Leah Johnson

Three days. Two girls. One life-changing music festival. Olivia is an expert at falling in love . . . and at being dumped. But after the fallout from her last breakup has left her an outcast at school and at home, she’s determined to turn over a new leaf. A crush-free weekend at Farmland Music and Arts Festival with her best friend is just what she needs to get her mind off the senior year that awaits her. Toni is one week away from starting college, and it’s the last place she wants to be. Unsure about who she wants to become and still reeling in the wake of the loss of her musician-turned-roadie father, she’s heading back to the music festival that changed his life in hopes that following in his footsteps will help her find her own way forward. When the two arrive at Farmland, the last thing they expect is to realize that they’ll need to join forces in order to get what they’re searching for out of the weekend. As they work together, the festival becomes so much more complicated than they bargained for, and Olivia and Toni will find that they need each other, and music, more than they ever could have imagined. Packed with irresistible romance and irrepressible heart, bestselling author Leah Johnson delivers a stunning and cinematic story about grief, love, and the remarkable power of music to heal and connect us all.

A previously published edition of ISBN 9781338503265 is here. Liz Lighty has always believed she's too black, too poor, too awkward to shine in her small, rich, prom-obsessed midwestern town. But it's okay -- Liz has a plan that will get her out of Campbell, Indiana, forever: attend the uber-elite Pennington College, play in their world-famous orchestra, and become a doctor. But when the financial aid she was counting on unexpectedly falls through, Liz's plans come crashing down . . . until she's reminded of her school's scholarship for prom king and queen. There's nothing Liz wants to do less than endure a gauntlet of social media trolls, catty competitors, and humiliating public events, but despite her devastating fear of the spotlight she's willing to do whatever it takes to get to Pennington. The only thing that makes it halfway bearable is the new girl in school, Mack. She's smart, funny, and just as much of an outsider as Liz. But Mack is also in the running for queen. Will falling for the competition keep Liz from her dreams . . . or make them come true?

Ellie Engle doesn’t stand out. Not at home, where she’s alone with her pet fish since her dad moved away and her mom has to work around the clock. Not at the bakery, where she helps out old Mr. Walker on the weekends. And definitely not at school, where her best friend, Abby—the coolest, boldest, most talented girl in the world—drags Ellie along on her never-ending quest to “make her mark.” To someone else, a life in the shadows might seem boring, or lonely. But not to Ellie. As long as she has Abby by her side and a comic book in her hand, she’s quite content. Too bad life didn’t bother checking in with Ellie. Because when a freak earthquake hits her small town, Ellie wakes up with the power to bring anything back to life with just her touch. And when a video of her using her powers suddenly goes viral, Ellie’s life goes somewhere she never imagined—or wanted: straight into the spotlight. Surviving middle school is hard enough. Surviving middle school when paparazzi are camped out on your front lawn and an international pop star wants you to use your powers on live TV and you might be in love with your best friend but she doesn’t know it? Absolutely impossible.

A vibrant, heartwarming collection of 15 middle grade stories and poems that celebrates the joy, strength, and experience of Black girlhood, including stories from Ibi Zoboi, Sharon M. Draper, and Leah Johnson, as well as cover art from Caldecott winner Vashti Harrison. Black girl power is… Bringing your favorite stuffed animal to your first real sleepover. . . Escaping an eerie dollhouse that’s got you trapped inside. . . Making new friends one magical baked good at a time. . . Finding the courage to dance to the beat of your own drum. . . And more! From 15 legendary Black women authors comes a dazzling collection of stories and poems about the power we find in the everyday and the beauty of Black girlhood. Contributors include: Amerie, Kalynn Bayron, Roseanne A. Brown, Elise Bryant, Dhonielle Clayton, Natasha Diaz, Sharon M. Draper, Sharon Flake, Leah Johnson, Kekla Magoon, Janae Marks, Tolá Okogwu, Karen Strong, Renée Watson, and Ibi Zoboi

Primeiro livro young adult a ser escolhido para o clube de leitura da atriz Reese Whiterspoon Uma apaixonante comédia romântica que navega a realidade complexa de uma protagonista negra, pobre e queer “Eu nasci realeza. Tudo o que eu precisava fazer era escolher minha coroa.” Liz Lighty sempre achou que fosse negra, pobre e estranha demais para brilhar em sua pequena cidade rica e obcecada por festas de formatura. Mas tudo bem, porque ela tem um plano: estudar na renomada Pennington College, onde fará parte de sua conhecida orquestra e, eventualmente, se tornará médica. No entanto, quando Liz descobre que não pode mais contar com a ajuda financeira que esperava, seus planos vão por água abaixo – até ela ser lembrada da bolsa de estudos que sua escola oferece para o rei e a rainha da festa de formatura. Não há nada que Liz odeie mais do que ser o centro das atenções. Ela não quer ter sua vida exposta nas redes sociais, lidar com concorrentes do nível Meninas Malvadas e ser obrigada a participar de uma série de eventos humilhantes. Mas ela está disposta a fazer o que for preciso para estudar em Pennington. A única coisa que torna tudo levemente suportável é a nova garota da escola, Mack. Ela é inteligente, engraçada, e tão estranha quanto Liz. Mas Mack também está na disputa pelo título de rainha. Será que se apaixonar pela concorrência impedirá Liz de conseguir a coroa... ou a colocará direto em sua cabeça?

From award-winning YA author Leah Johnson comes the sequel to her stunning middle grade debut, Ellie Engle Saves Herself, now with Ellie’s bff, Bree Boyd, taking center stage in story about friendship, family, and what it really means to be the best 7th grader Bree Boyd loves rules, order, and knowing what’s going to happen next. It’s why she likes reading the same books over and over; it’s why she’s the school’s reigning spelling bee champ; and, most importantly, it’s why she’s never minded the high expectations her father has always had for her and her sisters. After all, if you’re always the best, life can’t throw many surprises at you. But for the first time, Bree has no idea what the future holds. Because when a huge storm delivers a bolt of lightning straight into Bree, it leaves behind something she never prepared for: the power to move things with her mind. All of a sudden Bree’s life—filled with rules and routine—is twisted upside down and inside out. But will these new powers show Bree the magic of an unpredictable, imperfect life? Or will they simply spell disaster for everyone? Irresistibly charming, laugh-out-loud funny, and brimming with heart, Leah Johnson’s powerful series about ordinary kids with extraordinary abilities is nothing short of miraculous.