Valerie Sherrard
Valerie Anne Sherrard is a Canadian author of books for children and young adults including the novels The Glory Wind, Kate, Speechless and the Shelby Belgarden mystery series.
Early life
Sherrard was born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan to Bob and Pauline Russell and raised in various parts of Canada. She has two brothers, Danny and Andrew. When living in Lahr, West Germany, in the sixth-grade, her homeroom teacher, Alf Lower, inspired her to become a writer.
Career
The Glory Wind won the 2011 Geoffrey Bilson Award, the Ann Connor Brimer Award and was shortlisted for other awards, including the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award, and the Canadian Library Association Book of the Year for Children Award.
Sherrard's novel in free verse, Counting Back from Nine, was nominated for a 2013 Governor General's Award in the Children's Text category.
Sherrard's picture books include There's a Cow Under my Bed that was illustrated by Canadian Illustrator David Jardine and Miss Wondergem's Dreadfully Dreadful Pie that was illustrated by Canadian Illustrator Wendy J. Whittingham.
Sherrard's 2007 historical novel, Three Million Acres of Flame, is about the 1825 Miramichi Fire, the largest recorded land fire in North American history.
Personal life
Sherrard currently lives in Miramichi, New Brunswick, with her husband, Brent, who is also an author. Sherrard previously was the executive director of a group home for adolescents. While raising her own three children, Anthony, Rebecca and Pamela, she was a foster parent to approximately seventy teenagers.
Selected works
Picture and chapter books
There's a COW Under my Bed!, Tuckamore Books, 2008, Illustrated by David JardineThere's a GOLDFISH in My Shoe!, Tuckamore Books, 2009, Illustrated by David JardineMiss Wondergem's Dreadfully Dreadful Pie, Tuckamore Books, 2011, Illustrated by Wendy J WhittinghamDown Here, Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2015, Illustrated by Isabelle MalenfantCooper Clark and the Dragon Lady, Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2019, Illustrated by David Jardine
Kate, Dundurn, 2003Sam's Light, Dundurn, 2004Sarah's Legacy, Dundurn, 2006Speechless, Dundurn, 2007Three Million Acres of Flame, Dundurn, 2007Watcher, Dundurn, 2009Tumbleweed Skies, Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2009The Glory Wind, Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2010Accomplice, Dundurn, 2011Testify, Dundurn, 2011Counting Back from Nine, Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2012Driftwood, Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2013Rain Shadow, Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2014Random Acts, PenguinRandomHouse Canada, 2015The Rise and Fall of Derek Cowell, DCB, 2020Birdspell, DCB, 2021A Bend in the Breeze, DCB, 2022Standing on Neptune, DCB, 2023
The Shelby Belgarden Mysteries
Out of the Ashes, Dundurn, 2002In Too Deep, Dundurn, 2003Chasing Shadows, Dundurn, 2004Hiding in Plain Sight, Dundurn, 2005Eyes of a Stalker, Dundurn, 2006Searching for Yesterday, Dundurn, 2008
Non-fiction
More than Words: Navigating the Complex World of Communication, DCB, 2023 With Natalie Hyde, Artwork by David Jardine
General references
- , June 16, 2006, retrieved June 16, 2006
- , May 8, 2012, retrieved May 8, 2012