Brenda A. Ferber facts for kids

Brenda A. Ferber, born on April 23, 1967, is a talented author who writes books especially for kids. She studied at the University of Michigan. Brenda won a special award called the Sydney Taylor Manuscript Award for her book Julia's Kitchen even before it was printed. After it was published, the book won another big award, the Sydney Taylor Book Award.

About Brenda Ferber

Brenda Gail Aaronson was born in Skokie, Illinois, on April 23, 1967. She grew up in Highland Park, Illinois. Her father was a doctor, and her mother was an artist and art teacher. In 1990, Brenda married Alan D. Ferber, whom she met in college.

Becoming a Children's Author

When Brenda was in elementary school, she discovered Judy Blume's books. Right away, she decided she wanted to become a children's book author herself. This dream took some time to come true. After college, while raising her three children, Brenda felt her old writing dream come back.

She decided to try writing, even if it seemed hard to succeed. When she took her first writing class, she had three young children at home. She hired a babysitter so she could have a few hours each week to write.

First Steps in Writing

Brenda started by writing short stories. Some of these stories were accepted by Ladybug magazine. She also wrote several picture book stories. For three years, she received 130 rejection letters for these books.

She spent a lot of time reading children's fiction at her local library. Brenda then decided she wanted to write novels that could truly touch a child's heart. She joined an advanced novel writing class to help her reach this goal.

Winning Awards

In 2004, Brenda submitted her first novel to a competition. The book was then called Cara's Kitchen. She won the Sydney Taylor Manuscript Competition for it. A publisher, Farrar Straus & Giroux, decided to publish her book. In 2006, the book was released as Julia's Kitchen.

Brenda Ferber now lives in Deerfield, Illinois. She lives with her husband, her three children, and their dog, Ozzy.

Brenda's Short Stories

Brenda Ferber has also written short stories for magazines.

• "A Cheer for Charlie" - Ladybug, June 2006
• "The One with the Freckle" - Ladybug, September 2006