INFLUENCES
Laurie Halse Anderson draws the inspiration from her books from many sources: her country's history, various passions, life, fellow writers, family, friends, and fans. Her family, friends, and fans support Anderson and have brought her to where she is today.
Her first book, Ndito Runs, is “a story about a girl in her village in the Kenyan Islands.” At first, Anderson faced numerous rejection letters and failure, but her family and a critique group supported her and helped her through this struggle. She did not really step out from the shadows of the woods until Speak, her most prominent work.
Since then, Anderson has been writing children’s books, historical fiction, nonfiction, and young adult novels. As Anderson influences other authors today, contemporaries have also influenced her work.Books like the Little House on the Prairie series written by Laura Ingalls Wilder planted Anderson’s interest in history. US history inspired books like Fever, 1793 and Chains. Her interest in other cultures inspired her nonfiction works, such as one of her earlier projects on Saudi Arabia. Anderson’s passions, like her love for animals, can be found in her children’s series, Vet Volunteers. Her personality can be found in some of the characters in her novels – namely her obstinacy. Finally, she is inspired by her concerns for the social issues her daughters and fans must face in a growing, troubling world.
