# Is "The Great Gilly Hopkins" by Katherine Paterson a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson (Thomas Y. Crowell, 1978) is identified by: Crowell first edition, New York, 1978. US Thomas Y.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Thomas Y. Crowell first edition, New York, 1978
- First printing indicated on the copyright page
- First-state dust jacket carries the original price and predates the Newbery Honor and National Book Award seals
- A 1979 Newbery Honor book and National Book Award winner
- Publisher imprint reads Thomas Y. Crowell
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Katherine Paterson |
| Publisher | Thomas Y. Crowell |
| Year | 1978 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | Thomas Y. Crowell first edition, New York, 1978 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Thomas Y. Crowell first edition, New York, 1978. First printing indicated on the copyright page. First-state dust jacket carries the original price and predates the Newbery Honor and National Book Award seals. A 1979 Newbery Honor book and National Book Award winner.

## Is this the true first?
US Thomas Y. Crowell edition is the true first; the first-state jacket predates the 1979 award seals.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions typically lack the printed jacket price; later jackets add the Newbery Honor and/or National Book Award seals.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Great Gilly Hopkins* by Katherine Paterson a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-great-gilly-hopkins
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.