Literature

Almond David. COUNTING STARS. London: Hodder Children's Books (Hodder Headline Ltd.), 2000. First British edition (true first). Fine book in a Fine dustjacket. Collection of short fiction by the multiple-award-winning author. U.S. $40.00.

Almond, David. KIT'S WILDERNESS. London: Hodder Children's Books, 1999. First British edition (true first). Fine book in a Fine dustwrapper. Author's second book, already uncommon in the true first edition. WINNER of the 2001 Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature! SIGNED by the author on the title page. U.S. $115.00.

Almond, David. SECRET HEART. London: Hodder Children's Books (Hodder Headline Ltd.), 2001. First British edition (true first). Fine book in a Fine dustjacket. SIGNED by this multi-award-winning author on the title page! U.S. $50.00.

Almond, David. SKELLIG. New York: Delacorte Press, 1998. First U.S. edition. Fine book in a Very Near Fine dustjacket (hint of front fore-edge wear).  Author's stunning debut into the world of children's literature. Winner of the 1998 WHITBREAD AWARD and CARNEGIE MEDAL, as well as being a 2000 MICHAEL L. PRINTZ AWARD honor book. U.S. $75.00.

Armour, Richard. IT ALL STARTED WITH STONES AND CLUBS: being a short history of war and weaponry from the earliest times to the present.... NY: McGraw-Hill, 1967. First Edition. Fine/Near Fine. (Best copy I've ever seen.) U.S. $40.00.

Banks, Lynne Reid. THE L-SHAPED ROOM. London:. Chatto & Windus, 1960. First British edition (true first). Near Fine book in Very Good DJ (minimal-to-mild wear 3 of 4 corners, with front bottom corner fully preserved; slight sunning of spine; 7mm closed tear front tail edge; 4mm closed tear back tail edge; minimal-to-moderate wear to head edge of spine and hinges, with tiny abrasions [< 1mm, not true chips] and one larger abrasion [3mm by back upper hinge] showing white under the green surface coloration; a one inch flat crinkle on back cover by center of fore-edge; a hint of dust staining to back cover; and a touch of browning to the head edge of the inner flaps which does not progress to involve the outer portions of the jacket. Not price clipped). Adapted in 1963 for the silver screen (directed by Bryan Forbes), this is the author's first book! She is perhaps better known for her juvenile novels, including the "Indian in the Cupboard" series. U.S. $65.00.

Banks, Lynne Reid. MAURA'S ANGEL. London: J. M. Dent & Sons Limited, 1984. First British edition (true first). Slight bumping to spine edges, else Fine book in a Very Good (+) to Near Fine dustjacket (minimal tanning to head edges; subtle crinkle to head of front panel; a few light, stray linear indentations to front panel; and 2-3 mm loss of laminate [but not the paper] to back upper corner. No tears, chips, or soil. Not price-clipped). In war-ravaged Belfast, a young girl meets her guardian angel and finds that even angels have their limitations. A wonderful juvenile (the subject matter is rather adult but with a touch of the author's usual magic!). INSCRIBED by the author on the FFEP! U.S. $70.00.

Bradbury, (Sir) Malcolm. TO THE HERMITAGE. London: Picador, 2000. First British edition (true first). Fine book in a Fine dustjacket. Author's first book in nearly a decade (and worth the wait!). U.S. $65.00.

Cameron, Eleanor. BEYOND SILENCE. New York: E. P. Dutton & Co., 1980. First edition. Very Near Fine book in a Very Good dustjacket (tiny chip to front upper corner; some rubbing and scattered flecking to front and back panels; mild edge and hinge wear/rubbing, becoming slightly more pronounced at upper corners and spine edges;   minimal spine tanning; and slight soiling. No tears, but DJ is price-clipped). Atmospheric tale set in a Scottish castle, where the past comes alive to a grieving boy. PRESENTATION COPY to a family friend (so now you know who clipped the price!). INSCRIBED by the author on the FFEP: "For my dear ____--Still another with much love." U.S. $150.00.

