Jean Craighead was born in Washington. Her parents and extended family were naturalists, and she spent weekends during her childhood camping out in the woods, studying nature, foraging, and fishing. Her first pet was a turkey vulture.
In 1940, George graduated from Pennsylvania State University with degrees in both English and Science. She became a reporter for The Washington Post and was a member of the White House Press Corps. In 1944 she married John Lothur George, and began writing novels with him which she illustrated. She divorced in 1963. In 1960 she received a Newbery Honor for My Side of the Mountain. In 1969, she went to work for Readers Digest as a writer and editor. She has written over 100 books.
