A wonderful example of a personal narrative is the 1999 Blackboard Children's Book of the Year, I Love My Hair! The author, Natasha Tarpley, tells an entertaining story of how she fell in love with her hair. Every evening before bedtime, Natasha would nestle herself comfortably between her mother's knees while her mother rubbed coconut oil along her scalp and combed her hair. This sweet memoir is not only about self-acceptance, but also about the bond between a mother and daughter.

 

Be sure you don't miss Natasha Tarpley's reflection in the Author's Note section. It's a great opportunity to show students yet another example of reflection, one of the critical attributes of this genre.

 

Use this book as a way to elicit stories of special memories in your students' own lives. Be sure to use one of the leveled planners in our Personal Narrative module. In addition, be sure to model a few of your own personal narratives using one of the planners. The students will thoroughly enjoy your tales!