Cameron, Eleanor. THE COURT OF THE STONE CHILDREN. New York: E. P. Dutton & Co., 1973. First edition. Very Good (+) to Near Fine book (would be Fine except for a spine crease from reading and slight wear to the corners and spine/hinge edges) in a Very Good (+) dustjacket (hint of paper erosion at three corners [i.e., infinitesimal chips], with slight roughening of spine tail edge; two tiny closed nicks and a 2-3 mm closed tear; mild tanning to edges and spine; and two small, light stains on back panel [4 x 5 mm and 3.4 x 0.5 cm]. Not price-clipped). 1974 National Book Award winner for Children's Books! PRESENTATION COPY to a family friend: INSCRIBED "with my love" by the author on the FFEP. U.S. $180.00.

Cameron, Eleanor. JULIA AND THE HAND OF GOD. New York: E. P. Dutton, 1977. First edition. Near Fine book (slight spine slant, three miniscule corner bumps, and mild spine edge bumping. A fresh, clean copy) in a Very Good (+) to Near Fine dustjacket (mild toning of spine; two small flecks [no chipping] by spine head edge; slightest hint of paper loss/erosion to front top and back bottom corners; miniscule bump to top front corner matching the book bump; a 6 mm closed tear along front head edge; and several linear indentations on back panel. Very clean, and the fabulous dustjacket art by Gail Owens shows crisp and bright. DJ is price-clipped). PRESENTATION COPY to a family friend (so now you know who clipped the price!). INSCRIBED "lovingly" by the author on the FFEP. U.S. $175.00.

Cameron, Eleanor. JULIA'S MAGIC. New York: E. P. Dutton, 1984. First edition. Near Fine book (both lower corners and spine tail are bumped, and the bottom 7 mm of the lower spine have moderately faded) in a Very Good (+) dustjacket (minimal-to-mild edge and corner wear/rubbing; and two or three tiny to small closed tears, with the largest being 7 mm [and difficult to see]. DJ is price-clipped). Both book and jacket are clean and bright. PRESENTATION COPY to a family friend (so now you know who clipped the price!). INSCRIBED with "much love" and "for auld lang syne" by the author on the FFEP. U.S. $135.00.

Cameron, Eleanor. THE PRIVATE WORLDS OF JULIA REDFERN. New York: E. P. Dutton, 1988. First edition. Very Near Fine book (slight slant; minimal glue "show-through" staining at front upper hinge [a production defect]; and the tiniest hint of bumping to front and back bottom corners) in a Fine dustjacket. PRESENTATION COPY to a family friend: "lovingly" INSCRIBED by the author on the FFEP for "such a good friend always...." U.S. $150.00.

Cameron, Eleanor. THE TERRIBLE CHURNADRYNE. Boston: Little, Brown & Company, 1959. First edition. Very Good (+) book (aging of original pastedown glue has caused tanning of front interior hinge, as well as some show-through to front and back exterior hinge gutters; small, light stain to fore-edge of back FEP) in a Very Good dustjacket (small corner chips; narrow chips up to 1.3 cm at head/tail of spine/hinge edges; a few short, closed tears [the most prominent being a 2.4 cm tear, front tail edge, and an L-shaped tear of 1 cm each side along front head edge]; some rubbing, creasing, and wear at the spine edges; and minimal soiling of the back panel, with associated flap bearing a small, light stain [matching the back FEP stain]. Front illustration is unrubbed: bright and fresh! Jacket is unclipped, but a tag from FAO Schwartz has been placed over original price, and this new price has been neatly whited out in turn). Nice copy of a Cameron title difficult to find in collectable condition. U.S. $65.00.

Cao, Guanlong. THE ATTIC: MEMOIR OF A CHINESE LANDLORD'S SON.  Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1996. First edition. Fine/Fine. An elegant autobiographical account of growing up in Shanghai during the Cultural Revolution. U.S. $35.00.

Chabon, Michael. THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER & CLAY. New York: Random House, 2000. First edition. Fine book in a Fine dustjacket. Nominated for the 2001 NBCC, L.A. TIMES, and PEN/Faulkner Awards, and WINNER of the 2001 PULITZER PRIZE! This copy SIGNED by the author on the title page! U.S. $150.00.

Chabon, Michael. A MODEL WORLD: And Other Stories. New York: William Morrow & Co., 1991. First Edition. Very Near Fine book (slightest bruising of the lower corners) in a Fine dustjacket. Author's second book. SIGNED by the author on the title page! U.S. $45.00.

Chabon, Michael. THE MYSTERIES OF PITTSBURGH. New York: William Morrow and Company, 1988. Fine book in Very Near Fine dustjacket (hint of tan). Author's DEBUT novel! SIGNED by the author on the title page! U.S. $80.00.

