Samuel Brooks Dean

A new collection for curious kids

Big ideas.
Tricky days.
A way through.

Fifteen encouraging stories for gifted kids with big feelings and brilliantly different minds.

For the child who can solve the hard problem, but can't quite begin the easy one.

Meet the book
Stories that make space for every kind of mind.
01 / THE BOOK

What if a child could simply say, “That's me”?

Some days, the easiest homework is the hardest thing to start. A missing slip. A noisy cafeteria. A changed plan. A question nobody else asks.

Across fifteen stand-alone stories, children with big ideas and big feelings meet problems that feel huge in the moment. With humor, help, and a little courage, each finds a next step.

15stand-alone stories
1gentle reflection after each
∞ways to be yourself
02 / INSIDE THE STORIESSmall moments. Big feelings. A next step.

The days that don't go quite to plan.

STORY 01

The Hardest Easy Homework

Eli loves a difficult puzzle. Beginning a simple worksheet is another story.

Starting can be its own hard part
Illustrated story page showing a child in a noisy school cafeteria
STORY 08

The Loudest Cafeteria in the World

Illustrated story page showing a child talking with a teacher after a schedule change
STORY 13

The Day the Schedule Changed

Explore all 15 story titles
  1. The Hardest Easy Homework
  2. Saturn, Socks, and a Slip
  3. The Almost-Perfect Volcano
  4. Faster Than My Pencil
  5. The Game I Couldn't Lose
  6. The Question Nobody Else Asked
  7. The Book Wasn't the Hard Part
  8. The Loudest Cafeteria in the World
  9. Why Is Everyone So Slow?
  10. Why Can't I Just Do It?
  11. The Dinosaur Conversation
  12. The Boring Worksheet Rebellion
  13. The Day the Schedule Changed
  14. The Kid Who Was Afraid to Try
  15. More Than My Best Thing
03 / MORE THAN A STORY

A book to read,
recognize,
and return to.

For the kid reading

The characters are allowed to make mistakes, need help, and find strategies that only help a little. Nobody has to become perfect.

After each story

A gentle reflection and something to try invite conversation, without turning every story into a lesson.

For the grown-ups nearby

A dedicated note explores uneven development, support, and the difference between what a child knows and what they can show.

“For every kid who has ever wondered:
How can something so easy be so hard?”
FROM THE DEDICATION
04 / THE AUTHOR

Samuel
Brooks Dean

Samuel Brooks Dean is the author of Big Ideas, Tricky Days, a collection that gives children room to see their strengths and struggles on the same page.

The stories begin with familiar school-day moments and make space for curiosity, frustration, friendship, and the relief of being understood.

Book release and ordering details will be added here when available.