# Is "A Wrinkle in Time" by Madeleine L'Engle a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (Ariel Books / Farrar, Straus and Cudahy, 1962) is identified by: First edition: Ariel Books (Farrar, Straus & Cudahy), 1962; first-issue dust jacket WITHOUT the Newbery Medal (won 1963), with its printed price, art by Ellen Raskin. US Ariel/FSC is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition: Ariel Books (Farrar, Straus & Cudahy), 1962; first-issue dust jacket WITHOUT the Newbery Medal (won 1963), with its printed price, art by Ellen Raskin
- Copyright page states 'First printing' / no later-printing line; jacket carries 'Cudahy' (the firm became Farrar, Straus & Giroux shortly after)
- Publisher imprint reads Ariel Books / Farrar, Straus and Cudahy
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Madeleine L'Engle |
| Publisher | Ariel Books / Farrar, Straus and Cudahy |
| Year | 1962 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | First edition: Ariel Books (Farrar, Straus & Cudahy), 1962; first-issue dust jacket WITHOUT the Newbery Medal (won 1963), with its printed… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition: Ariel Books (Farrar, Straus & Cudahy), 1962; first-issue dust jacket WITHOUT the Newbery Medal (won 1963), with its printed price, art by Ellen Raskin. Copyright page states 'First printing' / no later-printing line; jacket carries 'Cudahy' (the firm became Farrar, Straus & Giroux shortly after).

## Is this the true first?
US Ariel/FSC is the true first. The pre-Newbery jacket (no medal) plus the printed price Raskin jacket and the 'Cudahy' imprint are the key first-issue markers; relaunch jackets added the Newbery Medal.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions add the Newbery Medal to the jacket, drop the price, and are smaller with a board blind-stamp; later trade printings carry the 'Giroux' imprint and a printing statement.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Wrinkle in Time* by Madeleine L'Engle a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-wrinkle-in-time
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.