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Rare & Classic, American or English Literature Books for Sale Online
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First edition of Crockett Johnson's Harold and the Purple Crayon; inscribed by Johnson to close friend and fellow Children's Book author and illustrator Maurice Sendak
JOHNSON, Crockett. [Maurice Sendak].
Harold and the Purple Crayon.
New York: Harper & Brothers, 1955.
First edition, first issue of the first book in Crockett Johnson’s charming Harold series, first issue with "30-60" and "No. 5671A" to the front flap of the dust jacket. 12 mo, original cloth, illustrated. Association copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper to fellow children's book author and illustrator Maurice Sendak, "To Maury, with fond regards, Crockett Johnson." The recipient, Maurice Sendak, is best known for his immensely popular illustrated children's book, Where the Wild Things Are, which was awarded the Caldecott Medal in 1964 and gained him international fame. Sendak, Johnson, and Johnson's wife Ruth Krauss…
Price: $40,000.00 Item Number: 135433
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"If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?": Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures In Wonderland; inscribed by him
CARROLL, Lewis. [Charles Lutwidge Dodgson].
Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland.
London: MacMillan and Co, 1879.
Early edition with sixty-second thousand stated on the title page of this classic work, boldly inscribed by the author on the half-title page, "Edith Mary Alice Berkeley from the Author, May 15/80." Octavo, original cloth, gilt titles to the spine, all edges gilt, publisher's cloth s, all edges gilt, housed in a modern scarlet morocco slipcase and chemise. 7 1/8 x 4 1/2 inches (18 x 12 cm); 192 pp., [2] pp. ads, half-title; electrotyped frontispiece, and 42 illustrations from the woodcuts by Dalziel after John Tenniel. In near fine condition. From the library of actor William E. Self, with his book…
Price: $25,000.00 Item Number: 142979
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"Matilda said, "Never do anything by halves if you want to get away with it. Be outrageous. Go the whole hog. Make sure everything you do is so completely crazy it's unbelievable...": First Edition Of Roald Dahls Beloved Book Matilda; Signed by Him and Legendary Artist Quentin Blake
DAHL, Roald; Illustrated by Quentin Blake.
Matilda.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1988.
First British edition of Dahl’s popular story of a young girl, her genius, and her indifferent parents. Octavo, original cloth, illustrated. Boldly signed by Roald Dahl and illustrator Quentin Blake on the half-title page. Fine in a near fine dust jacket. Illustrated by Quentin Blake. Rare and desirable signed by both Dahl and Blake.
Price: $12,500.00 Item Number: 138289
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“Those who don't believe in magic will never find it": First Edition of BFG; Signed by Roald Dahl and Illustrator Quentin Blake
DAHL, Roald; Illustrated by Quentin Blake.
The BFG: Illustrations by Quentin Blake.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1982.
First edition of this Dahl classic, which has sold over 20 million copies. Octavo, original cloth, illustrated by Quentin Blake. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the front pastedown, "Nicola Love Roald Dahl." Additionally inscribed by the illustrator Quentin Blake opposite Dahl's inscription. Fine in a near fine dust jacket. Uncommon signed by both Dahl and Blake.
Price: $9,800.00 Item Number: 109358
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First Edition of Watership Down; Inscribed by Richard Adams
ADAMS, Richard.
Watership Down.
London: Rex Collings, 1972.
First edition of the author's first and most beloved work. Octavo, original brown cloth, folding map. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author withing two months of the publication date on the front free endpaper, "To Jessie and Derek Hinrich with best wishes from Richard Adams January 1973." Fine in a fine dust jacket. The nicest example we have ever seen.
Price: $8,800.00 Item Number: 143483
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First edition of C.S. Lewis' Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia; with an autograph note signed by him to his PhD Student at Cambridge, Anthony Spearing
LEWIS, C.S.
Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia.
London: Geoffrey Bles, 1951.
First edition of the second book in Lewis' beloved Narnia series. Octavo, original cloth, cartographic endpapers, illustrated by Pauline Baynes. With an autograph note signed by C.S. Lewis to his PhD student at Cambridge, Anthony Spearing. On Lewis' Magdalene College, Cambridge letterhead, the note reads in full, "5th Nov. 57 Dear Mr. Spearing, I gather I have been inflicted as you as a "superior" so I suppose we out to meet. Wd. next Friday at 12 suit you? Don't bother replying if it would. Yours sincerely C. S. Lewis." The recipient of the letter, Anthony Spearing was assigned to report…
Price: $8,200.00 Item Number: 135229
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"Animals don't behave like men,' he said. 'If they have to fight, they fight; and if they have to kill they kill. But they don't sit down and set their wits to work to devise ways of spoiling other creatures' lives and hurting them. They have dignity and animality": First Edition of Watership Down; Signed by Richard Adams
ADAMS, Richard.
Watership Down.
London: Rex Collings, 1972.
First edition of the author's first and most beloved work. Octavo, original brown cloth, folding map. Boldly signed the author on the title page, "Yours sincerely Richard Adams." Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box by Asprey. An exceptional example, uncommon signed.
Price: $6,000.00 Item Number: 136602
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“Those who don't believe in magic will never find it": Roald Dahl's BFG; Warmly Inscribed by Him
DAHL, Roald; Illustrated by Quentin Blake.
The BFG: Illustrations by Quentin Blake.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1982.
First edition, early printing of this Dahl classic, which has sold over 20 million copies. Octavo, original cloth, illustrated by Quentin Blake. Boldly signed by the author on the half-title page, "with love Roald Dahl April, 1989." Near fine in a near fine dust jacket, bookplate.
