Books

Some things are worth saying sooner.

I never set out to become an author. I got sober, started working through my life with a therapist, and one day she asked me a deceptively simple question:

"What would you say to five year old you?"

I started writing. One question became a collection of thoughts. Those thoughts became a book. And that book started conversations I never expected to have.

Then came another.

These books aren't about having all the answers. They're about sharing a few things I wish someone had told me sooner.

Things I Would Say To Five Year Old Me

What would you say to five year old you?

I realized pretty early that something unusual was happening with this book. Adults read it and cried. They smiled. They started reflecting on their own lives—often immediately, and in ways that were overwhelmingly positive. That warmed my heart in ways I still have trouble explaining.

Then kids started reading it. That blew my mind. At book signings, I found myself having meaningful conversations with kids from five years old into their early teens about life, confidence, kindness, mistakes and figuring out who they are.

I'm not a parent. I'm not a teacher. I'm not an authority figure. I'm just someone with something to say.

Maybe that's part of why it connected. A low voice, tattoos, a bit of a mohawk and no fear about telling kids what I genuinely believe they deserve to know. Somehow, they listened.

And the book took on a life of its own.

Kids can read it looking forward. Adults can read it looking back. Somewhere in between, maybe we all get an opportunity to understand ourselves a little better.

If you are a human, this book is for you.

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Words and concepts by R. B. Mosby

Artwork/illustrations created using WonderAI

Things I Would Say To 13 Year Old Me

We were pretty much feral children. Growing up in the '70s, most of us weren't handed much of a roadmap for becoming good men.

We figured things out the way we usually did: Trial. Error. Mistakes. Consequences. And hopefully, somewhere along the way, a little wisdom.

After writing Things I Would Say To Five Year Old Me, I started reflecting on the boy I became next—and on what I wish thirteen year old me had known.

There wasn't much literature written specifically for boys that talked honestly about what it means to become a good man, much less how to actually get there. So I wanted to write some.

Character. Confidence. Kindness. Resilience. Accountability. Relationships. Self-respect. Making mistakes—and learning what the hell to do after you've made them.

Not instructions for becoming perfect. A little guidance for becoming a good man.

I wanted to give young men a leg up that my generation didn't have. And maybe give the fathers, mothers, grandparents, uncles, teachers, coaches and mentors who care about them another way to start those conversations.

Never forget that you are powerful beyond measure. You got this, kid.

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Words and concepts by R. B. Mosby

Illustrations by Irvin Walkes

Edited by Lesley Braithwaite

Contributing authors: Noel Butler and France Perras

Things I Would Say To 13 Year Old Me — front cover

One question became a book. One book became another. Writing gave me another way to give back.

These books came from my experiences, but they aren't really about me anymore. They're for the kid trying to figure things out. For the teenager becoming the person he'll eventually be. And for the adult looking backward and realizing that maybe some of these words were things they needed to hear too.

It's never too early to give someone a little wisdom. And it's never too late to hear it yourself.

Sincerely and Soberly,

R. Brian Mosby