George, Jean Craighead Books

My Side of the Mountain (Puffin Modern Classics)

Jean Craighead George

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 512 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

A child's introduction to Thoreau 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

While "My Side of the Mountain" is not Henry Thoreau it does make an enjoyable read on how to live a self-sufficient life. Think of this as "Survivorman meets Jules Verne" and you have a nice idea of the general theme.

Many have complained that they do not understand the plot and that the action moves to slowly. Personally, I find the pace of the novel to be quite refreshing. What we are given is a story about how someone can learn to become one with nature. This process was nto immediate and it took time to develop so Jean Craighead George allowed the story to move at a natural pace.

I first read "My Side of the Mountain" about 20 years ago when I was still in grade school. Oddly enough, of the dozens of books that I read from that time of my life only "My Side of the Mountain" and "Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing" are the only ones that I actually remembered. It is pretty rare that you can find a book that you enjoy as much when you are 33 as you did when you were 11 years old.

"My Side of the Mountain" is written for children and adults alike. We all can dream about what life would be like on our own mountain. Maybe this isn't a book for everyone, but if you or your child enjoys camping, hiking, or just being outside this will probably become one of your own personal classics.

Editorial Review:

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.

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

Jean Craighead George

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 29 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

bonding book 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

What a great trilogy. I have been reading this to my nine year old son who is obsessed with survivor and surviVAL. The vocabulary is alittle over his head (and mine). I find myself reading with a dictionary next to us. We now do falcon cries to each other around the house:) We have been reading well past his bedtime. Recommended to readers 8-108 years old!

OKay 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I think this book would not be good for young children because they might try to be like Sam and run away from home. Besides that it was a very good book and I liked it a lot. I thought that Sam was a very inspiring character, and if someone did try to live off the land they might learn a lot from that book that would be helpful.I would not mind reading that book again at all because it was so good.

Editorial Review:

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.

Julie of the Wolves (rack)

Jean Craighead George

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 238 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Parents, don't rely on librarians or teachers to tell you it's ok 2 out of 5 stars.
3 of 8 people found this review helpful.

While this book gives many interesting details of Arctic life and the differences between the traditional and modernized lifestyles of the Eskimos, it is not worth the effort due to one inappropriate, unnecessary, gratuitous scene on p. 102. I was shocked when I discovered this scene of s*x*al assault between Daniel and Julie, especially considering the age of the target audience. I realize that this scene is the catalyst which drives Julie to go back to the wilderness, but my goodness! Couldn't the author have thought of something else? Due to this one scene, the entire book should be regarded with great caution, in my opinion.

I understand that this book is required reading by many elementary schools. As a parent, I would appreciate a forewarning, so that I could decide whether this book would be appropriate for my children. My 11-y-old daughter received this book as a gift, but I remembered something that I'd read about this book that was questionable. I did a little reading, a boy! am I glad I did. The scene of s*x*al assault would have been confusing and disturbing to my child. I will not be letting her read it. There are plenty of other wonderful books out there that have nothing inappropriate.

Editorial Review:

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?

On the Far Side of the Mountain

Jean Craighead George

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 41 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A Classic Adventure Book...A Must Read 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Do you like wilderness and survival books? Then this is the book for you. The main character, Sam Gribly is 14 years old. In his first book of the series, MY SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN, he ran away from home to live in the mountains. He successfully made it through a tough year. He had to build a shelter and catch food himself. Until later in the book he found a Peregrine Falcon that he named Frightful. In this book, Frightful was his main source for food. Frightful would catch him food. Alice, Sam's sister who is also his age, joined him on the mountain. She made her own tree house a little separated from Sam's house. She helped Sam build a watermill.

Later in this book, a police officer came to Sam's mountain and took Frightful from Sam. Frightful was a Peregrine Falcon which is a bird on the endangered birds' list and only a licensed falconer could own this bird. After Frightful was taken away, the officer took Sam's main food source away. Now Sam had to find a new way to catch food.

Alice traveled down the mountain on some days to meet with her friend from the first book, Mrs. Strawberry. She liked Mrs. Strawberry and Mrs. Strawberry also loved Alice. They became good friends. While Alice was on the bottom of the mountain she also stopped by a farmer's house. He had a pigpen and Alice loved pigs.

