# Is "Because of Winn-Dixie" by Kate DiCamillo a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo (Candlewick Press, 2000) is identified by: DiCamillo's debut novel. US Candlewick first edition, published March 2000.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- DiCamillo's debut novel
- First printing has a complete number line ending in 1 on the copyright page
- Crucially, the first-state dust jacket does NOT display the silver Newbery Honor seal, as the award was announced after publication
- Jacket price intact and unclipped
- Candlewick Press, 2000
- Publisher imprint reads Candlewick Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Kate DiCamillo |
| Publisher | Candlewick Press |
| Year | 2000 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | DiCamillo's debut novel |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
DiCamillo's debut novel. First printing has a complete number line ending in 1 on the copyright page. Crucially, the first-state dust jacket does NOT display the silver Newbery Honor seal, as the award was announced after publication. Jacket price intact and unclipped. Candlewick Press, 2000.

## Is this the true first?
US Candlewick first edition, published March 2000. A debut Newbery Honor novel; true first printings, with a jacket lacking the award seal and a number line ending in 1, are genuinely scarce.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings and later jacket states print the silver Newbery Honor seal onto the dust jacket and advance the number line. Book-club and film tie-in editions differ and are not the true first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Because of Winn-Dixie* by Kate DiCamillo a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/because-of-winn-dixie
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.