Will Skye and her family survive the Great Miramichi Fire?

For Skye Haverill and her family, it begins as an ordinary day. But in the annals of Canadian history, October 7, 1825, is the date of one of our greatest national disasters.

The Haverill family has been turned upside down in the last year. Following the death of their mother, Skye and her brother, Tavish, have adjusted to living with a single parent. And when they’re asked to make another adjustment – when their father remarries and his new wife becomes pregnant – Skye finds that some changes are too much to handle.

But family struggles quickly become irrelevant when the Haverills and their community are caught up in the Miramichi Fire, the largest land fire in North American history. As the family and the town struggle through the fire and the devastating aftermath, all must find a way to rebuild homes and relationships.

Valerie Sherrard first decided to become an author when she was in grade six! Her homeroom teacher that year, Mr. Alf Lower, praised and encouraged her efforts and instilled in her a lifelong belief in her ability to write. After producing about a dozen books for teens, Sherrard turned her hand to picture books. There’s a COW Under My Bed! introduces Oscar Ollie Brown, who will be embarking on his second adventure in There’s a Goldfish in my Shoe! in the fall of 2009. Since becoming a published author, Sherrard has enjoyed visiting many classrooms and libraries to speak to young people about writing, literacy, and most of all, finding and following your dreams. Born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Valerie has spent time in a number of provinces, including her current home of New Brunswick. She lives in Miramichi with her husband Brent and their four cats: Lilly, Thragg, Patootie and Cody.

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• Commended, Best Books for Kids & Teens

Its strength lies in its historical accuracy.

Sherrard is so good at telling the story from the child’s point of view with all the immature emotions and thoughts that entails.

Three Million Acres of Flame is a very good book because it is a truthful account yet still has a good fictional storyline. I give Three Million Acres of Flame 5 stars.

Tyler, age 12

Sherrard’s storytelling ability is amazing, bringing me to tears several times as I read about the fates of the townspeople and the hardships they had to endure … Using strong female and male characters to drive the story, the reader ends up learning about a compelling time in history as well as becoming invested in what happens next for each of the characters. It felt like I had walked into the 1800s and visited with friends.