# Is "Sounder" by William H. Armstrong (illus. James Barkley) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Sounder by William H. Armstrong (illus. James Barkley) (Harper & Row, 1969) is identified by: First edition, Harper & Row, 1969, with James Barkley illustrations. United States true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, Harper & Row, 1969, with James Barkley illustrations
- The copyright page bears the Harper first-printing alphanumeric code (an 'I-T' style code denoting 1969) and the 1969 copyright
- The first-state jacket retains the original printed price on the flap and does NOT carry the Newbery Medal seal (the award came in 1970)
- Publisher imprint reads Harper & Row
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | William H. Armstrong (illus. James Barkley) |
| Publisher | Harper & Row |
| Year | 1969 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | First edition, Harper & Row, 1969, with James Barkley illustrations |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition, Harper & Row, 1969, with James Barkley illustrations. The copyright page bears the Harper first-printing alphanumeric code (an 'I-T' style code denoting 1969) and the 1969 copyright. The first-state jacket retains the original printed price on the flap and does NOT carry the Newbery Medal seal (the award came in 1970).

## Is this the true first?
United States true first. Awarded the Newbery Medal in 1970, so first-printing jackets predate the seal.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A changed Harper code on the copyright page indicates a later printing. Book-club editions lack the printed price and the publisher code; post-award jackets add the Newbery seal.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Sounder* by William H. Armstrong (illus. James Barkley) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/sounder
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.