The Stones are Hatching

by Geraldine McCaughrean, Christian Rodska

The Worm is waking...

After centuries of undisturbed slumber, the Stoor Worm -- the World Eater -- is waking. A creature of monstrous proportions and unimaginable evil, the Worm must be destroyed. Already its murderous hatchlings are spreading terror and destruction. And a strange trio -- Mad Sweeney the Fool, Alexia the Maiden, and the Obby Oss, a two-legged, talking horse -- are trying to convince one ordinary boy that he alone can save the world.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Folklore, Childrens, Middle Grade

Audio Cassette

First published April 1, 2000

About the author

Geraldine McCaughrean is a British children's novelist. She has written more than 170 books, including Peter Pan in Scarlet (2004), the official sequel to Peter Pan commissioned by Great Ormond Street Hospital, the holder of Peter Pan's copyright. Her work has been translated into 44 languages worldwide. She has received the Carnegie Medal twice and the Michael L. Printz Award among others.

Reviews

[Miz Lizzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Stones are Hatching is a dark and delicious fantasy fully steeped in actual folklore and folk beliefs of Britain. Ostensibly a children's book, this is the kind of old-fashioned fantasy that will appeal to the rare modern-day child who adores fairy tales (and I mean the real fairy tales, not the Disney and Disneyfied versions that are all most children today are exposed to) but will primarily resonate with older readers who have an appreciation for the folk traditions at the root of the story. The Stoor Worm's dreams have been interrupted by the heavy and constant pounding of the earth by the weapons of World War One and she is on the verge of awakening and devouring the world. Her hatchlings, the wicked, dangerous folk of faerie, are spreading across the land. When Black Dog attacks his cottage, young Phelim Green is startled to find that the house Domovoy and the field Glashan (Good Neighbours whom he never even knew existed despite having fed them with a nightly saucer of milk for years) expect him to do something about it. They name him Jack o' Green, a name Phelim stubbornly resists claiming, and set him on a journey with his Fool, his Maiden, and his Horse. This is a book that needs to be read slowly and with care in order to properly appreciate the gorgeous language and the thoughtful pacing. As the author says in a brief preface to the book, all of the creatures, dangers, legends, and magic in the story were part of everyday facts and worldview not so very long ago. The setting, just after World War One, shows the world on the cusp of change, the old ways on the verge of being forgotten, except by the few who know enough to try to save the world.

Book Pairings: J.R.R. Tolkien's Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings is similarly steeped in folklore and myth. For younger readers, Lloyd Alexander's Prydain series would be a good pairing. Franny Billingsley's Chime is another folklore-based fantasy for older (teen) readers that also features a chime child.

[Aelvana · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't get myself to like this book, despite the abundance of fantasy creatures overwhelming a previously normal countryside in England. I think that was the problem: the abundance. The book seemed desperate to include absolutely every critter invented by the English---house hobs, red caps, big snakes that suck cows dry, corn women, reaper ghouls---not to mention the variety of bizarre rituals to keep them at bay. If the book had focused on only a few of these, if it had devoted more time to exploring them, it could've captured some of their depth.

Phelim's reluctance to be the hero is fine, but he makes several really anal mistakes when he should've known better, then kills the Stoor Worm for no reason I can see (he was empathizing with the critter right before that, and suddenly he sees a way to kill it, and without thinking at ALL, does). His magic as Jack o' Green is never really explained, not how he comes into it or how he uses it. I don't know; I don't want to say this book would've been better as a series, but for everything it tried to do it was really too short. Most of the monsters never got more than "this is XYZ and it kills things like this." Bah. The only amusing bit was the faeries on the island turning nasty (though this is, of course, what faeries DO in the old stories). Not Recommended.

[Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book packed with old English folk legends and traditions. At times it gets pretty dark, too, for what's ostensibly a kids book. Anyone with an interest in the folk traditions of the UK would enjoy this.

[Linden · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5...3.5/5?

The thing is, I really like how Geraldine McCaughrean writes. She has beautiful, unique, munchy prose. She has a sharp brain behind it too, and she infuses her stories with surprising depth. Those things go a long way with me. But her stories kind of get muddled the longer they go. To be fair, I'm basing this off two books only, but I had the exact same experience with both.

