# Is "The Austere Academy (ASOUE 5)" by Lemony Snicket (Daniel Handler) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Austere Academy (ASOUE 5) by Lemony Snicket (Daniel Handler) (HarperCollins, 2000) is identified by: True first states 'First Edition' on the copyright page. US HarperCollins true first, August 2000, illustrated by Brett Helquist.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- True first states 'First Edition' on the copyright page
- HarperCollins first printings of this era carry a split number line reading '1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2' rather than a simple ascending line
- Bound in pictorial paper-covered boards, issued without a traditional dust jacket; some copies came with a promotional wrap-around band
- Publisher imprint reads HarperCollins
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Lemony Snicket (Daniel Handler) |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
| Year | 2000 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | True first states 'First Edition' on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
True first states 'First Edition' on the copyright page. HarperCollins first printings of this era carry a split number line reading '1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2' rather than a simple ascending line. Bound in pictorial paper-covered boards, issued without a traditional dust jacket; some copies came with a promotional wrap-around band.

## Is this the true first?
US HarperCollins true first, August 2000, illustrated by Brett Helquist.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings drop the 'First Edition' statement and/or advance the number line so the sequence no longer begins with 1.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Austere Academy (ASOUE 5)* by Lemony Snicket (Daniel Handler) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-austere-academy-asoue-5
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.