# Is "About the B'nai Bagels" by E.L. Konigsburg a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of About the B'nai Bagels by E.L. Konigsburg (Atheneum, 1969) is identified by: Copyright page states 'First Edition' with no later-printing statement (Atheneum's era-standard method; no number line until the mid-1980s); first-issue jacket bears the original price. US Atheneum first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Atheneum first, 1969
- Copyright page states 'First Edition' with no later-printing statement (Atheneum's era-standard method; no number line until the mid-1980s); first-issue jacket bears the original price
- Publisher imprint reads Atheneum
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | E.L. Konigsburg |
| Publisher | Atheneum |
| Year | 1969 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | Atheneum first, 1969 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Atheneum first, 1969. Copyright page states 'First Edition' with no later-printing statement (Atheneum's era-standard method; no number line until the mid-1980s); first-issue jacket bears the original price.

## Is this the true first?
US Atheneum first. Written and illustrated by Konigsburg; first published by Atheneum in the US.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions lack the original jacket price and may show a period BCE blind stamp on the rear board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *About the B'nai Bagels* by E.L. Konigsburg a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/about-the-bnai-bagels
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.