Beverley Brenna
Author of: Wild Orchid
Place of birth: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Place of residence: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
 Beverley Brenna was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, to a family where literacy was important. She
credits her early interest in writing to a mother who was a published poet, and to teachers who
shared literature that touched the ear and imagination as well as the heart.
Brenna published her first poem in The Western Producer at age seven.
Spring
It's spring!
It's spring!
Birds sing,
and sing!
It rains
and rains
and washes the window panes.
The robins, the wrens,
and Grandfather's hens,
sing happy-go-lucky
all day.
Not a lot of vocabulary in that one, but as she read and absorbed language, Brenna's ability to
use language developed. She was proud to be asked to provide a few selections of poetry for her
high school yearbook, and continued to write poetry on into young adulthood when she became an
elementary school teacher, and then married and had children of her own.
Fortunate in staying home with her children when they were small, Brenna began to tell, and then
write, stories to entertain the kids and their friends. Wilson, Eric, and Connor inspired many
read-alouds, too, and Brenna learned a great deal about what kids like to read by sharing their
reaction to popular children's literature of the time.
When the family relocated to England for two years while Brenna's husband completed a PhD in
theatre history, the change in venue made for some exciting learning. Lots about the family's new
setting in London made its way into two junior novels: Spider Summer and The Keeper of
the Trees.
Brenna's storytelling interest laid the groundwork for the latter title, devising an explanatory
myth about how the horse chestnut trees got their distinctive markings. A longstanding member of
the Brenna family--a tarantula spider named Herbie--found its way into Spider Summer as the
young detective's partner, Croc.
Much of Brenna's writing contains threads from real life, although she is careful not to write
about anyone she knows. Rather, the settings of her work, such as the rich tribute to the natural
world of Waskesiu in Wild Orchid, are carefully drawn from reality, as are some of the
situations with which she is familiar. In a short story named "Toe Jam" published in
Thistledown's Opening Tricks, Brenna relates the story of a teen who catches his big toe in the
powerhead of the family's vacuum cleaner and must put up with a rescue from the fire department,
all in front of nosy neighbors and the girl from down the street. Such fun was had by Brenna
herself, in a tangle with the Electrolux, witnessed by her children and other folks who still
supress smiles when they meet her on the street.
The book cover she is most proud of is that found on Wild Orchid, as the flower photograph
was taken by her late father during a family holiday at Prince Albert National Park.
Brenna's current work as a special education teacher and consultant fuels an understanding of
children and youth with special needs. One thing she is particularily conscious of is the lack of
titles where characters with disabilities maintain the role of hero, as generally these characters
take on more subsidiary roles. She believes strongly that literature should reflect diversity, not
simply echo popular culture, and enjoys the richness that this objective brings to light.
Her favorite authors for young people include Art Slade, Kenneth Oppel, Kate DiCamillo, Katherine
Patterson, Madeleine L'Engle, Janet Lunn, Sheree Fitch, and J.K.Rowling. Brenna's monthly children's
book reviews have appeared in The Saskatoon Star Phoenix since 1996.
Author's Web site: www.beverleybrenna.com
How to Contact: beverley.brenna@gmail.com
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