Leaving Johnny Behind

In the tradition of Why Johnny Can't Read written by Rudolph Flesch in the 1950s, Leaving Johnny Behind provides a comprehensive examination of the barriers that deny children adequate literacy training. This book describes the obstacles faced by a school principal from Milwaukee's central city when he attempted to implement research-based reading practices. Upon further examination, he discovered that the reading establishment generally rejects the product of legitimate science, choosing instead to engage in a never-ending interfusion of the latest innovations, modifications, and gimmicks. This condition, Anthony Pedriana observes, has a disparate impact on poor and minorities, those who suffer from dyslexia and other forms of reading disability, and those for whom English is a second language.

“A novelistic mosaic that simultaneously reads like a thriller and like a strange, dreamlike excursion into the subconscious.” —The New York Times Years ago, when House of Leaves was first being passed around, it was nothing more than a badly bundled heap of paper, parts of which would occasionally surface on the Internet. No one could have anticipated the small but devoted following this terrifying story would soon command. Starting with an odd assortment of marginalized youth -- musicians, tattoo artists, programmers, strippers, environmentalists, and adrenaline junkies -- the book eventually made its way into the hands of older generations, who not only found themselves in those strangely arranged pages but also discovered a way back into the lives of their estranged children. Now this astonishing novel is made available in book form, complete with the original colored words, vertical footnotes, and second and third appendices. The story remains unchanged, focusing on a young family that moves into a small home on Ash Tree Lane where they discover something is terribly wrong: their house is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. Of course, neither Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Will Navidson nor his companion Karen Green was prepared to face the consequences of that impossibility, until the day their two little children wandered off and their voices eerily began to return another story -- of creature darkness, of an ever-growing abyss behind a closet door, and of that unholy growl which soon enough would tear through their walls and consume all their dreams.

Between 1982 and 1989, Pelafina H. Lièvre sent her son, Johnny Truant, a series of letters from The Three Attic Whalestoe Institute, a psychiatric facility in Ohio where she spent the final years of her life. Beautiful, heartfelt, and tragic, this correspondence reveals the powerful and deeply moving relationship between a brilliant though mentally ill mother and the precocious, gifted young son she never ceases to love. Originally contained within the monumental House of Leaves, this collection stands alone as a stunning portrait of mother and child. It is presented here along with a foreword by Walden D. Wyhrta and eleven previously unavailable letters.

Johnstone Country. Next Stop: Hell. NO ONE MESSES WITH SHOTGUN JOHNNY. It takes a brave man to ride shotgun for the Reverend’s Temptation Gold Mine in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. It takes an even braver man to try to rob a coach of bullion when the shotgun rider is Johnny Greenway. Armed with his weapons of choice—two sawed-off, double-barreled shotguns in custom-made holsters for pistol-quick draws—Shotgun Johnny ain’t stopping for no one . . . NOT UNLESS THEY WANT TO DIE. Johnny Greenway was once a family man. A well-respected marshal who always played fair. Then his wife and son were killed by cutthroats. Johnny killed the killers. Then he hung up his badge and picked up a bottle. Now a shadow of his former self, he has nothing much to live for. But when he singlehandedly stops a bank robbery, he catches the eye of the banker’s daughter. She’s impressed by Johnny’s gun skills, and offers him a job riding shotgun. First he’ll have to stop drinking and clean up his act. But that’s not all that needs cleaning. The mountain trail to the mine hides the filthiest, dirtiest gang in the territory. They’re gunning for the gold. But Shotgun Johnny will be gunning for them . . . Live Free. Read Hard. www.williamjohnstone.net Visit us at www.kensingtonbooks.com

Johnny Larson’s life is in turmoil after the death of Fritz McCloud. It is his fault that Fritz is dead, and now the case is going to court. To make matters worse, Johnny’s friends no longer want to hang out, and while he really needs some money, who wants to hire a criminal? But then Fritz’s dad, Lester, speaks up on Johnny’s behalf in the courtroom, citing his new faith in Christ and distinctive character changes as the reason for his support. The judge postpones the sentencing to investigate further, keeping everyone in suspense. A bright spot, however, is some newfound friends from church who prove to be a real help in a time of need.

Come along on the journey with Johnny Rockford as he is faced with many difficult challenges to overcome. Enjoy a wide range of genres in this collection of short stories, from Action, to Drama, to Thriller. There’s something for everyone to enjoy in the Tales of Johnny Rockford.