Events

Leslie Gentile grew up singing and telling stories in the back seat of the car with her siblings, setting her up to become a musician and author. Her first novel Elvis, Me and the Lemonade Stand Summer won the 18th annual Victoria Children’s Book Award and was a finalist in the Rocky Mountain Book Awards. She is of northern Salish, Tuscarora and Scottish heritage and lives on the traditional territory of the W̱SÁNEĆ people with her husband, German Shepherd (who thinks he is a lap dog) and a snoring cat.

Leslie will talk about her first book Elvis, Me and the Lemonade Stand and how she started writing. We will learn about her writing process, and she will give us a sneak peak into her next book. We will also be treated to a few of her songs.

We would like to acknowledge the financial assistance of the Canada Council through The Writers' Union of Canada. Thank you for helping make this event possible.

Ashley is the author and illustrator of many books including the best selling The Most Magnificent Thing and the Binky The Space Cat series. She is a drinker of tea, eater of candy and lover of cats. When she is not making books, she enjoys yoga, jogging and fostering orphan kittens for her local shelter. Ashley lives just outside Vancouver, British Columbia with her dog and far too many felines.

As part of her Canadian Children's Book Week tour, Karen hopes guests will enjoy hearing about her path to writing and will discover more about her books for reluctant and striving readers in her presentation titled 'Journey of an Accidental Author.'

Ashley is the author and illustrator of many books including the best selling The Most Magnificent Thing and the Binky The Space Cat series. She is a drinker of tea, eater of candy and lover of cats. When she is not making books, she enjoys yoga, jogging and fostering orphan kittens for her local shelter. Ashley lives just outside Vancouver, British Columbia with her dog and far too many felines.

Ashley will talk about her writing and illustrating process. She loves to create, and this love for the surprising and wonderful outcomes of ‘making’ has led her on a journey in becoming an author, a comic artist, an illustrator of children’s books, and a TV writer.

Of Kickapoo and Mexican heritage, Carmen Rodriguez de France has been a grateful visitor on the land of the Lewkungen and SENĆOTEN speaking people for 22 years. Carmen’s career spans thirty-four years with participation in a broad range of educational, community service, and research activities. Carmen teaches courses on Indigenous education and pedagogy in the Faculty of Education, and contributes in the Social Justice Program and the Latin American Studies Program at the University of Victoria. Her most recent research involves partnerships with community organizations to support the enactment of the Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report.

Carmen will present 'Fifty Years of Stories: The Representation of Indigenous Ways of Knowing and Being in Children's Literature' in this one hour Zoom session.

Jean E. Pendziwol, who grew up on the shores of Lake Superior in northwestern Ontario, is an award-winning Canadian author of books for children and adults. Her inspiration comes from the beautiful natural environment that surrounds her. Jean began her career with the bestselling safety books that feature a dragon, and since then has published the picture books The Red Sash, Marja’s Skis, Once Upon a Northern Night, I Found Hope in a Cherry Tree for children and the novel The Lightkeeper’s Daughters for adults. Jean will share her love of writing for children in this one hour long zoom session.

Eric Walters began writing in 1993, to entice his Grade 5 students into becoming more interested in reading and writing. At the end of the year, one of the students suggested that he try to have this story published. The book, Stand Your Ground, became Eric’s first published novel. Eric has now published 114 novels and picture books.

Want to know more about Eric? Eric conceived the I Read Canadian day. He collaborated with organizations, publishers, booksellers and writers/illustrators to launch the first day which took place on February 19, 2020 and involved almost 2000 schools and libraries across the country championing Canadian books.

Something more? In 2014 Eric was named a Member of The Order of Canada. The citation reads – For his contribution as an author of literature for children and young adults whose stories help young readers grapple with complex social issues.