# Is "Children of the Mind" by Orson Scott Card a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Children of the Mind by Orson Scott Card (Tor Books, 1996) is identified by: Tor hardcover, August 1996. US Tor hardcover (August 1996) is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Tor hardcover, August 1996
- Copyright page states 'First edition: August 1996' AND carries a full number line running down to 1; the first-edition statement alone is not enough, since later printings can retain it with a shortened number line
- Priced jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Tor Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Orson Scott Card |
| Publisher | Tor Books |
| Year | 1996 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Tor hardcover, August 1996 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Tor hardcover, August 1996. Copyright page states 'First edition: August 1996' AND carries a full number line running down to 1; the first-edition statement alone is not enough, since later printings can retain it with a shortened number line. Priced jacket.

## Is this the true first?
US Tor hardcover (August 1996) is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A Science Fiction Book Club edition exists; club copies lack the jacket price and full number line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Children of the Mind* by Orson Scott Card a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/children-of-the-mind
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.