. . . AND GETS VOTED SHEFFIELD LIBRARIES FAVOURITE BOOK

How to Get Famous, the ‘really funny book on the pitfalls of the fame game’ (Writeaway), has won the Sheffield Community Libraries prize for their favourite children’s book.

Pete says, ‘Sheffield has a special place in my affections, so this prize means a great deal to me. Hearing the list of previous winners of this award, including the marvellous The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, makes me also feel very honoured to be in such great company.’

It’s just been announced that The TV Time Travellers has been shortlisted for the Leeds Children’s Book Award. Recently it has also been shortlisted for the East Sussex Book of the Year Award. The TV Time Travellers is proving to be one of Pete’s most popular books.

‘The TV Time Travellers is another great humorous book from critically acclaimed Pete Johnson.’ Literacy Times

‘The TV Time Travellers ultra modern concept, sassy characters and humorous asides all contribute to make this a highly accessible and engaging book.’  The Bookseller

A NEW BARRINGTON STOKE: SHUT IT!

Some of Pete’s best-loved stories are published by Barrington Stoke, including the acclaimed comedy, Diary of an (Un)teenager, about a boy who dreads becoming a teenager. (Pete is currently writing a sequel to this one) and The Best Holiday Ever, about a group of teenagers on their first-ever holiday abroad without parents, offering ‘riotous humour and action a-plenty from a master of the comedy genre.’ The perfect holiday read, in fact.

Now comes a new, hilarious Barrington Stoke: Shut It, about a boy who protests against his ‘rubbish life,’ by deciding not to speak for a whole month. Click here to read an exclusive extract ...

FANTASTIC LAUNCH FOR THE TV TIME TRAVELLERS

Pete’s new book, The TV Time Travellers, had a fantastic launch (above) at the Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield on Wednesday 10th June. This special event was co-ordinated by The Sheffield School Library Service and Random Children’s Publishers. Over 800 children packed into the theatre. Afterwards there was a sensational book-signing at which over 600 books were sold. The queue at Pete’s book-signing (left) snaked right round the theatre. Pete said: “This is quite simply the best launch I’ve ever had.”

BOOK OF THE MONTH

Sky Kids have selected The TV Time Travellers as their June Book of the Month. Read more, including an interview with Pete where he chats about reality television, writer’s block, and hating Chemistry here at the Sky Kids website.

• Children’s Reading Partners have chosen The TV Time Travellers as their Key Stage 2 title for the June SPOTLIGHTS promotion. This is a promotion to highlight a small selection of titles every month in libraries. The titles have been chosen by The Reading Agency and are the books they felt would have a particular appeal in libraries.

• St Philips Church in Leicester is marking their centenary with a special time capsule, which they will be burying on Sunday June 7th. Pete is ‘thrilled’ that the book they have selected for this is The TV Time Travellers. The capsule will not be opened for fifty years.

BOYS INTO BOOKS

Key Choice for June

The TV Time Travellers, Pete’s new book, has been selected by The Bookseller as a key choice for June. ‘A highly accessible and engaging book. Not to be missed.’ Click here to read the full review.

In the book, five children are picked to travel back in time seventy years to the start of World War II and be evacuated, accompanied by TV cameras. How will modern children cope with the rigours of war-time life – not to mention being filmed for a reality show?

Some book group fans in Hertfordshire conducted an exclusive interview with Pete about this amazing new book. Click here to read it.

This is an eagerly awaited book looking both at reality television and World War II. The anniversary of the start of World War II is September 3rd 1939. Look out for more about this top title soon, in addition to Pete’s other new books, including the first two titles in a brand new series, ‘Spook School,’ (Stripes Publishing)

On the road with Pete

Pete has started an action-packed schedule of events by addressing a conference for English teachers in Telford on ‘Reaching the Reluctant Reader.’ Over the next few weeks he will be visiting schools, libraries and bookshops in Northwood, Bushey, Wolverhampton, Hertford, Hatfield, Fleet, Enfield, Royston, East Croydon and Gillingham. He is also judging a major writing competition for Tower Hamlets and taking part in ‘Adopt an Author’ with a school in Brighton. Later he will meet the pupils at the Brighton Festival.

How to Get Famous shortlisted for two top regional prizes                                           

The comedy about two children who are determined to get famous – and hailed by The School Librarian as ‘thoroughly good hearted and entertaining book,’ has been shortlisted for the Leicester Best Book of the Year Award and The Sheffield Children’s Book of the Year Award.

Five new titles in 2009 . . .

2008 was a comparatively quiet year for Pete with just the appearance of one major title: ‘How To Get Famous.’ However, 2009 looks like being his busiest ever with the launch of FIVE – yes, FIVE new books and the reissue of an old favourite: ‘Bug Brother,’ in April.

The first of Pete’s NEW books, published in June is 'The TV Time Travellers,’ (Corgi Yearling) – five children are picked to travel back in time seventy years to the start of World War II and be evacuated, accompanied by TV cameras. How will modern children cope with the rigours of war-time life – not to mention being filmed for a reality show?

This is an eagerly awaited book looking both at reality television and World War II. The anniversary of the start of World War II is September 3rd 1939. Look out for more about this top title soon, in addition to Pete’s other new books, including the first two titles in a brand new series, ‘Spook School,’ (Stripes Publishing)

STOP PRESS: How To Get Famous has just been shortlisted for the Leicester Best Book Award 2009. The shortlist and the winner is chosen by children.

Pete gets 'adopted' . . .

Pete continues his highly successful ‘Boys into Books’ tour into the Spring … he has events with Wirral, Northampton, East Croydon and Kent Libraries. He will also be judging this year’s Tower Hamlets Creative Writing Competition and is being ‘adopted’ by a school in conjunction with Brighton Festival – more details to follow.

