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Hi Brittany!
Thank you for agreeing to talk to us about your book, 113 Things To Do by 13. I’d like to start by having you tell the readers a little bit about yourself.
How old are you?
I’m 14.
Do you have brothers or sisters?
No. I’m an only child.
What about pets?
Yes, I have a dog. A Shiatsu named lucky. She’s really small and cute.
What do you like to do when you aren’t writing or doing school work?
A lot of things. Like photography. I like taking pictures of scenery. I like to hang out with my friends and go to movies. Thriller and scary movies are my favorite. I like to play volleyball and tennis too.
Are you a morning person or a night person?
Definitely night. My mom has a hard time getting me up sometimes. She’s more of a morning person. I’m not.
Are you the most popular girl in school?
No, I’m not. But I go to a school where popular isn’t a focus. There are no cliques and we get along. I have a lot of friends but we don’t think about being popular.
Why did you write 113 things to do by 13?
I thought that when I turned thirteen it would be BIG. That a lot of things would change. And I was bullied in elementary school so I wanted to help others so they don’t have a hard time. I want kids to see it’s OK to be yourself and do what you like to do.
Did you do all the things you write about in the book?
No. I would have liked to have done them all but some I haven’t done yet.
So it’s OK to keep doing these things even when you’re not thirteen any longer?
Oh Yes. You can do the stuff in 113 things … whenever you want. Even grown ups can do them. I hope kids will use the book for ideas for things to do at sleepovers and parties.
Do you have any wacky or wild hidden talents?
I can wiggle my ears. My friends are always surprised when I show them I can do it for the first time. And I’m double jointed in my thumbs. Sometimes that grosses people out but I thought it was normal.
How much make-up do you wear, if any?
Almost none. When I do wear it I like natural colors and usually only wear it to cover a blemish or something. I do like to play with it when I have a sleepover. One time my friend put almost a whole jar of make-up on me. My mom told me it didn’t look good. I agree with her.
Do you know all the celebrities that are in the book?
No. My mom works at Access Hollywood so she knows some of them. And she knows some of their publicists so she helped me get answers and suggestions from a lot of them.
What’s the funnies prank anyone ever played on you?
Hmmmm. I don’t know ….
Or, what’s the funniest prank you ever pulled on anyone?
Now that’s a better question. April Fool’s Day just passed and I played a prank on one of my friends. She gets very worried and feels terrible if she thinks she’s hurt anyone. When I was with her she bumped into me a little and pretended I bumped a wall harder than I really did. I pretended it hurt and the next day I wore a fake cast and told her I had to go and get x-rays later. She felt so bad! For a minute she looked like she had tears in her eyes. Than I told her it was a prank. We laughed a lot and I know she’s thinking of a way to get back at me.
Another time I put salt on my mom’s toothbrush. She made a very funny face and she didn’t like that taste at all. I’m the prankster of the bunch.
What do you like most about you?
My sensitivity. I’m nice. I always like to include other people in what I’m doing. I put others ahead of me. I’m smart and I work hard at school. I don’t mean to brag about myself but, yeah that’s it. I’m nice.
I know we touched on this a little bit earlier but I have another question on this subject. Did you ever have a problem with mean girls or bullying?
Yes, I had a big problem in elementary school. For some reason I didn’t fit in with the girls. For a while I just hung out with the boys. Then it got worse. Some very mean things were said and there seemed to be a campaign against me.
What did you do?
I talked to my mom. She told me not to blame myself. She said that when people bully you it’s because they feel insecure about who they are and it has nothing to do with the person they bully. When it didn’t get better I changed schools and my school now isn’t like that at all. I hope I can convince other kids that should never blame themselves if someone bullies them. It’s them, not you!
You wrote 113 things to do by 13 with your mom. Are the two of you close?
Very close. My dad separated from us when I was little so it’s me and my mom. She’s always there for me and she’s in my corner no matter what.
What happens when the two of you disagree?
It doesn’t happen a lot. There is a set of rules we follow and that takes care of most of it. The rest of the time we talk it out. Sometimes I take a little time to go to my room and think and then go back and work it out. It’s not good to just walk away and not resolve things.
Who is the person you admire most and why?
My Mom. She’s always there for me and someday I want to be the kind of mom she is. Sometimes my friends say there parents are lame but my mom’s not like that.
Do you know what you want to do after college?
Yes. I want to be a journalist and travel around the world. Maybe do some documentaries about kids around the world. I want to help other people that way.
Where can we buy your book?
In book stores everywhere and on Amazon.
Will you be writing more books?
I’m thinking about it but I haven’t started anything yet. I haven’t even talked about it with anyone yet so nothing is in process.
I see a picture of you with the Jonas Brothers. Do you hang out with them?
I wish! I’ve met them a few times, like at the Thanksgiving Day Parade and at the Camp Rock premier but that’s because of my mom. I don’t really know them.
Julia, 16 from Texas asked: What’s it like living in NYC? Did it inspire you to start writing, it being the literary capital of the U.S.?
I love to write, not matter where I am. New York is home to me so it didn’t really inspire me but living there did help. New York and L.A. are where the celebrities are so living here did help.
Janilya, 14 from Florida writes: I turned 14 years old a month ago! And regret it so much because I just realized that 13 is the age every girl, woman wants to stay! Because all joys, happiness happens at age 13! And I really want to read what Brittany’ Happiness was!
I have this to say to Janilya, “Being 14 is very similar to being 13. There are still a lot of new things happening. You should think about looking ahead and enjoying the changes you will find. Ages 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 are all hard in some ways because there is more school work to do and you may have earn money by babysitting or something and your body changes. So have fun with it and talk to your friends about it all.
Do you have any other advice for tweens?
Have fun with your age. 13 is fun but so are 14 and the other ages you will become. Be who you are. Enjoy being different and don’t feel like you have to fit in.
Do you have a blog?
Not yet but 113 things to by 13 does have a Facebook page and there will be a 113 things to do by 13 webpage soon.
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Brittany, thank you for again for taking the time to answer these questions today. Good luck with 113 things to do by 13. We’ll be looking for it in the bookstores.
You’re welcome. I had fun and I’m glad you like the book.
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