Mystery Fiction
The Westing Game

First edition
AuthorEllen Raskin
GenreMystery Fiction
PublisherE. P. Dutton
Publication date1978

What is the style of The Westing Game?

In the tradition of cozy mysteries, the style of The Westing Game is light in tone, jaunty, with a sharp authorial eye on the quirks of its characters. Thus it is a highly accessible, reader-friendly style, and one well-suited for young readers who want a story with a fast-paced plot and memorable characterization.

How is The Westing Game a mystery?

And The Westing Game is a mystery with all the best the genre has to offer—a waxy body in a desolate mansion, a group of possible murders, a family feud, a set of cryptic clues, some explosions, and—oh yeah—$200 million bucks riding on figuring out just whodunnit. But there are more layers—the characters.

Who is the author of the Westing Game?

THE WESTING GAME, originally published in 1978, is a Newberry-winning mystery by accomplished YA novelist Ellen Raskin. The story follows a wild competition for the enormous inheritance of paper-products magnate Sam Westing, who has set up his 16 “heirs” in an apartment complex near the old man’s mansion on a hill on Lake Michigan.

What do parents need to know about the Westing Game?

Parents need to know that The Westing Game is an exciting, gripping, and surprisingly deep whodunit about eccentric millionaire Samuel W. Westing, who has gathered 16 potential heirs to his $200 million estate to compete in a mysterious game to discover who among them murdered him.

When was The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin written?

It reveals what every single character is hiding, as well as what they’re hiding from. Written in 1978 by Ellen Raskin, it won the 1979 Newbery Medal, which is pretty much the best prize you can get in children’s literature. Once you win the Newbery, though, you’re golden; the rest is gravy.

What was the prize for winning the Westing Game?

According to Westing’s will, whichever pair discovers who killed Sam Westing will win 200 million dollars. After the pairs discover that there is a prize for winning the Westing Game, nearly all of the characters become extremely greedy and suspicious of everyone around them.

THE WESTING GAME, originally published in 1978, is a Newberry-winning mystery by accomplished YA novelist Ellen Raskin. The story follows a wild competition for the enormous inheritance of paper-products magnate Sam Westing, who has set up his 16 “heirs” in an apartment complex near the old man’s mansion on a hill on Lake Michigan.

Which is the best study guide for the Westing Game?

Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Ellen Raskin’s The Westing Game. Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world’s best literature guides. A concise biography of Ellen Raskin plus historical and literary context for The Westing Game.

Is the Westing Game a full length mystery?

The Westing Game is first full-length mystery I remember reading. Well, besides Encyclopedia Brown and Nancy Drew books. But the one mystery that I could still have told you general details about the plot. It might have been the cleverness of the mystery or it’s absence of gore.

How many teams are there in the Westing Game?

The Westing Game is about 16 heirs competeing for Sam’s Westing’s inheritance. This book is a clever mystery full of excitement, danger. and suspicion. There are 8 teams, each team has a set of clues and together they must understand them.

Is there a second Westing Game?

The books include two new puzzle mystery novels: The Westing Quest, a sequel to The Westing Game, and A Murder for Macaroni and Cheese, a never-before-seen manuscript nearly completed at the author’s death in 1984.