Chabon, Michael. WEREWOLVES IN THEIR YOUTH: Stories. New York: Random House, 1999. Fine book in a Fine dustjacket. SIGNED by the author on the title page! U.S. $75.00.

Chabon, Michael. WONDER BOYS. New York: Villard Books, 1995. First edition. Fine book in a Fine dustjacket. Author's third novel: basis for the movie of the same name! SIGNED by the author on the title page! U.S. $95.00.

Chang, Margaret and Raymond. IN THE EYE OF WAR. New York: Margaret K. McElderberry Books (Macmillan), 1990. First edition. Fine book in a Very Near Fine dustjacket (small surface scratch to front panel).  The experiences of a ten year old boy during the Japanese occupation of Shanghai in WWII. U.S. $30.00.

Christopher, Warren. CHANCES OF A LIFETIME: A Memoir. New York: Scribner (Simon and Schuster), 2001. First edition. Fine book in a Fine dustjacket. By the Former United States Secretary of State. SIGNED by Christopher on the title page! U.S. $50.00.

Connery, Tom. HONOUR BE DAMNED: A Markham Of The Marines Novel. London: Orion Books Ltd., 1998. First edition. Fine/Fine. Third book in this popular series on the exploits of Lieutenant George Marham of the Royal Marines. SIGNED by the author on the title page. U.S. $55.00.

Cooper, Susan. KING OF SHADOWS. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books (Simon & Schuster), 1999. First U.S. edition (preceded by the first British edition). Fine book in a Fine dustjacket. Time-travel story about an American boy who wakes up one morning to find himself in Elizabethan England, where he's mistaken for an actor at the original Globe Theater! A Booklist Editors' Choice, 1999; an ABA Children's Pick of the Lists, 1999; a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 1999; an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, 2000; and a 2000 Boston Globe-Horn Honor Book! U.S. $45.00.

Cormier, Robert. FADE. New York: Delacorte Press, 1988. First edition. Slight bump to front board, head edge, else Fine book in a Fine dustjacket. Literary work with science fiction/fantasy/horror overtones. The book received high praise from both Stephen King and Harlan Ellison. Generically INSCRIBED by the late "Juvenile" author on the half-title! (Inscription says "Best Wishes" but is not inscribed to a particual individual.) U.S. $75.00.

Coville, Bruce and Yolen, Jane. ARMAGEDDON SUMMER. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1998. First edition. Fine book in a Very Near Fine dustjacket (mild scuffing which "disappears" under the jacket protector, else Fine). The debut collaboration of two wonderful authors, based on a theme contributed by Yolen. Winner of the "Book Links Best Book of the Year" Award and the School Library Journal "Best Book for Young Adults" Award. SIGNED by BOTH authors on the title page, with the signatures dated in the year of publication. U.S. $50.00.

Curtis, Christopher Paul. BUD, NOT BUDDY. New York: Delacorte, 1999. First edition, first printing. Fine book in a Fine, first-state dustjacket. On both the Publisher's Weekly and School Library Journal's 1999 list of Best Books of the Year. In addition, the book won both the 2000 Coretta Scott King Award and the 2000 John NEWBERRY Medal! (No stickers on dustjacket.) U.S. $50.00.

Cushman, Karen. MATILDA BONE. **SIGNED COPY** New York: Clarion Books, 2000. First edition. Fine book (small dot by front fore-edge) in a Fine dustjacket. GENERICALLY INSCRIBED by the author on the title page! U.S. $45.00.

Derleth, August. WRITING FICTION. **SIGNED COPY** Boston: The Writer, Inc. Publishers, 1946. First edition. Gentle spine edge bumping, else Fine book in a Very Good (+) to Near Fine dustjacket (some extremity wear/rubbing; a few short closed tears; and extremely minute chipping/roughening of the spine edges. Not price-clipped). INSCRIBED by the author on the FFEP (he has also drawn the equivalent of a 1946 smiley face)! As Derleth says in the inscription, this book shows "how to do it." U.S. $95.00.

Dugain, Marc. THE OFFICERS' WARD. London: Phoenix House, 2000. First British (and first English language) edition, translated from the French by Howard Curtis. Very Fine book in a Very Fine dustjacket. Author's DEBUT novel, and a multiple award winner in France. U.S. $50.00.

