# Is "Louisiana's Way Home" by Kate DiCamillo a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Louisiana's Way Home by Kate DiCamillo (Candlewick Press, 2018) is identified by: First printing has a complete number line ending in 1 on the copyright page beneath the stated Candlewick Press, 2018 imprint. US Candlewick edition is the true first, published October 2, 2018, from Somerville, Massachusetts (ISBN 978-0-7636-9463-0).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing has a complete number line ending in 1 on the copyright page beneath the stated Candlewick Press, 2018 imprint
- Signed first-edition, first-printing copies are typically autographed flat by DiCamillo to the title page
- Publisher imprint reads Candlewick Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Kate DiCamillo |
| Publisher | Candlewick Press |
| Year | 2018 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | First printing has a complete number line ending in 1 on the copyright page beneath the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First printing has a complete number line ending in 1 on the copyright page beneath the stated Candlewick Press, 2018 imprint. Signed first-edition, first-printing copies are typically autographed flat by DiCamillo to the title page.

## Is this the true first?
US Candlewick edition is the true first, published October 2, 2018, from Somerville, Massachusetts (ISBN 978-0-7636-9463-0). Companion to Raymie Nightingale (the second of the Three Rancheros trilogy).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings advance the number line so the 1 drops off. A Barnes & Noble Exclusive Edition (ISBN 978-1-5362-0730-9) also exists and is a distinct issue, not the trade first printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Louisiana's Way Home* by Kate DiCamillo a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/louisianas-way-home
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.