[close] Yolen was born at Beth Israel Hospital, the first child of Isabel Berlin and Will Hyatt Yolen. She and her family moved to California when she was young but returned to New York a few years later. After he younger brother was born, her father joined the army and served on the European front during WWII. Yolen spent her childhood taking piano lessons, ballet dancing and writing a neighborhood newspaper with her brother. Yolen spent her teen years in Westport, Connecticut, and became involved in choir, basketball, debate, language clubs and the school paper. She graduated for Smith College with several publications in literary magazines already to her name.

In 1962, Yolen married David Stemple. They had three children together and six grandchildren. Stemple passed away in 2006 from cancer. Yolen now divides her time between her homes in Western Massachusetts and Scotland.

Yolen has written over 280 books, including picture books, books of poetry, science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction and more. Her books are part of the core curriculum for schools across the country and have been translated into several languages. [close]