As part of a nomadic navy family, Leslie Gentile grew up singing and telling stories in the back seat of the car with her siblings, so it was a natural progression for her to become a musician and author. Leslie performed with two siblings as The White Sisters, and now performs with two of her adult children as The Leslie Gentile Band, and occasionally with author/musician sister Karen Lee White as The Half White Sisters. She has been a musician, concert promoter, bookkeeper, education assistant, antique restoration assistant, geoduck-shucker and riding instructor.
Leslie’s debut middle grade novel Elvis, Me and The Lemonade Stand Summer won the 2021 Victoria Children’s Book Prize, and 2022 The Jean Little First-Novel Award. It was shortlisted for the 2022 Rocky Mountain Book Awards and Silver Birch Award, The 2023 Hackmatack Award, MYRA Award, The Diamond Willow Award, the Red Cedar Award, and the Geoffrey Bilson Historical Fiction Award.
Leslie is an engaging speaker who very comfortable working with children of all ages. As a musician, she often incorporates songs with her readings.
Gentile lives in Brentwood Bay with her husband Dan and her German Shepherd puppy. Leslie is of northern Salish, Tuscarora and Scottish heritage and lives on the traditional territory of the W̱SÁNEĆ people.
At this time, I am happy to do Virtual Visits, on your choice of platform. Using characters from the novel Elvis, Me and The Lemonade Stand Summer, I will lead a discussion on being kind and unkind. This will include an age appropriate examples of bullying and racism. We will discuss how the characters who are kind are happy, and the characters who are bullies are unhappy.
I am happy to let the students lead the discussion and even veer off topic and see where their questions take us!
