Jean Craighead George facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jean Carolyn Craighead George
|
|
|---|---|
Jean Craighead George in Barrow, AK, 1994
|
|
| Born |
Jean Carolyn Craighead
July 2, 1919 |
| Died | May 15, 2012 (aged 92) Valhalla, New York, U.S.
|
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Awards | Newbery Medal 1973 |
Jean Carolyn Craighead George (born July 2, 1919 – died May 15, 2012) was an American writer. She wrote over one hundred books for children and young adults. Her most famous books include Julie of the Wolves, which won the Newbery Medal, and My Side of the Mountain, which was a Newbery runner-up.
Jean George often wrote about nature and the environment in her stories. She also wrote guides on cooking with wild plants and an autobiography called Journey Inward. In 1964, she was nominated for the international Hans Christian Andersen Award for her amazing work as a children's writer.
Contents
Jean Craighead George's Life Story
Jean Carolyn Craighead was born in Washington D.C. on July 2, 1919. She grew up in a family who loved nature. Her parents, brothers, aunts, and uncles were all keen students of the natural world.
Growing Up with Nature
On weekends, Jean and her family often camped in the woods near Washington. They would climb trees to watch owls and gather edible plants. They even made fish hooks from twigs! Jean's first pet was a turkey vulture, which is a type of bird. Her life was always focused on writing and nature.
Education and Early Career
In 1940, Jean graduated from Pennsylvania State University. She earned degrees in both English and science. In the 1940s, she worked as a reporter for The Washington Post. From 1969 to 1982, she was a writer and editor at Readers Digest.
Jean married John Lothar George in 1944, and they later divorced in 1963. Her first novels were written with him. She also drew the black and white illustrations for these early books. Later, an editor encouraged her to work with other artists for her books.
Award-Winning Books
Two of Jean George's popular novels for children are My Side of the Mountain (1960) and its sequel On the Far Side of the Mountain (1990). My Side of the Mountain was recognized as a Newbery Medal runner-up.
In 1991, Jean George received the Knickerbocker Award for Juvenile Literature. This award honored her for the "consistent superior quality" of her books.
The Inspiration for Julie of the Wolves
The idea for Julie of the Wolves came from two special experiences. Jean spent a summer studying wolves and the tundra in Barrow, Alaska. She saw a small girl walking alone on the huge tundra. She also saw a magnificent alpha male wolf, the leader of a pack in Denali National Park.
These images stayed with her. A scientist at the lab told her, "If there ever was any doubt in my mind that a man could live with the wolves, it is gone now. The wolves are truly gentlemen, highly social and affectionate." These words helped inspire her famous book.
Julie of the Wolves won the annual Newbery Medal from the American Library Association. This award celebrates the "most distinguished contribution to American literature for children." Jean also won the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis in 1975 for the German version of Julie.
Family and Pets
Jean George was a mother of three children and a grandmother. Her daughter, Twig C. George, has also written children's books about animals.
Over the years, Jean kept many different pets in her home in Chappaqua, New York. She had one hundred and seventy-three wild pets, not counting her dogs and cats! She said, "Most of these wild animals depart in autumn when the sun changes their behaviour and they feel the urge to migrate or go off alone. While they are with us, however, they become characters in my books, articles, and stories."
Jean George passed away on May 15, 2012, at the age of 92. She died from complications of congestive heart failure in Valhalla, New York.
Jean George's Books
Jean Craighead George wrote over 100 books, mostly about nature and animals. Here are some of her well-known works:
- My Side of the Mountain (1959) – This is about a boy who leaves the city to live in the wilderness.
- Julie of the Wolves (1972) – This story follows a young Eskimo girl who gets lost on the tundra and survives by living with a pack of wolves.
- Cry of the Crow (1980) – A story about a girl who raises a baby crow.
- On the Far Side of the Mountain (1990) – A sequel to My Side of the Mountain.
- Julie (1994) and Julie's Wolf Pack (1997) – More books in the Julie of the Wolves series.
- Frightful's Mountain (1999) – Another book in the Mountain series, focusing on a falcon.
- The Tarantula in My Purse and 172 Other Wild Pets (1996) – A non-fiction book about her experiences with her many animal friends.
- The Wild, Wild Cookbook (1982) – A guide to cooking with wild foods.
Jean George's books often teach readers about the natural world and how animals live.