Price: $5,500.00 Item Number: 130928
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"Matilda said, "Never do anything by halves if you want to get away with it. Be outrageous. Go the whole hog. Make sure everything you do is so completely crazy it's unbelievable...": First Edition Of Roald Dahls Beloved Book Matilda; Warmly Inscribed by Him
DAHL, Roald; Illustrated by Quentin Blake.
Matilda.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1988.
First British edition of Dahl’s popular story of a young girl, her genius, and her indifferent parents. Octavo, original cloth, illustrated. Presentation copy, boldly inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, "Andrew Love Roald Dahl." Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Illustrated by Quentin Blake.
Price: $4,800.00 Item Number: 143009
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"You'll never catch fish in McElligot's Pool!": First Edition, First Issue of McElligot's Pool; Inscribed by Dr. Seuss
SEUSS, Dr. [Theodor Geisel].
McElligot’s Pool.
New York: Random House, 1947.
First edition with the 250/250 price on the front flap as well as the $2.50 price added to the rear flap (state 'c') of the first Dr. Seuss title to feature full-color art on every other page. Quarto, original cloth, pictorial endpapers, illustrated throughout. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author, "For Mrs. Haye with very kindest regards- Dr. Seuss." Near fine in a near fine dust jacket with light rubbing and wear. Uncommon signed and inscribed.
Price: $4,500.00 Item Number: 87546
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“It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be": First Edition of Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire; Signed by J.K. Rowling
ROWLING, J.K.
Harry Potter and the Goblet Of Fire.
London: Bloombsbury, 2000.
First British edition of Rowling’s fourth book in the Harry Potter series. Octavo, original illustrated boards. Boldly signed by J.K. Rowling on the title page. Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Cover illustration by Giles Greenfield. Cover design by Richard Horne.
Price: $3,500.00 Item Number: 141803
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“Those who don't believe in magic will never find it": Roald Dahl's BFG; Inscribed by Him and signed by Famed illustrator Quentin Blake
DAHL, Roald; Illustrated by Quentin Blake.
The BFG: Illustrations by Quentin Blake.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1982.
First edition, early printing of this Dahl classic, which has sold over 20 million copies. Octavo, original cloth, illustrated by Quentin Blake. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the half-title page, "Love Doug Roald Dahl 1984." Additionally signed by Quentin Blake below. Near fine in a near fine dust jacket.
Price: $3,200.00 Item Number: 142114
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"When you look for the bad in mankind expecting to find it, you surely will": Rare First Edition of Eleanor H. Porter's Pollyanna; Inscribed by Actress Hayley Mills
PORTER, Eleanor H. [Hayley Mills].
Pollyanna.
Boston: L.C. Page & Company, 1913.
First edition of Eleanor H. Porter's classic of children's literature. Octavo, original cloth, engraved frontispiece, illustrated by Stockton Mulford. Inscribed by actress Hayley Mills. Mills starred in the 1960 movie adaptation Pollyanna, alongside Jane Wyman, Karl Malden, and Richard Egan in a story about a cheerful orphan changing the outlook of a small town. The film won Hayley Mills an Academy Juvenile Award. In very good condition. Rare and desirable signed.
Price: $2,800.00 Item Number: 138834
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"And there the wicked old witch stayed for a good long time." "And did she ever come out?" "Not yet": First Edition of Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West; Lengthily Signed by Gregory Maguire
MAGUIRE, Gregory.
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.
New York: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc, 1995.
First edition of Gregory Maguire’s immensely popular reinvention of Oz. Octavo, original illustrated boards, cartographic endpapers. Lengthily signed by the author on the half-title page, "And then the wicked old witch stayed for a good long time." "And did she ever come out?" "Not yet." Gregory Maguire." Fine in a fine dust jacket. Illustrations by Douglas Smith. Jacket design by Joel Avirom. An exceptional example.
Price: $1,250.00 Item Number: 144224
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"No spots are too hard for a hat cat like me!": The Cat in the Hat comes Back; Inscribed by Dr. Seuss
SEUSS, Dr. [Theodor Geisel].
The Cat in the Hat Comes Back.
New York: Beginner Books: A Division of Random House, 1958.
Early printing of the sequel of Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat. Octavo, original illustrated boards, pictorial endpapers. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author opposite the title page, "For Aaron Samuel congratulations and Best Wishes! Dr. Seuss." Near fine in a good dust jacket with rubbing and wear.
Price: $1,250.00 Item Number: 144491
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“The secret of life', he said, 'is to become very very good at somethin' that's very very 'ard to do": First Edition of Roald Dahl's The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More; Warmly Inscribed by Him
DAHL, Roald.
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1977.
First edition of this collection of seven short stories by the author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Octavo, original cloth, illustrated. Presentation copy, boldly inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, "To John + Shana Love Roald Dahl." Fine in a near fine dust jacket. Jacket design by Susan Shields. Photograph by Sophie Baker.
Price: $1,250.00 Item Number: 143005
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"But for a dog That kept its head": Ludwig Bemelmans Madeline's Rescue; Signed by Him
BEMELMANS, Ludwig.
Madeline’s Rescue.
London: Andre Deutsch/Derek Verscholyle, 1957.
First British edition, early printing of the second book in the Madeline series, which went on to win the Caldecott Medal. Thin quarto, original cloth, illustrated throughout. Boldly signed by Ludwig Bemelmans on the half-title page. In near fine condition.
Price: $975.00 Item Number: 114234