About Brenda

Shorter Bio

Brenda Maier is a children’s author, gifted education specialist, and mother of five. She writes picture books and graphic novels for young readers in Oklahoma, where she lives with her family. Her hobbies include tricking kids into thinking for themselves, reading way past her bedtime, and dragging her husband and kids to places they’ve never been, whether they want to go or not.

Longer Bio

Brenda Maier is a children’s author, gifted education specialist, and mother of five not-so-little offspring who now range from high school to grad school. As a child, Brenda never thought she could attend college; because of that, she loves sharing the story of how she made her own dreams of being a teacher and author come true.

Brenda currently teaches at a public school and is a board member of OAGCT, the Oklahoma affiliate of the National Association for Gifted Children. Among her books are the picture book folktale retellings THE LITTLE RED FORT, THE LITTLE BLUE BRIDGE, and THE LITTLE GREEN SWING and the early graphic chapter book series THE ADVENTURES OF PENGUIN AND PANDA. She lives in Northeast Oklahoma with her family and enjoys visiting classrooms around the country to share her passion for reading, writing, and goal-setting. Her hobbies include tricking kids into thinking for themselves, reading way past her bedtime, and dragging her husband and kids to places they’ve never been, whether they want to go or not.

Illustration by Zoe Waring

Five Facts About Brenda

  • She doesn’t have any pets.
  • Her two favorite foods are cheese and potatoes—either together or separately.
  • She has been to 43 states.
  • She’s afraid of heights.
  • She earned degrees from two rival Oklahoma universities—the University of Oklahoma (OU) and Oklahoma State University (OSU).
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