Jean Carolyn Craighead George was an acclaimed American writer known for her extensive contributions to children's and young adult literature. Born on July 2, 1919, she authored more than one hundred books, including the Newbery Medal-winning Julie of the Wolves and the Newbery runner-up My Side of the Mountain. Her works often explored themes of the environment and the natural world.

In addition to fiction, George wrote guides on cooking with wild foods and an autobiography titled Journey Inward, published 30 years before her death. She was a U.S. nominee for the biennial, international Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1964, recognizing her lifetime contribution as a children's writer.