Book Descriptions
for The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
Turtle Wexler isn’t the kind of child who turns down a dare. A chance to earn two dollars a minute for venturing into the deserted Westing house appeals to her mercenary instincts (her quick calculation shows that a mere 25 minutes inside the house would cover a subscription to The Wall Street Journal ). The corpse that Turtle discovers mid-dare marks her entry into The Westing Game, in which sixteen unlikely individuals vie for the opportunity to inherit the deceased man’s fortune. Winner of the 1979 Newbery Medal, Ellen Raskin’s timeless mystery is an intricate construction of clues, wordplay, dead ends, and last minute surprises. More than a clever puzzle, the interactions of the potential heirs offer insight into relationships, love, differences, and tolerance. This new edition includes a moving tribute to the author in an introduction by Ann Durrell, editor of The Westing Game. (Ages 9–12)
CCBC Choices 2004 . © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2004. Used with permission.
From the Publisher
A Newbery Medal Winner
"A supersharp mystery...confoundingly clever, and very funny." —Booklist, starred review
Winner of the Newbery Medal
Winner of the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award
An ALA Notable Book
"A fascinating medley of word games, disguises, multiple aliases, and subterfuges—a demanding but rewarding book." —The Horn Book
"A supersharp mystery...confoundingly clever, and very funny." —Booklist, starred review
A bizarre chain of events begins when sixteen unlikely people gather for the reading of Samuel W. Westing’s will. And though no one knows why the eccentric, game-loving millionaire has chosen a virtual stranger—and a possible murderer—to inherit his vast fortune, on things for sure: Sam Westing may be dead…but that won’t stop him from playing one last game!
Winner of the Newbery Medal
Winner of the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award
An ALA Notable Book
"Great fun for those who enjoy illusion, word play, or sleight of hand." —The New York Times Book Review
"A fascinating medley of word games, disguises, multiple aliases, and subterfuges—a demanding but rewarding book." —The Horn Book
Publisher description retrieved from Google Books.