Books by Catherine Johnson
Catherine Johnson is an award-wining writer, including of historical fiction for children and young adults.
Journey Back to Freedom: The Olaudah Equiano Story
by Catherine Johnson & Katie Hickey (illustrator)
Born in West Africa in 1745, Olaudah Equiano was kidnapped at the age of 11 and enslaved in America and the Caribbean. This book focuses on the early part of his life, when he worked on ships, bought his freedom and fought in wars. It is a dyslexia-friendly retelling of his fascinating life story by a brilliant author of historical fiction for teens. Confident readers will hopefully go on to read Equiano’s autobiography, which became a bestseller in his own lifetime.
Ages 9-13
“This book plunges you into a technicolour world that you can believe right away.” Read more...
Young Adult Historical Fiction
KJ Whittaker, Novelist
Interviews with Catherine Johnson
The Best Historical Fiction for 8-12 Year Olds, recommended by Catherine Johnson
There is some fabulous historical fiction out there for 8-12 year olds, some of it old, some of it new. British novelist Catherine Johnson, author of a number of historical novels for kids and young adults, recommends some of the best—from short stories to epics and from straight historical novels to those with a strong dose of fantasy and magic.
Interviews where books by Catherine Johnson were recommended
Young Adult Historical Fiction, recommended by KJ Whittaker
Historical novelist K J Whittaker takes us on a time-travelling adventure as she selects five brilliant historical novels for teens and young adults.
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1
Full of Life: Exploring Earth’s Biodiversity
by Isabel Thomas & Sara Gillingham (illustrator) -
2
The Accidental Stowaway
by Judith Eagle & Kim Geyer (illustrator) -
3
How Was That Built? The Stories Behind Awesome Structures
Roma Agrawal, Katie Hickey (illustrator) -
4
An Illustrated Collection of Nordic Animal Tales
Pirkko-Liisa Surojegin, translated by Jill G. Timbers -
5
Shuna's Journey
by Hayao Miyazaki & translated by Alex Dudok de Wit -
6
Africana: An Encyclopedia of an Amazing Continent
by Kim Chakanetsa & Mayowa Alabi (illustrator)
Best Children’s Books of 2022
Best Children’s Books of 2022
2022 has turned out to be a great year for picture books, but we made sure to include plenty of novels and nonfiction for older children as well.
