# Is "Tuck Everlasting" by Natalie Babbitt a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1975) is identified by: First printing copyright page states 'First edition, 1975' with no later-printing line. US Farrar, Straus and Giroux 1975 is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing copyright page states 'First edition, 1975' with no later-printing line
- Red cloth stamped in blind on the upper board with gilt spine lettering, top edge stained yellow
- First-issue color pictorial jacket (Babbitt's own art) retains the original printed price
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Natalie Babbitt |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
| Year | 1975 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | First printing copyright page states 'First edition, 1975' with no later-printing line |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing copyright page states 'First edition, 1975' with no later-printing line. Red cloth stamped in blind on the upper board with gilt spine lettering, top edge stained yellow. First-issue color pictorial jacket (Babbitt's own art) retains the original printed price.

## Is this the true first?
US Farrar, Straus and Giroux 1975 is the true first. A modern children's classic; this title is not a Newbery Medal winner, so no medal seal applies.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions omit the 'First edition' statement, may carry a blind-stamp, and have an unpriced or clipped jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Tuck Everlasting* by Natalie Babbitt a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/tuck-everlasting
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.