# Is "The Hero and the Crown" by Robin McKinley a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley (Greenwillow Books, 1984) is identified by: First edition published 1984 by Greenwillow Books, New York. US true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition published 1984 by Greenwillow Books, New York
- First printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with a number line ending in 1 (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1)
- Green boards with white cloth spine; dust jacket art by David McCall Johnston
- Publisher imprint reads Greenwillow Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robin McKinley |
| Publisher | Greenwillow Books |
| Year | 1984 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | First edition published 1984 by Greenwillow Books, New York |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition published 1984 by Greenwillow Books, New York. First printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with a number line ending in 1 (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1). Green boards with white cloth spine; dust jacket art by David McCall Johnston.

## Is this the true first?
US true first. Newbery Medal 1985. Note that the true first is dated 1984 although the Medal was awarded in 1985.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Absence of the 'First Edition' statement or a number line not ending in 1 indicates a later printing; book-club editions are unpriced.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Hero and the Crown* by Robin McKinley a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-hero-and-the-crown
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.