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The Flint Heart

by Katherine Paterson, John Paterson, John Rocco (Illustrator)

3.37 of 5 stars 3.37 · rating details · 588 ratings · 183 reviews

A robust and wildly entertaining fairy tale, freely abridged from Eden Phillpotts's 1910 fantasy and wryly retold by Katherine and John Paterson.

An ambitious Stone Age man demands a talisman that will harden his heart, allowing him to take control of his tribe. Against his better judgment, the tribe's magic man creates the Flint Heart, but the cruelty of it causes the dest...more

Hardcover, Abridged, 304 pages

Published September 27th 2011 by Candlewick Press

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Newbery 2012

84th out of 136 books — 546 voters

Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

Publishers Weekly's Best YA/MG Books of 2011

16th out of 24 books — 10 voters

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Jul 18, 2012 Carol Owen rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book has been chosen as one of Vermont's Dorothy Canfield Fischer nominees for 2012-2013. Indeed, Vermont is honored to have Katherine and John Patterson as local authors. My first introduction to Mrs. Patterson was through the magical world she created in Bridge to Terabithia. Now again, a magical world, Dartmoor, is created in The Flint Heart. This book is abridged from a 1910 fantasy by Eden Phillpotts and spans centuries. It begins in the stone age when the flint heart, which causes the...more This book has been chosen as one of Vermont's Dorothy Canfield Fischer nominees for 2012-2013. Indeed, Vermont is honored to have Katherine and John Patterson as local authors. My first introduction to Mrs. Patterson was through the magical world she created in Bridge to Terabithia. Now again, a magical world, Dartmoor, is created in The Flint Heart. This book is abridged from a 1910 fantasy by Eden Phillpotts and spans centuries. It begins in the stone age when the flint heart, which causes the wearer to become hard hearted, is created as a charm. When it turns a good man into a horrible, vicious leader, the charm's creator breaks his promise and buries it with the leader when he dies rather than allowing it to be passed on.

The flint heart resurfaces again 100 years ago and again wreaks havoc in the hearts of all who wear it. The heroes of the story are a young boy, Charles, his sister, Unity, and remarkably, a hot water bottle. When Charles and Unity's father finds the charm and is transformed into a heartless, angry man, they decide them must seek out the wisdom of the fairies for help.

Although I liked most of what happened in this story, I will admit there were parts that made me wonder, "How will I explain that to my students?" This was especially true when Charles first meets De Quincey who bemoans that the music of English prose is a thing of the past. Huh? I'm also certain that the only way I'm going to get them to understand the concept of a hot water bottle is to bring one in, cause I'm certain they are pretty obsolete now. On the other hand, I loved the Zagabog's retelling of the Tortoise and the Hare, and the wonderful new moral that he shares and I can just imagine having my students visualize the dance of the 350 fairies and the battle between the badger and the terrier. I also loved the way the authors addressed the reader at times, my favorite time being when Phutt was cursed with the "strongest words in the tribal language, such as spzfluta and bbjkfjiuk and even bubblexg - none of which, fortunately, we can still pronounce today."

Lastly, I would say that I loved the illustrations of John Rocco, I was picturing that magical pixie world in Neverland and the quest to destroy the ring in the Lord of the Rings throughout the story. I definitely believe this book will be read aloud in many 3rd to 5th grade classes in Vermont this year. It's a great choice as a DCF nominee.(less)

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Jun 03, 2012 Teela rated it 5 of 5 stars

This past week I had my darling grandaughter, 9 yr. old Laney, who is growing up entirely too fast, but for right now, we have alot in common and I adore having her around. She is an avid reader and read The Flint Heart by Katherine & John Paterson. Since she was so quick in her reading, I asked if she would like to give a review and this is her review of this wonderful book:

The Flint Heart was created many years ago as a charm that is a rock that makes people evil. Many people end up gettin...more

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May 20, 2012 Cornmaven rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: juvenile, middle-school

Best part of this book: John Rocco's illustrations, which are literally breathtaking. The story itself is kind of cool, a stereotypical fable about greed vs kindness, with the tale spanning several eras/generations. The flint heart is a sort of Lord of the Rings ring, capturing all who possess it and turning their souls to badness. And I like fairy stories.

