Books : Children's Books : Ages 12-16 : Authors : Johnson, Pete

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Faking it

Pete Johnson
How to Train Your Parents

Pete Johnson
Diary of an (Un)teenager

Pete Johnson
Help! I'm a Classroom Gambler

Pete Johnson
Rescuing Dad

Pete Johnson
How to Get Famous

Pete Johnson
The Bad Spy's Guide

Pete Johnson
Traitor

Pete Johnson
Trust Me, I'm a Troublemaker

Pete Johnson
The Ghost Dog

Pete Johnson

Where was I? I didn't like this place. I wanted to be away from here. And then I caught a glimpse of something, the tree which was bent double. Here it was, looking more sad and pathetic than ever. And beside it were all the stones. The stones which were supposed to mark the dog's grave. I must be back in the old churchyard, only I couldn't make out anything else. I coughed again. The mist seemed to be getting into my lungs. Then from out of nowhere came this howling noise. The same howling we'd heard that night at the churchyard. Only this time it sounded much louder. I peered around. I was being watched…
Children love to tell stories and they love to be scared, but more than anything they love to scare each other. That's why Dan invents the story of the Ghost Dog: he wants to scare Aaron, big tough Aaron who isn't scared of anything. Unfortunately, the plan backfires drastically as Dan himself starts to be haunted by the Ghost Dog in his dreams. Each night it gets closer and closer to him, fangs bared and dripping blood and evil in its eyes. But surely the Ghost Dog is just a story? It couldn't be real, could it?
Effortlessley tapping into the powerful themes of children's' imaginations, Johnson conjures a brisk and readable story with just the right level of chills and shivers to keep the reader hooked. The idea that the Ghost Dog might not be real and is in fact a representation of something else going on in Dan's life keeps up the mysterious pretence and when all is revealed, the situation turns out to be quite different to that imagined by both Dan and the reader.
This is a fun, pacy read that children will devour and parents and teachers will find themselves getting engrossed in too. The power of imagination is a central theme, and will no doubt encourage a few storytelling sessions among its young readers. It's also nicely pitched, being a perfect read-alone book for children of eight and above who want something a little more intriguing and substantial than the latest Goosebumps book. (Age 8 and over.) --Jonathan Weir
The Frighteners

Pete Johnson
Avenger

Pete Johnson
Runaway Teacher

Pete Johnson
Hero Game

Pete Johnson
Ghost Trouble

Pete Johnson
The Protectors

Pete Johnson
Ten Hours to Live

Pete Johnson

"I'm a prisoner waiting to be sentenced" is the dramatic opening gambit to this book about the agony of teenage love; the waiting and wondering, the heady highs and the deep frustration of unrequited love. Eighteen-year-old Ben is besotted with fifteen-year-old Sophie, but his rival for her affections, Ryan, has stolen a march on him.
Ben's disappointment is tangible; he daydreams about her, rehearses encounters with her and even writes her into one of his playscripts. Six weeks pass before the wide-eyed Sophie is unceremoniously dumped by Ryan. Distressed by this sudden rejection, she takes it out on herself, nearly fatally injuring herself.
Ben, or "Sir Lancelot" as she affectionately calls him, is on hand to comfort Sophie following her ordeal. All is well and Ben enjoys many euphoric weeks with Sophie, until one flippant remark causes the overly sensitive Sophie to flee without explanation. Long weeks of guilt and self-recrimination follow, with Ben chastising himself for his thoughtless conduct. Trouble starts to brew on other fronts as well though, when his parents express concern that his school work is suffering. Ben feels that only he is suffering, but then an unexpected guest arrives at a gathering of friends.
Pete Johnson writes with a clear understanding of young people and the dilemmas they face as they grapple with the highs and lows of first love. Teenagers will enjoy this book, finding it easy to identify with the characters and taking comfort that they are not alone.
How Embarrassing Is That?

Pete Johnson
The Phantom Thief

Pete Johnson

It took me ages to get to sleep. I'd jump awake thinking the Ghost was in my room. Then I dreamt it had turned into a bat, swooping down on me out of the darkness. I even saw its fangs. I yelled and woke myself up. What a relief. Except when I opened my eyes it was pitch dark. That really thick blackness, like a great fog. I hate waking up at this time. I tried to snuggle down into bed. I was closing my eyes when I heard something. Someone was calling me. It was a dream. It had to be. But then I heard it again. "Alfie…"
The fantastic cover of this superb title gives the reader a taste of what to expect in this chilling but compulsive tale of a ghost with some unfinished business. When Alfie is put in the detention room, or the "padded cell" as it is affectionately known by the pupils, by the awful Mr Crumble, he is not very happy. He is even more unhappy when, after a boy his age appears in the room with him, Alfie finds that his new jacket has been stolen and the mysterious boy is no where to be seen. Anger soon turns to fear however, when, thanks to a bit of feminine intuition from his friend Sarah, Alfie realises that the boy may have been a ghost. But why did he take Alfie's jacket? What does he want? And why has the ghost scrawled a terrible warning message on the classroom blackboard?
This marvellous and riveting book is a prime example of this award-winning author in peak form as he spins a creepy, and often complex tale of unearthly unfinished business. As with all of Johnson's stories, there is something deeper going on beneath the spooky surface. There are plenty of chilling moments, especially the scene in the "padded cell"--surely a situation we have all faced at one time or another. But the real issues are how we can often feel misunderstood or unable to communicate what we really feel. Touching and even a little sad, The Phantom Thief lingers in the memory long after the final page and offers an enjoyable and rewarding experience. -- Jonathan Weir
The Hero Game (Puffin Teenage Books)

Pete Johnson