The Westing Game
Author: Ellen Raskin
Age Level: 10+ years
Newberry Award: 1979
What do a judge, a podiatrist, a restauranteur, a dressmaker, and a high-school track star have in common? They are all potential heirs to Sam Westing's fortune. Sam Westing, the industrialist who founded Westing Paper Products Corporation, after a thirteen-year disappearance has finally returned to his mansion on the hill - only to be murdered. Now his heirs have been gathered together for the reading of the will. Each heir is assigned a partner and the teams receive clues that will help them to solve the mystery of who dunnit? Only the pairs who can reach the correct solution in the allotted time will inherit Westing's millions.
I first read this book when I was in fifth grade and I loved it! When I reread it for this review, I happily discovered that this mystery is as entertaining for adults as it is for children. The mystery is cleverly crafted and challenging, leading the reader through several twists and turns before the final solution is revealed. A highlight of this book are the characters and the personal development that they experience over the course of the novel. Knowing that they are important to the reader, Ms. Raskin thankfully provides a brief update on what each of the characters is doing years after the mystery is solved. I would highly recommend this book!
A note to parents and teachers: This book does not lend itself well to being read aloud since it jumps around so much. Also, while the publisher assigns this a targeted age range of 8 years and up, I would suggest that it is more appropriate for 10 years and older.
