Interview with Brian Silbert
We got a chance to sit down and chat with Brian Silbert, author of Berticus: How I Survived School! And Bullies! And Farley Finnigan! You can enjoy the interview here:
FINAL QUESTIONS:
Q: Berticus seems to have great relationships with his teachers. How important is it to create such a relationship?
A: It’s critical. If you’re a kid who hates being in school, you’ve got to be able to get along with your teachers. My parents own a tutoring service, and I remember meeting a kid in their office once who said he kicked the teacher’s desk because he was so angry. I remember telling him he wouldn’t get anywhere by kicking his teacher’s desk.
Q: You ended this book with a nod to “middle school”. Did you know when you started writing the book that there might be a 2nd?
A: We’ll see what happens. I have a lot of ideas swimming around in my head and if my readers are looking for another book, I’ll certainly think about it.
Q: Do you think Berticus will get a job at an ice cream store in the next book?
A: He’ll still be too young to work at an ice cream store, but I think he and Thatch will be spending time eating ice cream at the ice cream store in town.
Q: Berticus is pretty upset about having his birthday on the first day of school. What made you think of having his birthday on the first day of school?
A: It happened to me! My birthday was always on the first day of school or on one of those days during that first week. So every time I’d think about my upcoming birthday, I’d think about school, and that put a damper on my birthday.
Q: Bobby Biglio represents the bully in every school. When you were growing up, was there a Bobby Biglio in your life that helped you develop this character?
A: Sure, I grew up being afraid of certain kids. Probably every kid experiences bullies in school, and probably they make it a point to avoid the bully. It’s a shame. Kids have enough to deal with and then they have to deal with being harassed verbally or physically by a bully. It’s also a shame for the bully. I don’t like to think that bullies are born that way. I feel something in their lives cause them to always feel like a victim so to protect themselves, they become a bully.
Q: When you were in school, including college, did you ever encounter someone like Farley Finnigan who inspired you to create her character?
No one in particular. But, there were always those kids, similar to Farley, who were goody-to-shoes, the teacher’s pet, the perfect student and they always had an attitude. Maybe, some kids want to emulate those kids because they’re like the perfect student. Not Berticus. He finds her annoying! That’s why he can’t believe she’s human. In Chapter 19, he says, “I swear, if someone were to open up her back, there would be wires and batteries proving that she was a robot.”
Thanks for taking the time to speak with us, Brian.
