Jean Craighead George
A falcon is the perfect hunter.
I have discovered I cannot dream up characters as incredible as the ones I meet in the wilderness.
I first became aware of the delights of the natural world when my father, an entomologist, presented me with what looked like a twig. When it got up and walked, my delight was such that I wrote a poem, 'To a Walking Stick.'
By the time I got to kindergarten, I was surprised to find out I was the only kid with a turkey vulture.
Oh, those golden-yellow eyes of the wolf! You can feel yourself being pulled in. I knew I had been accepted - and that I had spoken to another species.
Children will often write, 'We love your books because there are no adults in them.'
Most of these wild animals depart in autumn when the sun changes their behavior and they feel the urge to migrate or go off alone. While they are with us, however, they become characters in my books, articles, and stories.
I have a perfect life where I read; I go out into the wilderness and camp. I meet scientists and learn about their studies of wild animals, and then I come home... and start creating the world I have seen.
Never before had I been offered a contract and advance before a word had been written... I went home and began writing 'Julie of the Wolves.'
There are always the kids who just love animals. Unfortunately, though, people have become afraid of the outdoors.
Every day, I get e-mails from kids who want a tree - a world away from the adult world.
I met senators, diplomats and the President of the United States, Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
I kept on writing and illustrating, for this is what I did well because I loved it.
I hope that the message I conveyed in 'Julie of the Wolves' is to tell young people to think things out. Think independently.
My writing process is a mix of research, personal experiences, washing the dishes, raising kids while thinking - then writing.
Doing interesting things and then writing about them is the best way to become a good writer.
Children are still in love with the wonders of nature, and I am, too. So I write them stories in hopes that they will want to protect all the beautiful creatures and places.
I would just watch the animals, and their stories would roll out when I wrote.
I hope my books empower kids, and that they learn how to work out their problems themselves.
Be you writer or reader, it is very pleasant to run away in a book.Collection: Running
I love to travel, but when I really want to escape, I read a book.Collection: Book
I throw back my head, and, feeling free as the wind, breathe in the fresh mountain air. Although I am heavy-hearted, my spirits are rising. To walk in nature is always good medicine.Collection: Wind
To be a writer you should read, write and talk to people, hear their knowledge, hear their problems. Be a good listener. The rest will come.Collection: Writing
I just love the world around me and wanted my audience to love and appreciate it too.Collection: Appreciate
There is something all life has in common, and when I know what it is I shall know myself.Collection: Common
That is the greatest gift my books have given me; what it means and has done for the kids.Collection: Book
I love to write and I love the natural world. Everything I've written about I've found exciting and it has never left me at a loss for words. I've always just done what I love.Collection: Writing
Cat talk is a complicated, self-centered language. If you speak to your cat first, it probably won't speak back. Cats initiate conversations.Collection: Cat
Chicken is Good! It tastes like chicken.Collection: Taste
When fear seizes, change what you are doing. You are doing something wrong.Collection: Doing You
I believe that if a child has a feel for writing and wants to write, there is an audience. Children should just dive in and go at it. I would encourage children to write about themselves and things that are happening to them. It is a lot easier and they know the subject better if they use something out of their everyday lives as an inspiration. Read stories, listen to stories, to develop an understanding of what stories are all about.Collection: Children
I am actually looking most forward to seeing the country again. It's a wonderful town and the wilderness around there is beautiful. The falls there were an inspiration in my book My Side of the MountainCollection: Beautiful
Most birds are geniuses. We had one that became a pet; he learned to talk, use tools and solve problems.Collection: Bird
I must say this now about that first fire. It was magic. Out of dead tinder and grass and sticks came a live warm light. It cracked and snapped and smoked and filled the woods with brightness. It lighted the trees and made them warm and friendly. It stood tall and bright and held back the night.Collection: Night
Cats ... are completely self-sufficient and can leave you at any time and go off and make a living. And yet cats can have warm and loving relationships with humans.Collection: Cat
We humans will never know how meadows or mountains smell, but deer and horses and pigs do. Bando sniffs deeply and shakes his head. We were left out when it comes to smelling things, he says. I would love to be able to smell a mountain and follow my nose to it.Collection: Horse