From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
E.L. Konigsburg
1967
♥
Thinking this book is only for children would be a mistake. Winner of the Newberry Medal, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler is a timeless tale about growing up.
The story of Claudia and Jamie Kincaid is told through the straightforward, no-nonsense prose of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. Claudia and Jamie have run away from home, not in a fit of anger, but in a very planned way, all the way to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Who hasn't imagined staying overnight in such a grand place?
While hiding out they discover a mystery, in a little statue of an angel that may be the work of Michelangelo. The clue lies in the files of Mrs. Frankweiler, but how to find it! Mrs. Frankweiler has an explanation, "What happened was: they became a team, a family of two. There had been times before they ran away when they had acted like a team, but those were very different from feeling like a team. Becoming a team didn't mean the end of their arguments. But it did mean the arguments became a part of the adventure, became discussions not threats. To an outsider the arguments would look the same because feeling like part of a team is something that happens invisibly."
There is a lesson for both adults and children in this witty tale.
E.L. Konigsburg's highly acclaimed books for young readers include Father's Arcane Daughter, About the B'Nai Bagels, Journey to an 800 number and Up From Jerico Tel. She won the Newberry Medal again for The View from Saturday in 1996.
Same shelf:
The Phantom Tollbooth
Norton Juster
1961
Originally published in June/July 1994, Volume 1, Issue 4 of The Literary Cafe
