Leslie Gentile’s debut novel Elvis, Me, and the Lemonade Stand Summer won the City of Victoria Children’s Book Prize, the Jean Little First-Novel Award, and was shortlisted for nine other awards. Of Settler and Indigenous heritage, she lives on the traditional territory of the W̱SÁNEĆ people with her husband and their German shepherd.
In Shamus the Urban Rex Dog, jewellery is missing from the store where Mom works and she’s the main suspect. With Shamus’s help, the kids set out to catch the real thief, with surprising and hilarious results, including a false closet wall, a lucky bowling ball, and a vicious poodle named Hepzibah.
Interviewed by Angus McLean
Angus McLean (AM): Is Shamus like any of the dogs you own or have owned? Is he at all similar to your real dog, Shamus?
Leslie Gentile (LG): Shamus is a compilation of all of our family dogs through the years. Physically, he looks like our dog named Skipper. I sent Skipper’s photo to the illustrator, the amazing Julie McLaughlin, and when I first saw her cover art, I laughed and cried at the same time — she absolutely nailed him. Shamus the book dog is most similar in personality to our real Shamus, who was a golden retriever. He was our family dog as our kids were growing up, and there were lots of time we called him Shameless! And he did really shame us more than once. Sneaking out to rummage in the garbage, chasing cats, climbing onto the beds for a snooze…that was him!
AM: Where did you get the idea for the crime in the book?
LG: I read a book for adults several years ago, which was written from the point of view of a detective’s dog, and I loved that idea of the dog telling the story. I wanted to write a mystery for kids, so for me, this was the perfect mash-up. I spent a lot of time watching our family dogs, and imagining what they were thinking as they went through their day. Now that was fun!
AM: What made you want to be a writer?
LG: Ever since I can remember, I always wanted to be a writer. I was the youngest of 7 kids, and big brothers and sisters were all voracious readers. I can remember when I was about 4, before I could read, listening to them talk about their favourite books, and feeling very left out of all the action. I can remember thinking back then “one day, I want to write a book!”
AM: When you were a kid, were there books you read with Indigenous characters?
LG: I didn’t find out until I was in my early teens that we are part Indigenous, believe it or not. I never knew my grandparents, as they had died before I was born. They went to great lengths to hide their Indigenous roots, which is really sad. But I can tell you that there were no books with Indigenous characters when I was young, and it always bothered me. I think that’s one of the reasons that I write my books; we need more stories to be inclusive, and to allow everyone to have a place at the table.
AM: What are some of your favourite books?
LG: Favourite books…. Oh boy, that’s a tough one as I love so many. I’ll try to be brief… I really love David A Robertson’s Misewa Saga, and plan to reread it soon. The Spell Sweeper by Lee Edward Födi is a favourite, as well as Birdspell by Valerie Sherrard, and Firefly by Philippa Dowding. I really loved The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline. I just finished an amazing book called What the Stars are Made Of by Sarah Allen. The main character (and the author) have Turner Syndrome, and it was so creatively written that I couldn’t put it down. It was one of those books that got me all inspired and excited to get back to writing again.
AM: What tips do you have for kids who want to be writers?
LG: Read as many books as you can, and then, read more. Haunt the library! Start to think about which books are your favourites, and see if you can see a pattern in what appeals to you – do you like adventure stories, books that are funny, or a good mystery story? That can help you decide what you’d like to try writing. And then, give it a try! Don’t be afraid to get messy and make mistakes. The best way to learn is through making mistakes.