"The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin
This was one of my favorite books as a child, and one that I bought a copy of as an adult so I could re-read it whenever I was feeling nostalgic for those more laid back days. I think adults would enjoy this book too - its only 192 pages and is geared towards children ages 9 through 12.
The premise of the book is a mysterious figure named Samuel Westing who dies, and brings 16 people together for the reading of the will. These people are strangers to each other, although some of them are families, but have all been named as beneficiaries in the will. But the will turns out to be a contest - a contest to figure out which of the 16 people is Mr. Westing's murderer!
This is an award winning book, winning the Newberry Medal and the Boston Globe/Horn Book award. It was originally published in 1978 - but I think its just as enjoyable now as I did when I first discovered it as a child. This was the last book written by Ellen Raskin, who was also an accomplished artist of book jackets.
I don't want to give away too much of the plot of "The Westing Game" and DEFINITELY don't want to spoil the ending, but if you can get a hold of a copy of this book for your child and yourself, I'd definitely recommend it!
My favorite things about this book:
- The puzzles the characters have to solve throughout the book are real mind-teasers, and you find yourself trying to figure it out yourself.
- The wordplay and mysterious characters that pop up during the story leaving you wondering, how things are connected.
- The characters are such a diverse group of people, from a young bright girl named Turtle, to an Asian family, to a simple doorman. What do these people have in common, and why would Mr. Westing want to leave his estate to one of them? Or even more important, why would one of them want to kill him?
Are you familiar with the author, Ellen Raskin, and her other works?
If not, check out the Wikipedia article and you might find other great books to enjoy!
Ellen Ermingard Raskin (March 13, 1928 - August 8, 1984) was an American writer, illustrator and fashion designer. She was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and grew up during the Great Depression. Primarily a children's author, she received the 1979 Newbery Medal for her 1978 book, The Westing Game and a 1975 Newbery Honor for her 1974 book Figgs & Phantoms.
Ms. Raskin was also an accomplished graphic artist. She designed dozens of dust jackets for books for 15 years including the first edition of Madeleine L'Engle's classic A Wrinkle in Time.
She married Dennis Flanagan, editor of Scientific American, in 1965.
Raskin died at the age of 56 on August 8, 1984 in New York City due to complications from a connective-tissue disease.
You can buy a copy of The Westing Game book or movie at Amazon
The Westing Game (Puffin Modern Classics)
Amazon Price: $6.99 (as of 01/03/2010) 
The Westing Game
Amazon Price: (as of 01/03/2010)
The Westing Game
Amazon Price: (as of 01/03/2010)
Get a Clue
Amazon Price: (as of 01/03/2010)
More copies are available on eBay
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Here are some links to more information about The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
- The Westing Game
- Audio recordings of Ms. Raskin talking about her writing
- The Westing Game Summary
- The Westing Game summary with 90 pages of encyclopedia entries, essays, summaries, research information, and more.
NOTE: May include spoilers!
Did you read "The Westing Game" growing up? If not, go ahead and read it now!
or recommend it to your children
I know you'll enjoy the puzzles and mystery as much as I did.
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Reply
- LindaJM LindaJM Jul 10, 2008 @ 3:36 pm
- Great summary of this book . . . yes, I've read it and love it! I'm lensrolling this to my Newbery Medal lenses (I have a series of ten of them) and will make this the featured lens on my main Newbery Medal lens during August 2008, where I'm featuring one Newbery book monthly.
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Reply
- LindaJM LindaJM Jul 10, 2008 @ 3:36 pm
- Great summary of this book . . . yes, I've read it and love it! I'm lensrolling this to my Newbery Medal lenses (I have a series of ten of them) and will make this the featured lens on my main Newbery Medal lens during August 2008, where I'm featuring one Newbery book monthly.
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Reply
- GypsyPirate GypsyPirate Jan 3, 2008 @ 8:16 pm
- I hadn't read this book before, but am now intrigued and am putting it on my "To Read" list. Great lens!
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- acautrell acautrell Nov 28, 2007 @ 4:14 pm
- I used to love this book! Thanks for bringing back memories!
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- Janice2you Janice2you Oct 5, 2007 @ 11:19 am
- This is the only mystery I ever LOVED. Well worth reading.
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by katiyana
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