Jean Craighead George
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Awards Won by
Jean Craighead George

Aurianne Award 1958
First made in 1958, this annual award recognizes outstanding books on animal life which may develop a humane attitude in children. Given for the best fiction or non-fiction book written for children between the ages of 8-14 years. Jean and John George won for their book Dipper of Copper Creek. Read More

Newberry Honor Book 1960
My Side of the Mountain (Penguin 1959) was chosen as a Newbery Honor Book in 1960.  The Newberry Award is given annually by the American Library Association.

Nominated for the Hans Christian Anderson Award 1964
The Hans Christian Andersen Award is the highest international recognition given to an author and an illustrator of children's books. Given every other year by IBBY, the Hans Christian Andersen Awards recognize lifelong achievement and are presented to an author and an illustrator whose complete works have made an important, lasting contribution to children's literature. Jean was nominated for the award in 1964.
Learn More About the Award

Penn State University Distinguished Alumnus 1968
Jean received bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts degree in Science and English from Penn State in 1941. She was honored as a Distinguished Alumni in 1968 and has been featured in Penn State’s alumni magazine. Read More

Newberry Award 1973
The Newbery Medal is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. Julie of the Wolves (Harper & Row, 1972) won the 1973 Newbery Medal. Learn More About the Award

National Book Award 1973
Julie of the Wolves was a finalist for the National Book Award. Read More

Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis 1975
 The Association for Children's and Youth Literature is responsible for awarding the German Children's Literature Award (Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis), which is a state-sponsored prize. Jean won the award for her book Julie of the Wolves. Read More

Knickerbocker Award 1991
Jean Craighead George was the first recipient of NYLA’s Knickerbocker Award, given by the Section of School Librarians, in 1991.

Empire State Award 1998
The Empire State Award is given annually and was first presented in 1990. It is a one-time award presented to a living author or illustrator currently residing in New York State. The award honors a body of work that represents excellence in children’s or young adult literature and that has made a significant contribution to literature for young people. Jean won the award in 1998. Read More
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Notable Book 2009
Each year a committee of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) identifies the best of the best in children's books. According to the Notables Criteria, "notable" is defined as: Worthy of note or notice, important, distinguished, outstanding. As applied to children's books, notable should be thought to include books of especially commendable quality, books that exhibit venturesome creativity, and books of fiction, information, poetry and pictures for all age levels (birth through age 14) that reflect and encourage children's interests in exemplary ways. Jean won for the book Goose and Duck.

Bank Street College's Cook Prize 2015
In the 2015, Galápagos George, by Jean Craighead George won Bank Street College's Cook Prize. George weaves facts about nature into a story that reverts back one million years, when giant tortoises migrated to the Galápagos Islands and slowly evolved into different subspecies. George, who passed away in 2012, wrote over 100  books for children and was “very connected with teaching them about endangered species, about the world, and about wildlife.

New York Writer’s Hall of Fame 2016
Jean Craighead George was inducted into the New Your Writers Hall of fame along with Maya Angelou and several other writers in 2016. View Inductees

Literary Landmark Award 2020
Cannon Free Library was designated as a literary landmark in 2020 in honor of Jean Craighead George. The Cannon Free Library was the inspiration for the library that Sam Gribley visited in My Side of the Mountain. Throughout her life, George visited Cannon Library many times. Read More

Jean Craighead George Park 2021
A small park in Chappaqua, New York was named in Jean’s honor in 2021. Jean lived just up the hill from the park for over 50 years. Her children played in the area where the park is located and it’s preservation ensures that children in the neighborhood will have a wild place to play for many years to come. Read Article



  • Home
  • About
    • Awards
    • On Writing
  • Books
    • Resources >
      • “Sam Gribley Day”, A Student Led, Text Driven Field Trip
  • What's New
  • Q&A
  • Contact