A boy, a forest, and the summer that changed everything.

It’s the summer of 1957, and ten-year-old Herbie Hereford is afraid of the woods across the street from his house in Upton Grove, Ohio.

When three neighborhood kids—bold Tommy, inquisitive Skeeter, and unpredictable Roger—invite him to explore them, he says yes. Together they wade into ponds, track deer, build a boat, and learn to read the rhythms of a wild place that becomes as familiar as home—one of the last remnants of the great eastern forest of the American Midwest.

For Herbie, the woods offer something he can’t find at home, where his father’s silences and sudden anger press on everything—even the brightest summer days. That summer, he discovers that courage isn’t only something you find in the forest.

In the Heart of the Woods is a coming-of-age story for middle-grade readers and for adults who remember what it meant to have a place that was entirely yours. For fans of Because of Winn-Dixie, Hoot, and Dandelion Wine.

Christopher Johnson
Softcover: 978-1-961905-22-1 | $12.95
E-book: 978-1-961905-21-4 | $5.99
September 2026 | 256 pages | Ages 10-14 years

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In the media

Patch – Rachel Barnes – “Highland Park Author Chris Johnson Debuts First Novel ‘In the Heart of the Woods'” – September 11, 2026

The Record North Shore – Alessia Girardin – “Highland Park Author Sticks to What He Knows with First Novel” – September 15, 2026

“Maybe this is how we save the world around us—through the eyes of children who can see the magic that fades in the years spent growing old.”
—Bill Kurtis, television journalist, author, and environmentalist
“Johnson has an unerring touch for describing how Herbie confronts not only his own fears but the frightening emotions of his troubled parents.“
—L. Sue Baugh, award-winning author of Echoes of the Earth
“In the Heart of the Woods is Christopher Johnson’s remarkable debut novel. In time, like a snake shedding its skin, Herbie will grow into himself.“
—Char Miller, W. M. Peck Professor of Environmental Analysis
“A compelling coming-of-age story—with a second readership among those who were themselves young in the fifties. Highly recommended!”
—A. M. Linden, author of The Druid Chronicles
“The woods become a kind of fifth character, a realm of freedom with a magnetism and wisdom of its own.“
—Rich Elliott, author of The Secret History of Famous People