Most Popular Books by Tony Johnston

Tony Johnston''s THE BARN OWLS recalls in quiet tones the memory of a barn that has stood alone in a wheat field for one hundred years at least. The owls have nested there and have hunted in the fields and circled in the night skies as time slowly slipped by. Every night, as the moon rises, a barn owl awakens and flies out to hunt. Feathered against the endless starry night, he swoops and sails to the darkened wheat field below and catches a mouse in his nimble talons. With outstretched wings, this barn owl returns to his barn nest and his hungry family, repeating the ageless ritual his ancestors have practiced here, in this barn, for at least one hundred years. Following the life cycle of the barn owl, this gentle poem evokes a sense of warm sunshine and envelopes readers with the memory of the scent of a wheat field.

In this book we learn about the various life cycles that result from the apple tree.

Lizzie and her mom go to the park. That''s where Lizzie meets an elderly man and his companion, Cecile, a dog about her size. But Lizzie is afraid of dogs, so she''ll have to rely on her new friend to help her take things one step at a time. Getting over your fears may seem like a small thing . . . but it sure can feel big.

In her garden in Mexico, an old lady enjoys watching the birds and warning the cat to leave them alone.

An imp, a goblin, a scalawag, and a boy tell each other scary stories.

This version of the familiar story in which a mistreated step-child finds happiness with the "man" of her dreams is set in the old-growth forest and features Bigfoot characters.

A family sews their memories and love into a quilt for a child who is dying.

In this story told in verse, a yawning bear tries to convince his mother that it isn''t time for bed.

Retells, in tall-tale fashion, how Levi Strauss went to California during the Gold Rush, saw the need for a sturdier kind of trouser, and invented jeans.

One of the largest pictorial surveys available contains rare illustrations of jewelry, metalwork, glass ceramics, textiles, architecture, furniture, and other objects. 579 photographs display jewelry by Lalique, Mucha-designed watch, stained glass by Gaudin, interiors by Hohlwein, plus pendants, iron doors, reliefs, flatware, more.

When Manuela''s sheep are stolen, she has to go to Alice Nizzy Nazzy''s talking road-runner-footed adobe house and try to get the witch to give the flock back, in a Southwestern version of the Baba Yaga story.

Living in the Bloggins School boiler room isn''t glamorous, but that''s life for Martha Snapdragon, daughter of the beleaguered janitor. Life only gets weirder when Martha realizes bizarre events are afoot at the school. There''s the dastardly dealings of evil principal Dr. Klunk and school bully Rufus. There''s the dozen dancing eggs and the misbehaving dragons, property of the mysterious science teacher. And then there''s the strangest thing of all: a giant golden spoon that simply appears one day, stuck in the wall of the school bathroom. Although everyone tries, only Martha is able to extract the spoon from the wall--an act that leads her to a destiny far beyond her meager life in the boiler room. Tony Johnston''s funny, magical story spoofs the legend of The Sword in the Stone—and conveys some poignant truths about teaching, leadership, and the responsibilities we have to one another.

Publisher Description

When a treasured teddy bear becomes so worn that it is mistaken for a monkey, a little girl and her mother decide to restore Bear to "his good old self."

Brief, humorous rhymes describe animals both ordinary and unusual, including a rooster, a javelina, and a python.

Mole and Troll learn several lessons about friendship in these four stories.

AV2 Fiction Readalong by Weigl brings you timeless tales of mystery, suspense, adventure, and the lessons learned while growing up. These celebrated children’s stories are sure to entertain and educate while captivating even the most reluctant readers. Log on to www.av2books.com, and enter the unique book code found on page 2 of this book to unlock an extra dimension to these beloved tales. Hear the story come to life as you read along in your own book.

The humorous pair from "Alien and Possum: Friends No Matter What" are still "hanging out" and they''re even better friends than before. Full color.

FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN WHITE AND BLACK in 1950s Tennessee. Tony Johnston draws on her own childhood memories to limn a portrait of a sensitive and compassionate boy fighting for a friendship his father forbids. David''s daddy is determined that his son will grow up to be a doctor like himself. David studies the human bones, and secretly teaches them in turn to his black friend, Malcolm. In a rage, Dr. Church forbids Malcolm to ever enter their home--and threatens to kill him if he does. David tries to change his daddy''s mind. but when Malcolm crosses the line, Dr. Church grabs his shotgun.

