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Growing Reader
Tween

Everyone’s Favorite Class Pet Gets a New Nickname! Brightly Talks with Humphrey Author Betty G. Birney

by the Brightly Editors

When author Betty Birney wanted to find a new nickname for Humphrey, the star of her award-winning series for middle-grade readers, she knew just who to turn to for help: all of Humphrey’s friends and fans! Readers were given the chance to vote on a new nickname for their furry friend. The ballots are in, the votes have been tallied, and Brightly has the honor of announcing that the winning nickname is:

The Humster!

Look for The Humster in Humphrey’s next adventure, Spring According to Humphrey, and check out our interview with Betty Birney below to get the scoop on the real-life inspiration behind the Humphrey books, how she got her start, and her best advice for young writers.

You wrote your first book when you were 7-years-old. Tell us about your background as a storyteller.

Even before I could I read, I fell in love with books, and once I could read and write, I knew I not only wanted to read books, I wanted to write them. I loved using my imagination, so I gave it a try and after that first book, Teddy Bear in the Woods, I kept writing stories throughout my childhood. I saw writing as something fun and exciting. Each time I started a new story, it was like heading off on a journey into the unknown. Of course, a lot of my stories weren’t that great and I didn’t finish a lot of them. But that didn’t deter me from trying again and again.

Did you ever imagine that a story about a hamster would grow to be so big? What was the inspiration behind it all?

I wrote and sold the first Humphrey book as a stand-alone. While I thought it would make a good series, I never imagined Humphrey and his world would grow and grow. My inspiration actually came years before I wrote the book. My son was in a science classroom with a lot of classroom pets — even a boa constrictor. I wondered what the classroom looked like through the eyes of those animals — what they heard and what they thought. I decided it would be fun to write a book from the point of view of a classroom pet. Later, that turned out to be Humphrey the hamster.

What is it about Humphrey that you think makes him so appealing to young readers, and such a hit with teachers? 

One thing I did right was to give Humphrey a unique voice that is very kid-like. At first, I tried making him sound like an adult and I didn’t like him! Once I realized that he’s a child, approximately the same age as his fellow classmates, I had his voice and way of “squeaking” which kids seem to enjoy. I think teachers like the books in part because the adults are realistic human beings who have lives and problems of their own. And I think both children and adults like Humphrey’s big heart, his humorous observations about humans, and the fact that he is non-judgmental and kind.

What have your own children taught you about reading?

I mainly learned how uniquely different each person’s taste in reading is. I think I assumed that my son would love all the books I’d loved and that wasn’t necessarily true. But that enabled me to look at the world of children’s books through his eyes as we explored different kinds of books. That definitely broadened my view of children’s literature and may have helped me make my own writing appeal to a wide audience.

What advice do you have for kids as interested in writing as you were as a child?

Do it! Write every day, keep a journal of your ideas, read a lot, read all kinds of books, do it for the love of it. I often hear from young writers agonizing over their stories. When you’re a child you’re still learning, so cut yourself a break and write something you’d like to read.  You get to rule the universe and make all the decisions, so enjoy yourself!

Betty G. Birney has written episodes for numerous children’s television shows, including “The New Adventures of Madeleine,” “Doug,” and “Bobby’s World,” as well as after-school specials and a television movie, “Mary Christmas.” In addition to the Humphrey books, she is the author of The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs and The Princess and the Peabodys. A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Betty lives in Los Angeles with her husband, an actor.