Peter Johnston grew up in New Zealand, taught elementary school, and came to the United States for his PhD. His fascination with, and admiration for, children's learning and, no less, teachers' teaching, led to his research, which explores relationships among classroom talk, children's engagement, and literate, social, and emotional development. Recent books include Opening Minds: Using Language to Change Lives, Engaging Literate Minds: Developing Children's Social, Emotional, and Intellectual Lives, K-3 (with teacher collaborators), and Teens Choosing to Read: Fostering Social, Emotional, and Intellectual Growth Through Books (with Gay Ivey). Peter has received numerous awards for his research and several of his books have been translated into multiple languages. He is a member of the Reading Hall of Fame.