Johnston's first two books have been lauded by critics; both received the prestigious Governor General's Literary Award. Before reading Hero of Lesser Causes and Adam and Eve and Pinch-Me, Jean Little of Canadian Children's Literature wondered if a new author "deserved so great an honor twice." The critic found that they "are both beautifully written books;" in fact, Little stated that she wished that she had written Adam and Eve and Pinch-Me herself. What makes Johnston's novels so good, as several critics have noted, is the people portrayed in them. According to Deborah Stevenson in Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, "Johnston's particular gift is in the authenticity of her characters and relationships."
Johnston did not grow up intending to become a writer. She wrote her first young adult novels only after her children were grown, and these books were published after a number of years. Yet Johnston's life, from her own early childhood to her education and career, provided her with some of the substance of her stories. She was born in Smiths Falls, Ontario, during World War II. Her father, a lawyer, served at the National Defence Headquarters in nearby Ottawa.
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