Science Fiction Film examines one of the most enduring and popular genres of Hollywood cinema, suggesting how the science fiction film reflects attitudes toward science, technology, and reason as they have evolved in American culture over the course of the twentieth century. J. P. Telotte provides a survey of science fiction film criticism, emphasizing humanist, psychological, ideological, feminist, and postmodern critiques. He also sketches a history of the genre, from its earliest literary manifestations to the present, while touching on and comparing it to pulp fiction, early television science fiction, and Japanese anim. Telotte offers in-depth readings of three key films: Robocop, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and THX 1138, each of which typifies a particular form of science fiction fantasy. Challenging the boundaries usually seen between high and low culture, literature and film, Science Fiction Film reasserts the central role of fantasy in popular films, even those concerned with reason, science, and technology.

Eight-year-old Isabel hopes that her plan will spare her favorite tree, keep the butterflies coming, and provide an income for her poor family in Mexico.

In Colonial Massachusetts, the ghost of a recently buried farmer haunts his widow''s house after a dog takes one of his bones on a long journey.

A tough silent dog works in the desert, taking care of his goats.

“Easily shareable with sibs of different ages, and they’ll be delighted to join in on the goofy brotherly song.” —Bulletin Center Children’s Books (starred review) “Poetic, unusual vocabulary…make the text fun to read aloud.” —Booklist “Johnston writes in a quirky, sweet voice that keeps the narrative moving along…watercolors by Dove have a cheery vintage feel.” —Publishers Weekly When two jellyfish brothers are separated at sea it takes all of the ocean’s creatures to help them reunite in this heartwarming tale of brotherly love. Spencer and Vincent are jellyfish brothers who live together in the sea, their wet and shining home. They invented a little song which went like this: My brother, my brother, he’s sweet, not smelly. I love him from down in my jelly belly. One day a wave of superior magnitude separates them! The brothers know they have to do whatever it takes to find each other again. And they’ll need some help along the way… Sometimes friends can really make a the difference. Spencer and Vincent is a story of adventures and the bond of family.

Sway to the sounds, reach for the colors, dance to the rhythms, and you will find your own Mexico in these poems in both English and Spanish. "Johnston regales the senses with idyllic scenes of streets lined with a rainbow of adobe houses, with the scent of roses growing in coffee cans and lilies in chile jars, and with the sounds of fields of corn shaking quietly in the warm wind. The overall impression is one of sunbaked cheerfulness, warmth, and color ably reinforced by Sierra''s pastel-tinted artwork." --The Horn Book

Miguel figures out a way to save the beloved maguey plant in his Mexican pueblo.

Dom and Tom, the iguana brothers, eat flowers, pretend to be dinosaurs, and discover that they can be best friends.

Eddie''s best friend Sparky saves the day when Eddie''s prized collection of bugs is eaten by one of the exhibits at the school science fair.

Even though they are not in the same class, two young friends are glad that they decided to give school a try.

A rhyming story about ten turkeys sitting on a fence.

Possum and Alien become friends and find that they have both similarities and differences.

Thanatourism is an important new overview of the growing field. It introduces more rigorous scholarship, new philosophical perspectives and a wealth of empirical material on the contemporary and historical consumption of death with case studies designed to stretch and challenge current discourse.

Looking for a soup bone on Halloween, a little old lady finds a hungry skeleton instead.

Amber''s mountain is a beautiful but lonely place, until the day Anna arrives, bringing both her friendship and the will to teach Amber how to read. Suddenly, Amber''s world is filled with new magic--and new challenges. But when Anna returns to the city, will Amber be able to keep reading on her own? "Heartwarming".--"Publishers Weekly", starred review. Full color. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

Neighbours, 20 years on Ramsay Street, is an entertaining and comprehensive history of this very popular Australian television series, a favourite with British TV audiences for two decades. Through its pages, fans will relive the highs and lows of their favourite families, individual characters and evergreen cast members. The book is highly pictorial and includes year-by-year plot synopses, previously unpublished photographs of cast and crew and other behind the scenes material that will enthral the more than three million UK fans of the show. It includes revealing first person recollections from some of the biggest stars, past and present, and enough facts to keep a dedicated trivia buff happy for months!

A pioneer mother lovingly stitches a beautiful quilt which warms and comforts her daughter Abigail; many years later another mother mends and patches it for her little girl.