The Westing Game (1978) (edit title/settings)

Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit see section history

Summary edit see section history

Characters edit see section history

• Mr. Woo: An Asian man who has a snappy attitude towards his son. He starts to get along with a sassy lady.
• Samuel W. Westing: Sam Westing was a self-made millionaire until his tragic and mysterious death. Writing a will and leaving his life fortune to his sixteen "Nieces and Nephews" knowing that greed would keep them playing his last game. He is known as Windy Windkloppel and he was married to Berthe Erica Crow.
• D. Denton Deere: Intern, engaged to Angela. May be able to help Chris with an experimental drug. Famous for giving diagnosis even when they aren't called for.
• Angela Wexler: Daughter of Grace and Jake Wexler, sister to Turtle, is going to be married. Said to be the perfect child
• Doug Hoo: Doug is a high school senior who spends much of his spare time running; his dad criticizes him for not studying. His stepmother, however, seems very proud of his accomplishments.
• James Shin Hoo: James is a grumpy man. Having failed at his career as an inventor, he started a restaurant in Sunset Towers that isn't very successful. He doesn't understand his wife or his "dumb jock" of a son. Despite his surly demeanor, though, he does have a caring side, expressed through his practical and ingenious solutions to others' problems. He blames Westing for stealing his inventions (namely the disposable paper diaper) and gaining wealth and fame while Hoo languishes in obscurity.
• Judge J. J. Ford: Judge J.J. Ford is a highly competent judge, intimidating on the bench, choosing to smile only on rare occasions. As the gangly daughter of the Westings's maid, she remembers playing chess with Sam Westing, and losing every time. Also, each time she loses, Westing always insults her. She is determined to win this final game with Sam Westing. Ford is one of the most brilliant players of the Westing game, trying to calculate Westings moves and motives. She is partners with Sandy.
• Sandy McSouthers: Sunset Tower's sprightly doorman is always ready with a smile, a colorful anecdote, or a cheerful tune whistled through his chipped tooth, a memento from brawling in his younger days. He is 62 years old and is a jolly man. He also keeps an eye and an ear out for any bits of information his fellow tenants might drop.
• Otis Amber: Otis, comes across as an uncouth delivery boy, apparently a minor figure in Sunset Tower, but turns out to have hidden depths, such as his working in the local soup kitchen, run by fellow Sunset Tower employee Berthe Erica Crow, and being a licensed private investigator who later becomes an important figure due to being hired by Judge Ford to find out who the 16 heirs really are. He was also hired by Barney Northrup and Sam Westing.
• Berthe Erica Crow: Known to most tenants only as "Crow," this slight, pinched woman serves as a cleaning woman for Sunset Tower. A deeply religious woman, Crow provides food to the indigent at the Good Salvation Soup Kitchen on Skid Row. She is haunted by a tragedy in her past, which leads her to become a curious ally of Angela's. Her ex-husband is Sam Westing.
• Julian R. Eastman: Mr. Eastman is chairman of the board of Westing Paper Products, and takes a keen interest in all of the heirs to Westing's fortune.
• Turtle Wexler: Turtle is the exact pposite of Angela. It is obvious that she is not the favorite child in her family. She is extremely clever and was the only one to figure out who Sam Westing was.
• Sam Westing: Central character, starts the game surrounding his death. Owner of Westing Paper Products. Only daughter is deceased, estranged from wife. He has a big trick up his sleve(s)
• Christos Theodorakis: He is in wheelchair after getting sick with some disease and enjoys to birdwatch. He is the younger brother of Theo, his father owns a restaurant/coffee shop and he is very smart.
• Grace Wexler: Married to Jake, mother to Angela and Turtle. Is a sometime Decorator, ends up working in the Asian restaurant upstairs and is overbearing to say the least.
• The Theodorakis: George and Catherine Theodorakis run the successful coffee shop in Sunset Tower. Catherine is not a significant character in the story, important mostly as a sign of George Theodorakis having moved on from an ill-fated romance in his past that ties him to the Westing family. Theo Theodorakis is George and Catherine's high-school-aged son. He is a nice enough kid, but not probing in his analysis. He often fails to see the real truth behind the obvious facade, as when he misjudges his partner Doug Hoo as nothing but a jock. He takes care of his brother, Chris, but uses his brother's condition as an excuse to not choose a college to go to. Chris (Christos) Theodorakis is a troubled child. Epilepsy has limited his movement and left him with a terrible stutter. Although people think he is dumb, he is very observant and helps his partner, Denton Deere. He also birdwatches. His stutter and general health improves as the book progresses, thanks to a medicine Doctor Deere gives him.
• Madame Hoo: Wife of Mr. Hoo, step mother to Doug. Limited English, wants to go back to China.
• Jake Wexler: Podiatrist, married to Grace, father to Angela & Turtle. Has small office in the building.
• Rosalie: Daughter of Flora Baumbach, deceased. I didn't learn much about her in the book.
• Flora Baumach, also called Baba: Turtle's partner in the game, new to the stock market. Seamstress, is working on Angela's wedding dress.
• George Theodorakis: Father to Chris & Theo, runs diner on the first floor of building.
• Theo Theodorakis: Son to George, brother to Chris. Athletic. Protective of Chris.
• Sydelle Pulaski Schultz: Sydelle is a habitually overlooked person. She decided to fight against the anonymity brought on by her working-class upbringing as the child of immigrants by capitalizing on whatever chance events might bring her attention: her having the only transcript of the will (even though it is in Polish) by dint of her secretarial training; her young, attractive partner; her injury, which she exaggerates by painting her crutches; and her status as a Westing heir itself. Sydelle really becomes injured during the book, however she recovers. She is shown using her crutches, however that was because she had really hurt her ankle on the dance floor, since after the Westing game, she no longer has difficulty with being noticed.
• Violet Westing: Mr. Westing's daughter who drowned.
• Ed Plum: lawyer
• Turtle: Intelligent young teen which is vital in solving the many mysteries within the book.
• Edgar Jennings Plum: Add a description of this character.
• Mr. Theodorakis: The owner of a coffee shop in the apartment building.
• Alice
• Shirley Staver
• Mr. Amber
• Catherine Theodorakis
• Windkloppel
• Alexander McSouthers: Sandy the doorman
• Mr. Plum
• Mother
• Flora Baumbach
• Ezra Ford
• Mrs. Baba
• Mr. McSouthers
• Mr. Schultz
• Mrs. Baumbach
• Grace Windsor Wexler
• Barney Northrup
• Dr. Sidney Sikes
• Mrs. Wexler
• Mrs. Theodorakis
• E. J. Plum
• Flora Baum
• Rosilie

