Ellen Raskin (March 13, 1928 – August 8, 1984) was an American children's writer and illustrator.
In 2012 The Westing Game was ranked number nine all-time among children's novels in a survey published by School Library Journal, a monthly with a primarily-U.S.
Among other things, she designed more than 1000 dust jackets for books, including the first edition of Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time, the 1963 Newbery Medal winner.
[1][6] Raskin died at the age of 56 on August 8, 1984, in New York City, as a result of a connective-tissue disease.
[2] At the age of 17, Raskin entered the University of Wisconsin with the intention of majoring in journalism.