Ellen Raskin - The Westing Game: A Puzzle Mystery

A children's mystery classic, Ellen Raskin's The Westing Game is a remarkable whodunit, with a likable cast of characters and a complicated and enjoyable storyline.

Sixteen heirs are brought together by the will of an odd and quirky millionaire by the name of Samuel Westing. What these characters have in common, and why they were chosen is the ultimate mystery of the book, but wrapped up in this is the fortune itself, which can be won only by deciphering the one-word clues each set of heirs is given at the will's reading.

From this comes an adventure that was as enjoyable to me at age 6 as it is now. The book, with funny (I have some true laugh out loud moments upon every read), appealing (albeit mildly stereotyped and somewhat cartoonish) characters, is an enthralling mystery and a quick and enjoyable read.

Children, I imagine, will relate as I did to Turtle Wexler, the youngest (and possibly the smartest) potential heir, either with her smarts or her annoying traits is up to the reader. However there are also other characters to enjoy, and the situations they often find themselves in lead to interesting and often laugh-out-loud interactions.

As it was first copyrighted in 1978, this book is only beginning now to slightly show its age a little in the storyline, but not so much that it should be alien to new young readers of the tale. (Anyone who can should get their hands on the book on CD with the reading done by Jeff Woodman - it's a lot of fun to listen to).

Touted as a puzzle mystery, the main 'selling point', if you will, of the novel is that it allows the reader insight into all of the clues, something that is not an initial privilege of any of the characters. This allows readers to be empowered to solve the mystery themselves, an interesting plot element that has caused, according to one reviewer, this novel to be featured as part of their math class, and a definitely alluring approach for junior sleuths out there.

Among these characters are a cook, a doctor, a seamstress, an athlete, a bookie, a thief, a bomber, and, of course, a murderer. The plot is very intricate, but since it is anchored in these wonderfully detailed characters it is still quite easy to follow along (I first read this when I was about 6 years old and have been a fan ever since). Still, the humor is such that even at age 20-something blah blah blah :) I still find myself laughing at these jokes and jabs.

Raskin is adept at presenting an ensemble cast that rivals the best Robert Altman film in its twists and turns, comedic elements, quirky character intricacies, and a deviously clever conclusion. At a mere 196 pages, this is well worth a read.

Additional resources:
Thinkquest created a cute website based on the Westing heirs - you can roll over the windows of Sunset Towers to view various facts, and meet the heirs.
http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0214945/

The Global Book Club has suggested creative activities parents can do with children based on the books.
http://www.ncsu.edu/globalbookclub/westing.html

Teacher's Guide with suggested activities, vocabulary words, and questions.
http://www.nt.net/~torino/wgame.html