# Is "The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin (E. P. Dutton, 1978) is identified by: First edition, first printing, E. US Dutton 1978 is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first printing, E. P. Dutton (New York), 1978
- The copyright page states 'First Edition' and carries the complete number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ending in 1
- Octavo, roughly 185 pages, in pictorial cloth
- The first-state jacket retains the original printed price on the flap and does NOT bear the Newbery Medal seal; the jacket was designed by the author, Ellen Raskin
- Publisher imprint reads E. P. Dutton
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ellen Raskin |
| Publisher | E. P. Dutton |
| Year | 1978 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | First edition, first printing, E. P. Dutton (New York), 1978 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition, first printing, E. P. Dutton (New York), 1978. The copyright page states 'First Edition' and carries the complete number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ending in 1. Octavo, roughly 185 pages, in pictorial cloth. The first-state jacket retains the original printed price on the flap and does NOT bear the Newbery Medal seal; the jacket was designed by the author, Ellen Raskin.

## Is this the true first?
US Dutton 1978 is the true first. The book won the 1979 Newbery Medal.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A number line not ending in 1, or 'Book Club Edition' on the jacket flap with no printed price, indicates a later printing or club edition. Post-award jackets add the Newbery seal.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Westing Game* by Ellen Raskin a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-westing-game
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.