Unfortunately, I felt that the Patersons tried to be way too cutesy with it - they are clearly railing against simplified storybooks, and uph...more Best part of this book: John Rocco's illustrations, which are literally breathtaking. The story itself is kind of cool, a stereotypical fable about greed vs kindness, with the tale spanning several eras/generations. The flint heart is a sort of Lord of the Rings ring, capturing all who possess it and turning their souls to badness. And I like fairy stories.

Unfortunately, I felt that the Patersons tried to be way too cutesy with it - they are clearly railing against simplified storybooks, and upholding the fable/fairy/folktale tradition as superior to all other literary forms, which is debatable. The characters are good, but I think the authors got a big arrogant about the whole thing, to the point that sometimes the message gets lost.

Now, I missed the note that this was a "Freely Abridged" version of a 1910 tale before I started reading it, so perhaps some of the sentences are from the 1910 version. But why do that? Why not truly adapt it? For example, I found that the whole hanging/drawing/quartering thing might have worked fine in 1910, but it does not work now, I did not appreciate the whole "drawing" scene, and I honestly don't think kids reading it would understand it, because few will know what historical "drawing" was, and I am not sure I want a 5th grader to know that at this point, especially in light of the violence in the Middle East over the last decade, to which kids have been exposed. This may sound curmudgeonly, but there ya go.

I guess I just didn't like that they found it necessary to continue to use a rather lofty sentence structure and awfully big words to tell the story. It felt to me as if the story was only a vehicle for the political statement about storytelling, not the other way around. I feel this way about Hans Christian Andersen's tales - they're arrogant, too, at least to me. And some don't make sense at all to me, just ramblings. Now, Daniel Handler's use of big words through Lemony Snicket is much more productive, because the story is #1. Patersons' attempt may fall flat for a lot of readers, who might have just continued on reading stories in the genre if the attitude hadn't been there.(less)

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Apr 09, 2012 Joshua Kronengold rated it 1 of 5 stars

Updated? Really?

Decidedly not updated enough.

The Flint Heart in this book has 4 bearers in this book -- and -all- of them are males who are married to gentle women, each hurt horribly by their husband's turn into callous ambition. Oh, and then there's the fairy king (who is stern, powerful, and largely uncompromising) and the fairy queen (who knew--full of mercy and similar feelings)! Hello, Pattersons--1910 called, and they want their book back; meanwhile, if you're going to update something fo...more

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Mar 20, 2012 Tami rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: fairy-folk-tales-fables

I want to begin by saying that I think Katherine Patterson is enormously talented author and her book The Great Gilly Hopkins is one of my all-time favorites. It is precisely because of my past experience with Patterson’s work that I was anxious to read The Flint Heart.

Unfortunately, The Flint Heart was a disappointment for me. I probably would not have actually finished the book had I not been confident that Patterson’s extraordinary gifts would eventually break through. For me, at least, this...more I want to begin by saying that I think Katherine Patterson is enormously talented author and her book The Great Gilly Hopkins is one of my all-time favorites. It is precisely because of my past experience with Patterson’s work that I was anxious to read The Flint Heart.

Unfortunately, The Flint Heart was a disappointment for me. I probably would not have actually finished the book had I not been confident that Patterson’s extraordinary gifts would eventually break through. For me, at least, this was not the case.

The story is a retelling of an old tale about a heart, or amulet-like stone, made from flint which leeches the goodness from whomever possesses it, replacing it with cold ruthlessness. The first couple of chapters relate the creation of the flint heart for a warrior who is determined to take over as chieftain of his tribe. By the end of the second chapter the stage seems to be set for the good vs. evil saga of the flint heart.

What actually occurs, however, is just a chain of events that exist without any well-developed characters to motivate the reader to care about them. Centuries after its creation a once kind, loving father finds the “heart” and is transformed into a cruel man bearing no resemblance to the father beloved by his children. His son, Charles, determined to help return his father to his original state, seeks help from the magical underground world of Pixies.

