The points of issue
Bantam hardcover, cloth-backed boards; copyright page states 'A Bantam Book / December 1984' with a full number line ending in 1; priced dust jacket. The Bantam Spectra mass-market paperback followed in 1985, not simultaneously.
Is this the true first?
US Bantam hardcover (December 1984) is the true first.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Copies lacking a priced jacket or the full number line should be treated as book club or later printings.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Bantam hardcover, cloth-backed boards; copyright page states 'A Bantam Book / December 1984' with a full number line ending in 1; priced dust jacket. The Bantam Spectra mass-market paperback followed in 1985, not simultaneously.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. US Bantam hardcover (December 1984) is the true first.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Copies lacking a priced jacket or the full number line should be treated as book club or later printings.
I have a first edition of Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.