modeling and participating in the writing process alongside our students. This interactive approach not only fosters a sense of community in the classroom, but it also enhances the overall learning experience and "...shows students we value all we are asking them to do." (Rief).
I highly recommend this handbook to anyone interested in enriching their teaching repertoire and inspiring students to become confident and proficient writers, easily.
One of the standout qualities of this handbook is the diverse range of mentor text selections. Linda Rief skillfully curates texts that vary in length, genre, formatting, and syntax. This variety allows students to explore different writing styles and adapt their own writing accordingly. Whether it's a thought-provoking essay, a captivating short story or novel excerpt, or a beautifully crafted poem, the mentor texts in this handbook showcase exemplary writing in a way that inspires and engages students.
Another commendable aspect of this resource is the thoughtfully designed prompts that accompany each mentor text. These prompts encourage critical thinking and provide students with opportunities to reflect on or emulate the writing techniques demonstrated in the text. What's particularly impressive is the flexibility of these prompts, as they can be easily modified to suit the needs of both advanced and struggling students. By incorporating these prompts into classroom activities, teachers can foster a deeper understanding of writing mechanics and nurture their students' creativity. I have already begun accumulating my own mentor texts that better pair with my novel units, and I can’t wait to use them in the upcoming school year (I was really overthinking it prior to reading this text).
I also found Linda Rief's inclusion of her own and her students' responses to the prompts to be a particularly valuable addition. By sharing these examples, she offers practical insights into how students can effectively engage with the mentor texts, and her encouragement for teachers to take a few minutes to respond to the prompts, themselves, demonstrates her understanding of the importance of modeling and participating in the writing process alongside our students. This interactive approach not only fosters a sense of community in the classroom, but it also enhances the overall learning experience and "...shows students we value all we are asking them to do." (Rief).
I highly recommend this handbook to anyone interested in enriching their teaching repertoire and inspiring students to become confident and proficient writers, easily.
July 27, 2018
Linda Rief is my hero when it comes to quickwrites. She believes when students "use writing to find writing "they can find ideas, discover their voices, and build their confidence as they realize they have important things to say. This book contains 100 inspiring mentor texts (some from Linda) that can spark students' thinking and writing in short 2-3 minute bursts. She has organized them into 4 categories:
1. Seeing Inward: How do students view themselves?
2. Leaning Outward: What do students consider when they step outside of themselves?
3. Beyond Self: What do students notice and wonder about the world at large?
4. Looking Back: How does reflection help students grow into more articulate, thoughtful citizens of the world?
For 5th grade and up- this is a fantastic resource to encourage more writing and more reflective and personal thinking from every student.
1. Seeing Inward: How do students view themselves?
2. Leaning Outward: What do students consider when they step outside of themselves?
3. Beyond Self: What do students notice and wonder about the world at large?
4. Looking Back: How does reflection help students grow into more articulate, thoughtful citizens of the world?
For 5th grade and up- this is a fantastic resource to encourage more writing and more reflective and personal thinking from every student.
August 12, 2018
Linda Rief, like Kittle and Gallagher, offers an amazing look into her own classroom. Her quickwrites will not take up much class time, but the rewards of students writing, actually writing in class, is worth the time. The book is well written from the veteran teacher perspective and should be a staple in ELA classroom's every where. If you ever get the chance to workshop with her, do it! You will not be disappointed.
December 2, 2019
This book is a LIFE-SAVER. Such a handy resource for a variety of mentor texts for fiction, nonfiction, prose, poetry—any and every kind of writing. Each text is so flexible and can be used in many different ways (I plan to use one in both my poetry class and for my juniors who will write personal narratives). Linda Rief has saved me so much time, and I love her for that.
July 30, 2025
This summer I invested a lot of hours thinking strategically about my job as a teacher. For the last two years in a row, we hit the mark of being an A school, so I felt some new freedom to experiment a little.
For starters, how could I give the kids what they asked for in my end-of-year survey? A majority actually requested more classroom discussions and more use of the notebooks.
I know! I was surprised, too. And this was anonymous, so no one was kissing up.
Secondly, how can I make ChatGBT less useful as a means to cheat? I have grown tired of trying to outrun technology.
And finally, what can I do each day that would bring a little more joy to the job and afford me the chance to express a little more of my personality? I'm toying with playing 80s music as students walk in. Not sure if I can keep that up all year, or even all week. But that only scratches the surface of this last goal...
An easy solution was to add daily prompts as bellwork. This book fueled that idea. I could even use excerpts from books I have loved as my prompt, following the author's example.
Win/win/win. That is to say, models of good writing, can't cheat at that, AND yet another chance to add some more joy to the job and express a little more of myself. Because I absolutely love connecting people to good books. What better way to connect them then to reveal a passage and literally invite a connection?
Here's hoping this idea is as good as it sounds. The author promises that it really works.
For starters, how could I give the kids what they asked for in my end-of-year survey? A majority actually requested more classroom discussions and more use of the notebooks.
I know! I was surprised, too. And this was anonymous, so no one was kissing up.
Secondly, how can I make ChatGBT less useful as a means to cheat? I have grown tired of trying to outrun technology.
