The points of issue
First edition, First Second, 2006. The trade issue was a paperback original (ISBN 978-1-59643-152-2), issued together with a scarce limited hardcover collector's state available mainly through comic shops and conventions. Identify a first printing by the First Second imprint, the 2006 date, and a first-printing number line. The hardcover state adds cloth-and-board binding with a black silk ribbon marker.
Is this the true first?
US true first and the first graphic novel named a National Book Award finalist; it also won the Printz Award and an Eisner. The format of first issue was the trade paperback in 2006; a separate trade hardcover edition followed in 2007 and is a first-thus, not the original. The scarce 2006 limited hardcover is a premium state but not the standard trade format.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition recorded. The trap is treating the later 2007 hardcover as the first edition; verify the First Second imprint and the 2006 first printing.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of American Born Chinese a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First edition, First Second, 2006. The trade issue was a paperback original (ISBN 978-1-59643-152-2), issued together with a scarce limited hardcover collector's state available mainly through comic shops and conventions. Identify a first printing by the First Second imprint, the 2006 date, and a first-printing number line. The hardcover state adds cloth-and-board binding with a black silk ribbon marker.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. US true first and the first graphic novel named a National Book Award finalist; it also won the Printz Award and an Eisner. The format of first issue was the trade paperback in 2006; a separate trade hardcover edition followed in 2007 and is a first-thus, not the original. The scarce 2006 limited ha
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club edition recorded. The trap is treating the later 2007 hardcover as the first edition; verify the First Second imprint and the 2006 first printing.
I have a first edition of American Born Chinese — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.