Oh yes, From The Mixged Up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler. I must have read this classic book by E.L. Konigsburg at least fifty times, maybe more. There are a lot of books that I’ve read multiple times, but I don’t think any of them matches this one.
Even though it was written back in the 1960s, it still resonates with kids today. At least it resonated with me 🙂 Normally I advise people to never buy books that win awards such as the Newbery Medal, but this book is the exception.
Summary
The book is taken, as the title suggests, from the journals of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, a woman who recorded the adventures of two kids, Claudia and Jamie, as they ran away from home and camped out at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Even though it is ostensibly written in the first person, the vast majority of the book reads as third person, mostly focused on Claudia.
Twelve year-old Claudia first comes up with the idea to run away after she becomes tired by being ignored by her family. She doesn’t feel they are giving her the respect that she deserves, and comes to believe that running away will break her out of her ordinary world and send her family a message that they had better appreciate her.
Claudia decides to enlist her brother, nine year-old Jamie, as partner in her escape because he has a lot of money. “Twenty-four dollars and forty-three cents,” to be exact. In the 1960s, that’s practically enough money to retire.
So they go to the Met and settle into life there. Frankweiler was wise to stage the story there, because we learn a lot about the art and structure of the museum. Jamie and Claudia learn how to hide and mix in with the school groups, and they settle into a nice and peaceful life.
They have a bunch of cool adventures at the museum, including finding a pool filled with coins that allow them to continuously replenish their stash of money.
Eventually, the two become intrigued by a statue of an angel rumored to be done by Michelangelo. Claudia feels ready to return home if she can find the truth of the statue.
That’s where Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler comes in. She sold the piece to the museum, and they spend the rest of their money to travel to her house. There they ask her about the origin of the statue, and she says she’ll tell them if they can find the file on it in her mixed up office, and if they’ll tell her their story. The telling her the story part isn’t their favorite, but they agree.
Was the statue really done by Michelangelo, or is that just a wishful rumor? Will Claudia and Jamie return home different people? Most importantly, will they be more appreciated by their family, or will their plan backfire?
Review
This is an awesome book. There aren’t really many books that match it. Running away from home to give your parents a message is something I’m sure every kid has dreamed of (I sure have). This book captures that fantasy in a great way.
Aside from that, the characters of Claudia and Jamie are very identifiable. These are not characters created by some woman wanting to sell books or get good praise from reviewers. She really understands kids, and it shows.
The reader is quickly driven through the book with a desire to know what will happen to the two siblings, what will happen with their family, what escapades they will get into at the museum. This is a timeless classic, a book pretty much any kid will love. They may not read it scores of times like me, but they will definitely enjoy whatever time they do spend reading it.
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