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A chat with Jenna Greene, award-winning Canadian children’s author, about her newest book for young people, Summer of Rocks.
Website
jennagreene.ca
Facebook
@jennabutrenchukgreene
Instagram
@authorjennagreene
TikTok
@jgreenewrites
Amazon links
Amazon.ca
Amazon.com
About Summer of Rocks
Three sisters spend an adventure-filled summer in the West Coast wilderness, exploring rock quarries, escaping bear attacks, and fighting over space in the backseat of the family pickup truck.
It’s the summer of 1990, and Amy (age 11), Beth (age 9), and Marion (age 6) are in for the family vacation of a lifetime. No, they’re not going Disneyland, Hawaii, or on a Caribbean cruise. No, they’re not flying to Germany to collect pieces of the Berlin Wall.
They will be looking at rocks, though. Lots of rocks. So many rocks.
You see, when your father is a geologist, that’s what you do on your summer vacation (as the author knows from her own childhood road trips with her geologist father). You drive for days to the British Columbia–Yukon border, strapped in the backseat of the family truck with your sisters, fighting over the Gameboy, listening to your parents tell you “fascinating” facts about the scenery, playing the Little Mermaid soundtrack on a loop, and trying not to get elbowed in the face. Doesn’t that sound like a dream vacation? Well, it’s no luxury trip, but it has its highlights—from camping under the stars to wading in natural hot springs to flying a helicopter! And for Amy, Beth, and Marion, the memories they make along the way will last a lifetime.
At least, that’s what their parents tell them…
Praise for Summer of Rocks
“A family trip that’s packed with entertainment and the making of memories.”—Wanda Taylor, award-winning author of The Grover School Pledge and A Recipe for Rhyme and Rescue
“Humorous and heartfelt, Summer of Rocks perfectly captures the voices of three sisters, each with her own hopes and fears, on a family road trip into the wilderness.”—Jean Mills, award-winning author of After the Wallpaper Music
“A rocky road trip through the wilds of northern Canada drives three sisters closer in this uplifting tale.”—Karen Bass, award-winning author of Blood Donor and The Hill
About Jenna Greene
Jenna Greene has been writing since before she could hold a pencil, building stories with her She-ra: Princess of Power action figures and My Little Pony toys in her basement or on long car rides. Once she could pen a tale, she composed poetry and short stories, finding that she was best at writing novels.
Her first fantasy story (Imagine) came to her when she was in her first year of university, and she drafted it between essays, mid-terms, and reading assignments. Once finished university, with a B.A. in English as well as a B.Ed, she began her career as a teacher and also found time to return to her writing. While teaching middle school, she wrote and published the first books in her Imagine series.
Her Reborn Marks Series took a unique journey. While traveling home from a writers’ conference in Calgary, Jenna was hit by inspiration and formed the character of Lexil – someone who had hidden strength and talents that weren’t easily recognizable. The first half of the book was written while Jenna Greene’s mother was ill with cancer, and the second half was completed after her mother passed away. Winning the 2019 Moonbeam Children’s Book award (gold) provided an opportunity for her to express her gratitude for the inspiration her mother gave her as a storyteller, acknowledging that those we love never truly leave us, as they are in our hearts, phrases, morals, and memories – a major theme for the trilogy.
Having moved to teaching younger students, as well as the addition of a daughter to her family, Jenna has been recently inspired by Children’s Books. In 2021, her first picture book was released: Winston, the Well-Dressed Wombat. Winston is unique and friendly, with a sense of style others might not imitate.
Jenna has more writing projects on the horizon, as ideas continue to arrive in her head. But deep down, she is just a little girl creating imaginative stories with her She-Ra action figures (and possibly a Ninja Turtle or two).