# Is "Throwing Shadows" by E.L. Konigsburg a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Throwing Shadows by E.L. Konigsburg (Atheneum, 1979) is identified by: Atheneum first edition, New York, 1979, with First Edition stated on the copyright page. The US Atheneum edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Atheneum first edition, New York, 1979, with First Edition stated on the copyright page
- Bound in blue cloth with silver lettering to the spine and black endpapers
- The first-issue dust jacket was designed by the author and carries the printed price on the front flap; a price-present jacket is the expected first-state
- A collection of five stories
- Publisher imprint reads Atheneum
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | E.L. Konigsburg |
| Publisher | Atheneum |
| Year | 1979 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | Atheneum first edition, New York, 1979, with First Edition stated on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Atheneum first edition, New York, 1979, with First Edition stated on the copyright page. Bound in blue cloth with silver lettering to the spine and black endpapers. The first-issue dust jacket was designed by the author and carries the printed price on the front flap; a price-present jacket is the expected first-state. A collection of five stories.

## Is this the true first?
The US Atheneum edition is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club printings lack the printed dust-jacket price and typically omit the First Edition statement on the copyright page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Throwing Shadows* by E.L. Konigsburg a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/throwing-shadows
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.