It is at this point that the story begins its surprising descent into the banal. Too much time is spent describing the trappings of fairy banquets and not enough on Charles and his younger sister. The story gets too bogged down in the external language trappings of folkloric tradition without ever connecting with the reader on a personal level. We are never motivated to identify with or care about Charles to any substantial degree. The characters are lost in fairy banquet descriptions and so is the reader’s stake in the resolution of the story.

Although I highly recommend most of Ms. Patterson’s other work, I did not enjoy The Flint Heart and would not recommend it as either a read-aloud or an independent reading selection.
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Mar 02, 2012 Nicola rated it 3 of 5 stars

Reason for Reading: I enjoy the author and would read any new book by her that piqued my interest. I read this aloud to my son.

I'll start by saying that my son enjoyed this book much more than I did. That is factored into my rating. I read a chapter a day but before each reading I'd have my son give me a little recap on what happened last time as I was honestly so bored I couldn't remember what was going on. I kept thinking about the last book we read together! However when we were finished the...more Reason for Reading: I enjoy the author and would read any new book by her that piqued my interest. I read this aloud to my son.

I'll start by saying that my son enjoyed this book much more than I did. That is factored into my rating. I read a chapter a day but before each reading I'd have my son give me a little recap on what happened last time as I was honestly so bored I couldn't remember what was going on. I kept thinking about the last book we read together! However when we were finished the book, my son's response was that the book had been "awesome!" and "Is there a sequel?" Go figure.

The story is repetitive. Someone finds the flint heart, wears it, and turns nasty. Then when someone else manages to get it away from them they fling it away only to later have another unfortunate soul find the flint heart again to repeat the process once more. Here we have our classic fairy tale element and I'll say my son (and I) are big fairy tale fans and I think he found comfort and enjoyment in the predictability of that plotline. Of course, our hero's task is to destroy the flint heart completely causing some adventure. Ds enjoyed the characters mostly. The wise old Zagabog, the funny fairy king and queen, as well as the other fairy characters; and he enjoyed both of the protagonists, a boy named Charles and his little sister Unity.

I was interested in the original this was "abridged" from, so started reading some of it online and a lot of the language has been kept, with whole phrases verbatim. What seems to be missing is the depth of language present in the original. I actually found myself getting interested in Phillpott's story and found his sense of humour dry and witty, something completely missing in this adaptation. The Kindle edition is too expensive for a public domain book but if I find it for up to 2 bucks, I'd like to read the original, which is much longer also. One point I must make is that the artwork by Rocco is beautiful. Large paintings that take up almost the entire 2-page spread in luscious earth tones. They are a pure delight to behold. (less)

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Feb 14, 2012 Terri rated it 4 of 5 stars

Originally published in 1910, "The Flint Heart" by Eden Phillpotts is a fairytale still relevant today. The original version of this tale can be found at http://books.google.com. It contains dark, black and white illustrations and, much like the stories of the Brothers Grimm, a dark storyline as well.

In this adaption of "The Flint Heart," Katherine Paterson and John Paterson retell the tale with modern sensibility and humor. The presentation is luscious - a beautiful cover in emeralds and golds,...more Originally published in 1910, "The Flint Heart" by Eden Phillpotts is a fairytale still relevant today. The original version of this tale can be found at http://books.google.com. It contains dark, black and white illustrations and, much like the stories of the Brothers Grimm, a dark storyline as well.

In this adaption of "The Flint Heart," Katherine Paterson and John Paterson retell the tale with modern sensibility and humor. The presentation is luscious - a beautiful cover in emeralds and golds, larger dimensions that feel substantial in the hand, thick paper, large font, and delightful illustrations by John Rocco. The book was brought to my attention when it was named by "Publisher's Weekly" as one of the best works of Young Adult fiction for 2011, and when it was chosen as a selection for the Children's Literature Network Book club that I belong to.

