# Is "The Arm of the Starfish" by Madeleine L'Engle a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Arm of the Starfish by Madeleine L'Engle (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1965) is identified by: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (Ariel imprint) first edition dated 1965, with the first printing stated on the copyright page. The US Farrar, Straus and Giroux edition (New York), under the Ariel juvenile imprint, is the true first edition; the firm adopted the 'Giroux' name in 1964, so a 1965 first correctly reads FSG.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Farrar, Straus and Giroux (Ariel imprint) first edition dated 1965, with the first printing stated on the copyright page
- Bound in quarter teal cloth over light blue boards, with gilt titling to the spine and a blindstamped starfish device to the front board
- First O'Keefe Family novel, introducing Adam Eddington and Poly (Polly) O'Keefe
- The first-state dust jacket should retain its printed price to the front flap (unclipped)
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Madeleine L'Engle |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
| Year | 1965 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | Farrar, Straus and Giroux (Ariel imprint) first edition dated 1965, with the first printing stated on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Farrar, Straus and Giroux (Ariel imprint) first edition dated 1965, with the first printing stated on the copyright page. Bound in quarter teal cloth over light blue boards, with gilt titling to the spine and a blindstamped starfish device to the front board. First O'Keefe Family novel, introducing Adam Eddington and Poly (Polly) O'Keefe. The first-state dust jacket should retain its printed price to the front flap (unclipped).

## Is this the true first?
The US Farrar, Straus and Giroux edition (New York), under the Ariel juvenile imprint, is the true first edition; the firm adopted the 'Giroux' name in 1964, so a 1965 first correctly reads FSG.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club reprints lack the stated first printing and generally carry no printed jacket price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Arm of the Starfish* by Madeleine L'Engle a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-arm-of-the-starfish
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.