# Is "Hatchet" by Gary Paulsen a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Hatchet by Gary Paulsen (Bradbury Press, 1987) is identified by: First edition: Bradbury Press imprint, 1987; full number line ending in 1 ('10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1') on the copyright page; first-issue jacket with its printed price and carries NO Newbery Honor seal (the Honor was awarded in 1988, after publication). US Bradbury Press is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition: Bradbury Press imprint, 1987; full number line ending in 1 ('10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1') on the copyright page; first-issue jacket with its printed price and carries NO Newbery Honor seal (the Honor was awarded in 1988, after publication)
- Publisher imprint reads Bradbury Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Gary Paulsen |
| Publisher | Bradbury Press |
| Year | 1987 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | First edition: Bradbury Press imprint, 1987; full number line ending in 1 ('10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1') on the copyright page; first-issue… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition: Bradbury Press imprint, 1987; full number line ending in 1 ('10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1') on the copyright page; first-issue jacket with its printed price and carries NO Newbery Honor seal (the Honor was awarded in 1988, after publication).

## Is this the true first?
US Bradbury Press is the true first. The no-Newbery-seal jacket plus the complete number line ending in 1 mark the true first printing; later printings/jackets add the silver Newbery Honor seal.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions lack a number line/price and add the Newbery Honor seal to the jacket; club copies are smaller with a blind-stamp on the board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Hatchet* by Gary Paulsen a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/hatchet
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.