# Is "Henry and the Paper Route" by Beverly Cleary a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Henry and the Paper Route by Beverly Cleary (William Morrow, 1957) is identified by: Morrow first edition, published June 1957 and dated 1957 on the title page with no statement of a later printing; illustrated throughout by Louis Darling, whose line drawings appear in the first-edition text. US William Morrow first edition (June 1957) is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Morrow first edition, published June 1957 and dated 1957 on the title page with no statement of a later printing; illustrated throughout by Louis Darling, whose line drawings appear in the first-edition text
- The first-issue dust jacket carries the original printed price and Darling's cover art
- Fourth book in the Henry Huggins series
- Publisher imprint reads William Morrow
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Beverly Cleary |
| Publisher | William Morrow |
| Year | 1957 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | Morrow first edition, published June 1957 and dated 1957 on the title page with no statement of a later printing; illustrated throughout by… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Morrow first edition, published June 1957 and dated 1957 on the title page with no statement of a later printing; illustrated throughout by Louis Darling, whose line drawings appear in the first-edition text. The first-issue dust jacket carries the original printed price and Darling's cover art. Fourth book in the Henry Huggins series.

## Is this the true first?
US William Morrow first edition (June 1957) is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club and later trade printings lack the original printed jacket price; later reprints also carry printing statements or revised jacket art.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Henry and the Paper Route* by Beverly Cleary a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/henry-and-the-paper-route
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.