And finally, what can I do each day that would bring a little more joy to the job and afford me the chance to express a little more of my personality? I'm toying with playing 80s music as students walk in. Not sure if I can keep that up all year, or even all week. But that only scratches the surface of this last goal...
An easy solution was to add daily prompts as bellwork. This book fueled that idea. I could even use excerpts from books I have loved as my prompt, following the author's example.
Win/win/win. That is to say, models of good writing, can't cheat at that, AND yet another chance to add some more joy to the job and express a little more of myself. Because I absolutely love connecting people to good books. What better way to connect them then to reveal a passage and literally invite a connection?
Here's hoping this idea is as good as it sounds. The author promises that it really works.
May 19, 2024
Overall the past few years, I have become more and more familiar with Linda Rief and her work. My first touch point was when a colleague shared with me her "Rambling Autobiography" to use with our GR 8 writers. So, when I found this book, I quickly added it to my cart.
Wow, this is such an amazing resource. It is a perfect book that any writer teacher can benefit from. The texts are fun and powerful and timely and just...right. Some of my favorites included: "Excerpt from The Terrible Two" (pg. 25), a perfect first day of school prompt, and "When She Was Fifteen" (pg. 29), a quickwrite that lends writers to create a time-capsule piece. As I read more and more, I kept tabbing the pages and jotting on Post-It notes with teaching ideas.
Thank you Linda Rief.
Recommended for any writing teacher, but given the quickwrites, more GR 6 and up.
Wow, this is such an amazing resource. It is a perfect book that any writer teacher can benefit from. The texts are fun and powerful and timely and just...right. Some of my favorites included: "Excerpt from The Terrible Two" (pg. 25), a perfect first day of school prompt, and "When She Was Fifteen" (pg. 29), a quickwrite that lends writers to create a time-capsule piece. As I read more and more, I kept tabbing the pages and jotting on Post-It notes with teaching ideas.
Thank you Linda Rief.
Recommended for any writing teacher, but given the quickwrites, more GR 6 and up.
October 7, 2018
A great teacher resource especially if you have students study mentor texts and keep a writer’s notebook. Mentor texts have terrific strategy moves once studied, students can practice. I am hoping that students use these texts as springboards for more developed writing pieces. A special bonus is that mentor texts are grouped by subject.
September 3, 2018
A must-have for any ELA teacher. Love the mix of student author and published author mentor texts, as well as Rief's own. A great resource and approach for having students write, and write way more than they may be write now with low stakes, quick write writing!
September 7, 2018
A great resource of mentor texts. The idea of quick writing isn’t particularly groundbreaking if you’ve been teaching writing, but having an entire book of pretty great mentors is going to save a little planning time this year for sure.
July 19, 2018
A treasury of quickwrites for any ELA teacher!
August 7, 2018
Excellent resource!
August 30, 2018
Putting this book to good use this year. So many useful texts, excerpts, and prompts!
September 23, 2018
Another amazing resource from master teacher Linda Rief.
September 23, 2018
I loved the various quickewrite prompts in Linda Rief's latest book. My students and I will be using them throughout the school year!
October 31, 2018
Useful material here.
November 7, 2018
A fabulous resource that I will continue to use throughout the year.
January 31, 2020
Great ideas for writing! I don't love writing, but the ideas in this book have me excited to try writing some pieces in response to the mentor texts. And I want to try them with my students too!
July 3, 2020
A great resource for any Middle School or High School English Language Arts teacher.
Read
July 27, 2020prompts and mentor texts for QuickWrites
October 1, 2020
Terrific book for anyone who wants to help students grow authentic writing voices.
It is one of my fav resources.
It is one of my fav resources.
October 3, 2020
Lots of great mentor texts and writing ideas here. Made me want to grab a notebook and start writing myself. Excellent resource for teachers of writing.
July 21, 2022
This is a great resource for teachers to assist students with generating ideas for writing while also highlighting the importance of reading.
The introduction (the first 18 pages) offers clearly delineated ways of using quickwrites as well as justifications for doing so. I already use quickwrites, but I am now looking forward to integrating them even more often in my classes.
The book is packed with mentor texts and prompts, with a range of genres and topics included (I’m happy to see so much poetry there!).
Although the purpose of the text is to focus on idea generation, I do wish there had been more specific information provided about how to support students as they move from idea generation to development and revision (there is some info, just not much). I suppose that’s material for a different book altogether, though it would be so helpful for teachers who embrace the ideas and philosophies in this book to have even more guidance with regard to the question of “what’s next?”
I’m also curious about what the writer’s-reader’s notebook might look like in a paperless (or mostly paperless) classroom.
The introduction (the first 18 pages) offers clearly delineated ways of using quickwrites as well as justifications for doing so. I already use quickwrites, but I am now looking forward to integrating them even more often in my classes.
The book is packed with mentor texts and prompts, with a range of genres and topics included (I’m happy to see so much poetry there!).
Although the purpose of the text is to focus on idea generation, I do wish there had been more specific information provided about how to support students as they move from idea generation to development and revision (there is some info, just not much). I suppose that’s material for a different book altogether, though it would be so helpful for teachers who embrace the ideas and philosophies in this book to have even more guidance with regard to the question of “what’s next?”
I’m also curious about what the writer’s-reader’s notebook might look like in a paperless (or mostly paperless) classroom.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews