An interview with historical fiction middle grade author Anna Rose Johnson

I’m so fortunate that Anna Rose Johnson, the author of several wonderful and timeless middle grade historical fiction novels, agreed to answer my questions! I love both of Johnson’s books, The Star That Always Stays (2022) and The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry (2024). I especially adore Lucy Landry for its marvelous setting in a Lake Superior lighthouse in Michigan. I was eager to learn more about Johnson’s life and the stories behind her writing.

Kaela Noel: Thanks for agreeing to this interview! I know we share a love of vintage children’s literature. Can you speak about some of your favorites?

Anna Rose Johnson: Oh, it’s so hard to narrow it down to just a few! But some of my favorite vintage children’s authors are L.M. Montgomery (the Anne series and Jane of Lantern Hill), Maud Hart Lovelace (the Betsy-Tacy series), Elizabeth Enright (Spiderweb for Two and Gone-Away Lake), and Noel Streatfeild (The Bell Family, Theater Shoes, and The Growing Summer).

KN: I love several of those authors, too. I was a big fan of Noel Streatfeild as a child. I was fortunate my local library had all the Shoes books, and I read and re-read them many times. That said, so many wonderful vintage titles remain out of print. Would you share some that come to mind that you wish were still in print?

ARJ: I wish that Maggie Rose: Her Birthday Christmas by Ruth Sawyer would be reprinted—it’s such a marvelous story about a young girl trying to create a perfect celebration for herself and her family. It has elegant prose, captivating descriptions of the coast of Maine, and a magnificent ending!

KN: Are there any other authors you feel have been overlooked, or are especially due for a revival?

ARJ: Jean Little needs to be rediscovered! I absolutely love her duology about a German girl who moves to Canada in the 1930s, From Anna and Listen for the Singing. Little’s first novel, Mine for Keeps, has also been recently reprinted, so I hope more lovers of vintage books will discover her writing!

KN: Do you have any favorite publishing companies or projects that are re-issuing out-of-print children’s books?

ARJ: Purple House Press has reissued several books I’ve enjoyed, including Time at the Top by Edward Ormondroyd. I’m also excited about a new publisher called Renewed Books; they’re hoping to reprint some old vintage favorites!

KN: The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry includes a wonderfully positive and accurate depiction of homeschooling. I know you were a homeschooler yourself, too. Do you have any thoughts to share on your experience as a homeschooler? How did it influence your writing career?

ARJ: Homeschooling influenced me so much as a writer, because I was able to spend so much time on my craft. It fueled my creativity in general, because homeschooling allows you to focus on things you’re especially interested in—it’s a wonderful way to learn! With Lucy, I enjoyed depicting a homeschool family in the 1910s, because we need more homeschooling stories (and not just in contemporary settings)!

KN: You are a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, and the main characters in both your novels share this heritage. There are so many talented Ojibwe authors, including Louise Erdrich, of course, who wrote the Birchbark House series of books for younger readers. Do you have any favorite Ojibwe authors?

ARJ: The epigraph at the beginning of The Star That Always Stays is from a poem by Ojibwe writer Jane Johnston Schoolcraft, whose writing was so beautiful. I began doing research about Jane several years ago, and I had the amazing opportunity to read some of her handwritten journals from the 1820s. Because she was one of the first Ojibwe women authors, it meant a lot to me to be able to include that epigraph in TSTAS! I also want to recommend a sweet chapter book series called Liam Kingbird’s Kingdom, which features a young Ojibwe boy. They’re written by Ojibwe author Andrew Stark and illustrated by my sister, Emily Faith Johnson!

KN: Something I think is often overlooked in the current children’s writing field is a sense of place, and regionalism in general. There seems to be a trend for middle grade authors to often set their works in a kind of Anywhere, USA, maybe as a gesture toward reliability or universality…I’m not sure of the motive. Even with books that name a location, it feels rare for the location itself to be fully developed and distinct. This era of children’s literature seems to give little attention to setting. You successfully buck this trend in both of your books. They are set in Michigan in such a way that the place is integral to the story itself, and you make Michigan come to life on the page. Is a sense of place important to you? What is your relationship to Michigan? Have you considered writing books set elsewhere?

ARJ: A strong sense of place is so important to me as I write. I have to be able to picture what I'm writing about, and to know the setting so I can capture it in my descriptions. I’m from Wisconsin but I have deep family roots in Michigan and lots of family there. I’ve been fascinated by Michigan history for some time now, and I’ve done so much research on the area, which I’ve tried to make come alive in my manuscripts. I’m also working on a book set in Wisconsin now!

KN: Could you talk a bit about the lighthouse aspect of Lucy Landry? Your author’s note at the end of the book gave some great details about the research you did. Anything else you want to add or discuss? Do you have some favorite Michigan lighthouses you’ve visited? What are your favorite locations around Lake Superior?

ARJ: Researching lighthouse life for Lucy was one of the most delightful parts of the entire writing process. As I explain in the author’s note, it was a joy to watch videos of lighthouse tours and then create Harmony Lighthouse from those descriptions. But it was even more fun to be able to visit the Ontonagon Lighthouse in Upper Peninsula last summer, and I was able to insert a few cool details from that lighthouse. I ended up visiting it on a cold, rainy day, which was such an amazing experience because the waves were a bit wild! It’s now a favorite Lake Superior location, along with the Iroquois Point Lighthouse in Brimley.

The Ontonagon Lighthouse (credit: Anna Rose Johnson)

KN: I also love how your books have a subtle but strong message of Christian faith (it's never heavy-handed), which adds to the feeling of authenticity in time and place. I’m also a Christian (I currently attend an Eastern Orthodox Church). Would you be open to speaking about your own faith and how it informs your writing?

ARJ: I love including my faith in my writing. My faith has greatly impacted how I write—God is the best storyteller of all, and His inspiration has made me a better writer. I also love having my characters connect with certain Scripture verses—it’s very special to me and I hope other readers enjoy that element as well.

KN: Thank you so much, Anna Rose!