# Is "A Summer to Die" by Lois Lowry a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Summer to Die by Lois Lowry (Houghton Mifflin, 1977) is identified by: US Houghton Mifflin first edition, first printing. US Houghton Mifflin first edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Houghton Mifflin first edition, first printing
- For mid-to-late-1970s Houghton Mifflin trade titles, the first printing is identified by a full number line with 1 present on the copyright page (no later-printing statement)
- Lowry's debut novel; jacket illustration by Jenni Oliver
- First-issue jacket is unclipped with the original price
- Publisher imprint reads Houghton Mifflin
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Lois Lowry |
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin |
| Year | 1977 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | US Houghton Mifflin first edition, first printing |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US Houghton Mifflin first edition, first printing. For mid-to-late-1970s Houghton Mifflin trade titles, the first printing is identified by a full number line with 1 present on the copyright page (no later-printing statement). Lowry's debut novel; jacket illustration by Jenni Oliver. First-issue jacket is unclipped with the original price.

## Is this the true first?
US Houghton Mifflin first edition is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later book-club printings lack the number line with 1 and their jackets omit the original trade price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Summer to Die* by Lois Lowry a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-summer-to-die
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.