Sam woke up one day and Alice was gone. He thought she was just gathering berries or nuts or just visiting Mrs. Strawberry. She hadn't come back in three days. So Sam went to check her tree house to see if she was there. He found a note Alice wrote saying she was gone and not to worry she would be back soon. Well, Sam was indeed worried. He went down the mountain to ask Mrs. Strawberry and the farmer if they knew where Alice went, but they both had no idea. They both hadn't seen her in around three days. The farmer was so worried that they set off on a hike to find Alice. They later found out that she brought her pig. They found a couple compasses that gave clues to where Alice was going because they had a map and would look where Alice was going. They both knew she liked waterfalls so they found another compass and then looked on the map and found out that she was going to a waterfall. They got to the waterfall and found Alice's camp site but couldn't find Alice. You will have to read the book if you want to figure out if they ever find Alice or not.

Editorial Review:

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

Frightful's Mountain

Jean Craighead George

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 32 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Only worth reading to complete the series... 2 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This is a bad, bad book. I read 'My Side of the Mountain' numerous times as a child and throughout the years and never knew there were sequels which I happily raced off to request from my local library. The first book, published in 1959 and we as readers needed to assume that the story takes place at the time of the writing. Yet here in the third book, chronologically only two years after 'My Side', people now have push button phones, automated phone answering systems and cell phones. These anachronisms as well as the horribly stilted dialog (nearly insultingly simple in places and more reminiscent of Grammar School writing class than a world class novelist) ruin this book. I don't know what lead Ms. George to leap the story into the future but, at least in my opinion, it was a poorly thought out choice. 'On the Far Side of the Mountain' was a good if hard to believe sequel to 'My Side of the Mountain' this doesn't even come close to the quality or engaging read of the previous two. As my title says, this is only worth reading to complete the series. On it's own it's a poorly written, completely unbelievable story. I was terribly disappointed.

Editorial Review:

It is illegal to harbor an endangered bird, so when Frightful returns to Sam, the boy who raised her, he has to chase her away. Frightful doesn't know how to live alone in the wild, and she can't feed herself, mate, brood chicks, or migrate. She struggles to survive and gradually learns to enjoy her new freedom. But Frightful feels a bond with Sam that can never be broken, and more than anything else, she wants to return to him.

"Fans of My Side of the Mountain will be glad to revisit Sam Gribley in this sequel."
-The Horn Book

"Frightful's Mountain is a novel that will change the way you look at the world."
-The New York Times Book Review

How to Talk to Your Dog

Jean Craighead George

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Book a danger to children who follow its recommendations 1 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Do not put your children in danger! They will be if they follow many of the authors recommendations. Please see the review written by Julie Shaw it is right on the money. Ms. Jean Craighead George makes suggestions that if used on the wrong dog could result in a person being bitten. For canine behavior stick with books by Jean Donaldson, Karen Pryor, Ian Dunbar...not Jean Craighead George.

Bad Advice for Kids! 2 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I purchased this book for my daughter after we got a new puppy. I was disappointed with the content and illustrations of this book. Almost every page contains a super-imposed photo of the author (a stoutly elderly woman) working with a cartoon dog, demonstrating a training technique. One training technique suggests that a child put his/her face next to the dog's face and touch noses with the dog.

This book is a basic book written to show children what a dog's body language means and how children can communicate with their pet using their own body language.

I was disappointed in the content, potentially dangerous suggestion to put your face close to a dog's face and rub noses, and the illustrations of this children's book.

Editorial Review:

Find out what your dog is really saying -- and talk back!

Jean Craighead George, Newbery Medal -- winning author of over 80 books about nature and animals, demonstrates in words and photos how to communicate with your best friend.

How to Talk to Your Cat

Jean Craighead George

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Book filled with inaccuracies 1 out of 5 stars.
7 of 8 people found this review helpful.

My daughter and I read "How to Talk to Your Cat" and were amazed by the number of inaccuracies stated throughout the book.

The author states that cats are "completely self-sufficient and can leave you at any time and go off and make a living." It's this kind of ignorance that contributed to the explosion in the feral cat population we face today! People pick up and move and abandon their cats thinking they can fend for themselves. Hunting is learned by watching other cats, and then putting those lessons into practice until they are perfected. Offspring of non-hunting cats rarely make good hunters themselves. In other words, house cats that have never been outdoors could never just "leave at any time and go off and make a living." They'd starve to death!

She also states that "cats are loners" and they "don't like company, including other cats." Cats are not anti-social. They have intricate social interactions with their own kind. Two of my cats are very social; they love the attention of people (even those they just meet) and the camaraderie of other felines. Feral cat colonies are found in every city and town throughout the world--the perfect example of their social nature. Cats also possess the ability to form close friendships with people. I own 8 cats and I have a unique relationship with each one. They are my babies and I couldn't imagine life without them.

