# Is "The Moon by Night" by Madeleine L'Engle a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Moon by Night by Madeleine L'Engle (Farrar, Straus and Company, 1963) is identified by: Farrar, Straus and Company first edition dated 1963, in dust jacket. US Farrar, Straus and Company (New York) is the true first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Farrar, Straus and Company first edition dated 1963, in dust jacket
- Second Austin Family book
- Confirm no later-printing statement
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus and Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Madeleine L'Engle |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Company |
| Year | 1963 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | Farrar, Straus and Company first edition dated 1963, in dust jacket |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Farrar, Straus and Company first edition dated 1963, in dust jacket. Second Austin Family book. Confirm no later-printing statement.

## Is this the true first?
US Farrar, Straus and Company (New York) is the true first edition. The firm's name did not add 'Giroux' until 1964, so a 1963 first correctly reads 'Farrar, Straus and Company.'

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club reprints generally lack a jacket price and first-printing indicators.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Moon by Night* by Madeleine L'Engle a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-moon-by-night
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.