When researching authors to complete an author study on, I came across Cynthia Rylant. When I read about her life, I discovered that she writes about her family and personal life experiences growing up in West Virginia. My family is from West Virginia, although I have never lived there. Knowing that Cynthia Rylant grew up in the same area that my parents and grandparents experienced their childhood in is what sparked my personal interest in reading her books and learning about her life.