Children’s author Brian S. Hamilton chats with me today about his new short story collection, Smarty the Brain Stories.
Bio:
Brian Hamilton was educated as an engineer, and at 24 he survived a traumatic brain injury from a car crash: https://youtu.be/I3N-ByCx6Vo. After rehabilitation he met his wife and moved to Portland, Oregon where they raised two girls. Brian gave safety presentations to school children for Think First, and this is where he learned to love talking with children about safety. He is the author of Smarty the Brain Stories, a collection of short stories on safety for children.
Welcome, Brian. Please tell us a bit about your new release.
Smarty the Brain Stories encourage children to stay safe and avoid brain injuries.
Smarty and Moody are young brains who do things that many kids do. In this book they teach children in a fun way to do these activities smartly and safely, protecting their brains. There are ten stories in this book, and more may be added later. The topics include bicycle safety, skateboard safety, car safety, safety at home, helping others stay safe, being safe on the playground, horseback riding, playing baseball, skiing, or snowmobiling.
The stories are short and perfect for adults to read out loud to children (ages 5+). Each story is an opportunity to discuss the importance of safety.
What do you enjoy most about writing short stories/children’s books/novellas?
Child psychology is rather simple to me, and I enjoy being able to put myself in their shoes as I write.
Can you give us a little insight into a few of your short stories – perhaps some of your favorites?
In the first story, Smarty the Brain, I wrote from a childhood experience I had with a bully and the way I wished it had turned out. Unfortunately, in real life, we didn’t end up as friends. Another favorite is not published yet, but it’s actually two stories about Susie and Krissy, friends of Smarty.
What genre are you inspired to write in the most? Why?
I am passionate about children’s books and teaching children about safety.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I began writing during the pandemic when we were all staying at home.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I like to imagine myself as the children (brains) I am writing about.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
When I was very young, our house was by a busy railroad, so I wanted to be a train engineer. When I was a teenager, I worked at my dad’s electronics shop, so I became an electrical engineer.
Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
As I spoke about on the back cover of the book, I used to give safety presentations to schoolchildren. The youngest of these was 5, but I figured if I could reach out to even younger kids and try to teach them safety strategies, these safe practices would be even more ingrained.