Five thousand years ago in Dartmoor to the south of England...Fum is asked by the young warrior, Phutt, to fashion a charm that will give him a hard heart and the power to become chief of his tribe. This comes about as the result of his anger at the current chief, Brokotockotik, who took the clothing of a rival chief and his wife that Phutt had claimed after a great battle. Reluctantly, Fum fashions a flint heart for Phutt who becomes power hungry, greedy, and cruel when he dons the charm and eventually becomes the tribe chief. After his death, his remains, along with the flint heart, are buried on the moors. Many years later, the flint heart is found by Billy Jago, the father of Charles and Unity, our protagonists. He too turns into an evil force. The flint heart later falls into the hands of a faerie and a badger who suffer the same consequences. In the end, the wise Zagabog gives the King of Fairyland a recipe to undo the powers of the flint heart.

"Charming" and "delightful" and "clever" are terms that I would use to describe the Patersons' adaptation of this tale. The language has a turn of the century feel, the characters are inventive, the action moves swiftly, and the messages are clear (see things from the point of view of others before making judgments, don't be greedy, think things through, have a kind heart, etc.) - all contributing to a ten on the entertainment scale! My only hesitation in giving "The Flint Heart" five stars is that I think many 7-12 year olds will miss some of the adult humor here. In addition, though the graphic violence seems true to the likes of the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson, the audience for their tales was meant to be adults, not children. There is some fairly graphic stuff here(children being kicked and sent flying, adults being whacked in the head with an ax and killed), though any kid who watches television or plays video games without much supervision will probably be desensitized to this violence.

All in all, a wonderful read. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

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Jan 11, 2012 Stephanie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-grade

2.5 stars

The Flint Heart may be a familiar name to some: and if so, it’s likely because you’ve come across the Eden Phillpotts original from the early twentieth century. To celebrate the story’s centenary, Katherine and John Paterson have reworked this classic tale to appeal to more modern tastes.

The Flint Heart of the book’s title is a dangerous item of terrible power: it hardens the wearer’s heart, taking away their sense of mercy or love so that they may rule over those around them. And indee...more

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Nov 03, 2011 Jan rated it 4 of 5 stars

I can't remember the last time I've seen such a deluxe children's book as this newest book from Katherine and John Paterson. Imagine heavy, glossy pages, a large type face, lush gold trim swirling around the cover illustrations, and a multitude of rich, magical illustrations by John Rocco throughout the book. (See Wolf! Wolf! for another beautiful book by Mr. Rocco.)

The story itself is a true fairy tale. There are pixies and fairies and all sorts of tiny talking creatures. There is magic and mys...more I can't remember the last time I've seen such a deluxe children's book as this newest book from Katherine and John Paterson. Imagine heavy, glossy pages, a large type face, lush gold trim swirling around the cover illustrations, and a multitude of rich, magical illustrations by John Rocco throughout the book. (See Wolf! Wolf! for another beautiful book by Mr. Rocco.)

The story itself is a true fairy tale. There are pixies and fairies and all sorts of tiny talking creatures. There is magic and mystery, kindness and unkindness. The story centers on a small piece of flint, shaped like a heart, that has the magical ability to change a person's personality instantly. No matter how kind or cheerful he may have been, when he holds the flint heart he becomes power-hungry, cruel, and heartless.

Although the tale begins with a humorous episode in England in the Stone Age, it soon moves forward to rural Dartmoor about 100 years ago. A farmer with a large family finds the flint, and his personality is transformed. The rest of the story is the adventures of Charles and Unity, two of the farmer's children, as they try to bring back their beloved father's gentle personality. They need the help of many tiny creatures in the fairy kingdom to achieve their goal.

Parents should know that this is a true old-fashioned fairy tale, originally written in 1910, with dispassionate violence and cruelty to fairies, dogs, and children. In the Stone Age, "Phutt cooly took out his ax and whacked the man on the head, killing him on the spot." Phutt committed other dastardly acts, as did all the others that found the flint heart through the centuries. As Walt Disney used to say, you can't have a good story without a strong villain. Cruella deVille and Captain Hook are each integral parts of their stories.

