Jean Craighead George
Jean Craighead George was an influential American author known for her engaging children's literature that often centered around nature and wildlife. Born on July 2, 1919, in Washington, D.C., she was raised in a family that fostered a deep appreciation for the natural world, inspired by her father, an entomologist, and her mother, a naturalist. George pursued education in science and English, later transitioning to a successful writing career after her marriage in 1944. Her early works included collaborations with her husband, but she gained prominence with her solo publications, particularly "My Side of the Mountain" (1959) and "Julie of the Wolves" (1972), the latter winning the prestigious Newbery Medal.
Over her career, George published more than one hundred books, with her stories often featuring adolescent protagonists navigating wild environments. Her narrative skills were complemented by her firsthand experiences in nature, which she meticulously incorporated into her writing. In addition to fiction, she contributed nonfiction articles about wildlife, further showcasing her commitment to environmental education. Her literary legacy remains significant, celebrated for its rich observations of nature and the compelling emotional journeys of young characters.
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Subject Terms
Jean Craighead George
Author
- Born: July 2, 1919
- Birthplace: Washington, D.C.
- Died: May 15, 2012
Biography
Jean Craighead was born on July 2, 1919, in Washington, D.C. Her father, Frank C. Craighead, was an entomologist, and her mother, Carolyn Johnson Craighead, was a naturalist and storyteller. Both parents encouraged Jean and her twin brothers to connect with nature from an early age, by keeping birds and animals as pets and by sharing family trips in the natural world. By third grade, Jean was writing poems about her experiences in nature. In 1941, she graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a degree in science and English. She followed this with graduate work in art at Louisiana State University, two years as a reporter for the International News Service and two more reporting for the Washington Post. She married John Lothar George in 1944, changing her name to Jean Craighead George. The couple had three children and raised them to appreciate nature as well.
Vulpes, the Red Fox (1948), co-written with her husband John, was Jean’s first book. She did the illustrations—the arrangement for the six books the couple published together. In 1957 George published her first solo book, The Hole in the Tree. Her third, My Side of the Mountain (1959), became an immediate best seller. For the story of thirteen-year-old Sam Gribley, who lives alone in the wilderness, George drew on skills she had acquired herself as a child.
In 1963 the couple divorced. George and the children cared for more than a hundred wild animals as temporary pets until they were ready to return to the wild. After her tenth book, The Summer of the Falcon (1964), she gave up illustration to focus on writing. George wrote prolifically, publishing twenty books in the 1960’s alone. She also wrote nonfiction magazine articles about many of the animals in her novels. In 1969 she joined the staff of Reader’s Digest, working as a staff writer and then as roving editor until her retirement in 1982. She and the children made their home in Chappaqua, New York.
Her second major best seller was Julie of the Wolves (1972), her most important book. The novel tells the story of an Eskimo girl who survives in the frozen wilderness by forming a bond with a pack of wolves. To make the settings of her novels realistic, George journeyed through the Arctic, floated down the Colorado River, hiked in the mountains, and closely observed nature as she traveled.
George’s work, amounting to more than one hundred books, is admired for the accuracy of its close observations of the natural world, its wide-ranging and exotic settings, and the insightful portrayal of adolescent protagonists. My Side of the Mountain was a Newbery Honor Book and an ALA Notable Book, and it was made into a feature film in 1969. Julie of the Wolves won the Newbery Medal, was a finalist for the National Book Award, and in 1976 was named one of the ten Best American Children’s Books in two hundred years by the Children’s Literature Association.