The Stones Are Hatching features likeable characters, lovely prose, unique concepts, a post WWI setting, and often heavy subject matter. The tone and character dynamics often reminded me of Lloyd Alexander's books mixed with the more sinister portions of The Dark Is Rising Sequence. This is genuinely one of the darkest children's books I've ever read. I absolutely would not expect this from the cover or the synopsis. I could see this being traumatizing to some younger readers...I'm kind of shocked the editor didn't insist on cutting some bits.

Despite those earlier comparisons to some of my most beloved favorites, I didn't really enjoy the execution. This story is episodic and becomes more muddled and darker as it goes...as I write this sentence I realize this may have been on purpose. Something about mirroring life's journey, perhaps? But it makes for a lackluster reading experience. Along with Phelim, our main character, I got the feeling I was losing my way. There is also some notable fatphobia later on and...gore? Violence, for sure. Those last two weren't exactly cons for me, but they would be if I were looking for a book for a reader under, say, 10?

Still, the ending is strong and satisfying--a rarity! I'm conflicted, but overall I'm very glad I read The Stones Are Hatching. I think the ending alone would have made my time worthwhile. And for this reason, if I come across another McCaughrean, I'll STILL pick it up and give it a try. She's got a classic in her somewhere! I can feel it.


EDIT: I have since read all of the other reviews on Goodreads (not many people have read this one, huh?) And apparently THIS IS YA. The back of my copy does say "ages 10 up" in small print on the back (I hadn't noticed). But it's otherwise packaged like a middle grade, complete with an excerpt on the first page. Phelim is an 11 year old, I believe, and the story structure is very middle grade. To be honest, it doesn't fit cleanly into either category. A little enigma of a book!

[Redsteve · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hadn't realized that this was a YA book when I picked it up, but I did enjoy it. The author did an excellent job of combining traditional British Isles faerie lore, English folk rituals, and rural England just after the First World War. The story didn't feel dumbed down at all and most of the YA feel came from the protagonist's perspective. 3.5 stars.

[Ian Wong · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is really beautifully written, and I love British folklore, which The Stones Are Hatching is full of – but admittedly I slightly wished Phee's constant negativity made him a little one-note throughout (and not just a bit frustrating), and the ending – the ending! – while somewhat appropriate also felt a little rushed and unsatisfactory. I need more!

[Ginger · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to say this is probably the weirdest book I have ever read. At times I felt like it read like an encyclopedic work of folklore with a bit of story superimposed on it, but McCaughrean has a brilliant way of describing physical responses.

[Tori · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hated this book at first but actually it was awesome. Very fairy-tale-ful-like.

[Cathy Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Geraldine McCaughrean, but this took a while for me to get into the story. It's a great story once it warms up (pun kinda intended).

[Waller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started slow, but as I read it really picked up the pace. There is some scary material here in this novel based on Celtic folklore.

[Daniel Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

Drawing on a huge body of folklore and mythology, McCaughrean creates a charming children's story in a beautiful and vividly imaginative world.

[The Overflowing Inkwell · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't enjoy this one at all. The beginning was okay, where he's at home and you see some familiar creatures - though I'd never heard about the Glashans - but after that it's just a mess of vague shapes chasing after the group to the seaside. Every possible mythical beastie was in this one, and none of them were ever really described properly. I never got a good image of what was after them, so this book never felt suspenseful. I couldn't care about any of them; though, unlike other reviewers, I didn't mind Phelim's melancholy after spending so many years with his absolutely awful elder sister. But oh her fate at the end was truly horrible. Yeah, she was an awful woman, but I just didn't see that it justified her being murdered by drowning at the shore of the farthest sea. Phelim went really dark at the end, guys.

I just dragged myself through this one to see if it was The Book, and it wasn't, and I wish I could have dropped it earlier. The description had sounded so promising....

Reasons why it is Not THE Book: Though the sound of Hatchlings waking made me think it could be the dark shapes I remembered, no such luck. The Hatchlings are all the various beasties of the Old World, all hatching out of stones held in the mouth of the Stoor Worm, Mother of All the Evil basically. No dark shapes at all.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an odd book. The beginning jumped right into the action, but I would have liked more character development first. Throughout the book, more character development would have been nice. But the action was good, and it kept the bizarre story moving along to a break-neck-paced ending. I'm not sure what I think of the book as a whole. I generally like character-driven stories, and this was definitely plot-driven. Overall, I guess it was just okay. If you're looking for something truly different, this might fit the bill, though. I am glad I took the time to read it, but it's not a book I'll ever read again.