There is an underlying message in this book about the way greed and power can corrupt personalities, but there are also cheerful, almost nonsensical Lewis Carroll-type places in the book, about the imps and bugaboos and other creatures who help Charles and Unity get rid of the flint heart.

This updated version of the 1910 story of the flint heart, by Eden Phillpotts, is adapted, but in many ways identical to the original. The Paterson adaptation carries the same 1910 feel in style of writing, but John Rocco's glorious artwork in the Patersons' book is richer and much more descriptive than the black and white ink drawings in the original. Phillpotts' original story is available for sale on Amazon, or can be found for free on the internet. The charming, old-fashioned style of writing might be awkward at first, but children should be able to adapt quickly.
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Oct 19, 2011 Lily rated it 5 of 5 stars

An ambitious Stone Age man demands a talisman that will harden his heart, allowing him to take control of his tribe. Against his better judgment, the tribe’s magic man creates the Flint Heart, but the cruelty of it causes the destruction of the tribe. Thousands of years later, the talisman reemerges to corrupt a kindly farmer, an innocent fairy creature, and a familial badger. Can Charles and his sister Unity, who have consulted with fairies such as the mysterious Zagabog, wisest creature in the...more An ambitious Stone Age man demands a talisman that will harden his heart, allowing him to take control of his tribe. Against his better judgment, the tribe’s magic man creates the Flint Heart, but the cruelty of it causes the destruction of the tribe. Thousands of years later, the talisman reemerges to corrupt a kindly farmer, an innocent fairy creature, and a familial badger. Can Charles and his sister Unity, who have consulted with fairies such as the mysterious Zagabog, wisest creature in the universe, find a way to rescue humans, fairies, and animals alike from the dark influence of the Flint Heart? This humorous, hearty, utterly delightful fairy tale is the sort for an entire family to savor together or an adventurous youngster to devour. (Synopsis provided by goodreads)

This is a fun quick book, great for parents to read with their children or for a school teacher to read a loud to their class. John Rocco did an amazing job illustrating the book. The illustrations are beautiful and the colors are vibrant.
The story is good and like all middle grade kids can learn from it. The whole point of the story is to be thankful for what you have, and that is always a great message especially for children, they learn that at a young age chances are it will stay with them through out their lives.

The characters were great fun and they were pretty dynamic even for a children's book. It is an abridged version of a story from 1910, I have not read the original, so I am unable to compare the two.
I believe that children would enjoy this story and if a family reads it together then they can have some great conversations about it together.

* Reading level: Ages 9-12
* Hardcover: 304 pages
* Publisher: Candlewick; abridged edition edition (September 27, 2011)
* ISBN-10: 0763647128
* Author: Katherine Paterson and John Paterson
* Cover art: I really like it, very whimsical.
* Overall rating: ***** out of 5 stars
* Obtained: Sent for review by the publisher thank you Candlewick.
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Oct 19, 2011 Betsy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens, fantasy

This is would be a 5 star but for the tone: the Patersons almost match the delightful irreverence of the Victorians they are obviously imitating, but it isn't quite there. Instead, the prose feels a little too chatty, especially in the early "Stone Age" part. Otherwise, though, if you like those crazy madcap Victorian fairy tales (think: Thackeray's Rose and Ring, Ruskin's King of the Golden River, Alice in Wonderland, etc.), then you will probably like this one. There is most definitely a plot,...more

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Jul 01, 2011 Claire rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 10-to-12-year-old-readers, 9-to-11-year-old-readers, a-7th-and-8th-grade-middle-school-t, great-read-aloud-titles-for-all-age, guys-read

In the Stone Age when magic was entwined with the life of humans, Putt, a power hungry hunter demanded a talisman from the local wise man, Fum. The Thunder God found this amusing and empowered Fum to make The Flint Heart. When worn this object replaces a warm, loving heart with a cold, power hungry stone and creates havoc in families and tribes. When Putt dies, Fum sends the stone into the grave with him imagining that the evil will rest alongside Putt.
Will that do? This is a story! Of course,...more

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Jun 12, 2011 David rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, fairy-tales, kids-fiction

The Flint Heart by Katherine Paterson & John Paterson, illustrated by John Rocco is a fairy tale freely abridged from the 1910 fantasy of Eden Philpotts, much of whose work is out of print.

