Newbery Winner - The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

Module 4: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

Summary: This book is a murder mystery, but not a scary one. Mr. Westing, the paper mills giant dies leaving 16 heirs in his will. Paired together to make eight teams, they must all play a game using clues to figure out who is the murderer. Whoever solves the mystery first will receive all the money left in Mr. Westing's will. However, the clues provided to each team leads them in all directions.  As they search for the suspect, they discover that the people around them are not what they appear to be. When the players think they are defeated, one player continues to investigate, ultimately solving the puzzle.  

My Perspective: The Westing Game is a mystery that most students 10 years old and up would enjoy.  Students can try to predict, infer or draw their own conclusions in this tale. This book was very well written, and a must read.  This was the Newbery Award winner, an ALA notable book, and the winner of the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award.  

Library Application: Hold a month-long mystery library event.  Teachers can read the Westing Game in class.  Library lessons can teach specific comprehension strategies, such as predicting, making inferences, and drawing conclusions. Additional, mini-lessons can be taught that focus on mystery features that include: clues, suspense, foreshadowing, red herrings, and the wild goose chase. (Sharp, C, et. al., 2010).

References:
Raskin, E. (1978). The Westing Game. New York:  Scholastic, Inc.


Sharp, C., Martinez, M., Lowery, R., & Fink, L. (2010). Exploring mystery in fifth grade: A journey of discovery. Voices from the Middle, 17(4), 19-28. Retrieved from UNT ProQuest. https://libproxy.library.unt.edu/login?url=https://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2165/docview/213930022?accountid=7113

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