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07/20/1952
Children's book author Lindsay Barrett George is widely known for her books about nature and has been both a successful writer and illustrator. She has won a Carolyn Field Award (1990), the top prize of the Pennsylvania Library Association, and had her title Inside Mouse, Outside Mouse (2004) selected by the Pennsylvania Center for the Book's 2005 Baker's Dozen Best Books for Family Literacy and for the Pennsylvania One Book, Every Young Child program, among many honors. At the time of this writing, George continues to live in White Mills, Pennsylvania.
Lindsay Barrett George was born on July 22, 1952, in the Dominican Republic. Her parents were Hugh Campbell Barrett, a brewmaster, and Beryl Furet Barrett, a homemaker. She moved with her family to America in 1970, and it took her a while to fully grasp the English language. Her childhood love for drawing and writing was discouraged by her teachers during this time, causing insecurities to take root in Barrett for a long time.
George began her education at the Boston Museum School of Fine Arts from 1972-1973. She went on to earn a BFA degree from Manhattanville College in 1974. She also received an MA and an MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After completing this education, George ended up moving to New York City in 1977, working in the children’s publishing industry and dabbling in personal writing on the side. In 1984, George moved to a log cabin in Pennsylvania and married William Trimpi George, with whom she had two children, Campbell and William. Though she has been painting since she was young, she did not write her first book until 1987, when she wrote and illustrated William and Boomer.
George’s children’s books teach her audience about nature and animals. She has also illustrated books written by her late husband William. George's books have been praised for their view of nature, their accessibility for children, and their helpfulness in teaching classes on nature. She has also worked for a short time as a lecturer for elementary schools since 1989. George’s first husband, William, died in 1999, but George found love again in 2013 with the journalist Thane Peterson.
Some of George's most popular books are from the "Long Pond" and "Who's Been Here?" series. In 1990 she won the Carolyn Field Award, the top prize of the Pennsylvania Library Association. The National Science Teacher's Association/Children's Book Center chose Beaver at Long Pond (1988), Box Turtle at Long Pond (1989), and Fishing at Long Pond (1991) as Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children. The Library of Congress chose Box Turtle at Long Pond as a Children's Book of the Year, and Fishing at Long Pond was chosen by the American Booksellers Association as a Pick of the Lists book. She also received the Drexel Award in 2007.
The Pennsylvania Center for the Book selected George's Inside Mouse, Outside Mouse (2004) as a 2005 Baker's Dozen Best Book for Family Literacy. In 2006 the committee for the Pennsylvania One Book, Every Young Child program selected Inside Mouse, Outside Mouse to launch its initiative for connecting early book experiences with the development of reading skills.
At the time of this writing, George lives in White Mills, Pennsylvania, where she is accompanied by her many pets.
Books
- William and Boomer. New York: Greenwillow Books, 1987.
- In the Snow: Who's Been Here? New York: Greenwillow Books, 1995.
- In the Woods: Who's Been Here? New York: Greenwillow Books, 1995.
- Around the Pond: Who's Been Here? New York: Greenwillow Books, 1996.
- My Bunny and Me. New York: Greenwillow Books, 2001.
- Inside Mouse, Outside Mouse. New York: Greenwillow Books, 2004.
- Alfred Digs. New York: Greenwillow Books, 2008.
- That Pup! New York: Greenwillow Books, 2011.
Illustrations
- George, William T. Box Turtle at Long Pond. New York: Greenwillow Books, 1989.
- Huck, Charlotte, compiler. Secret Places (poetry collection). New York: Greenwillow Books, 1993.
- Schaefer, Lola M. Pick, Pull, Snap! Where Once a Flower Bloomed. New York: Greenwillow Books, 2003.
- "Inside Mouse, Outside Mouse." Pennsylvania One Book, Every Young Child. 2006. 2 March 2006. <http://www.paonebook.org/about.html>.
- "Lindsay Barrett George." The Gale Literary Database: Contemporary Authors. 23 May 2001. 25 March 2002. <http://www.galenet.com>.
Photo Credit: "Milford Readers and Writers Festival." May 2017. Photograph. Cropped to 4x3, Removed Gayle C. Krause from photo. Source: Online Resource.