How to Identify a Candlewick Press First Edition

How to identify a first printing

• Full descending number line on copyright page; first printing ends in 1 (e.g. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1) — the number-line position of '1' is the authoritative first-printing signal
• Often states 'First edition' or 'First U.S. edition' on the copyright page (Candlewick is the US arm of UK Walker Books, so many titles are 'First U.S. edition' of a prior UK Walker printing)
• Library binding / reinforced trade editions exist; check copyright page number line not binding

Notable points & cautions

• Founded 1992 (Somerville, MA) as the US arm of Walker Books UK; employee/independent-owned
• Major titles: Guess How Much I Love You, the Mega/Maisy line, Kate DiCamillo (Because of Winn-Dixie, Tale of Despereaux — Newbery), Judy Moody, M.T. Anderson
• A US 'First U.S. edition' is NOT the true world first if a Walker Books UK edition preceded it — distinguish first-printing-of-this-edition from first-in-the-world

Imprints

First editions also appear under: Walker Books (UK sister company), Templar Books, Nosy Crow (distributed), Big Picture Press, Candlewick Studio, MIT Kids Press. Each generally follows the house convention above.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if my Candlewick Press book is a first edition?

Check the copyright page. Full descending number line on copyright page; first printing ends in 1 (e.g. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1) — the number-line position of '1' is the authoritative first-printing signal Often states 'First edition' or 'First U.S. edition' on the copyright page (Candlewick is the US arm of UK Walker Books, so many titles are 'First U.S. edition' of a prior UK Walker printing)

Does Candlewick Press use a number line?

Often states 'First edition' or 'First U.S. edition' on the copyright page (Candlewick is the US arm of UK Walker Books, so many titles are 'First U.S. edition' of a prior UK Walker printing)

Is a book-club edition a Candlewick Press first edition?

No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Founded 1992 (Somerville, MA) as the US arm of Walker Books UK; employee/independent-owned

What era does this cover?

This covers Candlewick Press (1992–present). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.