# Is "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing" by Judy Blume (illus. Roy Doty) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume (illus. Roy Doty) (E. P. Dutton, 1972) is identified by: Dutton hardcover first, illustrated by Roy Doty with full-page black-and-white drawings, in orange boards with the spine stamped in black and a pictorial blind stamp to the front board; first-issue jacket with the original price to the front flap. The US Dutton 1972 edition is the true first; Dell paperbacks are later.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The 1972 E. P. Dutton hardcover first, illustrated by Roy Doty with full-page black-and-white drawings, in orange boards with the spine stamped in black and a pictorial blind stamp to the front board; first-issue jacket with the original price to the front flap
- Introduces the Hatcher family (Peter and Fudge)
- Publisher imprint reads E. P. Dutton
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Judy Blume (illus. Roy Doty) |
| Publisher | E. P. Dutton |
| Year | 1972 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | The 1972 E. P. Dutton hardcover first, illustrated by Roy Doty with full-page black-and-white drawings, in orange boards with the spine… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The 1972 E. P. Dutton hardcover first, illustrated by Roy Doty with full-page black-and-white drawings, in orange boards with the spine stamped in black and a pictorial blind stamp to the front board; first-issue jacket with the original price to the front flap. Introduces the Hatcher family (Peter and Fudge).

## Is this the true first?
The US Dutton 1972 edition is the true first; Dell paperbacks are later. First hardcover printings are scarce.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club and paperback editions are later. Identify the Dutton first by the imprint and binding; book-club copies usually lack the printed flap price and are often noted as BCE/BOMC.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing* by Judy Blume (illus. Roy Doty) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/tales-of-a-fourth-grade-nothing
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.