# Is "Rebels of the Heavenly Kingdom" by Katherine Paterson a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Rebels of the Heavenly Kingdom by Katherine Paterson (Lodestar Books / E.P. Dutton, 1983) is identified by: Dutton first edition, New York, 1983, with first printing indicated on the copyright page. US Lodestar Books / E.P.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Lodestar Books / E.P. Dutton first edition, New York, 1983, with first printing indicated on the copyright page
- Bound in quarter yellow cloth over red paper boards with purple lettering to the spine, and red endpapers and pastedowns; collation runs to roughly 229 pages
- The first-issue dust jacket carries art by Kinuko Craft and retains its original front-flap price on an unclipped copy
- Publisher imprint reads Lodestar Books / E.P. Dutton
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Katherine Paterson |
| Publisher | Lodestar Books / E.P. Dutton |
| Year | 1983 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | Lodestar Books / E.P. Dutton first edition, New York, 1983, with first printing indicated on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Lodestar Books / E.P. Dutton first edition, New York, 1983, with first printing indicated on the copyright page. Bound in quarter yellow cloth over red paper boards with purple lettering to the spine, and red endpapers and pastedowns; collation runs to roughly 229 pages. The first-issue dust jacket carries art by Kinuko Craft and retains its original front-flap price on an unclipped copy.

## Is this the true first?
US Lodestar Books / E.P. Dutton edition is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions typically lack the printed jacket price and the first-printing designation on the copyright page, and are often bound in plain boards rather than the quarter-cloth first binding.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Rebels of the Heavenly Kingdom* by Katherine Paterson a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/rebels-of-the-heavenly-kingdom
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.