of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
by E.L. Konigsburg
Flap Copy description:
When Claudia decided to run away, she planned very carefully. She would be gone just long enough to teach her parents a lesson in Claudia appreciation. And she would go in comfort - she would live at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She saved her money, and she invited her brother Jamie to go, mostly because he was a miser and would have money.
Claudia was a good organizer and Jamie had some ideas, too; so the two took up residence at the museum right on schedule. But once the fun of settling in was over, Claudia had two unexpected problems: She felt just the same, and she wanted to feel different; and she could not go home until she found a statue at the Museum so beautiful she could not go home until she had discovered its maker, a question that baffled the experts, too.
The former owner of the statue was Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. Without her - well, without her, Claudia might never have found her way home.
My thoughts:
Ms. Konigsburg's middle grade novel, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, was written over forty years ago; I found it just as entertaining today, as it was in 1968, when this classic was the Newbery Medal Award winner.
The daring adventure of Claudia, and her brother Jamie, is a delightful and insightful portrayal of an adolescent longing for the grown-up world. The far-fetched plot of the two youngsters living in the Museum is made quite believable by the author's knowledge of the world famous building, and of New York City itself.
As with all great MG novels, life lessons are subtly woven into the text - Ms. Konigsburg is a master storyteller. I would highly recommend this book to young readers 7-12 years of age.
