Bev Brenna is the author of 18 books, 16 of them for young people, including The White Bicycle—winner of a Printz Honor and shortlisted for a 2013 Governor General's Award; Wild Orchid, listed on CBC's Young Adult Books That Make You Proud to Be Canadian; Sapphire the Great and the Meaning of Life—winner of a 2021 Joan Betty Stuchner award for humour; and The Girl with the Cat, winner of a 2022 Saskatchewan Book Award. Bev also writes adult poetry and short fiction, and she has worked for a variety of publishers as a freelance editor of work for children.
After many years as a classroom and special education teacher and consultant, Bev moved onto faculty in the College of Education, University of Saskatchewan, teaching courses in ELA as well as researching literacy and Canadian children's literature--which she now continues as a Professor Emerita. Her scholarly books include Stories for Every Classroom (Canadian Scholars Press, 2015) and Contemporary Canadian Picture Books (Brill Publishing, 2021).
In addition to her interest in writing, Bev is a landscape painter and she has had numerous exhibitions in watercolour and acrylic in both public and commercial galleries. She is represented by Dandelion Gallery and Art Framing in Saskatoon.
Bev lives with her husband in a tall yellow house on the prairies; loves to travel; and plans art installations with her art group, Iris.
Bev is delighted to do visits in person or via Zoom, and her presentations combine brief author readings and talks, storytelling, and research related to Canadian literature for children and young adults.
Bev's published research studies have included these topics: Canadian verse novels; graphic novels; Canadian picture books; Canadian literature presenting characters with exceptionalities.
She has travelled to libraries and schools across Saskatchewan, visited Whitehorse, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec on author tours, and looks forward to continuing to support teachers, educators, students, and fellow writers! She has also presented papers for educators and researchers across Canada and the United States.
Bev's previous workshops have involved aspects of the writing and editing process and included writing time and feedback.
Bev is delighted to do classroom visits in person or via Zoom, and her presentations combine brief author readings and talks, storytelling, and connected activities.
She has travelled to schools across Saskatchewan, and visited Whitehorse, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec on author tours, and looks forward to continuing to support teachers and students!
As a longtime elementary teacher, Bev is keen to encourage young readers and writers and their developing literacies.
