# Is "Where the Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls (Doubleday, 1961) is identified by: True first is the 1961 Doubleday edition with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page; first-state jacket with the original price present on the front flap and NO ISBN on the rear flap (the absence of an ISBN distinguishes it from the 1971 reissue). US Doubleday 1961 is the true first; the 1971 reissue and later Bantam paperbacks are reprints.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- True first is the 1961 Doubleday edition with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page; first-state jacket with the original price present on the front flap and NO ISBN on the rear flap (the absence of an ISBN distinguishes it from the 1971 reissue)
- Red cloth, title stamped in white on the spine
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Wilson Rawls |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
| Year | 1961 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | True first is the 1961 Doubleday edition with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page; first-state jacket with the original price… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
True first is the 1961 Doubleday edition with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page; first-state jacket with the original price present on the front flap and NO ISBN on the rear flap (the absence of an ISBN distinguishes it from the 1971 reissue). Red cloth, title stamped in white on the spine.

## Is this the true first?
US Doubleday 1961 is the true first; the 1971 reissue and later Bantam paperbacks are reprints. The story first appeared serialized in the Saturday Evening Post.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions carry a blind-stamp to the rear board, lack the 'First Edition' statement, and are unpriced; the 1971 reissue adds an ISBN to the rear jacket flap.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Where the Red Fern Grows* by Wilson Rawls a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/where-the-red-fern-grows
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.