Books with author Kt Johnston

School's out in Big River, Iowa, and Tex Donleavy, a kid who keeps his nose in the books and his deformed right hand deep in his pocket, is looking forward to a blissful summer in the company of Linda Volesky, the vivacious beauty who happens to be his father's girlfriend. Instead, Tex gets dumped on his mother's doorstep, where Farley Dickerson, the big oaf she's just married, and his two kids have made themselves at home. Nobody's more surprised than Tex, then, when he discovers he likes his new stepfather, that he actually wants to spend the summer at Mom's, and that he - Tex Donleavy - is going to play ball on Farley's Little League team. And then there's the plucky and brooding Jack, Farley's daughter, who becomes Tex's closest ally, as well as his greatest source of confusion. In all, it's shaping up to be a summer full of surprises - though nothing can prepare Tex for the biggest surprise of all, a secret so terrible that it will change the lives of every member of his family.Through his careful, lyrical prose, Tim Johnston expertly balances the pain of inching toward maturity with sly humor, making his fiction debut an auspicious occasion.

Winner of the Katherine Anne Porter Prize in Short Fiction, 2009 Inside Tim Johnston's Irish Girl (winner of the Katherine Anne Porter Prize in Short Fiction) readers will find spellbinding stories of loss, absence, and the devastating effects of chance—of what happens when the unthinkable bad luck of other people, of other towns, becomes our bad luck, our town. Taut, lucid, and engrossing, provocative and dark—and often darkly funny—these stories have much to offer the lover of literary fiction as well as the reader who just loves a great story.

Reincarnation offers a second chance… but it comes with strings attached. On Jay's world coming of age is a big deal. That's when the recollections start. Recollections are powerful dreams filled with memories of the dreamer's previous life on Earth. They can lay the foundation of a successful second life, even change the world. Jay remembers everything of the woman he was on Earth. Ri Sun-Hui was a brilliant scientist, but she served a dictator's dark dreams. Hers was a life of misery with only a single joy—the precious daughter she would die for. Jay's memories are beyond disturbing. They threaten to destroy his new life. Can Jay escape who he was? If you ever wonder "what if?" you'll love this tale. Get it now. "A sparkling debut that leaves the reader's mental wheels turning." - Kirkus Reviews ★★★★★ "The writing is great, the plot wonderful and the characters mesmerizing. RE Johnston transports readers into interesting landscapes and worlds, and invites them to redefine life." - Divine Zape for Readers' Favorite "Adults will enjoy the thought provoking study in the socio-political environment while young adults will identify with the adolescent who enjoys video games, his friends, and his girlfriend. It has the depth of character and connection to family and young love that ground it in our reality today, while at the same time allowing your imagination to soar.” - Susan Stradiotto quoted in Hidden Gems' Best Young Adult Books We've Recently Reviewed

Listen! For the song of Owen Thorskard has a second verse. Every dragon slayer owes the Oil Watch a period of service, and young Owen was no exception. What made him different was that he did not enlist alone. His two closest friends stood with him shoulder to shoulder. Steeled by success and hope, the three were confident in their plan. And though Siobhan McQuaid was the first bard in a generation, she managed to forge a role for herself and herald Owen as a new kind of dragon slayer for a new kind of future. But the arc of history is long and hardened by dragon fire. Try as they might, Owen and his friends could not twist it to their will. Not all the way. Not all together. Listen! I am Siobhan McQuaid. I know the cost of even a small bend in the course of history. Listen!

The #1 New York Times best-selling author of Ahsoka takes on another iconic Star Wars hero! When Padmé Naberrie, “Queen Amidala” of Naboo, steps down from her royal position, she is asked by the newly-elected queen to become Naboo’s next representative in the Galactic Senate. Padmé is unsure about taking on the new role, but ultimately cannot refuse the opportunity to serve her people. Together with her loyal handmaidens, Padmé leaves her idyllic home for the glistening capital world of Coruscant, where she must learn to navigate the treacherous waters of politics and forge a new identity beyond the queen’s shadow…By the same author: Ahsoka – 9781405287906

This hilarious retelling of The Princess and the Pea with a Wild West twist is perfect for a read-aloud!Farethee Well is a woman of strong mind and bodacious beauty, but when suitors come to ask for her hand in marriage, can she tell a real cowboy from a fake? “This excellent retelling of Andersen’s The Princess and the Pea . . . is by far the most original to come along in the past few years.”—School Library Journal “Johnston’s clever parody is rich with the language and details of the Wild West. Ludwig’s colorful illustrations heighten the story’s exaggerated humor . . . A great choice for a read-aloud.”—Booklist