The Westing Game

The Westing Game

By Raskin, Ellen.

(1978). New York: Dutton.

ISBN: 978-525423201

Reading Level: Grade 5

Summary: The Westing Game is no ordinary game. After their eccentric billionaire neighbor Westing dies, the residents of Sunset Towers apartment building are called to the readng of his will. It is here they are all challenged to discover the person who is responsible for his murder, and find out that whoever successfully finds this out will inherit all of his money! Each resident is paired with another in this tricky mystery, which pits neighbors against neighbors and family members on opposite sides. The reader is challenged to figure out who the real murderer is before anyone else gets hurt or dies! Does the mystery get solved? Or are those billions all going to waste.....

Review: The Westing Game is a classic whodunit mystery. In some ways it might prove a bit challenging to some slower readers, simply because the book twists and turns and there are a lot of characters to keep straight. While it is an older book, written in the 1960s, it not dated in its writing style. If a child didn't know outright that it was an older book it would likely take them most of the story to realize that none of the characters were using cell phones or Google. One of the things i liked most about the story was that it really challenged the reader to keep track of the characters and try to figure out the mystery for themselves. I chose this book because it is considered by many to be a classic mystery tale. It was the recipient of the Newbery medal, and has thousands of positive reviews online and in print. It has demonstrated its staying power for the tween genre and as a result deserves to stay as a great example of a mystery for this age group.

Selected Award: Newbery Medal Winner 1979