Doyle, Roddy. A STAR CALLED HENRY: Volume One of The Last Roundup. London: Jonathan Cape, 1999. First British edition (true first). Near Fine book (moderate bump to front upper corner and small bump to front lower corner, else fine) in a  Near Fine, unclipped dustjacket (with front upper corner showing some subtle creasing to match the book bump). By a Booker Prize winner. U.S. $55.00.

Earley, Tony. JIM THE BOY. Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 2000. First edition. Fine book in a Fine dustjacket. Debut novel by the lauded assistant professor from Vanderbilt (but beware his wrath if you call him a Southern writer!). SIGNED by the author on the title page! U.S. $55.00.

Earley, Tony. SOMEHOW FORM A FAMILY: Stories That Are Mostly True. Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2001. First edition. Fine book in a Fine dustjacket. Collection of essays. SIGNED by the author on the title page! U.S $40.00.

Enzensberger, Hans Magnus. WHERE WERE YOU, ROBERT? London: Hamish Hamilton, Ltd., 2000. First British, and first English language, edition (first published in Germany in 1998. Interestingly, the U.S. edition was retitle "Lost In Time"). Front upper hinge bump, else Fine book in a Fine dustjacket. A European best seller. Scarce in the true first British edition. U.S. $75.00.

Garlan, Patrica Wallace and Dunstan, Maryjane. ORANGE-ROBED BOY. New York: The Viking Press, Inc., 1967. First edition (the trade edition as opposed to the library edition). Very Good  book (a few stray marks and light soiling both to the pictorial boards and endpapers; upper spine slightly bumped, with miniscule bumping of front lower corner; minimal wear to tail corners and spine edge; and a 0.8 cm crack in the paper overlying front board, tail corner) in a Very Good dustjacket (with some light soiling, general age-toning, minute-to-small corner/hinge/spine chips, and a few short, closed tears [thought some of the tears end in the afore-mentioned chips]. The largest tear is v-shaped, with one side 1.5 cm and the other, 2.0 cm, affecting the front board, head edge, by hinge. The trade edition price is present, though the publisher has clipped the bottom front flap, where the library price would have been). INSCRIBED by BOTH authors on the FFEP and scarce thus! U.S. $65.00.

George, Jean Craighead. ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN. New York: Viking (The Penguin Group), 1990. First edition. Fine book in a Near Fine dustjacket (some edge crinkling; scuffing on the back panel. Not price clipped). Long-awaited sequel to My Side of the Mountain (31 years between the two titles). U.S. $20.00.

Glenn, John (with Taylor, Nick). JOHN GLENN: A Memoir. New York: Bantam, 1999. First edition. Some spine edge bumping, else Fine book in a Fine dustjacket. SIGNED by Glenn on the half title! U.S. $95.00.

Grew, Joseph C. TEN YEARS IN JAPAN. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1944. First edition, SIGNED! Near Fine book (minimal-to-mild edgewear; age-toning of the pages, as usual; and slight dusting to head of text block) in a Very Good dustjacket (mild soiling, particularly at hinges and front fore-edge; a few short, closed tears; some creasing, especially to head of spine and back panel; mild background fading on spine [not affecting the black and red lettering]; and a single chip [8 mm wide, 4 mm deep] by back hinge, head edge. Not price-clipped). Subtitled "A Contemporary Record Drawn From The Diaries And Records Of Joseph C. Grew United States Ambassador To Japan 1932-1942." Provides a unique insight on the circumstances leading up to Japan's entry into WWII. Of note, the publisher has laid in the (now) rare and highly desirable post card [specific to this title] asking the reader "whether this book has lived up to your expectations." Further, the book is INSCRIBED on the FFEP "To _____, with the best wishes of Joseph C. Grew." U.S. $150.00.

Hackman, Gene & Lenihan, Daniel. WAKE OF THE PERDIDO STAR: A Novel of Shipwrecks, Pirates, and the Sea. New York: Newmarket Press, 1999. First edition. Fine book in a  Near Fine dustjacket (touch of soiling to back panel). Both authors' first novel. SIGNED by both authors on the title page. U.S. $40.00.

Hamlisch, Marvin (with Gerald Gardner). THE WAY I WAS. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1992. First edition. Fine book in a price-clipped dustjacket, else Fine. INSCRIBED by Hamlisch on the title page! U.S. $55.00.

