Toppsta - Childrens Books – Reviews

Pete Johnson Biography

Pete Johnson is a multi-award winning author, whose books have achieved global success and are now published in twenty-nine translations.

Pete was born in Winchester and some of his earliest memories are of visiting the local library. As a child, Pete’s favourite book was ‘101 Dalmatians.’ A fan letter to the book’s author, Dodie Smith, changed his life. For it was she who suggested he should try and become a writer, as she thought he would make a good one.

Before that dream came true, Pete was a film extra, a film critic for Radio One and an English and Drama teacher in Buckinghamshire. His breakthrough book was ‘The Ghost Dog,’ a spooky tale about the power of imagination, which won The Young Telegraph award. Other acclaimed thrillers followed including, ’Traitor’ and ‘Avenger,’ which have earned special praise for their powerful anti-bullying message and are widely used in schools.

Pete’s most popular character is undoubtedly Louis –or ‘Louis the Laugh’ as he calls himself. He first burst on to the scene in ‘How to Train your Parents,’ which is Pete’s biggest international hit. Three more Louis books followed – the latest, ‘How to Update Your Parents,’ has made a special impact because of its topical subject – Louis’s parents decide it’s time for a digital detox and ban all electronic media for a week.

Pete says, ‘Books transport you away into another world completely. They not only feed and develop your imagination but enable you to understand characters who at first can seem totally different to you.’

Pete's latest book 'How to Fool Your Parents' is being released in 2017. 


Pete Johnson Facts
As a film critic Pete interviewed many actors. One of his favourites was Nicolas Cage, because he was ‘brilliant fun and kept you laughing all the time.’

When he was younger Pete used to sleep-walk regularly. One night he woke up to discover he was walking along a busy road in his pyjamas.

Pete was made a reading champion by The Book Trust, in recognition of all his work promoting books and reading in schools and libraries.

Pete likes to start writing by eight o’clock in the morning. But he writes all his spooky tales at night. ‘It really helps get the right atmosphere,’ he says.

Pete collects signed books. His first one was ‘James and the Giant Peach,’ which Roald Dahl signed for him at The National Theatre. Pete remembers Dahl as being ‘really friendly and jolly.’

 
Our favourite Pete Johnson book characters:
Louis the Laugh in How to Train your Parents
Miranda in Trust me I’m A Troublemaker
Spencer, the boy determined not to turn into a teenager in Diary of an (Un)Teenager
 

Our favourite Pete Johnson book quotes:
‘Do you know what I’m suffering from?
Parent Fatigue.’ (How to Train your Parents)
‘I had to do something to lighten the atmosphere, but what?
Then I knew. I’d pretend to be an orang-utan. That never fails to raise a smile.’(My Parents are Driving me Crazy)
‘It was the ugliest, most horrible thing I had ever seen. And I’d brought it to life.’(The Ghost Dog)
‘Their text message was short and not at all sweet. PAY UP ON MON OR ELSE. After seeing that I couldn’t stop shaking. In the end I put the blankets over my head and curled up into a ball.’(Traitor)