Cool Story Books and Their Origins

The Inspiration Behind Your Favourite Stories

Have you ever wondered the story behind some of your favourite classroom classics? Let’s find out!

1.     Little House on the Prairie – Laura Ingalls Wilder

The stories of “Little House on the Prairie” are based on author Laura Ingalls Wilder’s experiences growing up in the American frontier and follows her family’s journey out to the American Mid-West where they, unsurprisingly, settled in a house on the prairie. The story provides a unique insight into American history; so much so, that the stories are considered semi-autobiographical.

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2.     James and the Giant Peach – Roald Dahl

The inspiration for this classic children’s story, comes after author Roald Dahl was wandering through his countryside garden and noticed a cherry tree in the orchard. He began to wonder what would happen if one of the cherries kept growing and growing… and growing. Funnily enough, the story was almost called ‘James and the Giant Cherry’ for this reason!

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3.     Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll

Did you know that the character of Alice was based on a little girl named Alice Liddell who was a family friend of author Lewis Carroll? She was a stubborn, yet curious, girl who urged Carroll to tell her stories in order to keep entertained on boat outings. These fantastically odd stories later became ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ that we all know today.

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4.     Lord of the Flies – William Golding

Author William Golding had worked as a schoolteacher before joining the Royal Navy in 1940. After returning from World War II, Golding returned to teaching and started to write novels in his free time. It is said that his time in the military had an impact on his view of humanity. There’s no doubt that both his students and his time in the war influenced the book’s exploration of how children would really act if stranded on a tropical island.

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5.     Winnie the Pooh – A. A. Milne

The characters in Winnie-the-Pooh were actually inspired after A. A. Milne’s son… Christopher Robin! Interestingly, the other animals in the Hundred Acre Woods were also toys that Christopher owned: Tigger, Piglet, Eeyore, Kanga and Roo. You can see the original toys in the New York City Museum! However, the main character, Winnie-the-Pooh, was inspired by a black bear that Christopher took a liking to at the London Zoo.

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6.   Very Hungry Caterpillar – Eric Carle

Of all the things that could inspire an award-winning story, how did Eric Carle come up with one of the most iconic children’s books of all time? A hole punch! He simply punched a hole in a large stack of paper and instantly thought of a bookworm. After deciding that a worm wasn’t quite the most appealing main character, he settled on a caterpillar and finished writing the book practically overnight!

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7.  Charlotte’s Web – E. B. White

One of the most popular children’s books was inspired by the real-life experiences of its author, E. B. White who moved to a farm in Maine during his later life. He describes the peculiar problem of a man who adores animals but runs a farm, due to the fate of his livestock. Thus, the theme of “Charlotte’s Web” is that the pig shall be saved. The character of Charlotte came from a spider egg sac that White transported from his farmhouse to New York, and watched emerge from a box that he had placed them in. I guess spiders aren’t so scary after all!

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