“Just because it could be worse doesn't mean you don't get to acknowledge how much it sucks, you know.”
- Leah Johnson, You Should See Me in a Crown
You Should See Me in a Crown by 
Rise to the Sun by 
Ellie Engle Saves Herself by Photo Source: Instagram @byLeahJohnson
Photo Source: Instagram @Loudmouthbooks
Did you know? Leah Johnson owns and operates a bookstore, Loudmouth Books, in Indianapolis! This store centers books by queer and black authors and aims to highlight banned or challenged books. With its bright colors and amazing selection, it's worth checking out!
Leah Johnson always wanted to be a superhero, but she became a writer instead, which she thinks is the next-best thing. Her best-selling debut novel, You Should See Me in a Crown, was a Stonewall Honor Book, the inaugural Reese’s Book Club YA Pick, and named one of Time’s 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time. Leah lives in Indianapolis, where she writes books about Black girls with big hearts, plays fetch with the best dog in the world, and talks about Miles Morales to anyone who will listen.
At the Height of My Career, I Moved Back in With My Parents — And it Was the Best Decision I Could’ve Made - Apartment Therapy (2022)
After I Came Out, My Mother Left Our Church to Fight for Queer Youth - Harper's Bazaar (2021)
How Queer YA Novels Taught Me to Write My Own Happy Ending - Autostraddle (2020)
I’m Tired of Waiting for the Queer Rom-Coms We Actually Deserve - Cosmopolitan (2020)
“College Republicans”: Why White Male Coming of Age Stories Should Be the Exception - TeenVogue (2020)
The Jonas Brothers Joke About Their Purity Rings Now. Why Can’t I? - Buzzfeed (2019)
Author Leah Johnson on Being Young, Black, Queer, and In Love - NPR (2021)
Q&A With Leah Johnson, You Should See Me in a Crown - We Need Diverse Books (2020)
The Author Fighting Back Against Banned Books - Esquire (2023)
Leah Johnson Didn’t See Herself in YA Novels, so She Wrote Her Own - Electric Lit (2020)
Leah Johnson is the Toni Morrison of Queer YA, It’s Time We Got Real About That Fact - Autostraddle (2021)
Q&A: Leah Johnson, Author of “You Should See Me in a Crown” - The Nerd Daily (2020)
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