# Is "lost boy lost girl" by Peter Straub a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of lost boy lost girl by Peter Straub (Random House, 2003) is identified by: Random House US first edition, 2003: the copyright page states 'First Edition' accompanied by a number line whose lowest digit is 2 (Random House house style, in which a first printing reads down to 2 rather than 1). US Random House, 2003, is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Random House US first edition, 2003: the copyright page states 'First Edition' accompanied by a number line whose lowest digit is 2 (Random House house style, in which a first printing reads down to 2 rather than 1)
- The title is styled in lowercase on the first edition
- Issued in cloth in a pictorial dust jacket that on a first-issue copy retains the printed price to the flap
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Peter Straub |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 2003 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Random House US first edition, 2003: the copyright page states 'First Edition' accompanied by a number line whose lowest digit is 2 (Random… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Random House US first edition, 2003: the copyright page states 'First Edition' accompanied by a number line whose lowest digit is 2 (Random House house style, in which a first printing reads down to 2 rather than 1). The title is styled in lowercase on the first edition. Issued in cloth in a pictorial dust jacket that on a first-issue copy retains the printed price to the flap.

## Is this the true first?
US Random House, 2003, is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions lack the 'First Edition' number line and the flap price, and may carry a blind stamp to the rear board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *lost boy lost girl* by Peter Straub a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/lost-boy-lost-girl
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.