George, Jean Craighead

My Side of the Mountain (Puffin Modern Classics)

Every kid thinks about running away at one point or another; few get farther than the end of the block. Young Sam Gribley gets to the end of the block and keeps going--all the way to the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York. There he sets up house in a huge hollowed-out tree, with a falcon and a weasel for companions and his wits as his tool for survival. In a spellbinding, touching, funny account, Sam learns to live off the land, and grows up a little in the process. Blizzards, hunters, loneliness, and fear all battle to drive Sam back to city life. But his desire for freedom, independence, and adventure is stronger. No reader will be immune to the compulsion to go right out and start whittling fishhooks and befriending raccoons.

Jean Craighead George, author of more than 80 children's books, including the Newbery Medal-winning Julie of the Wolves, created another prizewinner with My Side of the Mountain--a Newbery Honor Book, an ALA Notable Book, and a Hans Christian Andersen Award Honor Book. Astonishingly, she wrote its sequel, On the Far Side of the Mountain, 30 years later, and a decade after that penned the final book in the trilogy, Frightful's Mountain, told from the falcon's point of view. George has no doubt shaped generations of young readers with her outdoor adventures of the mind and spirit. (Ages 9 to 12) --Emilie Coulter

Terribly unhappy in his family’s crowded New York City apartment, Sam Gribley runs away to the solitude—and danger—of the mountains, where he finds a side of himself he never knew.

Julie of the Wolves (rack) (Julie of the Wolves)

Miyax, like many adolescents, is torn. But unlike most, her choices may determine whether she lives or dies. At 13, an orphan, and unhappily married, Miyax runs away from her husband's parents' home, hoping to reach San Francisco and her pen pal. But she becomes lost in the vast Alaskan tundra, with no food, no shelter, and no idea which is the way to safety. Now, more than ever, she must look hard at who she really is. Is she Miyax, Eskimo girl of the old ways? Or is she Julie (her "gussak"-white people-name), the modernized teenager who must mock the traditional customs? And when a pack of wolves begins to accept her into their community, Miyax must learn to think like a wolf as well. If she trusts her Eskimo instincts, will she stand a chance of surviving? John Schoenherr's line drawings suggest rather than tell about the compelling experiences of a girl searching for answers in a bleak landscape that at first glance would seem to hold nothing. Fans of Jean Craighead George's stunning, Newberry Medal-winning coming-of-age story won't want to miss Julie (1994) and Julie's Wolf Pack (1998). (Ages 10 and older) --Emilie Coulter

To her small Eskimo village, she is known as Miyax; to her friend in San Francisco, she is Julie. When her life in the village becomes dangerous, Miyax runs away, only to find herself lost in the Alaskan wilderness.

Without food and time running out, Miyax tries to survive by copying the ways of a pack of wolves. Accepted by their leader and befriended by a feisty pup named Kapu, she soon grows to love her new wolf family. Life in the wilderness is a struggle, but when she finds her way back to civilization, Miyax is torn between her old a new lives. Is she Miyax of the Eskimos -- or Julie of the wolves?

My Side of the Mountain Trilogy (My Side of the Mountain / On the Far Side of the Mountain / Frightful's Mountain)

Asked why the writing of the My Side of the Mountain trilogy took Jean Craighead George more than 40 years, she responds, "My mother disapproved of sequels. 'Those are trashy books,' she told me when I was a child. So I grew up and did not write them.

"But kids are wiser than adults, I learned. Letters kept arriving from schools and homes, saying, 'We want to know more about Sam, Frightful, and the wilderness.' 'Sequels,' they said, 'are important.' They were right."

Now, all three of George's remarkable novels about the wilderness adventures of young Sam Gribley and his falcon, Frightful, are available in one handsome volume. In My Side of the Mountain, a Newbery Honor Book, Sam leaves home to fend for himself in the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York. For a year he lives in a hollowed-out tree, befriending animals and depending on his wits for survival. In the sequel, On the Far Side of the Mountain, Sam's sister has now joined him, and his falcon is confiscated by a conservation officer. Frightful's Mountain is an interesting departure for George. Written from the perspective of Frightful the falcon, the concluding novel in the trilogy follows her efforts to learn to depend on her own instincts in a world crawling with dangers.

Jean Craighead George is the beloved author of more than 80 books, including the Newbery Medal winner, Julie of the Wolves. (Ages 9 and older) --Emilie Coulter

In 1959, Jean Craighead George published My Side of the Mountain. This coming-of-age story about a boy and his falcon went on to win a Newbery Honor, and for the past forty years has enthralled and entertained generations of would-be Sam Gribleys. The two books that followed--On the Far Side of the Mountain and Frightful's Mountain--were equally extraordinary. Now all three books are available in one deluxe yet affordable volume for veteran devotees and brand-new fans alike.

On the Far Side of the Mountain

Life in the wilderness has just become a lot thornier for young Sam Gribley. For the last two years he's been living in a hollowed-out tree in the Catskill Mountains, hunting and gathering his food supply and befriending the critters in his "neighborhood." Sam's peaceful existence is abruptly shattered when an environmental conservation officer confiscates his peregrine falcon, Frightful. To make matters worse, Sam's sister Alice, who has been living with him for the past year, has disappeared. This double blow quickly puts Sam on the trail to the far side of his mountain, pursuing a multifaceted mystery that, ultimately, will force him to make the biggest decision of his life.