BUG BROTHER IS BACK!

One of Pete’s best-loved books is ‘BUG BROTHER.’ This is the comic fantasy about a boy, Jamie, who finds a magic cape – and accidentally turns his annoying brother into a bluebottle. This sparkling novel for younger readers has been unavailable for a while, but returns in April 2009 in a super new edition with Catnip.

The second book about the magic cape, ‘PIRATE BROTHER’ – in which Jamie conjures up a boy pirate out of a story – is available with Puffin. Pete is now working on a third book about Jamie and his magic cape called: ‘INVISIBLE BROTHER,’ which will also be published by Catnip in 2009.

‘HOW TO GET FAMOUS’ SHORTLISTED FOR TOP REGIONAL PRIZE

‘HOW TO GET FAMOUS,’ – Pete’s latest book about two children’s dream of fame has been shortlisted for The Coventry Inspiration Book Award in the ‘Raring to Read’ category. The 2008 Awards attracted over 350,000 hits to the website. myvotescoventry.org

HOW TO GET FAMOUS was also been selected as September Book of the Month by www.teachit.co.uk (Book Group), a brilliant resources site for teachers. And, HOW TO GET FAMOUS will soon be an eBook, available from Waterstones.com and other online retailers.

READ HOW PETE TRIED TO GET FAMOUS – ONLY ON THIS WEBSITE! CLICK HERE!

WHICH PETE JOHNSON SHOULD I READ?

Sample three of his most popular titles:

THE GHOST DOG:  the famous spooky tale.

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR PARENTS: the laugh out loud comedy.

WHICH OF PETE’S BOOKS ARE ESPECIALLY POPULAR WITH BOYS?
SIX KEY TITLES . . .

Horror: THE GHOST DOG A terrifying ghost story starts to come true.
Horror: THE FRIGHTENERS What terrible power does a mysterious schoolboy possess?
Thriller: TRAITOR A boy finds himself terrorised by a gang – of girls.
Thriller: AVENGER When the whole school turns against one boy, he asks for help from a ghost!
Comedy: RESCUING DAD What happens when you try and do a ‘groundforce’ on your dad? A Dads/Lads favourite.
Comedy: HELP! I’M A CLASSROOM GAMBLER Has a schoolboy hero really found a secret way to stop school ever being boring again?

*** If you would like Pete to visit your school, click here ***

RIVETING READS

A new list of ‘Riveting Reads’ has been compiled at the request of ministers in an attempt to encourage more reading. The list, compiled by the School Library Association, wanted to highlight some of the best books that have been published in recent years. Among their recommended reads is ‘The Bad Spy’s Guide’ (Here and Now Category)

The review reads: "Pete Johnson writes very fine books for the young and always seems to be in tune with their thoughts, attitudes and concerns. In this book a mild-seeming new boy claims to have been recruited as a spy and persuades James Bond and Sherlock Holmes fan, Tasha to let him use her house to watch over some neighbours. Parent and child relationships and interaction are lightly handled in the context of the story. And the short chapters make it all very reader- friendly. As well as the unfolding mystery, there’s the writer’s usual observant wit and sparklingly fitting dialogue."

"HOW EMBARRASSING IS THAT?" FOR MAJOR PROMOTION

How Embarrassing is That is one of the titles picked for The Times Campaign ‘Books for Schools,’ -  ‘which aims to provide thousands of free copies of some of the best children’s fiction.’ For more details click here.

‘How Embarrassing is That’ is one of Pete’s most popular comedies about a competition to find out who has the most embarrassing parents. The score list includes five points for singing or dancing in public and six points (maximum) for giving you a big kiss or hug anywhere, anytime. The book begins with two words destined to strike fear into any kid. A parent shrieks out ‘Hi Tiddles,’ a dreaded nickname which suddenly all the school hears. The nightmare starts here. 

In July ‘How Embarrassing is That?’ won The Braunstone Book of the Year at the Leicester Book awards. It is published by Barrington Stoke, who also published another of Pete’s best-selling comedies, ‘Diary of an (Un)Teenager,’ about a boy who dreads turning into a teenager. Described by the Book Trust as: “A very amusing look at that slightly uncomfortable transitional phase between childhood and adolescence …a compelling read.” ‘Write Away’ observed that: “Growing up is a very difficult subject to write about without sounding patronising, but the tone here in ‘Diary of an (Un)Teenager’ is spot on.”

FIVE DAYS IN THE LIFE OF PETE JOHNSON

If you think writers stay at home all day, think again! Pete kept a diary during World Book Week. Read it here!

"THIS IS ONE OF THE FEW TRULY FRIGHTENING CHILDREN’S BOOKS I’VE READ."

This is the opening line of a review of Pete Johnson’s horror classic: ‘The Ghost Dog’ on Amazon Customer reviews. The reviewer, A.T. (Rothbury) goes on: ‘Every paragraph is absolutely brimming with juicy, intrigue, with a very moving twist at the end.’ Click here to read more about 'The Ghost Dog'.

‘The Ghost Dog’ is also featured in the book ‘Ghost Trouble.’ This presents both of Pete’s award winning horror tales — ‘The Ghost Dog,’ and ‘The Creeper’ — in one bumper volume. Click here to read more about ‘Ghost Trouble’.

'HELP! I'M A CLASSROOM GAMBLER' WINS TOP PRIZE
 
At the SHEFFIELD CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARD, 'Help! I'm a Classroom Gambler' was voted the Best Shorter Novel of the Year.  

Over 140 schools took part in the judging, with many of them voting online for the first time. Pete says: "The Sheffield Book Awards are always such a special event, with over 400 children attending. I was thrilled and honoured that they picked 'Help! I'm a Classroom Gambler' as their favourite read of the year."