Raskin, Ellen. The Westing Game. New York: E.P. Dutton, 1978.
Summary:
This fast paced suspenseful mystery revolves around a group of people who are selected to occupy apartments in a newly constructed high rise apartment building. These people all have a connection to the mysterious Samuel Westing who disappeared many years prior to the story. One of the tenants of the apartment builidng, a young girl, discovers Westing's corpse in his deserted mansion, and the mystery begins there. All of the tenants of the apartment building are invited to the old Westing mansion and are given clues which will supposedly lead them to the death of Westing, as well as a substantial inheritance. Throughout their efforts to solve the puzzle, the characters find out that nobody is who they seem to be, and eventually only one person is able to correctly solve the mystery.
My Impressions:
This book is excellently written and put together. The mystery appeals to children, as one of the characters who stands out the most is a young girl who is lives in the shadow of her older sister. The young reader will be able to identify with this girl, who ultimately is the only one who puts the clues together in order to solve the mystery of Samuel Westing's death. The book does not go above the reading level of most children, but does not appear completely childlike in its plot. Added in with the cleverly written plot is humor that children will enjoy. On the whole, this book was an excellent choice for the Newbury award, as it proves to be a good piece of children's literature that holds appeal for young readers.
Suggestions for the use of this book:
This book would be excellent to recommend to any child who shows an interest in puzzles, riddles, or mysteries. This would also be a good book to aid young readers in doing character analyses, as the characters in this book are easy to analyze.
Reviews:
Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices. Review of The Westing Game, by Ellen Raskin. 2003.
Turtle Wexler isn't the kind of child who turns down a dare. A chance to earn two dollars a minute for venturing into the deserted Westing house appeals to her mercenary instincts (her quick calculation shows that a mere 25 minutes inside the house would cover a subscription to The Wall Street Journal). The corpse that Turtle discovers mid-dare marks her entry into The Westing Game, in which sixteen unlikely individuals vie for the opportunity to inherit the deceased man's fortune. Winner of the 1979 Newbery Medal, Ellen Raskin's timeless mystery is an intricate construction of clues, wordplay, dead ends, and last minute surprises. More than a clever puzzle, the interactions of the potential heirs offer insight into relationships, love, differences, and tolerance.
Freedman, Russell. Lincoln: A Photobiography. New York: Clarion Books, 1987.
Summary:
This biography of Abraham Lincoln, as the title and genre suggest, provides an account of Lincoln's life through the use of both narrative and contemporary photographs and prints. The book covers Lincoln's life from his humble birth, to his stormy presidency, and finally to his now famous assassination. Also included in the book, are samples of Lincoln's speeches and writings, as well as a list of historic places associated with Lincoln.
My Impressions:
This is an excellent biography to recommend to a young reader. The combined use of narrative and photographs makes the life of Abraham Lincoln come to life for the reader. In addition, the narrative is not written in such a way that it would be over the head of its intended reading level, nor does the narrative talk down to children as some other biographies do. This book allows the young reader to easily understand and follow Lincoln's life, as well as visualize it.
Suggestions for the use of this book:
This would be an excellent book to recommend to a child who either has difficulty reading or does not enjoy reading as the photographs would make it easier for a child to visualize what they cannot understand or do not wish to read about. In addition, this book could be used to recommend to a child doing a school report on Lincoln, and of course could be used in any lesson about Abraham Lincoln.
Reviews:
Review of Lincoln: A Photobiography, by Russell Freedman. Booklist, December 15, 1987.
Loved, revered, idealized, ``more books have been written about Abraham Lincoln than any other American.'' In a calm, unemotional style Freedman seeks to dispense with the romanticized folk-hero imagery and misconceptions; for example, he notes that the long ``freeze'' exposure photography process of the time, which resulted in stiff and formal poses, never did justice to the real Lincoln. The author points out that while Lincoln was witty and talkative in company he rarely betrayed his inner feelings and was never fully understood by even his closest friends. Freedman traces Lincoln's early years and study of law and comments on his fierce ambition to rise above his log-cabin origins. The harsh emotional pain, melancholy, and depression endured by Lincoln and his wife Mary throughout their lives are also made clear. The antidote Lincoln so frequently used his wit and rollicking humor is seen in sharp contrast, making the accomplishments of this complex man all the more awe-inspiring. Following the account of the presidential/war years and assassination, Freedman includes a sampler of quotations from Lincoln's writings and speeches and a listing of historic sites. This eminently well-researched photo biography is outstanding; the man, his times, and his contemporaries are compellingly portrayed.
Weischedel, Elaine Fort. Review of Lincoln: A Photobiography, by Russell Freedman. School Library Journal, December 1, 1987.
Few, if any, of the many books written for children about Lincoln can compare with Freedman's contribution. More than 80 photographs and prints illustrate the crisp and informative text. The pictures have been well-placed to coordinate with the text; captions have been written with care as well. While many of the photographs are well-known, many less familiar pictures are also included. Freedman begins by contrasting the Lincoln of legend to the Lincoln of fact. His childhood, self-education, early business ventures, and entry into politics comprise the first half of the book, with the rest of the text covering his presidency and assassination. Freedman's extensive research is apparent in the liberal use he makes of quotations from original sources (letters, contemporary newspaper articles, etc.). Freedman makes clear the controversy and vilification that Lincoln engendered and endured during his presidency. A listing of historic sites open to the public and a sampler of wise and witty excerpts from Lincoln's writings complete the book. Well-organized and well-written, this is an outstanding example of what (juvenile) biography can be. Like Lincoln himself, it stands head and shoulders above its competition.
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