# Is "The Grim Grotto (ASOUE 11)" by Lemony Snicket (Daniel Handler) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Grim Grotto (ASOUE 11) by Lemony Snicket (Daniel Handler) (HarperCollins, 2004) is identified by: First printing has 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page together with the distinctive HarperCollins split number line '1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2' (the 1 must be present). US HarperCollins true first (Sept 2004).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing has 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page together with the distinctive HarperCollins split number line '1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2' (the 1 must be present)
- Jacketed hardcover with Brett Helquist cover art; the dust jacket should be present and unclipped
- Publisher imprint reads HarperCollins
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Lemony Snicket (Daniel Handler) |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
| Year | 2004 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | First printing has 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page together with the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing has 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page together with the distinctive HarperCollins split number line '1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2' (the 1 must be present). Jacketed hardcover with Brett Helquist cover art; the dust jacket should be present and unclipped.

## Is this the true first?
US HarperCollins true first (Sept 2004). This is a US-originating series, so the American HarperCollins printing is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings drop the low numbers from the split number line and do not state 'First Edition.' Book-club and international editions are not the true first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Grim Grotto (ASOUE 11)* by Lemony Snicket (Daniel Handler) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-grim-grotto-asoue-11
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.