Helen Frances Weinstock was born on 29 March 1910, in Danville, Illinois, USA. Her family moved to New York City when she was about seven. As a teenager, she studied painting at the Art Students League in New York City; she also studied music. At New York University, she became the first female editor of the school's literary quarterly. She graduated from NYU in 1934, with a major in philosophy and a minor in sociology and psychology. After graduation, she worked for a time as a social worker. During World War II, she served as a volunteer with the State Department's Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs, escorting Latin American visitors in the United States. She traveled widely, visiting Mexico, Brazil, England, Spain, France, Austria, Israel, and several other countries. Helen also began to write for magazines, and eventually turned to writing full-time after winning prizes in two short-story contests. After writing the first eight books of the Cherry Ames series and the first three Vicki Barr books as Helen Wells, she decided to abandon both series to write for television and radio, and Julie Tatham took over (however, both the ninth Cherry Ames book and the fourth Vicki Barr book were published as Helen Wells). Julie Tatham later returned the Vicki Barr books to Helen Wells in 1953 and the Cherry Ames books in 1955. Helen was active in several author organizations, especially the Mystery Writers of America, and taught writing courses at the Institute of Children's Literature in Redding Ridge, Connecticut. Helen Wells died in New York City on 10 February 1986, and was buried in Danville, Illinois. The 1986 Juvenile Series Writers Conference in Corning, New York, was dedicated to her memory.