Vanderpool originally got the idea for "Navigating Early" (published 2013) from one of her mother’s dreams. In the dream, there was a boy who was amazing at piano. Although he never had any lessons, he could hear a difficult piece just once and would be able to play it perfectly. From the dream, she created the book about a boy who had an unexplainable gift, that creates a close friendship with a girl. “Where an author gets her ideas is simple. Ideas come from watching, listening, paying attention, and most of all from the characters themselves.” - Clare Vanderpool.