# Is "The Terrible Threes" by Ishmael Reed a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Terrible Threes by Ishmael Reed (Atheneum, 1989) is identified by: First edition so stated on the copyright page with the number line descending to 1 (ISBN 0-689-11893-7), about 180 pages; the clothbound trade issue carries a priced dust jacket. True first is the 1989 Atheneum (New York) clothbound edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition so stated on the copyright page with the number line descending to 1 (ISBN 0-689-11893-7), about 180 pages; the clothbound trade issue carries a priced dust jacket
- Sequel to 'The Terrible Twos.' A wrappered (softcover) issue followed in 1990
- Publisher imprint reads Atheneum
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ishmael Reed |
| Publisher | Atheneum |
| Year | 1989 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition so stated on the copyright page with the number line descending to 1 (ISBN 0-689-11893-7), about 180 pages; the clothbound… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First edition so stated on the copyright page with the number line descending to 1 (ISBN 0-689-11893-7), about 180 pages; the clothbound trade issue carries a priced dust jacket. Sequel to 'The Terrible Twos.' A wrappered (softcover) issue followed in 1990.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 1989 Atheneum (New York) clothbound edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None notable.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Terrible Threes* by Ishmael Reed a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-terrible-threes
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.