Thirty years after the publication of her Newbery Honor Book, My Side of the Mountain, Jean Craighead George rewarded her many fans with an exciting sequel. This remarkable author of over 80 books and recipient of more than 20 literary awards (including the Newbery Medal for Julie of the Wolves) is a passionate advocate for the environment. Her knack for naturalist writing that crackles with life will have readers of all ages chomping at the bit for the third novel in her trilogy, Frightful's Mountain. (Ages 9 to 12) --Emilie Coulter

Two years ago, Sam ran away from New York City to live in the Catskill Mountains. Now his younger sister Alice has joined him and is quietly living in a tree house of her own nearby. Their peaceful life is shattered when a conservation officer confiscates Sam's falcon, Frightful, and Alice suddenly vanishes. Sam leaves his home to search for Alice, hoping to find Frightful, too. But the trail to the far side of the mountain may lead Sam into great danger.

"Surpasses the original in style and substance . . . This story [is] a jewel."
-Booklist

"George has outdone herself here."
-Kirkus Reviews

There's an Owl in the Shower

Borden's father, Leon, was a logger in the old-growth forests of California. That is, until the spotted-owl lovers interfered. One day, frustrated by his father's unemployment, Borden sets out on a mission of revenge against the spotted owl but returns home with a half-starved owlet instead.
The family soon discovers that the owlet, whom Borden names Bardy, loves to take showers and watch late-night TV. Only after the whole family has fallen in love with Bardy do they realize that the conflict between nature and human industry is not so easily resolved.
Award-winning nature writer jean Craighead George tells a heartwarming story about a family and their love affair with a special little owl.

The Julie Trilogy (Julie of the Wolves)

When 13-year-old Julie Edwards Miyax Kapugen runs away from an arranged marriage at home, she becomes lost in the vast Alaskan tundra. Desperate to survive, she slowly befriends a pack of wolves, thus beginning a saga that is to continue over the course of several years, hundreds of miles, and three books. Following the gut-wrenching Newbery-winning classic Julie of the Wolves, Jean Craighead George created that rarest of beasts--the stellar sequel. Picking up where Julie of the Wolves left off, Julie follows the remarkable Eskimo girl's journey between two cultures: the traditional Eskimo way, living in harmony with nature, and the modern "Minnesota rules," relying on industry and cattle. It is only when Julie sets out to save her beloved wolf pack from her father that she learns how to reconcile the old ways with the new. With Julie's Wolf Pack, George continues the gripping Arctic adventures, now entirely from the wolves' perspective. Life on the Alaskan tundra is full of drama for the wolves: feast, famine, disease, puppies, challenges from rivals, and threat from humans. Without slipping into anthropomorphism, this book gives readers an extraordinary insight into the world of the wolf.

All three of these wholly spellbinding novels have been collected in this special boxed set of paperbacks--good thing, too, as you won't want to pause for a breath between any of them! (Ages 9 and older) --Emilie Coulter

Journey Into The Wild With Julie

Lost on the Alaskan tundra with no means of survival, Julie, a runaway Eskimo girl, is taken in by a pack of wolves -- and grows to love them as though they were family. Eventually Julie must leave the wilderness and return to her people, but the bond she has forged with her wolf family is one that is never broken. She is -- now and forever -- Julie of the Wolves.

The Missing 'Gator of Gumbo Limbo

Liza Poole lives with her mother in one of the last balanced ecosystems in North America -- the Gumbo Limbo Hammock deep within the lush kingdom of the Florida Everglades. Some may think it strange to live outdoors, but Liza feels lucky to live it strange to live outdoors, but Liza feels lucky to live in her small yellow tent amidst tropical birds and exotic plants. And at the center of this natural paradise lies Dajun, the majestic alligator who protects Gumbo Limbo's environment.

Then, one day, a state official arrives with frightening orders. Dajun is scaring people nearby -- he must be killed! Liza takes action to save the invaluable 'gator, but suddenly, he is nowhere to be found. Now, she must find Dajun before it's too late, and her search will lead her into the heart of an exciting eco mystery!

The Tarantula in My Purse: and 172 Other Wild Pets

Jean Craighead George deserves to be ranked among the great children's writers of our time. Of her previous books, Julie of the Wolves won a Newbery Medal and My Side of the Mountain is one of the most thrilling and engaging books ever written for kids. The Tarantula in My Purse is a memoir of sorts, telling the tales of the various animals that have passed through George's house, from "The Screech Owl Who Liked Television" to "The Goose and the Duck Who Were Arrested for Disturbing the Peace."

Humorous, heart-warming, and just plain entertaining, these stories by Newbery Medalist Jean Craighead George recall what life was like as she raised three children and 173 wild pets. On any given day there might be a bat in the refrigerator, an owl in the shower, or a crow at the kitchen table. Jean Craighead George's respect for nature and its many creatures is evident in all of her writing. Here, she offers a personal, firsthand account of the many animals that made their way into her life and her books.

1996 `Pick of the Lists' (ABA)
1996 Children's Books (NY Public Library)

The Talking Earth

"Billie Wind lives with her Seminole tribe. She follows their customs, but the dangers of pollution and nuclear war she's learned about in school seem much more real to her. How can she believe the Seminole legends about talking animals and earth spirits? She wants answers, not legends.

"You are a doubter,"say the men of the Seminole Council and so Billie goes out into the Everglades alone, to stay until she can believe. In the wilderness, she discovers that she must listen to the land and animals in order to survive. With an otter, a panther cub, and a turtle as companions and guides, she begins to understand that the world of her people can give her the answers she seeks.

The Call of the Wild