Jean Marzollo died in her sleep at the age of 75. The Network for Public Education expresses its sincere condolences to her family. Jean was a staunch and generous supporter of our work on behalf of public schools, early childhood education, children’s privacy, and other issues that she cared about.

She was well known as the author of the popular “I Spy” series for children. She wrote more than 150 children’s books, all reflecting her love of children and her understanding of their curiosity and humor.

She was born in Manchester, Connecticut, and graduated from Manchester High School. She graduated from the University of Connecticut, earned an MA in teaching at the Harvard graduate school of education and taught high school English. She worked in the publishing industry and eventually began writing books for children.

The millions of children who enjoyed her whimsical writings will miss her.

So will we at the Network for Public Education.