Angela Johnson is an American children's book and poetry author with over 40 books to her credit since beginning her writing career in 1989. Her books for young children are simple yet poetic stories about African American families, friendships, and common childhood experiences such as moving. Her books for older children also revolve around similar themes but also explore deeper issues such as teen pregnancy and divorce. In all, the characters are realistic and the treatment sensitive, positive, and hopeful.

Biography

Johnson was born in Tuskegee, Alabama

Tuskegee, Alabama

Tuskegee is a city in Macon County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 11,846 and is designated a Micropolitan Statistical Area. Tuskegee has been an important site in various stages of African American history....

. She grew up in Windham, Ohio

Windham, Ohio

Windham is a village located in Portage County, Ohio, United States. It is formed from portions of Windham Township, one of the original townships of the Connecticut Western Reserve. The population was 2,209 at the 2010 census. In 1942, the US government chose Windham as the site of an army camp...

 with her brother and parents. Like many successful people, she can recall one special teacher who read to her, thus sparking a love of books that would blossom into a love of writing. She wrote throughout her childhood. Although she attended Kent State University

Kent State University

Kent State University is a public research university located in Kent, Ohio, United States. The university has eight campuses around the northeast Ohio region with the main campus in Kent being the largest...

, she left before earning her degree to focus on her writing. During this time, she worked as a nanny and was employed by author Cynthia Rylant

Cynthia Rylant

Cynthia Rylant is an American author. She has written more than 100 children's books in English and Spanish. With the divorce of her parents when she was four and living without running water and electricity she became an author including works of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry...

, who reviewed Johnson’s work and forwarded it to her publisher. Johnson credits this connection with giving her the “break” that launched her career successfully.

Dav Pilkey

Angela Johnson was used in a Dav Pilkey book (author of Captain Underpants) called Julius. Angela Johnson and Dav Pilkey worked together and used Angela Johnson's childhood pictures for a sketch on the girl named Maya.

Awards

Angela Johnson has won awards for both her picture books and for her brilliant novels. She has won the Coretta Scott King

Coretta Scott King

Coretta Scott King was an American author, activist, and civil rights leader. The widow of Martin Luther King, Jr., Coretta Scott King helped lead the African-American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s.Mrs...

 award for three works: in 1999, for Heaven, in 1994 for Toning the Sweep, and in 2004 for The First Part Last

The First Part Last

The First Part Last is a young adult novel by Angela Johnson that deals with the subject of teen pregnancy. Johnson writes the story in first person narration from the perspective of Bobby, the 16-year-old father, setting it apart from most books on the subject...

. When I Am Old With You was an Honor Book in 1990 as well as an American Library Association

American Library Association

The American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....

. The Other Side, The Shorter Poems was also selected as a Coretta Scott King Honor book in 1998. Other honors include the "Best Books" pick by School Library Journal for Toning the Sweep and the Michael L. Printz Awardhttp://www.acrl.org/ala/yalsa/booklistsawards/printzaward/Printz.cfm for Excellence in Young Adult Literature for The First Part Last.

Works

Picture Books for Primary Grades (K-2):

• Tell Me a Story, Mama (1989)
• When I am Old With You (1990), ALA Notable book, Coretta Scott King Honor Book
• Do Like Kyla (1990)
• One of Three (1991)
• The Leaving Morning (1992)
• Julius (1993)
• The Girl Who Wore Snakes (1993)
• Mama Bird, Baby Birds (1994)
• Joshua’s Night Whispers (1994)
• Rain Feet (1994)
• Joshua By The Sea (1995)
• Shoes Like Miss Alice (1995)
• The Aunt in Our House (1996)
• The Rolling Store (1997)
• Daddy Calls Me Man (1997)
• Those Building Men (1999)
• The Wedding (1999)
• Down the Winding Road (2000)
• I Dream of Trains (2003)
• A Sweet Smell of Roses (2004)
• Violet’s Music (2004)
• Just Like Josh Gibson (2004)
• Lily Brown's Paintings (2007)

Chapter Books For Intermediate Grades, 3-5:

• Maniac Monkeys on Magnolia Street (1999)
• When Mules Flew on Magnolia Street (2001)
• Looking For Red (2002)
• Bird (2004)

Novels For Older Readers:

• Songs of Faith (1998)
• Heaven (1998)
• The Other Side, The Shorter Poems (1998)
• Toning the Sweep (1993)
• Gone From Home: Short Takes (2001)
• Humming Whispers (1995)
• On The Fringe
• Running Back to Ludie (2002)
• A Cool Moonlight (2003)
• The First Part Last
  The First Part Last
  The First Part Last is a young adult novel by Angela Johnson that deals with the subject of teen pregnancy. Johnson writes the story in first person narration from the perspective of Bobby, the 16-year-old father, setting it apart from most books on the subject...
  
  , (2003)

External links

Classroom Resources:

Primary Writing:

• http://books.heinemann.com/Shared/onlineresources/E00604/AuthorsAsMentorsSession1.pdf

Lesson Plan for When I Am Old With You:

• http://arkedu.state.ar.us/africanamerican/appendix.html#anchorlsn1
• http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1995/4/95.04.02.x.html

Lesson Plan for Tell Me A Story:

• http://www.alabamaliterarymap.org/Tell%20Me%20A%20Story.pdf

Lesson Plan for Do Like Kyla:

• http://www.wviz.org/edsvcs/prek/worksheets/Do_Like_Kyla.pdf

Lesson Plan for Wind Flyers:

• http://www.simonsays.com/assets/isbn/068984879X/TGP01_068984879X.pdf

Interview about her young adult novels:

• http://alan-ya.org/i55_57_TAR_Fall06.pdf

Lesson Plans for Chapter Books:

• http://www.webenglishteacher.com/johnson.html
• http://litplans.com/authors/Angela_Johnson.html
• http://www.alabamaliterarymap.org/Angela%20Johnsons%20Bird.pdf
• http://www.tracievaughnzimmer.com/Bird.htm
• http://content.scholastic.com/browse/collateral.jsp?id=1371_type=Book_typeId=2585

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