She recommends only having one cat. She goes on to state "cats dislike other cats and will fight." Cats are social beings; they do like other cats and the only time they fight is to establish territory or male dominance, not because they dislike one another.

The author tells us that cats are o.k. with our leaving; they will not sulk. She doesn't know my cat Amber. Once I pull out the suitcases, she knows what's about to follow. She follows my every move when I go from room to room to gather things to pack all the while whimpering. I once had to cut a vacation short when her caretaker told me she wasn't eating or using the litter box. She was so upset by my absence.

Finally, she states that "the deeper the claws dig [into furniture], the more status the cat has." Huh? Scratching is a way of marking territory. Depth of the scratch has nothing to do with status. Feline social standing is measured by the amount of land a cat can lord over it. At the top of the hierarchy are unneutered males, followed by females that haven't been spayed, spayed females and at the bottom are the neutered males.

Her book would have been better suited for the fiction, not non-fiction classification.

I find it ironic that the author doesn't even own a cat, yet somehow she feels she has the knowledge and expertise to write a book about them.

Editorial Review:

Find out what your cat is really saying -- and talk back!

Jean Craighead George, Newbery Medal-winning author of over 80 books about nature and animals, demonstrates in words and photos how to communicate with that ever-mysterious, ever-lovable animal -- the cat.

The Call of the Wild

Jack London, Andrew Davidson, Jean Craighead George

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

The call of the wild 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

The Call of the Wild
By Cody Dale
It was about a dog named Buck living with his master Judge Miller. He had a good home. But was kid napped by a bad man who sold him to a dog sled team. Buck has to learn to survive the extremely cold weather and the other savage dogs. The leader of the dogs is a mean strong dog. Buck beats the dog in a fight and becomes lead dog. But then he is sold to become a mail carrier he does the best he can. But then he is sold to two bad people who don't know the first thing about taking care of dogs. Then he gets away from them and finds a good master. They become friends. But then his master is killed by savages so Buck meets up with a pack of wolves and finally answers the call wild.
This is a great book because it was a lot of action I would recommend this book to a friend.

Editorial Review:

Buck is a dog born to luxury, but his life changes dramatically when he is sold to be a sled dog in the Yukon Terrority. First published in 1903, this masterpiece of adventure and survival continues to enthrall readers almost a century later.

There's an Owl in the Shower

Jean Craighead George

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 41 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Enjoyable reading material for all. 4 out of 5 stars.
7 of 8 people found this review helpful.

I am a mature adult who read this book on a chance and discovered it to be quite entertaining and enlightening at the same time. I can see why many children would enjoyed reading this book. The approach proves to be fair, balance and while it take a pro-environmental perception toward the end, it teaches that there are two sides to a debate.

The book also take pains to developed the characters and the gradual evolution of the main character's father, a lumberjack laid off from work dues to endangered owls proves to be most reflective. The father's gradual understanding of issues of both sides guide the readers as well.

The book also educated about owls. Why they cast out pellets or what hunger streak in feathers can do. These information come gradually and unrushed for easy absorption of information for children.

The writing proves to be light and easy to read, story was interesting and while it was geared toward elementary school children and they should love this book, I enjoyed it myself as well. Thus, the book come highly recommended and while it end in rather a somber note (no happy ending here), its an intelligently written book, suitable for all.

Editorial Review:

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.

Julie's Wolf Pack (Julie of the Wolves)

Jean Craighead George

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 50 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Compelling 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Though this was a third book in a series, it was a wonderful read as a stand- alone novel. It is about an older girl who had lived with a wolf pack for seven months when she was lost in the Alaskan tundra.

This is the story of Kapu, Julie's half brother in the pack and his reestablishing the pack after the loss of his father.

It is also the coming of age love story of Julie and Peter and their desire to live as their ancestors did back out on the tundra.

Editorial Review:

From the author of the Newbery Medal–winning Julie of the Wolves and its sequel, Julie, comes a third exciting adventure about the wolf pack that saved the life of a young girl when she was lost on the tundra. Julie has returned to her family, but her wolf pack has a story all its own. Fearless but inexperienced Kapu is now the new leader of the pack. He must protect his wolves from the threats of famine and disease and, at the same time, defend himself from bitter rivals, both inside and outside the pack, who are waiting for their chance to overthrow him. The strength of Kapu's leadership will determine not just the well-being of the pack but its very survival.

Jean Craighead George's research and first-hand observation form this engrossing, epic tale that's sure to draw readers into the fascinating world of wolves.