# Is "Island of the Blue Dolphins" by Scott O'Dell a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell (Houghton Mifflin Company, 1960) is identified by: First edition 1960, Houghton Mifflin (Boston). US Houghton Mifflin 1960 is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition 1960, Houghton Mifflin (Boston)
- First printing: title page and copyright page both dated 1960 with no later-printing statement
- Binding is tan/beige cloth stamped in brown and turquoise (jacket art by Evaline Ness)
- First-state jacket retains the original printed price on the flap, shows no photographer credit on the rear panel, and does NOT bear the Newbery Medal seal
- Publisher imprint reads Houghton Mifflin Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Scott O'Dell |
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin Company |
| Year | 1960 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | First edition 1960, Houghton Mifflin (Boston) |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition 1960, Houghton Mifflin (Boston). First printing: title page and copyright page both dated 1960 with no later-printing statement. Binding is tan/beige cloth stamped in brown and turquoise (jacket art by Evaline Ness). First-state jacket retains the original printed price on the flap, shows no photographer credit on the rear panel, and does NOT bear the Newbery Medal seal.

## Is this the true first?
US Houghton Mifflin 1960 is the true first. Won the 1961 Newbery Medal, so seal-bearing jackets are a later state.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Jackets bearing the Newbery seal are post-award second state. Book-club editions are smaller and unpriced. Houghton later printings add a printing statement to the copyright page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Island of the Blue Dolphins* by Scott O'Dell a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/island-of-the-blue-dolphins
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.