First edition, first impression, setting copy used for the British edition; 8vo; textual amendments in pencil throughout, slight toning to leaves, literary agent's rubber stamp to front free endpaper; publisher's blue cloth-backed grey and white paper covered boards, gilt lettering to spine, some discoloration to spine ends, faint marks to boards, extremities slightly rubbed, with the unclipped first issue pictorial dust-jacket priced $3.25, without the Newbery Medal to front panel, loss to spine at head and foot, some edge-wear, slight loss to corners, some dust-staining and toning to rear panel, overall a very good copy.
A particularly interesting setting copy of this American classic in the scarce first issue dust-jacket, which gives an excellent insight into the adaptation of the book for the UK market. Internally there is a book stamp for Literary Agents D C Benson & Campbell Thomson Ltd and it is very likely that this copy was used by them to adapt the book for publication in the UK. There are a significant number of spelling amendments, for example the addition of an 's' to 'math' and an 'u' to 'colored', but also adaptations to make the book more readable like the use of 'form mistress' for 'teacher' and the consideration of whether 'the planetary people for Eng. ed. shd. not use American speech.'.