# Is "M. C. Higgins, the Great" by Virginia Hamilton a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of M. C. Higgins, the Great by Virginia Hamilton (Macmillan Publishing Company, 1974) is identified by: First edition published 1974 by Macmillan, New York. US true first edition (Macmillan, 1974).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition published 1974 by Macmillan, New York
- The first printing carries no reprint-history list on the copyright page; dealer copies of firsts show a First Edition designation with a 1 to 10 number line and no later-printing notation
- Cloth binding; first-issue dust jacket has the original price, illustration by James McMullan, and no Newbery Medal sticker
- Publisher imprint reads Macmillan Publishing Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Virginia Hamilton |
| Publisher | Macmillan Publishing Company |
| Year | 1974 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | First edition published 1974 by Macmillan, New York |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition published 1974 by Macmillan, New York. The first printing carries no reprint-history list on the copyright page; dealer copies of firsts show a First Edition designation with a 1 to 10 number line and no later-printing notation. Cloth binding; first-issue dust jacket has the original price, illustration by James McMullan, and no Newbery Medal sticker.

## Is this the true first?
US true first edition (Macmillan, 1974). Awarded the Newbery Medal in 1975.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A reprint-history line or a number line missing the 1 indicates a later printing; book-club editions typically lack a printed jacket price; jackets issued after the award add the Newbery sticker.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *M. C. Higgins, the Great* by Virginia Hamilton a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/m-c-higgins-the-great
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.