The points of issue
First edition, first printing: Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1958. Date 1958 on both the title page and the copyright page, with no later printing statement. First-state dust jacket has no Newbery Medal seal and no evidence of its removal. Pictorial cloth with illustrated endpapers.
Is this the true first?
US true first. Awarded the Newbery Medal in 1959.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings add a printing statement and post-award jackets carry the Newbery seal. Book-club editions are smaller, on cheaper paper, often marked Book Club Edition on the jacket flap with no price.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Witch of Blackbird Pond a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First edition, first printing: Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1958. Date 1958 on both the title page and the copyright page, with no later printing statement. First-state dust jacket has no Newbery Medal seal and no evidence of its removal. Pictorial cloth with illustrated endpapers.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. US true first. Awarded the Newbery Medal in 1959.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later printings add a printing statement and post-award jackets carry the Newbery seal. Book-club editions are smaller, on cheaper paper, often marked Book Club Edition on the jacket flap with no price.
I have a first edition of The Witch of Blackbird Pond — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.