Author Post

Ellen Raskin


1. The title Ellen Raskin had originally decided was Eight Imperfect Pairs of Heirs. She later changed it to The Westing Game. (Raskin)

2. She recieved a Newberry Medal and Banta Award for the Westing Game. (Raskin, Ellen Biography - S9.com)

3. In 1979 The Westing Game won a Newberry Award for distinguished writing for children. (The Westing Game)

4. Raskin always designed the title page for each of her books (The Westing Game)

5. She was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on March 13, 1928 (The Westing Game)

6. Raskin described herself as self-critical, running scared, and compulsive perfectionist. (The Westing Game)

7. She entered the University of Wisconsin-Madison at the age of seventeen. (The Westing Game)

8. Ellen Raskin had one daughter named Susan (The Westing Game)

9. When Raskin and her sister were little, they would act out the lives of many different characters. (The Westing Game)

10. She has designed and illustrated more than 1000 book jackets. (The Westing Game)

To find out more information on Ellen Raskin click here.

Works Cited

Raskin, Ellen. The Westing Game. New York: Penguin USA, 2000. Print.


"Raskin, Ellen Biography - S9.com." Biographical Dictionary - S9.com. Web. 21 Apr. 2010. .

"The Westing Game." UW-Madison School of Education. Web. 22 Apr. 2010. .

Clues

Group 1:
Madame Sun Lin Hoo
-She was the burglar. She stole all those things to get money to go back to China. Later in the story, she changes her name to Sunny, and finally makes her trip to China. Sunny comes back to America to carry on the business started by Mr. Hoo.
Jake Wexler
- Gave up both of his private practices. He had been appointed consultant to the governor's inquiry panel for a state lottery
Clues:
OF
AMERICA
AND
GOD
ABOVE

Goup 2:
Turtle Wexler
-Had a master's degree in business administration, an advanced degree in corporate law, and had served two years as legal counsel to the Westing Paper Products corporation. She had made one million dollars in the stock market, lost it all, then had made five million more. She won the Westing Game, because she found Julian R. Eastman who was really Samuel Westing. She never told anyone that she knew about Julian R. Eastman. Was there when he died. Got married to Theo Theodorakis
Flora Baumbach
-Made the wedding gown for Violet Westing. Turtle was like a daughter to her.
Clues:
SEA
MOUNTAIN
AM
O

Group 3:
Christos Theodorakis-
-Saw Dr. Sikes walking out of the Westing Mantion on halloween night. Judge Ford paid for his education just like Samuel had paid for hers. Got married to Shirley Staver. Him and his wife teach ornithology at the university, both are professors. Discovered a new subspecies in South America.
D. Denton Deere
- Said that Sandy McSouthers did not have plastic surgery, this helped prove that Sandy was Samuel Westing in disguise. Also said that the bruise Sandy had on his shin was from Turtle, which also proves that Sandy was Barney Northrup. Got married to Angela Wexler, they have a daughter named Alice.
Clues:
FOR
PLAIN
GRAIN
SEED

Group 4:
Alexander (Sandy) McSouthers
-The doorman at Sunset Towers. Was really Samuel Westing in disguise. Was paired with J.J. Ford because he knew that the judge would not have him investigated. Turtle found him as Julian R. Eastman. She was also there when he died.
J.J. Ford
-Samuel Westing had paid for her education. She did not have Sandy McSouthers investigated. She had signed for two ten-thousand dollar checks to be given to Sandy. At the last meeting Samuel Westing had a note for Judge Ford saying that her debt was repaid. She paid for Chris Theodorakis' education. She later became a judge on the United States Circuit Court of Appeals.
Clues:
SKIES
OF
SHINING
BROTHER

Group 5:
Grace Windsor Wexler
- Related to Windy Windkloppel, who was really Samuel Westing. Owns a chain restaurant of chinese food. Her restaurant became popular because a lot of sports figures ate there.
James Shin Hoo
-Sued Sara Westing for the invention of the disposable paper diaper. Samuel Westing gave him the idea for paper innersoles. Became an inventor. His wife Sunny took over the business after he died.
Clues:
FRUITED
PURPLE
WAVES
FOR
SEA

Group 6:
Berthe Erica Crow
-Former wife of Samuel Westing. Was the answer to the Westing Game. Got married to Otis Amber.
Otis Amber
-Private Investigator. Was asked by Samuel Westing to keep an eye on Crow. Convinced Crow to play the Westing Game. Got married to Berthe Erica Crow.
Clues:
BEAUTIFUL
MAJESTIES
SHED

Group 7:
Theo Theodorakis
- His Dad and Violet Westing were childhood sweethearts. His family ran the coffee shop that was bombed. Became a journalist. Got married to Turtle Wexler.
Doug Hoo
-Followed Otis Amber all over town. Olympic gold medalist.
Clues:
HIS
N
ON
TO
THEE
FOR

Group 8:
Sydelle Pulaski
-A victim of the bombing incident. Took shorthand notes in Polish. Figured out that the clues went to the song America the Beautiful. Gets married to the President of Shultz Sausages.
Angela Wexler
-The bomber. Her sister takes the blame for the bombs. She gets a tiny scar on her face from pulling the bomb away from Turtle. Goes to medical school. Marries Denton Deere. Has one child named Alice
Clues:
GOOD
GRACE
FROM
HOOD
SPACIOUS

The Queen's Sacrifice:
Samuel Westing's signature move when playing chess. Was also used in the Westing Game with Berthe Erica Crow as the Queen.

Windy Windkloppel- (Samuel Westing, Barney Northrup, Sandy McSouthers, Julian R. Eastman)
Windy Windkloppel: poor, son of immigrants
Samuel Westing: rich, head of a huge paper company
Sandy McSouthers: Doorman at Sunset Towers, disguised as one of the heirs
Barney Northrup: real estate agent for Sunset Towers
In the beginning of The Westing Game. The Samuel Westing in the coffin was a wax figurine made to look like Sam before the accident. Samuel Westing was scarred and would need plastic surgery to look like he did before. Without plastic surgery, Samuel Westing would be able to disguise himself and remain unrecognizable from anyone who knew him before. This let him play Sandy McSouthers and Barney Northrup.

America The Beautiful
All of the clues have the words to America The Beautiful. When they put all the clues together, the missing words spelt out Berthe Erica Crow.

The Fourth
In Samuel Westing's will it says that the one who finds the windfall will be the one who finds the... fourth. Turtle saw this in the will and this is how she came to discover Julian R. Eastman. North (Northrup), East (Eastman), South (McSouthers), West (Westing).

Birthday Candle
Sandy McSouthers had asked if he could buy one of turtle's candles as a birthday present for his wife. The day that the heirs discovered who Samuel Westing really was it was Crow's birthday. This is why the will said Happy Fourth of July, because fireworks went off and Sandy needed the candle to time everything correctly.

Works Cited:
"Raskin, Ellen Biography - S9.com." Biographical Dictionary - S9.com. Web. 21 Apr. 2010. .

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