Lindsay Leslie
Award-winning author of quirky and fun fiction picture books
About Lindsay
I am the award-winning author of fictional picture books, including Gus Hearts the Bus (A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection), So You Want to Build a Library, Dusk Explorers (Kirkus starred review, an SCBWI Crystal Kite Award winner, Bank Street Best Book of 2021 with Outstanding Merit, and Amazon Editors’ Pick), Nova the Star Eater, and This Book Is Spineless (Booklist starred review). I live in Austin, Texas, with my husband, sci-fi/fantasy novelist Ryan Leslie, two teenagers, and two fur-beasts (a.k.a. dogs). I think the best part of my job is being in schools, presenting to children, and connecting over stories and getting excited about reading and writing. I've presented to more than 60 schools, the majority of those were with my combo presentation partner, NYT's best-selling author Kari Lavelle, because we think two authors is better than one.
Books
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What educators say
“The energy, excitement and game format was perfect for our students. Also – the way in which you were able to bring in so many amazing titles that students could connect with was something we have never seen before – our collection benefited from that! A fifth grade student said that he loved the presentation and was so happy to have an author who didn’t just “yap yap yap” but made listening to and learning about books/writing – fun!”
“The presentations were engaging and got the students actively involved. Audience participation is so helpful for keeping younger students attentive and excited. I love the use of humor with kids because that, too, keeps them interested.”
“All I know is, the students thought you hung the moon! They talked about you in class like you were a celebrity at the Oscars. It was so sweet hearing them tell stories about you. It was obvious you had kids of your own with how you answered their questions.”
Visit formats
What a visit includes
I have two types of visits: 1) my solo visit and 2) a combo presentation with my school visit partner NYT's best-selling author Kari Lavelle, because we think two authors are so much better than one (and for the same price, too). My solo visit is best for grade levels PK-2. The combo visit (both Kari and me) is for grades PK-5, but we find that having multiple sessions and pairing up grades (like 4th with 5th) helps tailor the session better. Both types of visits run approximately 45-50 minutes a session and are appropriate for large audiences. They are both interactive, include read-alouds (for the PK-2 audiences), and have ample time for Q&A at the end. A free 15-minute sensory story time is offered for students with diverse learning needs if the larger assembly is too much, although they are most welcome and encouraged to attend. Specific school visit programs are outlined on my website. I look forward to hearing from you and visiting your students!
Fees vary by format, travel, and your school's needs. Reach out directly for a quote and open dates.
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