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22nd out of 100 books
—
145 voters
The Puzzling World of Winston Breen
by
Eric Berlin (Goodreads Author)
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, t...more
Hardcover, 224 pages
Published
September 20th 2007
by Putnam Juvenile
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The Puzzling World of Winston Breen
By Eric Berlin
240 pages
Winston Breen is a puzzle lover. One day, when he buys a box for his sister, Winston finds four wooden peices with words written on them. Winston couldn't figure out what the words mean't. He later finds out that some other people also have four wooden peices. They already knew that with all of the peices combined would tell them where the buried treasure would be. So Winston joins a group of people and try to find treasure. But someone...more
By Eric Berlin
240 pages
Winston Breen is a puzzle lover. One day, when he buys a box for his sister, Winston finds four wooden peices with words written on them. Winston couldn't figure out what the words mean't. He later finds out that some other people also have four wooden peices. They already knew that with all of the peices combined would tell them where the buried treasure would be. So Winston joins a group of people and try to find treasure. But someone...more
Move over Encyclopedia Brown there is a new detective on the block, Winston Breen puzzle genius.
Winston Breen is a 12 year old puzzle aficionado. He breathes, eats, and sleeps puzzles. He sees puzzles in the oddest places like on a piece of wrapping paper or on a pizza. Oddly enough the biggest puzzle he has ever come across is one that he did not know was there.
Winston buys a last minute birthday gift for his 10 year old sister at his favorite store, Penrose’s Curio Shop. Used to his puzzling...more
Winston Breen is a 12 year old puzzle aficionado. He breathes, eats, and sleeps puzzles. He sees puzzles in the oddest places like on a piece of wrapping paper or on a pizza. Oddly enough the biggest puzzle he has ever come across is one that he did not know was there.
Winston buys a last minute birthday gift for his 10 year old sister at his favorite store, Penrose’s Curio Shop. Used to his puzzling...more
I enjoyed The Puzzling World of Winston Breen. The main story revolves around Winston (about 11-12yrs old) who loves solving puzzles of all kinds. He purchases an antique keepsake box for his 10-year-old sister Katie. When she opens the gift Katie discovers a secret compartment containing four puzzle pieces. Winston and his sister are drawn into a puzzle which becomes a real-life treasure hunt.
They must search for a treasure along with several other adults (and some help from Winston’s two best...more
They must search for a treasure along with several other adults (and some help from Winston’s two best...more
Winston loves puzzles! He can look at almost anthing and make it into a puzzle. He even made his sisters last birthday prensent a puzzle. This year she gets a little suspicious on her birthday when winston gives her her birthday prenset. Kate's present his a small box though Winston insists there is no hidden puzzle she won;t let in. She fells around in the box to find a secret compartment with wooden strips with random letters on them. Winston and kae agreed t share the puzzle. One day at a bas...more
Winston Breen loves puzzles...any and all kinds of puzzles! He loves them so much, he gives presents that require solving puzzles to find them. Unfortunately, his family does not share in his enthusiam. So, when his kid sister, Katie's birthday rolls around, he decides to merely give her a present. He finds a beautifully carved decorative box at a secondhand store to put 'girly things' into. Katie's puzzled, 'where's the puzzle?' she wants to know. Lo and behold, she finds one, even though Winst...more
Jun 24, 2010
Ilona
added it
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I thoroughly enjoyed this treasure hunt caper, despite being horrible at puzzles! I'm slightly embarrassed to admit that I couldn't figure out the answers to all the puzzles in the book, but that didn't take away from how much fun it was to read. Kids who enjoy puzzles and mysteries will enjoy this book. Highly recommend. Kudos to Eric Berlin on his first novel.
