After 31 years of teaching, Cheryl Johnson is retiring and chasing a new dream of being a children’s book author.
“When my kids were young we read picture books all the time and I loved the excitement it brought, as well as what they could learn from the stories,” Johnson said. “I want to be able to give that joy to other kids.”
Johnson kickstarted her new career by winning a manuscript contest hosted by SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) called the Marvelous Midwest with a book she wrote about 3 years ago. This victory opened many new doors for her in the writing world including connections to publishers and agents. Additionally, she had a written critique done on her article and a 40 minute phone call with an editor after she won.
Johnson’s winning book is called “The Boy, the Moon, and Me.” The book is about a little boy who writes letters to his brother while he is attending boot camp. It will be Johnson’s first published book but hopefully not the last. She has written other stories and hopes to have those published as well.
Although writing for kids is new for her, working with them is not. Johnson has been teaching students in the district for 21 years and has always tried to show her students how important they were to her.
“I hope they remember that I care very deeply about them and encouraged them to be their best,” Johnson said.
She knows her career was successful because she impacted her students positively. Now, she plans to make a difference in the lives of young readers.
“I was fortunate to have taught in an exceptional school district,” Johnson said.
Johnson may be leaving Northview but she’s not done leaving her mark on young people.
