How to identify a first printing
- Little, Brown house convention: modern firsts state 'First Edition' / 'First North American Edition' on copyright page, generally with a number line ending in 1
- Historically Little, Brown stated 'First Edition' or 'Published (Month, Year)' and removed it on later printings; combine with number line
- First printing requires number line to reach 1
Notable points & cautions
- LBYR published Stephenie Meyer's Twilight (2005) — a major modern YA point-of-issue collectible; true first = full number line to 1 plus 'First Edition: October 2005'
- Also home to the Alvin Ho / Clementine lines and many picture books
- Part of Hachette Book Group; older Little, Brown was independent then Time Warner — imprint conventions consistent across ownership
Imprints
First editions also appear under: LB Kids, Megan Tingley Books, Poppy (YA, historical), Christy Ottaviano Books, Jimmy Patterson Books. Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (LBYR) book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. Little, Brown house convention: modern firsts state 'First Edition' / 'First North American Edition' on copyright page, generally with a number line ending in 1 Historically Little, Brown stated 'First Edition' or 'Published (Month, Year)' and removed it on later printings; combine with number line
Does Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (LBYR) use a number line?
Historically Little, Brown stated 'First Edition' or 'Published (Month, Year)' and removed it on later printings; combine with number line
Is a book-club edition a Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (LBYR) first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. LBYR published Stephenie Meyer's Twilight (2005) — a major modern YA point-of-issue collectible; true first = full number line to 1 plus 'First Edition: October 2005'
What era does this cover?
This covers Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (LBYR) (1837–present (children's line mid/late-20th c.)). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (LBYR) titles with documented first-edition points
Each link opens that title’s specific points of issue — the exact marks that separate a true first printing from a later one.
- Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave (Laban Carrick Hill (illus. Bryan Collier), 2010)
- Freewater (Amina Luqman-Dawson, 2022)
- Shouldn't You Be in School? (All the Wrong Questions 3) (Lemony Snicket (Daniel Handler), 2014)
- When Did You See Her Last? (All the Wrong Questions 2) (Lemony Snicket (Daniel Handler), 2013)
- Who Could That Be at This Hour? (All the Wrong Questions 1) (Lemony Snicket (Daniel Handler), 2012)
- Why Is This Night Different from All Other Nights? (All the Wrong Questions 4) (Lemony Snicket (Daniel Handler), 2015)