Quotes edit see section history

• “Hi, there, Alice, ready for a game of chess?”

• “And when are you two going to have children?”

• Popular Highlights from Kindle Customers

• A dressmaker, a secretary, an inventor, a doctor, a judge. And, oh yes, one was a bookie, one was a burglar, one was a bomber, and one was a mistake. Barney Northrup had rented one of the apartments to the wrong person.

  Highlighted by 103 Kindle customers

• Theo Theodorakis and Doug Hoo. The small, wiry man pointing to the house on the hill was Otis Amber, the sixty-two-year-old delivery boy.

  Highlighted by 55 Kindle customers

• ELEVENTH • Senseless, you say? Death is senseless yet makes way for the living. Life, too, is senseless unless you know who you are, what you want, and which way the wind blows.

  Highlighted by 51 Kindle customers

• Sydelle Pulaski’s eyes popped open in surprise. Quickly she squeezed them shut and uttered another loud snore. Well, what do you know? Her sweet, saintly partner was the bomber. Good for her!

  Highlighted by 49 Kindle customers

• when he came running out of the Westing house, his hands was dripping with warm, red blood.”

  Highlighted by 47 Kindle customers

• The stocky, broad-shouldered man in the doorman’s uniform, standing with feet spread, fists on hips, was Sandy McSouthers.

  Highlighted by 46 Kindle customers

• She would never take them, not even the gold one, not even if it took her two more years to pay to go back to China. No, she would never take Doug’s medals, and she would never sell that wonderful clock with the mouse who wears gloves and points to the time.

  Highlighted by 44 Kindle customers

• 2 • TURTLE WEXLER, witch FLORA BAUMBACH, dressmaker

  Highlighted by 43 Kindle customers

• 6 • BERTHE ERICA CROW, Good Salvation Soup Kitchen OTIS AMBER, deliverer

  Highlighted by 42 Kindle customers

• 3 • CHRISTOS THEODORAKIS, birdwatcher D. DENTON DEERE, intern, St. Joseph’s Hospital, Department of Plastic Surgery

  Highlighted by 39 Kindle customers

Setting & Locations edit see section history

• Sunset Towers: The 4 story "tower" where no one can see the sunset. (Windows all on 1 side.)
• The Westing House: Home of the Westings
• Lake Michigan: a great lake.
• America
• China
• Westingtown

Organizations edit see section history

• Shin Hoos Resturaunt: A resturaunt started by Shin Hoo.

First Sentence edit see section history

Table of Contents edit see section history

Glossary edit see section history

• Bookie: Someone who makes bets on proffesional sports

Series & Lists edit see section history

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

1. Ellen Raskin (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Awards edit see section history

• Newbery Medal (1979, Winner)
• Boston Globe/Horn Book Award (1978)
• ALA Notable Children's Book (1978)
• Library of Congress Children's book (1978)
• Banta Literary award (1979)
• Horn Book Fanfare (1979)

Notes for Parents edit see section history

Complex plot with TONS of characters.very interesting good book and very well written can be hard to sometimes keep track of characters.Parents and Teachers! Teach a unit on Reading Comprehension using this engaging and lovable book! It's available free (please give credit) here: http://betterlesson.org/unit/5562/reading-comprehension

Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Children's Books › Authors & Illustrators, A-Z › ( R ) › Raskin, Ellen
• Books › Children's Books › Literature › Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror › Mysteries, Espionage, & Detectives
• Books › Children's Books › Ages 9-12

Links to Supplemental Material edit see section history

• The Westing Game: The westing game fan site.
• Unit and Lesson Plans using this book -- BetterLesson.org: A unit to help students understand reading comprehension strategies, designed by an Education Specialist who LOVES this book!

Movie Connections edit see section history

• The Westing Game (IMDb)

More Books Like This edit see section history