Hentoff, Nat. BOSTON BOY. New York: Knopf, 1986. First edition. Fine book in price-clipped DJ, else fine. U.S. $30.00.

Hertenstein, Jane. BEYOND PARADISE. New York: Morrow Junior Books, 1999. First edition. Fine/Fine. Baptist missionaries to the Philippines are held in a Japanese interment camp during WWII. (Partly based on true accounts.) U.S. $20.00.

Irving, Washington. THE SKETCH BOOK OF GEOFFREY CRAYON, GENT. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1848. The Author's Revised Edition, Complete in One Volume. (Illustrated, "Popular" edition.) Octavo, orange-brown cloth boards. Very Good book with mild to moderate soiling and mild to moderate wear at the corners and spine edges. Pages are clean but yellowed with age, with a diagonal crease at lower corner of page 5/6 . No foxing. Lovely embossed design on front cover, with the black inlay completely intact! Contains the stories "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." U.S. $75.00.

Kamdar, Mira. MOTIBA'S TATTOOS: A Granddaughter's Journey Into Her Indian Family's Past. New York: PublicAffairs (Perseus Books), 2000. First edition. Tiny ding to back board tail, else Fine book in a Fine dustjacket. A fascinating family history. ("Motiba" is Gujarati for "grandmother.") Author's first book, garnering excellent reviews.  Has been named to the Barnes & Noble "Discover Great New Writers" Program and was selected by The Oregonian as one of the top ten books of 2000 by a regional author. SIGNED by the author on the half-title! U.S. $50.00.

Katz, Welwyn Wilton. OUT OF THE DARK. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books (Macmillan), 1996. First edition. Fine book in a Fine dustjacket. After the death of his mother, thirteen year old Ben moves to Newfoundland, where he loses himself in Viking mythology. U.S. $25.00.

Kneale, Matthew. ENGLISH PASSENGERS. London: Hamish Hamilton Ltd., 2000. First British edition (true first). Fine book in a Fine dustjacket. Short-listed for the 2000 BOOKER PRIZE, and winner of the 2000 WHITBREAD AWARD for Novel of the Year! SIGNED by the author on the title page! U.S. $125.00.

Lowry, Lois (Illustrated by deGroat, Diane). ALL ABOUT SAM. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1988. First edition. Tiny bump to back upper corner, else Fine book in a Near Fine dustjacket (touch of extremity wear/rubbing. Not price-clipped). Anastasia’s Krupnik’s little brother, Sam, finally gets his own story! From the Horn Book collection of review copies (slip not included) and stamped as such on the FFEP! SIGNED by the author on the title page! U.S. $50.00.

Lowry, Lois (Illustrated by deGroat, Diane). ANASTASIA AT YOUR SERVICE. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1982. First edition. Very Near Fine book (hint of wear to spine tail) in like dustjacket (with mild spine tail wear. Not price-clipped). SIGNED BY BOTH THE AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATOR! U.S. $80.00.

Lowry, Lois. ANASTASIA KRUPNIK. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1979. First edition. Very Good (+) book (mild extremity wear; bumping to spine tail, with barest bruise to back lower corner; and two short, stray pen marks to page one) in a Very Good (-) dustjacket (extremity wear; a few short, closed tears; and medium-sized chips to corners and spine edges [up to 8mm paper loss to head and 5mm to tail]. Not price-clipped). The scarce first book in the series about Anastasia and Sam! From the Horn Book collection of review copies (slip not included) and stamped as such on the FFEP! SIGNED by the author on the title page! U.S. $125.00.

Lowry, Lois. GATHERING BLUE. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 2000. First edition. Spine tail bumping, else Fine book in a Fine dustjacket. SIGNED by the author on the title page! U.S. $45.00.

Lowry, Lois. NUMBER THE STARS. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1989. First edition. Very Near Fine book (slight softening of spine head edge; trace wear) in like dustjacket (trace wear. Not price-clipped). WINNER of the 1990 National Jewish Book Award, the 1990 Sidney Taylor Award, and the 1990 NEWBERY MEDAL! From the Horn Book collection of review copies and stamped as such on the FFEP! (Review slip laid in.) SIGNED by the author on the title page! U.S. $275.00.

