# Is "Messenger" by Lois Lowry a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Messenger by Lois Lowry (Houghton Mifflin, 2004) is identified by: US Houghton Mifflin first, 2004. US Houghton Mifflin edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Houghton Mifflin first, 2004
- First printing has a complete number line reading down to 1 on the copyright page and the original price present on the first-issue dust jacket
- Third book in the Giver quartet
- Publisher imprint reads Houghton Mifflin
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Lois Lowry |
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin |
| Year | 2004 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | US Houghton Mifflin first, 2004 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US Houghton Mifflin first, 2004. First printing has a complete number line reading down to 1 on the copyright page and the original price present on the first-issue dust jacket. Third book in the Giver quartet.

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

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions lack a price on the jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Messenger* by Lois Lowry a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/messenger
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.