Launch Point

Where do writers get their ideas? Often they base their stories on events in their own lives. Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books drew on her experiences as a child growing up on the Western frontier. Jack London was inspired to write “Call of the Wild” after spending a winter in the Yukon. And Sandra Cisneros’ stories recall her youth in a Latino community in Chicago. Students and others can learn more about books and authors, like author-illustrator Tedd Arnold (shown above), by using the direct links on The Times’ Launch Point Web site at https://www.latimes.com/launchpoint/