Hélène Boudreau facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hélène Boudreau
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| Born | 16 June 1969 Petit-de-Grat, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Occupation | Children's author, artist |
| Period | Present |
Hélène Boudreau, born on June 19, 1969, is a talented artist and author from the Acadian community. She writes exciting books for children. Her stories have been featured in many Canadian magazines and newspapers. Hélène also creates art inspired by the Maritimes, which has been shown in places like the Toronto Public Library.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Hélène Boudreau grew up in Petit de Grat, a French Acadian community in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. She comes from a large family with three brothers and four sisters. Hélène speaks both English and French fluently.
After finishing high school in 1987, she went to Dalhousie University. There, she earned a degree in biology. She then worked as a Park Interpreter for the Canadian Parks Service. Later, she trained to become a Registered Respiratory Therapist. Hélène moved to Ontario in her late twenties. This is when she started her journey to become a children's author.
Becoming a Children's Author
Hélène Boudreau shared what made her want to write for kids. She remembered a teacher who published a picture book when Hélène was in 4th or 5th grade. This inspired her greatly.
She said:
I first thought of a being a children's author in 4th/5th grade when a teacher of mine published a picture book. It was very inspirational for me to see someone I knew accomplish such an unimaginable feat. That day, I went straight home and wrote and illustrated a picture book of my own but it wasn't until much later (almost thirty years) when I actually put that dream of being an author into action.
In 2007, Hélène was recognized in the Surrey International Writing Contest. She was short-listed in the "Writing For Young People" category. Her story was called With Measured Breath: A YA short story.
Soon after, Hélène started working on her first book, Acadian Star. This novel was written for middle school children. It tells the adventures of a young girl named Meg Gallant. Meg and her friend Neve take part in a hometown competition called the Acadian Star.
Published Works and Awards
Acadian Star was published in 2008 by Nimbus Publishing. It was nominated for the 2009/2010 Hackmatack Children's Choice Award. The book also won 2nd place in the 2008 Writers Federation of New Brunswick Literary Competition. This helped Hélène gain many young fans in Eastern Canada.
In 2010, two more of Hélène's novels were published. One was KEEP OUT! by Nimbus Publishing. The other was Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings by Jabberwocky Publishing. This book is about a mermaid who is afraid of water. She tries to balance her normal teenage life with saving her mermaid mother.
Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings became her most famous book. It was a Crystal Kite Member Choice Finalist. This book was the first in a series. The next books were Real Mermaids Don't Hold Their Breath (published in May 2012) and Real Mermaids Don't Have Two Left Feet (published in February 2013).
Interestingly, Hélène wrote most of her first Real Mermaids novel while walking. She loves to walk and finds that moving helps her ideas flow.
Personal Life
Hélène Boudreau is married to Gordon Clarke. He is a retired lieutenant and a former President of the Royal Military Colleges Club of Canada. They have two daughters named Charlotte and Marcelle.
The family lives in Markham, Ontario. However, Hélène's hometown of Petit de Grat still inspires her writing. She says it greatly influences the themes in her children's books. Hélène is known for being a "compulsive walker." She also loves cheese and chocolate.
Authors who inspire Hélène include Madeleine L'Engle, Louis Sachar, Katherine Paterson, and Kate DiCamillo. She is also an active member of The Writers' Union of Canada.
