The Westing Game - by Ellen Raskin

About the Book

The mysterious death of an eccentric millionaire brings together an unlikely assortment of heirs who must uncover the circumstances of his death before they can claim their inheritance.

Book Synopsis

A Newbery Medal Winner

For over thirty-five years, Ellen Raskin's Newbery Medal-winning The Westing Game has been an enduring favorite.

This highly inventive mystery involves sixteen people who are invited to the reading of Samuel W. Westing's will. They could become millionaires-it all depends on how they play the tricky and dangerous Westing game, a game involving blizzards, burglaries, and bombings! Ellen Raskin has created a remarkable cast of characters in a puzzle-knotted, word-twisting plot filled with humor, intrigue, and suspense.

Winner of the Newbery Medal
Winner of the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award
An ALA Notable Book
A School Library Journal One Hundred Books That Shaped the Century

"A supersharp mystery...confoundingly clever, and very funny." --Booklist, starred review

"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

Review Quotes

Praise for The Westing Game
* "A supersharp mystery...confoundingly clever, and very funny." --Booklist, starred review

"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

About the Author

Ellen Raskin was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and grew up during the Great Depression. She was the author of several novels, including the Newbery Medal-winning The Westing Game, the Newbery Honor-winning Figgs & Phantoms, The Tattooed Potato and other clues, and The Mysterious Disappearance of Leon (I Mean Noel). She also wrote and illustrated many picture books and was an accomplished graphic artist. She designed dust jackets for dozens of books, including the first edition of Madeleine L'Engle's classic A Wrinkle in Time. Ms. Raskin died at the age of fifty-six on August 8, 1984, in New York City.