An ambitious Stone Age warrior, Phutt, demands a talisman that will harden his heart, allowing him to take control of his tribe. Against his better judgment, the tribe’s magic man, Fum, creates the Flint Heart, but the cruelty of it causes the destruction of the tribe. Thousands of years later, the talism...more

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Apr 03, 2012 Josiah rated it 2 of 5 stars

"The universe is full of magical things, patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper."

—Eden Phillpotts, from the introductory pages of The Flint Heart

This book is certainly not "typical" Katherine Paterson. That doesn't mean it's not good, of course, just that it's quite a bit different from most (if not all) of what she has previously written, and that caught me somewhat off guard. The Flint Heart hearkens back to an era of children's literature that would hardly be recognizable as such...more

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Jan 16, 2012 Embrc rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: candlewick

Recommended Grades 3 - 6.

This book by Katherine and John Paterson grew on me as I moved through it. It is a beautifully presented retelling of Eden Phillpott's 1910 fantasy with glossy pages, large print and lush illustrations by John Rocco,he of the Rick Riordan/Percy Jackson covers and an art director at Dreamworks. It begins slowly, as early 20th century stories do, with much background setting on the history of an evil charm and the horrific way it ensnares those who wear it. Unlike modern f...more

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Jun 08, 2011 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, kids-books-i-would-recommend

Review of an advance copy:
I hope when the final edition comes out that the book will more clearly explain that this story was written in 1910 and was just abridged/updated by the Patersons. The only place I could find that on the ARC was in a little note on the back. It felt kind of funny, because the book was reading like an old classic and slightly old-fashioned and also not much like Katherine Paterson's other stories. When I understood it was someone else's story, it all made sense. As for t...more

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Aug 24, 2012 Áine rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-school-fiction

Maybe I need a Middle-School Fiction shelf in addition to my YA one. This is a book for Middle Readers.

Quirky, magical, and full of twists, this is the latest treasure from Living Legend Katherine Paterson in collaboration with her husband John Paterson and acclaimed Disney art director John Rocco. Surviving from the Stone Age, the Flint Heart is a magical stone that hardens the heart of any creature who touches it. When it lands in the hands of their father, children Charles and Unity must find...more

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Jul 19, 2011 Shelley Daugherty rated it 3 of 5 stars

Who would ever think that one simple necklace with a flint heart on it could cause so much trouble over so much time? This story is bright and airy but it also has its moments of darkness. Once the flint heart is requisitioned, even the maker knows it can bring nothing but trouble. Each time the trouble is discovered, it is thrown out or buried, only to resurface again and cause more trouble. From the Ice Age to the present, the fairy realm to the countryside, no man nor beast is safe from its p...more

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Nov 22, 2011 Diane rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: children

I usually shy away from Katherine Paterson books as they tend to be too depressing for my taste. I am very glad the I put aside my prejudice to read this one! It is a wonderful fairy story abridged from Eden Philpott's 1910 fantasy. The illustrations are beautiful. The story is charming. The hero is supremely likable. The story tells of a flint stone in the shape of a heart and the trouble the cursed thing causes to the owner's neighbors and family; beginning in the stone age and ending in "pres...more

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Dec 08, 2011 Elizabeth rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, juvenile, audio-books, read_2011

The Flint Heart is a powerful charm no man can resist, with devastating consequences- it makes the wearer evil. This charm has been hidden for thousands of years in Dartmoor, but resurfaces in this story to be found by Billy Jago. Luckily Billy's children Charles and Unity, along with an intrepid hot water bottle, are just the folks to break the curse.

This is an abridgement of the 1910 novel by Eden Phillpott. At the end of this audio production Katherine Patterson explains that it was actually...more

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Mar 01, 2012 Terrie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens-fantasy

I can honestly say this is the first book I have ever read where a hot water bottle is a main character in a story.

