Logic puzzle worksheet where students determine which book genre each friend bought and on which day they started reading, based on given clues.

Let's solve this "Bookstore Brainteaser: Mini-Mystery Logic Puzzle" step by step using the clues.

We have:

- 5 people: Alice, Bob, Charlie, Deborah, Elise
- 5 genres: Mystery, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Biography, History
- 5 days: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday

Each person bought one book (different genre), and started reading on a different day. We need to determine who bought which genre and on which day they started reading.

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Step 1: List the clues

1. The one who bought the mystery book started reading on Monday.
2. Charlie started reading the day before Alice, but the day after Bob.
3. The biography enthusiast started reading the day after the person who bought the fantasy book.
4. The person who bought the history book started reading on Tuesday.
5. Alice didn't start her book on Monday or Friday.
6. Elise did not buy Mystery, Biography, or Fantasy → So Elise must have bought either Science Fiction or History.
7. Deborah started reading a book that was not in the fantasy genre on Thursday.

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We’ll use a grid method (like a logic puzzle) with elimination.

Let’s create a table in our mind (or on paper):

| Name | Genre | Day |
|----------|---------------|-----------|
| Alice | | |
| Bob | | |
| Charlie | | |
| Deborah | | Thursday |
| Elise | Sci Fi / Hist | |

And another table for Days → Genre & Person.

But let's go clue by clue.

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Clue 1: Mystery → Monday

So whoever bought the Mystery book started reading on Monday.

> So: Mystery → Monday

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Clue 4: History → Tuesday

The person who bought History started reading on Tuesday.

> So: History → Tuesday

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Clue 5: Alice didn’t start on Monday or Friday

So Alice’s reading day is: Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday

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Clue 7: Deborah started reading a non-fantasy book on Thursday

So:
- Deborah → Thursday
- Her book is NOT Fantasy

So Deborah’s genre ≠ Fantasy

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Clue 6: Elise did not buy Mystery, Biography, or Fantasy

So Elise’s book must be either:
- Science Fiction or History

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Now let’s look at Clue 2:
> Charlie started reading the day before Alice, but the day after Bob.

So:
- Charlie = Alice - 1 day
- Charlie = Bob + 1 day

So we can write:
- Bob < Charlie < Alice

All three are on consecutive days? Not necessarily, but the order is fixed.

So possible sequences:

Let’s list all possible combinations where Bob < Charlie < Alice (in terms of days).

Days: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri

Possible sets:
- Bob=Mon, Charlie=Tue, Alice=Wed
- Bob=Tue, Charlie=Wed, Alice=Thu
- Bob=Wed, Charlie=Thu, Alice=Fri

These are the only possibilities.

So Alice cannot be on Mon or Tue (since she needs someone before her), and Bob cannot be on Thu or Fri.

So:
- Alice ∈ {Wed, Thu, Fri}
- But from Clue 5: Alice ≠ Mon or Fri → So Alice ∈ {Tue, Wed, Thu}

But now combining:
- Alice ∈ {Wed, Thu} (from clue 2)
- And Alice ∈ {Tue, Wed, Thu} (clue 5)

So Alice ∈ {Wed, Thu}

But from clue 2:
- If Alice = Wed → Charlie = Tue, Bob = Mon
- If Alice = Thu → Charlie = Wed, Bob = Tue

So two options:
1. Alice=Wed, Charlie=Tue, Bob=Mon
2. Alice=Thu, Charlie=Wed, Bob=Tue

Now let’s see what else we know.

From clue 1: Mystery → Monday → so the person who bought Mystery started on Monday.

So if Bob = Mon, then Bob bought Mystery.

Similarly, clue 4: History → Tuesday

So whoever read on Tuesday bought History.

Now check both cases.

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Case 1: Bob = Mon, Charlie = Tue, Alice = Wed

Then:
- Bob → Monday → So Bob bought Mystery (from clue 1)
- Charlie → Tuesday → So Charlie bought History (clue 4)
- Alice → Wednesday

Now, Deborah → Thursday (clue 7), and her book ≠ Fantasy

Elise → remaining day: Friday

So days:
- Mon: Bob
- Tue: Charlie
- Wed: Alice
- Thu: Deborah
- Fri: Elise

Genres:
- Mystery → Mon → Bob
- History → Tue → Charlie
- So Bob: Mystery
- Charlie: History

Elise: must be Sci Fi or History → but History is taken → So Elise: Science Fiction

So Elise → Sci Fi

Now genres left: Fantasy, Biography

People left: Alice, Deborah

Deborah → Thursday → book ≠ Fantasy → so Deborah must have Biography

Then Alice → Fantasy

So Alice → Fantasy

Now check clue 3:
> The biography enthusiast started reading the day after the person who bought the fantasy book.