Masters, Edgar Lee. SERPENT IN THE WILDERNESS. New York: Sheldon Dick, l933. Quarto. First edition, manuscript issue (contains a full holographic page of the original manuscript), limited to 84 numbered copies (out of a total limited edition of 400 numbered copies). Very Near Fine book (small stain to back of holographic page, which apparently was acquired PRIOR to being bound into the book [there is NO staining on the delicate glassine page immediately adjacent to the stain]) in a Near Fine glassine dustjacket (a few short nicks/tears and age-associated tanning, but no other edgewear). Comes with the original box and box lid (lid is tanned, with paper torn from the underlying cardboard at one corner. Box would be in almost perfect condition, except that the prior owner removed one side to allow the book to be "slipped" in and out instead of lifted). SIGNED by the author on the colophon page! U.S. $400.00.

Masters, Edgar Lee. SPOON RIVER ANTHOLOGY. New York: Macmillan, 1915. First edition, first issue. Very Good to Very Good (+) book (minimal-to-mild edgewear at head/tail corners, hinge edges, and spine edges, as well as minimal wear along the hinges themselves. The spine edges are bumped, and the front upper corner bears a tiny bump. There are several small areas of subtle lightening on the front board [rubbing/spotting?]; otherwise, the cloth is not torn, faded, or soiled, and the gilding is well-preserved. The interior is clean and tight. An ownership signature [lovely writing from a bygone day] graces the FFEP.) A desirable copy. U.S. $495.00.

McCourt, Frank. 'TIS: A MEMOIR. New York: Scribner, 1999. First trade edition. Fine book in a Fine dustjacket. Continuation (sequel) of the Pulitzer-Prize winning novel "Angela's Ashes." SIGNED by the author on the title page! U.S. $50.00.

Mori, Kyoko. SHIZUKO'S DAUGHTER. New York: Henry Holt and Company, Inc., 1993. First edition. Fine book in a Fine dustjacket. Author's first novel: An ALA Best Book for Young Adults, it has also received notice as a Bulletin Blue Ribbon, Horn Book Fanfare, and New York Times Notable book. REVIEW COPY, with slip laid in. U.S. $35.00.

Naidoo, Beverley. CHAIN OF FIRE. London: Collins, 1989. First British edition (true first, preceding the U.S. edition by one year). Fine book in a Fine dustjacket. A sequel to Journey to Jo'burg. Short-listed for the 1989 Smarties Prize for Children's Books and the 1990 Carnegie Medal; cited on the American Library Association’s 1991 list of Best Books for Young Adults; and WINNER of the Netherland’s 1991 'Vlag en Wimpel' Award. SIGNED by the author on the title page! U.S. $90.00.

Naidoo, Beverley. NO TURNING BACK. New York: Harper Collins, 1997. First U.S. Edition. Fine book in a Fine dustjacket. Short-listed for the 1995 Smarties Prize for Children's Books and the 1996 Guardian Children's Fiction Award; one of the Book Trust 100 Best Books for 1997; an International Reading Association Teachers' Choice for 1998; and WINNER of the 1998 Josette Frank Award (Child Study Children's Book Committee Award) and the 1998 African Studies Association Children's Book Award for Older Readers. SIGNED by the author on the title page! U.S. $50.00.

Naidoo, Beverley. THE OTHER SIDE OF TRUTH. New York: Harper Collins, 2001. First U.S., and first hardcover, edition (was a PBO in the UK). Very Near Fine book (slight bumping) in a Fine dustjacket. WINNER OF THE 2000 CARNEGIE MEDAL. (Beat The Amber Spyglass by Pullman!) SIGNED by the author on the title page! (Scarce in true first printing, and rarer still signed.) U.S. $120.00.

Palliser, Marcus. MATTHEW'S PRIZE. London: William Heinemann, 1999. First British edition (no U.S. edition at this time). Fine book in a Fine dustjacket. Author's first book! A maritime adventure novel of the late 17th century involving pirates, slave traders, sea battles, and "a young man's quest for justice." U.S. $50.00.

Peck, Richard. A YEAR DOWN YONDER. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers (Penguin Putnam), 2000. First edition. Fine book in a Fine dustjacket. Sequel to the 1999 Newbery Honor Book A LONG WAY FROM CHICAGO, and WINNER of the 2001 John NEWBERRY Medal! U.S. $45.00.

