# Is "Journey to an 800 Number" by E.L. Konigsburg a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Journey to an 800 Number by E.L. Konigsburg (Atheneum, 1982) is identified by: Atheneum first edition, New York, 1982 (ISBN 0-689-30901-5), identified by 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page — the Atheneum convention through 1986, which used a stated-edition line rather than a number key — together with a first-issue dust jacket retaining its printed price. The US Atheneum edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Atheneum first edition, New York, 1982 (ISBN 0-689-30901-5), identified by 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page — the Atheneum convention through 1986, which used a stated-edition line rather than a number key — together with a first-issue dust jacket retaining its printed price
- Publisher imprint reads Atheneum
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | E.L. Konigsburg |
| Publisher | Atheneum |
| Year | 1982 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | Atheneum first edition, New York, 1982 (ISBN 0-689-30901-5), identified by 'First… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Atheneum first edition, New York, 1982 (ISBN 0-689-30901-5), identified by 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page — the Atheneum convention through 1986, which used a stated-edition line rather than a number key — together with a first-issue dust jacket retaining its printed price.

## Is this the true first?
The US Atheneum edition is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club printings lack the dust-jacket price and typically omit the 'First Edition' statement carried on the trade first's copyright page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Journey to an 800 Number* by E.L. Konigsburg a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/journey-to-an-800-number
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.