| Read This Rebus! | |
 | |
| Author | Eric Weiner |
| Illustrator | Lennie Peterson |
| Publication date | 1994 |
| Published by | Bantam |
| ISBN | 978-0553481785 |
| Publication Order | |
| Preceded by Clinton Street Crime Wave |
Followed by Ghost Story |
Read This Rebus! is a title in the Ghostwriter book series, featuring Jamal, Lenni, Alex, Gaby, Tina, and Hector. It is an activity book with puzzles for the reader to solve.
Synopsis[]
The Ghostwriter team solves various types of picture and word puzzles to find their way out of Dr. Doredus’s mansion to receive a prize.
Summary[]
The team has been invited by Dr. Hugh K. Doredus, who is a famous game inventor in Brooklyn. He has created a game of rebuses called Escape! for them in his mansion, with the prize that they will receive free copies of all of his games. They have one hour to complete the game.
The team happily agrees, and Dr. Doredus goes out of the room, and locks it. The team is confused at first, until Ghostwriter notices that the man’s signature on the invitation he had given them and a painting in the room is different. They figure out that the puzzle in the room has word and picture clues, called a rebus.
They solve the puzzle, and move the painting to discover a large, locked safe. Ghostwriter is confused since he cannot see the pictures. Hector describes the pictures to the ghost, and solves the puzzle.
They continue to solve various rebuses and other puzzles and progress through the mansion using different ways, including a moving bed, hidden doors, and an elevator. One puzzle was only seen on the plates after they ate the food left for them.
Later, they board a bus on a platform, which moves upward after Hector presses the horn. It leads them to the room with the next puzzle, where they are to figure out which word to say into a microphone. Another solved puzzle tells them to set their watches ahead ten minutes. Ghostwriter complains that that is not fair, but the team still goes through with the game.
They later put a video into a VCR, where a recording of Dr. Doredus states that he did not think that they would get that far that fast. He tells them that the last riddle is to find out which flight of stairs to use. The team picks the staircase to lead them down and out of the mansion, with only one second left.
Dr. Doredus rewards the team with the prize. A week later, the inventor receives a letter from the team that has rebuses for him to solve.
Notes[]
- The title page of the book has the last word of the title as a rebus, with "Re", a plus sign, then a picture of a bus, for "rebus."
Gallery[]
Wondering if the team should go up or down the ladder
Looking at the rebus on the ceiling of a jail cell
Jamal and a rebus in a computer game
Lenni looking at a puzzle while on an escalator
Watching the recording of Dr. Doredus