# Is "Socks" by Beverly Cleary a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Socks by Beverly Cleary (William Morrow, 1973) is identified by: William Morrow first edition, published 1973, with the copyright page bearing no statement of a later printing. The US William Morrow edition of 1973 is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- William Morrow first edition, published 1973, with the copyright page bearing no statement of a later printing
- Illustrated by Beatrice Darwin
- First edition in dark gold boards with Socks outlined in black to the front board; first-issue dust jacket retains the original front-flap price
- Publisher imprint reads William Morrow
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Beverly Cleary |
| Publisher | William Morrow |
| Year | 1973 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | William Morrow first edition, published 1973, with the copyright page bearing no… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
William Morrow first edition, published 1973, with the copyright page bearing no statement of a later printing. Illustrated by Beatrice Darwin. First edition in dark gold boards with Socks outlined in black to the front board; first-issue dust jacket retains the original front-flap price.

## Is this the true first?
The US William Morrow edition of 1973 is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Weekly Reader and other book-club editions are unpriced and lack the Morrow first-printing dust jacket points.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Socks* by Beverly Cleary a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/socks
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.