Valerie Sherrard is a Canadian

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 author

Author

An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...

 of books for children and young adults including the multi award winning novel The Glory Wind, Kate

Kate

Kate is a feminine given name. It is sometimes a short form of Katherine, which is Greek meaning pure, blessed, virginal and popularity. It may refer to:People with the given name Kate:*Kate In meteorology:...

, Speechless, and the Shelby Belgarden mystery series.

The Glory Wind won the 2011 Geoffrey Bilson Award

Geoffrey Bilson Award

The Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young Readers is a Canadian literary award that goes to the best work of historical fiction written for youth each year...

, the Ann Connor Brimer Award

Ann Connor Brimer Award

The Ann Connor Brimer Book Award is a $2000 prize given each year to an Atlantic Canadian writer deemed to have made an outstanding contribution to children's literature...

 and was shortlisted for the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award

TD Canadian Children's Literature Award

The TD Canadian Children's Literature Award is an annual Canadian literary award, presented to the year's best work of children's literature. Sponsored by TD Bank Financial Group and the Canadian Children's Book Centre, the award carries a monetary prize of $25,000.Two awards are presented...

, the Canadian Library Association Book of the Year for Children Award.

Sherrard's picture books include There's a Cow Under my Bed, with artwork by Canadian Illustrator David Jardine and Miss Wondergem's Dreadfully Dreadful Pie with artwork by Canadian Illustrator Wendy J. Whittingham.

Valerie Sherrard was born in Moose Jaw. When living in West Germany

West Germany

West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....

, in grade 6, her homeroom teacher, Alf Lower, inspired her to become a writer. She presently lives in Miramichi, New Brunswick

Miramichi, New Brunswick

Miramichi is the largest city in northern New Brunswick, Canada. It is situated at the mouth of the Miramichi River where it enters Miramichi Bay...

, with her husband, Brent.

Sherrard's 2007 historical novel, Three Million Acres of Flame, is about the 1825 Miramichi Fire

Miramichi Fire

The Great Miramichi Fire refers to a massive forest fire which devastated forests and communities throughout much of northern New Brunswick in October 1825. It ranks among the three largest forest fires ever recorded in North America. About 1/3 of the homes in Fredericton were destroyed, but the...

, the largest recorded land fire in North American history.

Previously, Sherrard was the executive director of a group home for adolescents. In addition to raising her own children, she has been a foster parent to approximately 70 teenagers.