Very delightful easy fiction fantasy with some colorful illustrations on big thick shiny pages, make this book a pleasure to look at and read.

The Flint Heart was made in the Stone Age, where the story begins. He who wears the Flint Heart comes under the influence of the Thunder Spirit, becoming evil and selfish. The book follows the history of the Flint Heart through the Shaman Cav...more

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Oct 21, 2011 Heidi rated it 4 of 5 stars

I found this book rather intriguing for several reasons. First, the illustrations are absolutely gorgeous. I especially appreciate Rocco's use of color as well as the addition of silhouettes. The illustrations in my opinion are the best part of the book. That does not mean, however, that the writing wasn't good. The writing reminded me greatly of Kate DiCamillo's The Magician's Elephant. In other words, the writing was very lyrical and a delight to read. The book's design is superb, with just e...more

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Feb 12, 2013 Lyda rated it 3 of 5 stars

From the GPL Children's Room Blog:

Katherine Paterson, author of well-known books like Bridge to Terabithia and Jacob Have I Loved, has stepped into the world of English fairy tales with her new book THE FLINT HEART. Actually, the story itself is based on a book from over 100 years ago by someone named Eden Phillpott. This book starts in the time of "Early Man" (a long, long, LONG time ago) and ends up in what seems to be present day. It does take place in Dartmoor, England and it involves fairie...more

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Jan 09, 2012 Miss Clark rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s, fairytale-fantasy-sci-fi-mythology, picture-books

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 19, 2011 Kim McGee rated it 5 of 5 stars

I received this book as an ARC copy at a library conference. It is due out in September by Candlewick Press.
As a fan of Katherine Paterson I was already set to like this book. Her characters are wonderful happy little souls and the story is laced with little morals that work there way in nicely without hitting children over the head. Don't even get me started on the beautifully rendered illustrations by John Rocco. The story of the evil flint heart and how it effects the sleepy little community...more

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Apr 16, 2012 Jenny rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: intermediate-3-5

I love Katherine Paterson. I have read many of her works and am a huge fan of her historical fiction. Her coming of age stories are so accessible to older grade-school readers. And of course, there is Terabithia. I've loved her writing ever since I entered Terabithia.

Flint Heart is Paterson's venture into fairy tales. It follows the history of a flint heart and its impact on those who possess it. Think, the ring from the Lord of the rings trilogy. The opening chapter was captivating. But sadly...more

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Mar 22, 2012 Claire Caterer rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-of-2012, fantastic-fantasy, middle-grade-gems

For those who think a Katherine Paterson book will be like the breathtaking Bridge to Terabithia, this book will disappoint. That's not to say it isn't a great book, but The Flint Heart is just a straight-ahead, middle-grade fantasy, and a very fun one at that. John Rocco's brilliant illustrations come frequently and are pleasingly large and colorful (no black and whites here!). The story is based firmly in the land of faeries and talking animals, and surely yours truly is no one to scoff at tha...more

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Jan 10, 2012 Karin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-reads, childrens

There once was a hunter filled with jealousy. Putt craved power and wanted to be the leader his tribe. He went to see the local wise man and convinced him to create a talisman to harden his heart so he could rule with an iron fist without any feelings of guilt. The Flint Heart is created and soon, Putt is the leader and the tribe is scared and bullied and live in fear of him. When Putt dies Fum, the wise man, buries the Flint Heart so it won’t cause havoc anymore.

Years later, a loving family man...more

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Oct 11, 2012 Ruby rated it 5 of 5 stars

My son Locke who will be five this November loved this book. He liked the fighting in the book that I thought was a little scary at first but the book gets much tamer around chapter four. The pictures were very eloquently drawn. Locke loved the pictures though he had to use his imagination a little and I had to explain things that were going on in the story to keep him understanding. The flint heart reminded me a little of the lord of the rings because of the plot.

