Valerie Sherrard
Canadian writer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Valerie Anne Sherrard (née Russell: born May 16, 1957) 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. In 2024, she was named the Literary Arts Laureate of the New Brunswick Lieutenant Governor's Award for High Achievement in the Arts.
May 16, 1957
Valerie Sherrard | |
|---|---|
| Born | Valerie Anne Russell May 16, 1957 Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada |
| Occupation | Author |
| Spouse |
Brent Sherrard (m. 1999) |
| Children | 3 |
| Writing career | |
| Genre | Children's Literature |
| Notable work | The Glory Wind |
Early life
Valerie Anne Russell was born May 16, 1957, in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan to Robert Allan and Pauline May (née Hill) Russell. Her father was an air force mechanic, and her mother was a homemaker.[1] She has two brothers. She was inspired to become a teacher by her sixth grade homeroom teacher while she and her family were living in Lahr, West Germany.[citation needed]
Career
Sherrard has published thirty books, including fiction and nonfiction for children, young adults, and adults. She published her first novel, Out of the Ashes, in 2002,[2] the first book of the Shelby Belgarden Mysteries series. This was followed by In Too Deep (2003),[3] Chasing Shadows (2004), Hiding in Plain Sight (2005),[4] Eyes of a Stalker (2006), and Searching for Yesterday (2008).
Awards and honours
In 2024, Sherrard was named the Literary Arts Laureate of the New Brunswick Lieutenant Governor's Award for High Achievement in the Arts.[5]
Booklist included Tumbleweed Skies on their 2010 list of the year's best books for youth,[6] as well as their 2011 list of the "Top 10 Historical Fiction for Youth".[7]
| Year | Title | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Out of the Ashes: A Shelby Belgarden Mystery | Blue Spruce Award | Finalist | [8][9] |
| 2008 | Speechless | Ann Connor Brimer Award | Finalist | [10] |
| 2010 | Tumbleweed Skies | Ann Connor Brimer Award | Finalist | [10] |
| 2011 | The Glory Wind | Ann Connor Brimer Award | Winner | [10] |
| Canadian Library Association Book of the Year for Children Award | Finalist | [11] | ||
| Geoffrey Bilson Award | Winner | [12] | ||
| Forest of Reading Silver Birch Award | Finalist | [13] | ||
| TD Canadian Children's Literature Award | Finalist | [14] | ||
| 2012 | Testify | Forest of Reading Red Maple Award | Finalist | [15] |
| 2013 | Counting Back from Nine | Governor General's Award for English-language children's literature | Finalist | [16][17] |
| 2015 | Driftwood | Canadian Library Association Book of the Year for Children Award | Finalist | [18] |
| 2016 | Rain Shadow | Ann Connor Brimer Award | Finalist | [19] |
| 2022 | Birdspell | Mrs. Dunster's Fiction Prize | Shortlist | [20] |
| 2023 | A Bend in the Breeze | Mrs. Dunster's Fiction Prize | Shortlist | [21] |
| 2024 | More than Words: Navigating the Complex World of Communication | WFNB Nonfiction Award | Shortlist | [22] |
| Standing on Neptune | Mrs. Dunster's Fiction Prize | Shortlist | [23] | |
| An Unbalanced Force | New Brunswick Book Award for Books for Youth and Young Adults | Winner | [24] | |
| 2025 | Standing on Neptune | Ann Connor Brimer Award | Winner | [25] |
Personal life
Russell married carpenter Brent Ronald Sherrard on June 26, 1999. She has three children,[1] as well as three step-children. Additionally, between 1986 and 1999, she fostered approximately 70 teenagers.[1][26]
Sherrard lives in Miramichi, New Brunswick.[27]
Selected works
Picture and chapter books
- There's a COW Under my Bed!, Tuckamore Books, 2008, illustrated by David Jardine.[28]
- There's a GOLDFISH in My Shoe!, Tuckamore Books, 2009, illustrated by David Jardine.
- Miss Wondergem's Dreadfully Dreadful Pie, Tuckamore Books, 2011, illustrated by Wendy J Whittingham.
- Down Here, Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2015, illustrated by Isabelle Malenfant.[29]
- Cooper Clark and the Dragon Lady, Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2019, illustrated by David Jardine.
Middle grade and young adult novels
- Kate, Dundurn, 2003.
- Sam's Light, Dundurn, 2004.
- Sarah's Legacy, Dundurn, 2006.
- Speechless, Dundurn, 2007.
- Three Million Acres of Flame, Dundurn, 2007.
- Watcher, Dundurn, 2009.
- Tumbleweed Skies, Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2009.[30][31][32]
- The Glory Wind, Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2010.[33]
- Accomplice, Dundurn, 2011.[34][35]
- Testify, Dundurn, 2011.[36]
- Counting Back from Nine, Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2012.[37]
- Driftwood, Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2013.
- Rain Shadow, Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2014.[38]
- Random Acts, PenguinRandomHouse Canada, 2015.
- The Rise and Fall of Derek Cowell, DCB, 2020.
- Birdspell, DCB, 2021.[39]
- A Bend in the Breeze, DCB, 2022.[40]
- Standing on Neptune, DCB, 2023.[41]
- An Unbalanced Force, DCB, 2024.[42][43]
- Absolutely No Body Parts, DCB, 2026.[44]
The Shelby Belgarden Mysteries
- Out of the Ashes, Dundurn, 2002.
- In Too Deep, Dundurn, 2003.
- Chasing Shadows, Dundurn, 2004.[45]
- Hiding in Plain Sight, Dundurn, 2005.
- Eyes of a Stalker, Dundurn, 2006.
- Searching for Yesterday, Dundurn, 2008.
Non-fiction
- More than Words: Navigating the Complex World of Communication, DCB, 2023, with Natalie Hyde, Artwork by David Jardine.[46]
