New Releases by Lynn Johnston

Johnstons "For Better or For Worse" is the worlds most popular family strip in which characters evolve through age and experience, rather than remaining frozen in time. Syndicated since 1979, this comic was named Best Syndicated Comic Strip.

Featuring more than 43 weeks of strips, with Sundays in color, this collection features Elizabeth''s developing teaching skills working in a northern First Nation''s community, Mike and Deanna''s move to Mrs. Saltzman''s upstairs apartment, April''s confrontation of teenage issues like acne and self-image, while John and Elly face middle-age ailments and the possibility of retirement.

The Patterson family undergoes more humorous changes as their youngest daughter, April, becomes a teenager.

"For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston packs more drama, laughter, and real life into one strip than many TV sitcoms can manage in a season."Some people joke that the best part about being a parent is that eventually you get to be a grandparent. When a man is on the brink of this exciting time, the anticipation of being able to pass on family history and traditions, and relive precious memories of years gone by, sets in. I Love My Grandpa! celebrates the relationship a child has with his or her grandfather through the eyes of grandchildren from around the globe, including the Patterson family from the classic comic strip For Better or For Worse. By way of a heartwarming poem, this charming book covers some of the thrills and spills of becoming a "grandpa"-surprised by the unexpected joy of holding a baby again-and playing a special role in the life of a growing youngster. I Love My Grandpa! radiates the universal love of a grandchild and makes an ideal gift for any expectant or new grandfather.

Art imitating life is what happens in Johnston''s perennially popular comic strip, "For Better or For Worse." In this newest collection, life is progressing for each character in the Patterson family.

The Patterson clan returns in the latest installment of the long-running comic strip in a collection that tackles the complexity and joy of modern life.

Lynn Johnston, creator of one of the best-selling contemporary cartoons in North America, For Better or For Worse, along with her long-time friend and author Andie Parton, successfully portrays all of the excitement and anticipation of becoming a grandmother in this charming gift book. It is the perfect keepsake for any expectant grandmother.It is hard to know who looks forward to a new baby more, an expectant parent or an expectant grandmother. From the time the announcement is made, a grandma-to-be may be full of questions: "Aren''t I too young for this? Or maybe too old? What will they call me? Will they need me, or resent my ''help''? Can I really do this? So You''re Going to Be a Grandma! offers the perfect reassurance in the form of a delightful poem that covers all the doubts and questions, joys and successes as a new grandma proves to be a godsend to her new grandchild and its parents: "Baby weeps and so does mother, Daddy isn''t far behind, Both so nervous and exhausted This is where a grandma shines. Readers of For Better or For Worse will recognize new Grandma Elly as well as her son, Mike, and his wife, Deanna, and appreciate the inclusion of families of various ethnicities in these heartwarming drawings. So You''re Going to Be a Grandma! perfectly celebrates the universal love of a grandchild.

Presents a selection of cartoons from the strip''s entire run, accompanied by the author''s commentary on her own life and how it became reflected in the world of her cartoon family, the Pattersons.

Pictures and humor help readers build their Spanish language skills To its millions of fans, the Pattersons are just like their own families, facing universal issues among daily concerns. Containing a selection of 100 syndicated Spanish-language versions of the strip that is widely read in Latin America, Laugh ''n'' Learn Spanish provides an entertaining and effective way to expand and polish conversational skills in Spanish. Readers learn by understanding and learning natural, everyday verbal interactions at home and about town, following John and Ell Patterson as they attempt to come to terms with middle age; daughter Elizabeth as she spreads her wings and goes off to college; son Michael dating and then marrying his childhood sweetheart, Deanna; daughter April as she rebels against discipline, anther grandpa who finds a second love in the autumn of his life. Each strip is graded by difficulty--Beginning, Moderate, or Challenging--and is accompanied by: Glosses that translate difficult vocabulary Usage notes to build proficiency A summarizing activity that tests comprehension Additional exercises for key idioms and word patterns appear at the end of each section

Struggling to adjust to their new lives, Mike and Deanna discover that an unexpected baby is on the way, while Grandpa Jim and Iris elope to England, and Elizabeth dumps her unfaithful boyfriend, in cartoons from the comic strip.

It was a big year for new relationships in the Patterson household. Wanting to avoid an elaborate, expensive wedding, Michael and Deanna married in secret and moved in together. Meanwhile, her mother continued to engineer a huge social affair, which threatened to upset an already delicate relationship between the two families. When Elly helped her reluctant daughter-in-law choose a dress, it brought them closer together-as confidantes and friends-and in the end, the wedding was beautiful.Meanwhile, Grandpa Jim began a slow, sweet courtship with Iris, whom he met at the Wednesday night Legion dance, and Elizabeth moved in with her boyfriend, Eric. She soon suspected he was not her knight in shining armor, and Anthony, the boy Elly and John always hoped Elizabeth would marry, becomes engaged to someone else.With This Ring gives readers more of what they enjoy most: a sense of connection, of being one of the participants in this humorous lifelike comic strip "saga." Like the many For Better or For Worse books that have preceded it, With This Ring is certain to be a popular best-seller.

