Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Scholastic Inc.
Pages
215
Description
Puzzle-crazy, twelve-year-old Winston and his ten-year-old sister Katie find themselves involved in a dangerous mystery involving a hidden ring. Puzzles for the reader to solve are included throughout the text.
Description
Winston Breen finds puzzles everywhere, even on pizzas, and solving them is what he does best. But when his sister uncovers mysterious wooden strips with words and letters that even Winston can't figure out, the entire family is obsessed. It turns out the strips are part of a scavenger hunt that a town patriarch set up for his children. If all four sets are put together, they will lead to a ring worth thousands of dollars.
Cooperating seems like a no-brainer to Winston, but to solve the puzzle, the group has to overcome mysterious threats, mutual mistrust, 25-yearold clues, and participants who will do anything to keep the treasure for themselves.
Chock full of puzzles to solve, some involving the mystery and others Winston runs into along the way, this treasure hunt will keep readers challenged right to the end.
Cooperating seems like a no-brainer to Winston, but to solve the puzzle, the group has to overcome mysterious threats, mutual mistrust, 25-yearold clues, and participants who will do anything to keep the treasure for themselves.
Chock full of puzzles to solve, some involving the mystery and others Winston runs into along the way, this treasure hunt will keep readers challenged right to the end.
Collection
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2007
Physical description
215 p.; 7.6 inches
ISBN
0545111196 / 9780545111195
Similar in this library
Lexile
610L
User reviews
LibraryThing member 530nm330hz
It was a lot of fun; he did a great job of integrating the puzzles into the story, which itself was engaging and well-written. Even if you just plan to skip over the puzzles and read it for the narrative, you won't be disappointed. Unless you really wanted to read Hamlet. Although Hamlet doesn't
(Disclaimer: I know Eric through the National Puzzlers' League)
Show More
have pizza.(Disclaimer: I know Eric through the National Puzzlers' League)
Show Less
LibraryThing member bkladyatl
Winston Breen loves solving puzzles but when he gives his sister a decorative box for her birthday, she finds a hidden puzzle. One that Winston can't solve on his own. Teaming up with two treasure hunters, the town librarian, and ex-cop, Winston and his sister become involved in a real life
Show More
treasure hunt. Show Less
LibraryThing member sonyagreen
I picked this up because I'm reading to 5th graders at a local school. I wanted to read them something GOOD, and this story has a lot of puzzles to do along the way. I'm not sure if it has enough read-aloud zazz, but I'll read it through.
LibraryThing member educ318
Think "The DaVinci Code" for middle school readers and you'll have a pretty good idea of how this novel works. However, unlike "DaVinci Code" or "National Treasure," you won't have to be well versed in the arcana of cryptography, art history and the Catholic Church to enjoy it. All you need is a
Show More
mind that takes pleasure in logic puzzles and Encyclopedia Brown. Lots of fun. Show Less
LibraryThing member bunnyjadwiga
If you like puzzles, this is worth it just for the puzzles scattered throughout. The characterization makes Scooby-Doo look well-developed, and Breen is an amusing entry into crowd of Harry Reed, Encyclopedia Brown, et al.
LibraryThing member molliekay
Predictable, but still enjoyable. The puzzles were fun and weren't necessary to solve in order to enjoy the book. I'd recommend this for a boy who didn't want to read The Red Blazer Girls series or any child who likes mysteries.
LibraryThing member winnithepooh
Eric Berlin's The Puzzling World of Winston Breen thought of an interesting way to present puzzles.
The author tries to give detail about the setting's surrounding's. Also in some of the puzzles were drawn out to should clearly what the puzzle is exactly.
The book starts out with Winston's sister
As the story goes on, the book advances into many more areas that they discover. When they are standing in the intersections looking at the four corner houses, the author describes the situation so well it's almost as you are there going along with the treasure hunt. Also when Zach Dilmer had the gun to Winston's head, it almost seemed as if you can hear the trigger being pulled.
I recommend this book to any puzzle lovers as I am one myself. If you like a good mystery tied in with a bit of adventure this is the book for you! Don't let your friends say it's boring read it if want to! I for one was not discouraged by my fellow peers telling me that this book was boring, it was one of the best I ever read.
The author tries to give detail about the setting's surrounding's. Also in some of the puzzles were drawn out to should clearly what the puzzle is exactly.
The book starts out with Winston's sister
Show More
Katie having a birthday party. The party starts out well, near the middle when they were opening gifts a dramatic situation occurs. Winston is stuck with a puzzle and this puzzle is the puzzle that is carried on until the end. Will that puzzle be solved? Maybe, maybe not. As the story goes on, the book advances into many more areas that they discover. When they are standing in the intersections looking at the four corner houses, the author describes the situation so well it's almost as you are there going along with the treasure hunt. Also when Zach Dilmer had the gun to Winston's head, it almost seemed as if you can hear the trigger being pulled.