Pham, Andrew X. CATFISH AND MANDALA. Catfish and Mandala. New York: FSG, 1999. First edition. Fine book (shallow linear ding to front board) in a Fine dustjacket. "A poignant, lyrical tale of an American odyssey--a solo bicycle voyage around the Pacific Rim to Vietnam--made by a young Vietnamese-American man in pursuit of both his adopted homeland and his forsaken fatherland." Named as co-winner of the 1999 Kiriyama Pacific Rim Book Prize (along with Three-Legged Horse by Cheng Ch’ing-Wen). SIGNED by the author on the title page! U.S. $50.00.

Rapp, Adam. THE BUFFALO TREE. Arden, N.C.: Front Street, 1997. First edition. Fine book in a Fine dustjacket. Story of a boy's struggle to survive juvenile detention with his spirit intact. Told in extraordinarily vivid language. Author's second novel: nominated for a National Book Award and chosen to be a 1997 Best Book by the School Library Journal. U.S. $35.00.

Salzman, Mark. IRON & SILK. London: Hamish Hamilton, 1986. First British edition (MUCH less common than the U.S. edition). Near Fine book (star stamp to textblock tail [remainder mark?]; touch of finger soil to FFEP) in a Near Fine dustjacket (small laminate lift/erosion to back panel head edge [does not involve the underlying paper]; and small area of rubbing to laminate, back panel tail. Not price-clipped). Author's DEBUT novel, and basis for the movie of the same name. SIGNED by the author on the title page! U.S. $100.00.

Salzman, Mark. THE LAUGHING SUTRA: A Novel. New York: Random House, 1991. First edition. Fine book in a Fine dustjacket. SIGNED by the author on the title page! U.S. $50.00.

Schneider, Mical. BETWEEN THE DRAGON AND THE EAGLE. Minneapolis: Carolrhoda Books, Inc., 1997. First edition. Fine book in a Fine dustjacket.  Follows the adventures of a caravan from China to Rome along the perilous Silk Road. (For juveniles or children of any age!) Fun read. U.S. $35.00.

Smedvig, Caroline [editor]. SEIJI: AN INTIMATE PORTRAIT OF SEIJI OZAWA, Music Director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1998. First edition. Fine book in a Fine dustjacket. Introduction by John Williams. Photographs by Lincoln Russell, who has SIGNED the title page! U.S. $45.00.

Villasenor, Victor. RAIN OF GOLD. New York: Dell Publishing (a Laurel Trade paperback), 1992. First edition: Advanced Reading Copy (ARC). Very Near Fine book (barest hint of edgewear, but with a tiny fleck to the back hinge edges. No Jacket, as Issued. Boldly SIGNED by the author on the title page! U.S. $45.00.

Voltaire, Francois Marie Arouet de. CANDIDE. New York: Random House, 1928. First edition thus. (First limited edition, #332 of 1470, of the first book by Random House, preceding the trade edition.) Near Fine book without dustjacket (age darkening vs sunning of edges and spine, with mild rubbing of gilt on pictorial front board). Signed TWICE by the illustrator, Rockwell Kent. (Autographed on the "limited edition" page and inscribed on the second front free end paper, "To _____ by the illustrator...." U.S. $425.00.

Wodehouse, P.G. VERY GOOD, JEEVES. Garden City, New York: Doubleday, Doran & Company, Inc., 1930. First U.S. edition (true first). Very Good book in a Very Good (+) or better dustjacket. GENERICALLY INSCRIBED by the author on the FFEP, and dated in the year of publication! U.S. $1,750.00.

Wooding. Chris. THE HAUNTING OF ALAIZABEL CRAY. London: Scholastic, 2001. First British edition (true first). Fine book in a Fine dustjacket. A CARNEGIE AWARD nominee, and WINNER of the SMARTIES Book Prize Silver Medal (age 9-11 category). Scarce! U.S. $100.00.

Woodruff, Elvira. THE ORPHAN OF ELLIS ISLAND. New York: Scholastic Press, 1997. First edition. Fine book in a Near Fine dustjacket (3 mm closed tear to back board tail; mild scuffing which "disappears" under the jacket protector. Not price-clipped). Poignant story of an orphan granted the opportunity of meeting his own relatives in the past. Unaccountably scarce in first printing. U.S. $45.00.