Interview With Janet Sumner Johnson!

Today on the blog I'm happy to present an interview with Janet Sumner Johnson! Ms Johnson is the author of The Last Great Adventure of the PB&J Society.

The bold font are the questions I asked, the regular font are her answers, and the bold italic font are my comments about her answers.

1. Would you please tell us a little about The Last Great Adventure of the PB&J Society?

I'd love to! The Last Great Adventure of the PB&J Society is about Annie and Jason, two best friends and co-founders of the PB&J Society. When they learn that Jason might have to move because the bank is threatening to take back his house, Annie is NOT okay with it. She makes a list of all the ways they could earn money to save it (some a little more crazy than others), and she's certain one of them will work! Especially when they discover a secret treasure map of the infamous Cap'n Black Marge. Annie is on a mission to find that treasure, because if she doesn't, she'll have to face a fate ten times worse than walking the plank: life without her best friend.

2. Because of the title, I have to ask. Peanut Butter and what kind of jelly?

Grape!! I was raised on Welch's grape, and while strawberry will do in a pinch, grape is for sure my go-to. Just as an interesting tid-bit, when I am at book signings, I always ask the kids (and their parents) what their favorite flavor is, and I take a poll. After countless signings, and countless polls, Strawberry is the unabashed winner, with grape a close (not close enough, imho) second. Raspberry is a very distant third, with apricot (the abomination flavor) a very, very, very distant fourth. My very favorite ever response was Banana Butter, because I did not know the stuff even existed. But it does! And it was not at all what I expected. 😊

I have to say strawberry is my favorite, but grape is good, too! :)

3. Random question! What's your favorite color?

Dark blue! I just love the mystery of a deep, dark navy blue.

I like that color a lot! :)

4. If you're able to talk about it, what are you currently working on?

So I know this is Yay for Middle Grade books, but I've actually been working on some picture books. It's been so fun to learn a new craft, and switch things up for a bit. But never you fear, I definitely have some middle grade stories that I'm working on in the background. There is something about middle grade books that make me so happy, so I could never give up writing them.

5. What are some of your favorite MG books you've read? And what are some that you're looking forward to reading?

One that I recently finished is All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook by Leslie Connor. I didn't know what to expect, but I really loved the book. It's about a boy who grew up in a detention center, where his mom was an inmate. This book really made me think, and Perry was such a great character. I was rooting for him from start to finish.

Another one I recently finished is Where the Watermelons Grow by Cindy Baldwin. It doesn't come out until July, but it is a beautiful book about a girl dealing with her mother's mental illness. It felt so different than anything I've read. Della was such a real character. I highly recommend it!

Finally, in terms of what I'm looking forward to, one I haven't yet read, but plan to rectify that soon is Me, Frida and the Secret of the Peacock Ring by Angela Cervantes. I loved her first two books, and I simply adore mysteries! Especially ones that are based off real historical figures like Frida Kahlo. I can't wait to dive in!

I don't think I've heard of that mystery before, it sounds good! :)

Thank you to Ms. Johnson for participating in this event! :)

Author bio: Janet Sumner Johnson lives in Oregon with her husband and three kids. She bakes a mean cinnamon twist and eats way more cookies than are good for her, which explains her running habit. Though her full-time occupation as evil tyrant/benevolent dictator (aka mom) takes most of her time, she sneaks in writing at night when her inner funny bone is fully unleashed.

Here are a few links:

Her Website

Her Twitter

Her Goodreads