[Grace Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I honestly can't tell if I hated or liked this book.

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were parts of this book where I felt the author leapt from one idea to another landing the reader in a foreign idea with no clue as how they got there.
On the whole it was a fun read.

[Thetillybird · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this book at least ten times. It is the book that got me hooked on reading, prior to the grim little tale I was very much the reluctant reader.

It is really hard to properly describe or explain this book. The base story is about a boy who wakes up one morning to find a giant demonic dog attacking his house and a gaggle of grubby house elves clumsily defending it. In the midst of fighting the the evil dog the house elves tell Phelim that he is (the son of, but for want of the father) the chosen one destin to slay the Stoor Worm a Giant sleeping dragon destin to destroy the world. He is then kicked out of his house and sent on his merry way, forced to contend with the uncanny indeviduals who have made it their mission to help him on his quest and the monsterous ofspring of the slowly waking dragon.

Theoretically this is a bog standard plot for a middlegrade fantasy but the exicution makes it unlike anything you have experienced. There is a deeply unsettling tone the entirity of the book. The kind that makes you feel like no one is safe.

This book is seriously dark. It partially serves as a metaphore for WWI which is refreshing compaired to all the WWII fiction out there. It also explores child abuse (predominatnly the emotional variety). The monsters pose real threats and are boarding eldrich in tone. A child burns to death. I would say it is not for the faint of heart but I read it as a 10 year old, was aware of the goings ons, and can say I was not scared.

The folklore is really well reaserched. Taking inspiration from different parts of Britain while never succuming to the sexy miliue of modern YA 'folklore.' You can genuinly still go to the UK and see aspects of these myths floating about in real life and museums.

The writing style is very dreamy and fluid. The language is like eat your favourite food. Each chapter feels self contained and then culminates in a larger narrative. Very quick to read.

I would recommend it is a very unique experience, if nothing else you will learn a lot of british folklore.

[Jackie "the Librarian" · Rating 2 out of 5]

Phelim Green awakens one morning to find the door and windows barricaded, and an enormous Black Dog trying to get in. The house familiar, the Domovoy, tells Phelim that he is Jack o’ Green and he must go fight the Hatchlings, and forces him out.
Phelim meets a crazy man in the trees called Sweeney, who also says Phelim is Jack o’ Green, and he’s Phelim’s Fool. Phelim meets his Maiden Alexia next, a pale girl with no shadow, who explains that the great Stoor Worm has been roused by the great guns of the war (WWI) and her eggs, holding awful creatures like the Black Dog, are hatching.
They make their way to Storridge, fighting murderous corn wives, nuckelavees, soul-stealing merrows, and townspeople intent on reviving old blood rites. And no matter how much he protests, there’s no way out of it - Phelim must figure out how to kill the worm
Maybe I’ve read too many fantasies based in Celtic mythology, but I wasn’t enchanted, and I wasn’t convinced. I wanted some beauty along with the awfulness, but all the magical creatures here are nasty. The story isn’t frightening enough for horror, yet despite the aptness of the bizarre situation for black humor the author never provides any.

[kyliemm · Rating 3 out of 5]

This young adult fantasy novel is about a boy named Phelim Green who is told by a variety of magical creatures that he is the only one who can stop the terrifying Stoor Worm from awakening. The Stoor Worm was supposed to sleep eternally in the British landscape, but is being woken too early from its sleep by the violence of WWI, especially the sounds of gunfire. As the Stoor Worm awakens, her Hatchlings begin to awaken too, and mystical, magical, evil things start happening all across the country. This novel started out wonderfully; I thought the plot, characters, and magic were all novel and engaging. By the end, I wasn't as involved in the story, mostly because I was fed up with Phelim's character--I never got used to his whiny petulance. However, like most of McCaughrean's novels for young adults, this novel explores issues of violence, the ambiguity of evil vs. good, obedience vs. dominion, feminism, etc. I loved the treatment of gender in this novel and though McCaughrean did justice to both her female and male characters. In conclusion, I think I would recommend this book to both history and fantasy lovers among young adult readers. For the most part, it was well-written and interesting, and I think would appeal to most young adult readers.

