Latest Novel:
Brenda’ newest middle grade novel, Sing Something True, is now available!
New Essay:
If your teenage daughter told you she wanted to end her life, what might you say in response?
Read “How I Talked to my Teen about Suicide and How You Can Do It Better” to find out about the conversation that took both Brenda and her daughter by surprise and ended up changing everything.
Events
Brenda would be happy to come to your school, synagogue, church, book club, camp, or writing group to speak about being an author. All of her programs are lively and interactive and customized for each particular audience. Send Brenda an email for more information.
You can also meet Brenda virtually! It’s easy to book Brenda for an online 30 or 45 minute experience through Talkabook! Click here to see the programs she’s offering as well as her prices and availability. Author visits have never been so simple!
Praise for Brenda’s presentations
“We had such a great night with you! Thank you, thank you for visiting our book club. You were awesome.”
—Roz Topolski, mom in a mother-daughter book club
“Thank you so much for your informative, inspiring, and motivating talk—I don’t recall a recent concert or assembly where at least one of the kids didn’t need to go to the bathroom in the course of an hour 🙂 That’s a great middle school compliment! Let’s hope they put all the great ideas you gave them into their Writer’s Workshop pieces.”
—Shenach Cameron, language arts teacher at Shepard Middle School
“Thank you for sharing your writing talent with our students and inspiring them to achieve their dreams! The students loved you. I loved the way they warmed up to you right away as if you were a long lost friend! I was told by some other librarians that you are “super nice” and they were right! What a difference it makes to have an author that is so warm and personable! Thanks again for spending the afternoon with us!!”
—Helen Weiss, Sherwood Elementary School librarian
“I will never be able to thank you enough for yesterday’s videocall! It was absolutely the most amazing thing ever. I can’t quit thinking about it and the impact you made on our students. You gave them so much to think about and ponder. They were enthralled the entire time. All of their eyes were glued to the screen. They were soaking up your every word. Their smiles could have lit up an entire room. So, thank you from the absolute bottom of my heart. Each year it seems to be more of a challenge to motivate and ‘turn’ kids on to reading. You have truly lit a fire for reading for Mark Twain students.”
—Beth Campbell, Media Specialist at Mark Twain Elementary School in Bettendorf, Iowa
“Your visit was absolutely wonderful. It felt like one of those rare experiences in which everything lined up in an unexpectedly perfect manner. I still smile whenever I think about it:)”
—Andy Cross, Children’s Librarian, Chicago Public Library
“On behalf of my students, I would like to thank you for coming to our town and giving an excellent visiting author talk. The students continue to express how much they liked your talk better than other visiting authors. You may even get some e-mails from them.”
—Jane Foy, fourth grade teacher in Muscatine, Iowa
“Thank you for being a wonderful visiting author. I know for a fact that all libraries are now hounded for copies of your books and there isn’t enough to go around—a good problem to have!!!”
—Beth Elshoff, School Librarian in Muscatine, Iowa
“Each student was inspired and motivated by your thoughts and words. They couldn’t wait to get back into the classroom to begin writing.”
—Jeanne Sayner and Carlee Gold, 4th grade teachers at Kipling Elementary School
“She was very funny. I didn’t know it was so much fun to be a writer, and I didn’t know writers could work in their pajamas!”
—Emma, age 7, student at Wilmot Elementary School
“The fifth grade teachers LOVED you. They RAVED about your presentation.”
—Anne Shimojima, librarian at Braeside Elementary School
“We are snagging you earlier this year so we can practice the revision techniques you highlight in your presentation the entire school year. The seventh-graders did so well forming critique groups. It was awesome!”
—Camille Hogan, media specialist Prairie Junior High School
“You did a beautiful job of relating to the children and sharing the intricacies of the writing process in a way all could understand.”
—Linda Rageb, principal at Walden Elementary School