# Is "The Academy" by Bentley Little a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Academy by Bentley Little (Signet, 2008) is identified by: Signet (New American Library) mass-market paperback original, ISBN 0451224675, published August 2008, with the full descending number line on the copyright page; first printing dated 2008. The Signet mass-market paperback original is the true US first; there is no trade hardcover first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Signet (New American Library) mass-market paperback original, ISBN 0451224675, published August 2008, with the full descending number line on the copyright page; first printing dated 2008
- Publisher imprint reads Signet
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Bentley Little |
| Publisher | Signet |
| Year | 2008 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Signet (New American Library) mass-market paperback original, ISBN 0451224675, published… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Signet (New American Library) mass-market paperback original, ISBN 0451224675, published August 2008, with the full descending number line on the copyright page; first printing dated 2008.

## Is this the true first?
The Signet mass-market paperback original is the true US first; there is no trade hardcover first. A hardcover book-club edition (ISBN 0739499793) also carries a 2008 date, but book-club printings are not the first edition and lack the Signet number line, so verify the paperback by its complete number line.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A hardcover book-club edition (ISBN 0739499793) exists and should not be mistaken for the first; the Signet paperback original is the true first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Academy* by Bentley Little a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-academy
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.