This Goodly Land

Angela Johnson (June 18, 1961–present)

Alabama Connections

• Tuskegee, Macon County: birthplace, early childhood residence

Selected Works

• Johnson, Angela. When I Am Old With You. Illus. David Soman. New York: Orchard Books, 1990. For younger readers.
• Johnson, Angela. Toning the Sweep. New York: Orchard Books, 1993. For younger readers.
• Johnson, Angela. The Rolling Store. Illus. Peter Catalanotto. New York: Orchard Books, 1997. For younger readers.
• Johnson, Angela. Heaven. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 1998. For younger readers.
• Johnson, Angela. The Other Side: Shorter Poems. New York: Orchard Books, 1998. For younger readers.
• Johnson, Angela. The First Part Last. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2003. For younger readers.
• Johnson, Angela. A Sweet Smell of Roses. Illus. Eric Velasquez. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2005. For younger readers.
• Johnson, Angela. Wind Flyers. Illus. Loren Long. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2007. For younger readers.
• Johnson, Angela. Lily Brown's Paintings. Illus. Earl B. Lewis. New York: Orchard Books, 2007. For younger readers.

Literary Awards

• Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award, New York Public Library and Ezra Jack Keats Foundation, 1991, for Tell Me a Story, Mama
• Alabama Author Award, Alabama Library Association, 1993, for When I Am Old With You
• Coretta Scott King Award, American Library Association, 1994, for Toning the Sweep
• Coretta Scott King Award, American Library Association, 1999, for Heaven
• Coretta Scott King Award, American Library Association, 2004, for The First Part Last
• Michael L. Printz Award, American Library Association, 2004, for The First Part Last
• Alabama Author Award, Alabama Library Association, 2005, for The First Part Last

Biographical Information

Angela Johnson was born in Tuskegee, Ala., but her family moved to a small town in Ohio when she was a child. She began keeping a journal in elementary school after reading Harriet the Spy, and she wrote poetry in high school, but she expected to become either a social worker or a teacher. Johnson began attending classes at Kent State University but developed writer’s block. When she decided not to return to school, she was able to write again. After leaving school, Johnson worked for Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) as a child development worker and wrote stories on the side. Eventually she began writing full-time.

Johnson’s first book, the picture book, Tell Me a Story, Mama, was published in 1989. She published her first young adult novel, Toning the Sweep, in 1993. She continues to publish both picture books and young adult novels, many of which have won awards and have appeared on lists such as “Best Books” (School Library Journal). In 2003, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation awarded Johnson a MacArthur Fellows Program Grant (the MacArthur “genius grant”) in recognition of her creative work.

Interests and Themes

Angela Johnson’s picture books feature black American children in loving relationships with their families. Her young adult novels depict black American young people struggling to achieve adulthood and deal with issues such as cancer, mental illness, and teenage parenthood. All of her books have an optimistic tone and emphasize individuals’ connectedness to and need for the love and support of family and friends.

For More Information

Please check your local library for these materials. If items are not available locally, your librarian can help you borrow them through the InterLibrary Loan program. Your librarian can also help you find other information about this author.

There may be more information available through the databases in the Alabama Virtual Library. If you are an Alabama citizen, AVL can be used at your public library or school library media center. You can also get a username and password from your librarian to use AVL at home.

Reference Book Chapters and Encyclopedia Entries

• "Johnson, Angela 1961-"; Something About the Author. Vol. 150. Detroit: Thomson-Gale, . 120-124.

Reference Web Sites

• "Angela Johnson, Kent". Ohio Authors. 2003. Ohio Center for the Book, Cleveland Public Library. http://www.ohiocenterforthebook.org/OhioAuthors.aspx?id=120&mode=detail®ion=none.
• "Angela Johnson". Ohioana Authors. 2005. WOSU Stations and Ohioana Library. http://www.ohioana-authors.org/johnson/highlights.php.
• Gordon, Dick. "Angela Johnson's Genius". The Connection. 2003. WBUR Boston. http://www.theconnection.org/shows/2003/10/20031009_b_main.asp.

Photo courtesy of Simon & Schuster.

Last updated on Aug 28, 2009.