A Force of Nature

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A Force of Nature

by Kasey Cox


There is a small patch of fur that keeps tickling my nose as it blows in the Arctic winds, but that doesn’t matter, because I am snuggled in tight against my wolf brothers and sisters, and our pile is warm. For once, my belly is completely full because Amaroq brought down a caribou bull today and we have all been able to eat our fill. The sky above us is full of wheels of green, pink, and blue lights, and …

“Come to dinner!!”

I don’t need human dinner, because I am now part of this family of wolves; they have accepted me; I have learned their language, their mannerisms, their hierarchy of leadership, and…

“Kasey, did you hear me?! Dinner is ready!!”

Ugh. With those words, I am finally torn away from my exciting adventure with the Eskimo girl, Julie (whose Eskimo name is “Miyax”) and the wolves she lived with on the Arctic tundra.

A seventh grade reading mini-course featuring children’s stories about survival introduced me to the joy of Jean Craighead George’s nature-focused literature for children. For many others, their first experience was with Sam Gribley, in My Side of the Mountain.

My Side of the Mountain was selected as a Newbery Honor Book when it was first written in 1959, and went on to thrill generations of those interested in children’s literature, selling to date over eight million copies, translated into more than twelve languages. In a video interview in January 2009, for the book’s fiftieth anniversary, George explains how pleased she has been to watch the “Mountain” stories evolve, from isolation to community to world-wide connections, just as the character of Sam Gribley does across the books in this trilogy, from My Side of the Mountain to On the Far Side of the Mountain to Frightful’s Mountain. For over fifty years, adults who read these stories as children continued to write and email Ms. George to tell her how these books had influenced them – to become park rangers, environmental scientists, raptor rescue volunteers, falconers, and weekend outdoor enthusiasts.

Though My Side of the Mountain first won her recognition as an author, it was Julie of the Wolves that won her the Newbery Award for children’s literature in 1973, and established her reputation as one of great children’s authors of this century. Julie of the Wolves continues to be included on lists such as “the Top Ten Best American Children’s Books” written in the last 200 years (according to the Children’s Literature Association). Altogether, over her nearly 93 year life, George wrote, illustrated, or co-authored close to 100 works, with more than 80 of those written specifically to celebrate nature and share it with children.

These books include “eco-mysteries” such as Who Killed Cock Robin? and The Missing Gator of Gumbo-Limbo; picture books for younger readers, detailing life among an amazing variety of animal life; funny chapter books such as There’s an Owl in the Shower; and outdoor life guidebooks, such as the one she was working on with her children and grandchildren, just in the last year, as a companion to the “Mountain” series.

It should come as no surprise that Jean Craighead George studied for degrees in Science and in Literature, graduating from Penn State University in 1941 before moving to Washington, D.C. where her early writing career included reporting for the Washington Post, working as a member of the White House Press Corps, writing regularly for Reader’s Digest, and serving as an artist and art director at Pageant magazine. She married Dr. John L. George in 1944: together, they had three children, and collaborated at first on six children’s books. As soon as the kids could carry backpacks of their own, George was fond of saying, they took many family camping and hiking trips. They also allowed nature to live in and around their home, where more than 170 various animals took up temporary residence, becoming inspiration for many of Jean Craighead George’s books.

Jean continued to write, create, speak, teach, draw, and collaborate on books right up until her death, on May 18, 2012, less than two months shy of her 93rd birthday. Her goal, even in her final years, as is stated quite plainly on her website and in her interviews, was to share with children “the wonder of nature… and, when the telling… was done, she hoped they would want to protect all the beautiful creatures and places.” It is no small feat to create one or two solid books that are read and enjoyed by children; it is quite another to leave behind a legacy of the size and scope that Jean Craighead George has given the world.