Biography → Deborah → Thursday

So fantasy buyer must have started on Wednesday

But Alice → Wednesday → Fantasy → YES!

So Alice → Fantasy → Wednesday → matches.

So clue 3: Biography (Deborah, Thu) → day after Fantasy (Alice, Wed) → YES.

Now check clue 7: Deborah started reading a non-fantasy book on Thursday → YES, Biography → OK.

Clue 6: Elise → not Mystery, Biography, Fantasy → She has Sci Fi → OK.

Now check all:

| Name | Genre | Day |
|----------|----------------|-----------|
| Alice | Fantasy | Wednesday |
| Bob | Mystery | Monday |
| Charlie | History | Tuesday |
| Deborah | Biography | Thursday |
| Elise | Science Fiction| Friday |

Now verify all clues.

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Check all clues:

1. Mystery → Monday → Bob → YES ✔
2. Charlie started day before Alice, day after Bob
Bob=Mon, Charlie=Tue, Alice=Wed → Tue is between Mon and Wed → YES ✔
3. Biography reader started day after fantasy buyer
Fantasy = Alice → Wed, Biography = Deborah → Thu → YES ✔
4. History → Tuesday → Charlie → YES ✔
5. Alice didn’t start on Mon or Fri → She started Wed → YES ✔
6. Elise didn’t buy Mystery, Biography, Fantasy → She has Sci Fi → YES ✔
7. Deborah started on Thursday, book not Fantasy → She has Biography → YES ✔

All clues satisfied.

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Wait — is there another case?

Earlier we had two possible cases:

Case 1: Bob=Mon, Charlie=Tue, Alice=Wed → works

Case 2: Bob=Tue, Charlie=Wed, Alice=Thu

Let’s test Case 2 to make sure it doesn’t also work.

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Case 2: Bob = Tue, Charlie = Wed, Alice = Thu

Then:
- Bob → Tuesday → So Bob bought History (clue 4: History → Tuesday)
- Charlie → Wednesday
- Alice → Thursday

Now, clue 1: Mystery → Monday → So someone started on Monday → must be one of the others.

Deborah → Thursday (clue 7) → but Alice is also on Thursday → conflict!

Wait: Only one person per day.

But here:
- Alice = Thu
- Deborah = Thu → conflict!

So both Alice and Deborah can’t be on Thursday.

But clue 7 says Deborah started on Thursday.

So Alice cannot be on Thursday.

Therefore, Alice ≠ Thu

So Case 2 is invalid.

Thus, only Case 1 is valid.

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Final Answer:

| Name | Book Genre | Day |
|----------|------------------|-----------|
| Alice | Fantasy | Wednesday |
| Bob | Mystery | Monday |
| Charlie | History | Tuesday |
| Deborah | Biography | Thursday |
| Elise | Science Fiction | Friday |

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Fill in the Grid:

#### Book Genre Table:

| Name | Mystery | Fantasy | Sci Fi | Biography | History |
|----------|---------|---------|--------|-----------|---------|
| Alice | | YES | | | |
| Bob | YES | | | | |
| Charlie | | | | | YES |
| Deborah | | | | YES | |
| Elise | | | YES | | |

#### Day Table:

| Day | Mystery | Fantasy | Sci Fi | Biography | History |
|-----------|---------|---------|--------|-----------|---------|
| Monday | YES | | | | |
| Tuesday | | | | | YES |
| Wednesday | | YES | | | |
| Thursday | | | | YES | |
| Friday | | | YES | | |

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✔ All clues are satisfied.

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✔ Final Answer:

- Alice: Fantasy, Wednesday
- Bob: Mystery, Monday
- Charlie: History, Tuesday
- Deborah: Biography, Thursday
- Elise: Science Fiction, Friday

This is the complete solution.