Locke didn't like it when peop...more

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Jun 19, 2012 Lanica rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobooks, fantasy, read-alouds-middle-school, read-alouds-grade-school, read-in-2012, reviewed, young-adult

This is a book I am going to put in every library for which I buy books. It has spectacular language, a simple and wonderful plot, great characters and it stand strong as a work of literature amidst the drivel that is being marketed to kids these days. According to an interview at the end of the audio-book, it was originally written in 1910 and was captured and re-edited for the 'modern' reader by Katherine and her husband John Paterson. It still reads as a bit 'old-fashioned' but it's a beautif...more

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About Katherine Paterson

From author's website:

People are always asking me questions I don't have answers for. One is, "When did you first know that you wanted to become a writer?" The fact is that I never wanted to be a writer, at least not when I was a child, or even a young woman. Today I want very much to be a writer. But when I was ten, I wanted to be either a movie star or a missionary. When I was twenty, I wanted t...more From author's website:

People are always asking me questions I don't have answers for. One is, "When did you first know that you wanted to become a writer?" The fact is that I never wanted to be a writer, at least not when I was a child, or even a young woman. Today I want very much to be a writer. But when I was ten, I wanted to be either a movie star or a missionary. When I was twenty, I wanted to get married and have lots of children.

Another question I can't answer is, "When did you begin writing?" I can't remember. I know I began reading when I was four or five, because I couldn't stand not being able to. I must have tried writing soon afterward. Fortunately, very few samples of my early writing survived the eighteen moves I made before I was eighteen years old. I say fortunately, because the samples that did manage to survive are terrible, with the single exception of a rather nice letter I wrote to my father when I was seven. We were living in Shanghai, and my father was working in our old home territory, which at the time was across various battle lines. I missed him very much, and in telling him so, I managed a piece of writing I am not ashamed of to this day.

A lot has happened to me since I wrote that letter. The following year, we had to refugee a second time because war between Japan and the United States seemed inevitable. During World War II, we lived in Virginia and North Carolina, and when our family's return to China was indefinitely postponed, we moved to various towns in North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia, before my parents settled in Winchester, Virginia.

By that time, I was ready to begin college. I spent four years at King College in Bristol, Tennessee, doing what I loved best-reading English and American literature-and avoiding math whenever possible.

My dream of becoming a movie star never came true, but I did a lot of acting all through school, and the first writing for which I got any applause consisted of plays I wrote for my sixth-grade friends to act out.

On the way to becoming a missionary, I spent a year teaching in a rural school in northern Virginia, where almost all my children were like Jesse Aarons. I'll never forget that wonderful class. A teacher I once met at a meeting in Virginia told me that when she read Bridge to Terabithia to her class, one of the girls told her that her mother had been in that Lovettsville sixth grade. I am very happy that those children, now grown up with children of their own, know about the book. I hope they can tell by reading it how much they meant to me.

After Lovettsville, I spent two years in graduate school in Richmond, Virginia, studying Bible and Christian education; then I went to Japan. My childhood dream was, of course, to be a missionary to China and eat Chinese food three times a day. But China was closed to Americans in 1957, and a Japanese friend urged me to go to Japan instead. I remembered the Japanese as the enemy. They were the ones who dropped the bombs and then occupied the towns where I had lived as a child. I was afraid of the Japanese, and so I hated them. But my friend persuaded me to put aside those childish feelings and give myself a chance to view the Japanese in a new way.

If you've read my early books, you must know that I came to love Japan and feel very much at home there. I went to language school, and lived and worked in that country for four years. I had every intention of spending the rest of my life among the Japanese. But when I returned to the States for a year of study in New York, I met a young Presbyterian pastor who changed the direction of my life once again. We were married in 1962.

I suppose my life as a writer really began in 1964. The Presbyterian church asked me to write some curriculum materials for fifth- and sixth-graders. Since the church had given me a scholarship to study and I had married instead of going back to work in Japan, I felt I owed them something for their m(less)

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“Many people are angry when they make a mistake, but very few people have the sense to be sorry.” — 2 people liked it

“Everybody is somebobdy and I chanllenge anybody to deny it.” — 2 people liked it

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