My only criticism is that technology doesn't really play a role in finding the answers to the puzzles. When the characters are sitting a...more
My only criticism is that technology doesn't really play a role in finding the answers to the puzzles. When the characters are sitting a...more
I immediately liked the main character, Winston Breen. It was fun for me to do the puzzles, because I'm sort of like Winston. Most of the puzzles don't have to do with the plot, they're just fun and challenging and help you think logically. It helps you see that there are puzzles everywhere! These puzzles are worked into the book but you don't have to stop and solve them right away if you want to keep reading; it won't give the answer away. There are answers, though, at the back of the book. Som...more
I loved this book! The main character is a boy who loves to solve puzzles (middle school I think)...well, this one puzzle takes him & his friends on a treasure hunt...there are puzzles in the book for the reader to solve themselves, or if they are like me, you can flip to page 214 and find the answer...at the beginning of the book they even give you a website that you can go do and print the puzzles out so that you can write on them (instead of writing in the book) to solve them...it was so...more
The Puzzling World of Winston Breen by Eric Berlin is about puzzle, puzzles, and more puzzles. Winston is a puzzle fanatic, and when his sister finds puzzle pieces in a secret compartment in her birthday gift, they are sent on a wild treasure hunt having to do with the town librarian, wooden strips, and of course puzzles! But finding the treasure is the biggest problem right now. Someone has been threatening the librarian and wants the treasure. Winston must help solve the puzzles and figure out...more
Winston has always loved puzzles of any kind—-he’ll even look for them in the patterns on discarded wrapping paper or the slices of a pizza. When he and his sister join up with the town librarian and a couple of professional treasure hunters to try to solve the treasure hunt puzzle left by the town’s founder, though, Winston gets a little more than he bargained for.
This was a fun book, reminiscent of Anderson’s 'The Last Treasure,' and kids who like puzzles will gobble it up. It’s full of the pu...more
This was a fun book, reminiscent of Anderson’s 'The Last Treasure,' and kids who like puzzles will gobble it up. It’s full of the pu...more
I should feel ashamed for reading young adult fiction, but how can I when all the books are so good?! This one was so much fun I immediately recommended to my cousin for her kids. While I'm not sure how many kids are as puzzle minded as Winston, the brain teasers in here are just as challenging for adults I think, and it's fun to have the option of stopping reading to do a little game anyway. I just finished the Westing Game before this one and while that was funnier and harder overall, this one...more
Nov 27, 2010
Mr. Steve
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
great-for-kids,
mystery
I felt as though this was a good mystery, in an interesting format with all of the puzzles. It would be an easy book to book talk and there are probably 5 or 10 kids right off the bat that I know would really like this book.
From a library standpoint, the issue I have with the book is that there are several instances throughout where the reader is encouraged to complete a puzzle. Some of the puzzles are to solve on scrap pieces of paper but others - such as crosswords - would encourage the reade...more
From a library standpoint, the issue I have with the book is that there are several instances throughout where the reader is encouraged to complete a puzzle. Some of the puzzles are to solve on scrap pieces of paper but others - such as crosswords - would encourage the reade...more
I love this book starring a puzzle nut, Winston Breen, who is enlisted to find a treasure with the assistance of his sister, a librarian, two shady characters, an ex-cop, and a reporter. This is the first in a series; the second, The Potato Chip Puzzles, is also fun. What's unique about these is that the puzzles Winston enjoys are all included in the book (word puzzles, crosswords, interesting math conundrums) with the answers in the back, and you have the option to solve them or not as you read...more
If you like puzzles then you will enjoy this book. Winston finds himself in the middle of a real treasure hunt with his sister, the librarian, and a couple of guys. The story has puzzles that need to be solved as well as extra puzzles to solve. The answers are in the back of the book for those like me who don't want to figure it out :)
There is mystery, adventure, and using your brain in this book. There are print out options online of the puzzles so you don't have to write in the book. I thought...more
There is mystery, adventure, and using your brain in this book. There are print out options online of the puzzles so you don't have to write in the book. I thought...more
Plot: Winston buys a last minuete birthday present for his sister. The present is a fancy box. Opening the box Winston's sister discover a false bottom in which four puzzle tiles with words have been hid. Winston, a master puzzle solver, can't make anything out of the words until he discovers that other people have more of the tiles. Winston, his sister, and the others have to join forces to solve the puzzle and begin a treasure hunt for a missing ring.
A very different book. This book contains p...more
A very different book. This book contains p...more
Winston loves puzzles--solving them and creating them. As far back as he can remember, he's been doing all types of puzzles. In fact, the first puzzle we receive in the book is one he made up using a scrap of wrapping paper from his sister's birthday (Berlin includes answers at the back of the book). The bulk of the story revolves around what Winston gives his sister Katie for her birthday--a unique wooden box which has a false bottom (discovered by Katie) and four puzzle pieces hidden inside. E...more
Perfect for fans of The Westing Game or Chasing Vermeer, this mystery story is all about puzzles. Winston Breen is a young puzzle enthusiast. He's always looking for puzzles in the world around him and exchanging puzzles with his friends. So when he gives his sister Katie a wooden box for her birthday and she finds four wooden sticks with random words on them hidden in the box's false bottom, everyone has a hard time believing that Winston didn't leave that puzzle there for her. The fact is, he...more
This thrilling mysteryfest that kept me turning pages and sitting at the edge of my seat most of the time. The puzzles are skippable (and have answers in the back) if you really hate puzzles, but as someone who is not that good at puzzles I found myself wanting to try my hand at these creatively designed brain twisters and suggest you do the same. I can almost guarantee that if you love the thrills, adventure, tricks, traps and excitement of The Goonies, you will love this book.