Humorous and touching, Graduation: Just the Beginning! celebrates the many passages children make-from kindergarten all the way to college and on to the excitement that life "in the real world" promises.

A collection of cartoons captures everyday life in the Patterson family, as John and Emily confront middle age, Elizabeth deals with college life and independence, Michael secretly marries Deanna, and April learns about bullies.

April Patterson entered the world of For Better or For Worse in dramatic fashion when she was born at home during an ice storm on April 1, 1991. Since then she has continued to add surprise and sparkle to the Patterson family. Cartoonist Lynn Johnston has gathered her favorite strips about April, chronicling her fun-filled and rambunctious first 10 years. From the wonder she brought to the family as a tiny baby through her exploits as a toddler, her traumatic fall into a raging river and subsequent rescue by Farley, and her other adventures while growing up, making friends, and going to school, April''s life is told through cartoons, new art, and written commentary. The Robert Tonner Doll Company is also celebrating April''s 10th birthday with the debut of an April doll in August 2001.

This collection includes cartoons from June 1999 to March 2000 from the "For Better or Worse" nationally syndicated comic strip. It follows the adventures of the Patterson family as they age, cope and navigate life with love and humor.

Designed to generate impulse sales, titles in this line are carefully balanced for gift giving, self-purchase, or collecting. Little Books may be small in size, but they''re big in titles and sales.

Millions of readers share a daily relationship with Johnston and her cartoon family, the Pattersons, in the strip "For Better or for Worse." That long association is honored through this one-of-a-kind collection featuring Johnston''s musings and comments about her real life.

They say life is what happens while you''re busy making other plans. And in the latest update of the Patterson family, life is ''happening'' and a few new realities have set in.'' Still adjusting to their status as newlyweds, Mike and Deanna find that two cannot live as cheaply as one, and then learn an unexpected baby is on the way.'' After discovering that her live-in boyfriend was cheating on her, Elizabeth swaps steady date for blank slate.'' And Grandpa Jim catches everyone (including himself) off-guard when he and Iris elope to England. Life, it seems, always has a new surprise in store.Lynn Johnston has been bringing life to the Patterson clan for nearly 25 years, and for readers of more than 2,000 newspapers around the world, life just wouldn''t seem right without her daily dispatch. This is the magic of For Better of For Worse: it is real life at its most realistic. Like real life, it is unpredictable, enlightening, heartwarming, honest, sometimes sad, and often very funny. Reality Check gives readers more of what they''ve come to expect from Johnston''s beloved cartoon: a sense of connection, a shared intimacy with a family as familiar as their own, and a front-row seat to the enduring, endearing comic saga called life. Like the many For Better or For Worse collections that have preceded it, Reality Check is sure to resonate with fans around the world.

Join the Patterson family of For Better or For Worse cartoon strip fame in celebrating all the craziness, joy, love, and true meaning that the Christmas season brings. A perfect little-something gift for those holiday visits, neighbors, family, and friends.

For more than two decades, For Better or For Worse has captivated readers around the globe. This best-selling contemporary cartoon-syndicated since 1979-now appears in more than 2,000 newspapers throughout the U.S., Canada, and twenty-three other countries. The strip reflects universal family feelings so well it''s translated from English into eight languages.What makes creator Lynn Johnston''s portrayal of the Patterson family and friends so beloved shines once again in The Big 5-0, a collection comprising cartoons from August 1998 through June 1999. This book follows the blooming romance of son Michael and his girlfriend, Deanna, daughter Elizabeth''s last year in high school, and John, the father, turning 50. The book overflows with the heartwarming and realistic family exchanges that have become For Better or For Worse trademarks.

This charmer offers heartfelt and humorous thoughts on impending motherhood and the excitement associated with a baby girl''s arrival. A great gift for new or expectant mothers.

This charmer offers heartfelt and humorous thoughts on impending motherhood and the excitement associated with a baby boy''s arrival. A great gift for new or expectant mothers.

A celebration of the twentieth anniversary of "For Better or for Worse". A look back, in scrapbook format, over some of the Patterson family''s most memorable moments, with individual chapters for Elly, John, Michael, Elizabeth, and April. Creator Johnston''s commentary adds a behind-the-scenes element, as she describes some of her thoughts about the strip over the years.

In Sunshine and Shadow, Johnston''s approach again radiates truth, humor, and compassion as the Pattersons deal with the illness and death of Elly''s mother. Readers mourn with the Pattersons as they gather for a loving tribute, wishing their cherished mother could be there with them. "You know what, Dad?" Elly says to her father. "I bet she was." The family also watches as life goes on: college student Michael''s love life heats up and Elizabeth has begun the transformation into a young adult. Through it all, John and Elly raise their brood-Michael, Elizabeth, and April, as well as Edgar the dog-with a liberal mix of love and laughter. Heartwarming and humorous, the Pattersons give readers a reason to smile while emphasizing what''s really important in life.

A collection of comics from Lynn Johnston''s daily strip "For Better or For Worse", which chronicles the daily ups and downs of the Patterson family.