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Valerie Sherrard

 

Member profile details

First name
Valerie
Last name
Sherrard
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City
Miramichi
 

Profile

Biography
Please check with Valerie about visiting your school in person or virtually.

Valerie (Russell) Sherrard was born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. Her father was in the Air Force and so the family moved about a good deal. While living in Lahr, West Germany, Valerie’s grade 6 English teacher, Alf Lower, encouraged her writing and the idea of becoming an author was born.

Valerie has made her home in NB since 1980. Over a span of years she had fostered approximately 70 adolescents for various lengths of time. She also worked as the Executive Director of a group home for teens for twelve years. It was these experiences that prompted Valerie to write for children and teens.

Valerie’s husband, Brent, is also a writer (and a carpenter). The couple lives in Miramichi in general servitude to their cats.
Publications
Picture Books:

Down Here: 2015 (Fitzhenry & Whiteside, Toronto, ON)
Miss Wondergem’s Dreadfully Dreadful Pie: 2011 (Creative, St. John’s NF)
There’s A GOLDFISH In My Shoe 2009 (Creative, St. John’s, NF)
There’s A COW Under My Bed 2008 (Creative, St. John’s, NF)

Early Reader Chapter Book: Cooper Clark and the Dragon Lady (F&W)

Middle Grade and Young Adult Novels:

An Unbalanced Force 2024 DCB
Standing on Neptune: (Free verse) 2023 DCB
A Bend in the Breeze 2022 DCB
Birdspell 2021 DCB
The Rise and Fall of Derek Cowell 2020 DCB
Random Acts: 2015 (Penguin Canada, Toronto, ON)
Rain Shadow: 2014 (Fitzhenry & Whiteside, Toronto)
Driftwood: 2013 (Fitzhenry & Whiteside, Toronto, ON)
Counting Back from Nine: (Free verse) 2012 (Fitzhenry & Whiteside, Toronto, ON)
Testify: 2011 (Dundurn, Toronto, ON)
Accomplice: 2011 (Dundurn, Toronto, ON)
The Glory Wind 2010 (Fitzhenry & Whiteside, Toronto, ON)
Tumbleweed Skies 2009 (Fitzhenry & Whiteside, Toronto, ON)
Catharines, ON)
Watcher 2009 (Dundurn, Toronto, ON)
Searching for Yesterday, A Shelby Belgarden Mystery 2008 (Dundurn, Toronto, ON)
Three Million Acres of Flame 2007 (Dundurn, Toronto, ON)
Speechless 2007 (Dundurn, Toronto, ON)
Eyes of a Stalker, A Shelby Belgarden Mystery 2006 (Dundurn, Toronto, ON)
Sarah’s Legacy 2006 (Dundurn, Toronto, ON)
Hiding in Plain Sight, A Shelby Belgarden Mystery 2005 (Dundurn, Toronto, ON)
Sam’s Light. 2004 (Dundurn, Toronto, ON)
Chasing Shadows, A Shelby Belgarden Mystery 2004 (Dundurn, Toronto, ON)
KATE, 2003 (Dundurn, Toronto, ON)
In Too Deep, A Shelby Belgarden Mystery 2003 (Dundurn, Toronto, ON)
Out of the Ashes, A Shelby Belgarden Mystery 2002 (Dundurn, Toronto, ON)

Non-Fiction:

More than Words: 2023 DCB
Superstars: Vanessa Hudgens (biography) 2009 (Crabtree, St.


Selected Awards:

National/Regional:

Finalist: Governor General’s Literary Award, Children’s Text: 2013
Finalist: CL A Book of the Year for Children 2011, 2014 & 2015
Winner: Word Guild Award for Writing for Young People, 2013
Finalist: TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award 2011
Winner: Geoffrey Bilson Historical Fiction for Young People Award 2011
Winner: Ann Connor Brimer Award 2011
Finalist: Ann Connor Brimer Award, 2008, 2010, 2015 & 2016
Winner: Bronze Medal, Fiction, Independent Publishers Assoc. (International) 2011

Provincial:

Finalist: Rocky Mountain Book Award: 2015
Finalist: Snow Willow Award 2006, 2009 & 2015, 2023
Finalist: Red Maple Award 2003 (Honour title) 2008, 2013, 2020, 2021
Finalist: Diamond Willow Award 2012
Finalist: Hackmatack Award 2012, 2016, 2023, 2024
Finalist: Manitoba Young Readers Choice Award 2006, 2012 & 2021
Finalist: Silver Birch Award 2012, Honour title 2015
Finalist: Blue Spruce Award 2010
Finalist: Shining Willow Award 2010
Finalist: BC Stellar Award 2006
Honour Title: White Pine Award 2005
Finalist: Arthur Ellis Award, 2003
Genres
  • Childrens
  • Comedy
  • Editing
  • Fiction
  • Historical Fiction
  • Poetry
  • Suspense
  • Young Adult
 

WiSP

WISP Regions
  • East
  • South
  • North
  • West
  • Virtual
WISP Grades
  • 1-4
  • 5-8
WISP Languages
  • English
WISP What I Offer
Engaging and interactive presentations for students from grades one to eight. (For younger grades a puppet accompanies the author for both in-person and virtual visits.)

Talks are tailored to grade level and audience size (smaller is better but I will speak to groups as large as 75 for grades K – 3, and up to 100 for grades 4 – 9).

I will generally give a maximum of three full length presentations per day but may do four if younger groups are involved and the presentation times are shorter.

I also offer one full length presentation to a larger group followed by a half day workshop for up to 15 students.

Please ask me if you would like recommendations for your classroom or library. All of my books are written for children and young adults, and several of them deal with subjects that may fit your syllabus. Some examples are: bullying, death of a sibling, folk tales, mysteries, friendship, historical (including the Great Miramichi Fire of 1825) and others. Several titles are Hi-Lo novels for reluctant readers, and I have published two novels in free verse.

What else is New at the WFNB?

Upcoming Events

Territorial Acknowledgement

The Writers’ Federation of New Brunswick acknowledges that the land on which we live, work and gather is the traditional unceded territory of the Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet) and Mi’kmaq Peoples, and we honour the spirit of our ancestors’ Treaties of Peace and Friendship. 

"Writers' Federation of New Brunswick" is a registered non-profit organization. New Brunswick, Canada. 


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