This is a summer read I didn't think I'd like too much since it involves puzzles (word, number, what have you) and I'm not a big puzzling fan. I don't even like Wheel of Fortune. I'm more of a Jeopardy! trivia type guy. There are kids who will and do love this and this book is for them! A mystery, which is full of puzzles to work out (all the answers are provided in the back, so you can read it straight through or pause for a while and work in the puzzles). The sequel is out and is on order.
Ok. I liked it. To be honest, school was starting back up, I had already had the book checked out from the library for a week, I didn't think I would get it finished before it was due, so I considered just returning the book. by page 40, I was hooked. I found the puzzles challenging and the storyline fast paced. I could relate the the sibling rivalry between Winston and his sister, Katie. A very good story. Now, I will have to get the second book and see if it is a good!
One of my favorite video games is Professor Layton and the Curious Village. I haven't found any other game like that and I was so happy when I discovered these books. They remind me a lot of games in the fact that you are on a discovery while you solve puzzles. The book is great even if you do not solve the puzzles but the puzzles give you a little extra twist. There are not very many books like this and it is a great addition to the juvenile fiction genre.
Lots of mystery and puzzles. For late elementary or maybe middle school. While the puzzles are interesting, sometimes they got in the way of the story. There were also a lot of characters to keep straight and for the most part, all the characters were together in the action. That being said, the story made sense and the twist at the end was follow through to clues earlier on. Great for kids who already like these puzzling mystery kids of stories.
The Puzzling World of Winston Breen is a book by Eric Berlin and it is about a boy named Winston Breen. Winston loves puzzles and can solve any puzzle that comes his way but when he stumbles upon four wooden pieces that came in his sister's birthday present, he doesn't know how to solve it. Afterwards, a man comes and talks to him and shows him four wooden pieces that look like the same he has. The man explains to him that there are four sets of wooden pieces and that there is a treasure.
Nov 30, 2008
Tamsyn
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommended to Tamsyn by:
Sherry Guice
Shelves:
entertaining-reads,
mystery
This was fun, especially if you like to solve puzzles of all sorts -- the book is chock-full of them. Winston inadvertently stumbles onto a clue left 25 years earlier by a man for each of his four children, in an effort to get them to work together and share -- things they never did growing up. All but one of the children have died, and others have heard about the "treasure" and hope to solve the mystery. Winston brings all the players together, and the clues lead to others. I'll definitely be o...more
This is a great book for 9-12 year olds! Winston sees puzzles everywhere (wrapping paper designs, pizza toppings, etc.) and challenges the readers to see if he or she can solve them as well. And while the puzzles aren't integral to the plot, they do make for fun asides. The plot itself revolves around a decades old mystery that Winston, his sister, and their friends must solve. This is a wonderful book for all readers!
Feb 04, 2011
Anyelika
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Anyone who likes puzzle,mysteries,and maybe even a bit of drama
Recommended to Anyelika by:
No one
LOVED THIS BOOK! <333 At first I was a little confused about everything that was going on(NO. I WAS NOT LOST AT ALL. JUST A LITTLE CONFUSED)but I quickly picked up,went through the book,and found it very,very interesting. I can't remember which book it was but I think it was this one where the ending ended very.....I CAN'T EVEN PUT IT INTO WORDS! I guess you'll have to read the book to find out for yourself ;D
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Winston Breene loves puzzles and he enjoys finding puzzles in everyday things. But when he finds a puzzle in the birthday gift he bought his little sister, he gets pulled along on a whirlwind adventure of mystery, excitement, and of course puzzles. But someone doesn't want him or his group to solve the mystery or puzzles.
This book is full of puzzles and a thrill to read at any age.
This book is full of puzzles and a thrill to read at any age.
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 mind that takes pleasure in logic puzzles and Encyclopedia Brown. Lots of fun.
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