[Anne Hamilton · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is such a wealth of folklore detail in every paragraph of this book that it is almost overwhelming in some respects.

It’s like a very powerful incense - every so often you want to throw open the window and let in the air. The writing is very stylised and the turns of phrase appropriate to the era in which it is set (early 1920s).

Phelim is a boy abused by his older sister (a thoroughly nasty piece of work who, it turns out, had her pacifist father committed to a mental asylum during the First World War) who is caught up in a quest to stop the awakening of the Stoor Worm and the coming of the minions of darkness before the end of the world.

He knows that he is not Jack o’ the Green, the one destined to save the world. That’s his dad, but he has no idea where his dad is.

I enjoyed the book but I wouldn’t recommend it to a lot of kids: it’s very much about the dark side of folklore and I can imagine quite a few nightmares resulting from this one. I would have hated it as a child, even though I can appreciate the vast scholarship and intricate style in it now. I think I admired this book more than actually enjoyed it.

[Tori]

2004-Tired of Harry Potter? Try Philem Green! This young adult fantasy set in 1919 England grabs you right away. The hero of our story, Philim, awakens one morning to find his kitchen filled with glashans, a people who are normally invisible to humans. The glashans want Philim to help them, for the Worm is waking, and as she does, her Hatchings are wreaking havoc across the country. Philim is quite confused at first, but with the help of a Fool, a Maiden, and a Horse, he discovers that he seems to be their only hope to stop the Storr Worm and prevent her strange, blood-thirsty hatchings from harming anyone else. Philim has a lot to learn about these creatures and stories that died out generations ago but begin to surface again, as he journeys to kill the giant monstrous worm. How will he do it? He hasn't got a clue.

[Carolynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eleven year old Phelim is called upon to save England from the gigantic Stour Worm, assisted only by Mad Sweeney, the witch Alexia, and 'Obby 'Oss (the horse). Understandably, he feels overwhelmed. Based on a wealth of ancient British folklore, it describes the worst of what would happen if folktales came alive. No Tinkerbell or friendly Jiminy Cricket in this peculiar story. McCaughrean is a well respected writer in the UK, but this book was hard to keep on with. Two and 1/2 stars, really. The third star is for her reputation.

[Kendra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of a dark British fairytale. A bit irritating with the whiny main character, but the story is kind of a conglomeration of the old tales of Jack Green, the Obby Orse, the Awakening Wurm, etc. Also includes some sacrificing. It felt kind of choppy, and probably would have been less frustrating if one of the other characters just sat down and explained to the main character what had to happen.

[Doris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is aimed at a younger audience, and starts with a flash. The hero is an unlikely one, a brow beaten youth with a controlling older sister. The scene, just after WWII. The place, England.

A fascinating mix of legend and fantasy written into an engaging tale of a youngster growing up and taking his own life under control.

[Asenath]

Very symbolic book. Has lots of mythical creatures and interesting rituals (not satanic in the least). Phelim and Alexa, the girl who doesn't have a shadow, must save the world, along with a mad man.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book failed to capture my imagination and I couldn't finish it. It is rare for me not to finish a book but this is the second one this week. Maybe I am just in a mood. Please take my review with a grain of salt.

[Zoe Kennard]

I'm not even going to bother rating this... I only got 26 pages into it because I just couldn't read it. I didn't even begin to understand what was happening, and I didn't like the writing style. Maybe someday I'll read the rest... but I doubt it.

[Darcy Roar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn't tell you exactly when i read this weird little book, it was sometime in my childhood on a long car trip, what I can tell you is that it has stayed with me. I remember it being strange and uncomfortable, but in a good way. I will certainly be rereading it before long.

[Shardis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Odd little book. Been awhile since I read it, so I will have to read it again to get a better grip on it.

[Lesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Might interest fans of Susan Cooper.

[Meghan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was bored with this book and I didn't care about the characters. I couldn't find it in me to put up with the whole thing. I never finished.