I recommend this book to any puzzle lovers as I am one myself. If you like a good mystery tied in with a bit of adventure this is the book for you! Don't let your friends say it's boring read it if want to! I for one was not discouraged by my fellow peers telling me that this book was boring, it was one of the best I ever read.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Buella2140
Being a bit of a puzzle freak this book had me quite excited. It is the book version of the Ninentdo DS games of the Professor Layton series. Some of the puzzles help solve the mystery while others do not. Students who enjoy this series and puzzles will enjoy this book and hopefully the sequel
Show More
which is now on my reading list. Show Less
LibraryThing member SoccerDude
Mrs. Lewis’s father hid a ring worth thousands of dollars and gave four strips of wood to each child in the family to find it. The problem is that the four children hate each other and you need all sixteen strips to find the ring. But the kids never got along so they haven’t found the ring yet.
Winston is in it for the puzzle. Winston loves puzzles he couldn’t survive without them. He is going to share part of the end money with Katie (it’s Katie’s money though).
Katie is the owner of one of the batches of wood strips. She feels left out of this because she doesn’t solve any puzzles. She is nice and until later.
North just wants to have some of the treasure. He is not very trustworthy. He has four strips too. He’s nice but treacherous. He is an old treasure hunter.
Glowacka is a selfish and sly man who only wants the treasure all for himself. He has four more strips. He and North have a past together. They were rival treasure hunters.
Marietta is just here to make sure nobody does anything stupid. He doesn’t have any strips and doesn’t want some of the money in the end. He is big and burly. It’s good to be on his nice side. Glowacka is not on his nice side.
I wouldn’t have trusted Glowacka or North at all if I were Winston. I wouldn’t have trusted anybody except myself and Katie.
I recommend this book to mystery and puzzle lovers. This book has puzzles all over it.
Show More
Katie (Winston’s sister) finds four strips in a secret compartment in a box Winston gave her for her b-day. Mrs. Lewis decides to bring herself into the puzzle.Winston is in it for the puzzle. Winston loves puzzles he couldn’t survive without them. He is going to share part of the end money with Katie (it’s Katie’s money though).
Katie is the owner of one of the batches of wood strips. She feels left out of this because she doesn’t solve any puzzles. She is nice and until later.
North just wants to have some of the treasure. He is not very trustworthy. He has four strips too. He’s nice but treacherous. He is an old treasure hunter.
Glowacka is a selfish and sly man who only wants the treasure all for himself. He has four more strips. He and North have a past together. They were rival treasure hunters.
Marietta is just here to make sure nobody does anything stupid. He doesn’t have any strips and doesn’t want some of the money in the end. He is big and burly. It’s good to be on his nice side. Glowacka is not on his nice side.
I wouldn’t have trusted Glowacka or North at all if I were Winston. I wouldn’t have trusted anybody except myself and Katie.
I recommend this book to mystery and puzzle lovers. This book has puzzles all over it.
Show Less
LibraryThing member jfoster_sf
Fun book, especially for kids who love to solve puzzles! Not something I would recommend widely, though.
LibraryThing member librarybrandy
Squeezing in one last book for the year!
Winston loves puzzles. A LOT. Enough so that there are several just dropped into this book, in addition to the ones better integrated into the story. I can see upper-elementary and lower-middle school readers enjoying this mystery, where Winston and his
Winston loves puzzles. A LOT. Enough so that there are several just dropped into this book, in addition to the ones better integrated into the story. I can see upper-elementary and lower-middle school readers enjoying this mystery, where Winston and his
Show More
sister (and a few random thugs and the town's librarian) are searching for treasure. The extraneous puzzles don't slow the story up too much; it's enough that it's important to the character and that's why we're seeing it, but it gives the book a more obvious gimmick than just "hey, a mystery, with ciphers!" Show Less
LibraryThing member Brainannex
A really great series, tailor-made for the kids who like some adventure and puzzling with their reading. Solving the puzzles is usually not integral to the story but it's nice to "play-along." Love to handsell this one.
LibraryThing member lkmuir
Puzzle-crazy, twelve-year-old Winston and his ten-year-old sister Katie find themselves involved in a dangerous mystery involving a hidden ring. Puzzles for the reader to solve are included throughout the text.
LibraryThing member standhenry
An almost-perfect chapter book for kids in 3rd-7th grade. The title character is amusing and has the usual issues...an annoying sister, following directions at home, and hanging out with fun pals. He also has an insatiable urge and ability to solve puzzles. Each chapter has actual puzzles that the
Show More
reader can solve as well, with answers provided in the back of the book. In this first book of three, The Puzzling World of Winston Breen, Winston finds himself in a group of adults trying to find a treasure possibly worth millions. The clues take him around town and interacting with a variety of characters. I was not expecting the ending to become quite so serious, but it wraps up nicely. I'm happy to know there are two more books to read in this series. Show Less
Awards
Georgia Children's Book Award (Finalist — 2010)
Kentucky Bluegrass Award (Nominee — Grades 3-5 — 2010)
Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award (Nominee — 2010)
Sunshine State Young Reader's Award (Nominee — Grades 3-5 — 2010)
Nēnē Award (Nominee — 2011)
Black-Eyed Susan Book Award (Nominee — Grades 4-6 — 2009)
Maud Hart Lovelace Award (Nominee — 2012)
Call number
J4B.Ber