The Westing Game
About
Sixteen game players, heirs to Sam Westing's fabulous fortune, are all suspected of his murder. This book is part mystery story, part play-along game, and part do-it-yourself puzzle.
Read one section at a time, then discuss the questions to review understanding. These questions are a starting place for conversation, not a complete test of the chapter.
Chapter 1
Comprehension questions
Summarize the introduction to this story.
Page 1 — A mysterious salesman rented six apartments to previously chosen tenants in one day on Lake Michigan; some tenants were honest working people and others were fit for prison and one was a mistake
1
Chapter 2
Comprehension questions
What deal did Turtle make? Do you think it was a mistake? $2 for each minute she stayed in the Westing house;
Page 8 — listen to your child’s answer; two high school boys went in and ran out; one ran off a cliff and died and the other had warm blood on his hands and is in the insane asylum
8
Describe Chris.
Page 8 — He has an ailment; sits and looks out the window; observant; smart; waiting for his brother, Theo, to bring him food from the cafe they own; close to his brother and trusts him
8
Chapter 3
Comprehension questions
What did most everyone notice in this chapter?
Page 10 — Smoke coming out of the Westing house chimney
10
List a character and why they’re intriguing. Turtle Wexler, Flora Baumbach, Doug Hoo, Sandy McSouthers, Judge Ford, Chris or Theo, Sydelle Pulaski;
Listen to your child’s answer
Chapter 4
Comprehension questions
Summarize this chapter.
Page 16 — Turtle went into the Westing house and lasted 12 minutes; she saw a dead body and read in the paper that it was Samuel Westing; the beneficiaries to the Westing estate
16
Chapter 5
Comprehension questions
What did everyone gather for in this chapter?
Page 22 — The meeting to go over Westing’s will
22
Chapter 6
Comprehension questions
Summarize what the will said.
Page 28 — Sam Westing was murdered, and he knows who it is; the other heirs need to figure out who it is so Sam can rest in peace
28
Chapter 7
Comprehension questions
Who would you want to be paired with if you were playing? Why?
Listen to your child’s answer
Chapter 8
Comprehension questions
Why was someone after Sydelle’s short hand notes?
Page 52 — She took them at the meeting; they will know what was said
52
Chapter 9
Comprehension questions
Why was Turtle’s mom nice to her?
Page 56 — So she’d share her clues
56
Why did Mr. Hoo decide to go to the party?
Page 57 — People may share their clues
57
Chapter 10
Comprehension questions
Why is Angela so upset in this chapter?
Page 59 — She’s tired of being what everyone else wants her to be; she isn’t able to be herself
59
Chapter 11
Comprehension questions
What did the characters learn in this chapter?
Page 64 — Turtle’s real name; why her mother nicknamed her Turtle; Sydelle’s shorthand notes are written in Polish
64
Chapter 12
Comprehension questions
Why are people’s prized possessions missing?
Page 70 — There’s a burglar in the building
70
Why would Westing include a burglar in the game?
Listen to your child’s answer
Chapter 13
Comprehension questions
Define what a bookie is.
A bookie, short or slang for “bookmaker,” is someone who facilitates gambling, most commonly on sporting events. A bookie sets odds, accepts and places bets, and pays out winnings on behalf of other people.
Who do you think is planting the bombs? Why?
Listen to your child’s answer
Chapter 14
Comprehension questions
Do you know where the phrase, “may God thy gold refine” comes from?
Page 86 — Listen to your child’s answer
86
Chapter 15
Comprehension questions
Why did Turtle always have a radio playing and an ear plug in?
To listen to the stocks
Why did she care so much about the stock market?
Page 88 — She thought that’s what Samuel Westing wanted them to do with the money he gave them
88
Who is George Theodorakis?
Page 94 — Theo and Chris’s father; he loved Violet Westing, but she couldn’t marry him
94
Chapter 16
Comprehension questions
Why did Angela think Turtle was lucky?
Page 96 — She could do and be whoever she wanted
96
What observation did Chris make that connects Otis to the Westings?
Page 99 — He limps
99
Do you think Angela was the bomber?
Listen to your child’s answer
What incriminating evidence do you think Turtle took from Angela’s bag?
Listen to your child’s answer
Chapter 17
Comprehension questions
Who do people think could be the murderer? Why?
Page 103 — Otis; their questions lead back to him
103
Chapter 18
Comprehension questions
Explain what happened to Flora’s daughter.
Page 106 — She has disabilities and died of pneumonia at 19 years old
106
What’s happening to each pair as they work together?
Page 113 — They’re starting to become friends and help each other
113
Chapter 19
Comprehension questions
What mistake did Westing make? Explain.
Page 119 — At the beginning of the story one person was invited to live at the tower but they were a mistake. Westing invited Sydelle Pulaski instead of Sybil
119
Chapter 20
Comprehension questions
What philosophy about this game do the judge and Sandy have?
Page 123 — Westing’s out to punish one of the heirs
123
What do they know about Mrs. Westing?
Page 124 — Not much, but that she was forcing her daughter to marry a crooked politician and decided to kill herself
124
Chapter 21
Comprehension questions
What’s the judge’s connection to Sam Westing?
Page 127 — Her parents worked for him and she grew up in the Westing house; she played chess with Westing and he insulted her; he paid for her education and she never repaid him back
127
What has Sydelle figured out at the end of the chapter?
Page 133 — What the clues mean; the clues are the song America, the Beautiful
133
Chapter 22
Comprehension questions
Who is the burglar? Why?
Page 134 — Madame Hoo; to get money to go back to China
134
Why is Crow scared to go to the meeting at the Westing house?
Page 141 — She knows she’s in danger
141
Who does Sandy and the judge think Crow is?
Page 141 — Mrs. Westing
141
Who do they think Otis is? Do you think they’re correct? Sam Westing;
Page 141 — listen to your child’s answer
141
Chapter 23
Comprehension questions
Why do you think Sandy glared at Crow in this chapter?
Page 148 — Listen to your child’s answer
148
Who gave herself up as the murderer?
Page 155 — Crow
155
Chapter 24
Comprehension questions
Do you think Sandy is really dead?
Listen to your child’s answer
Predict what’s going to happen.
Listen to your child’s answer
Chapter 26
Comprehension questions
Predict who the fourth person is Sam Westing impersonated.
Listen to your child’s answer
Chapter 27
Comprehension questions
What did Turtle need to do to win?
Page 174 — Show up at the fourth persons home, Dr. Eastman; all of Westing’s pretend names included a direction
174
Chapter 28
Comprehension questions
Who got married in this chapter?
Page 176 — Crow and Otis
176
Which character is getting help from the judge paying for their education?
Page 177 — Chris
177
Chapter 29
Comprehension questions
Summarize this chapter.
Page 179 — The heirs all arrive at a party to honor Doug who won an Olympic gold medal. There were updates given for each character
179
Chapter 30
Comprehension questions
What’s the conclusion of this story?
Page 182 — Turtle never told anyone she won the prize and who Julian Eastman really was; she married Theo, they didn’t have children due to the possibility of passing on what Chris has; Julian, or Sandy, dies of old age and Turtle hurries home from the funeral to spend time with her niece Alice
182
Downloads
All the book’s resources, or just the ones you need, ready to read or print.
Worksheets
Practice sheets with space to write your answers.
Download one reading section
A small printout with all the resources for the selected section.
