From The Mixed Up Files Of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler Newbery Promo '99

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

From The Mixed Up Files Of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler Newbery Promo '99

4.14 of 5 stars 4.14 · rating details · 73,184 ratings · 3,171 reviews

After reading this book, I guarantee that you will never visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art (or any wonderful, old cavern of a museum) without sneaking into the bathrooms to look for Claudia and her brother Jamie. They're standing on the toilets, still, hiding until the museum closes and their adventure begins. Such is the impact of timeless novels... they never leave us...more

Paperback, 162 pages

Published by Aladdin Paperbacks (first published January 1st 1967)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Oct 11, 2007 Stephanie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: cleanse their reading palette of obligatory 5th grade reading

Shelves: favorites, badgirls, greatfnwriting

OK, I'll admit it: I freakin' hate the Newbery Medal. Any time I see it on the cover of a book, I'm 98.5% sure it sucks. All of the books that have been given this "honor" seem to have been written with the intent of teaching kids some crappy history lesson. There's no magic or mystery to any of them...reading these books is akin to eating dry toast when you know damned well you could cover the bread with butter, cinnamon, and sugar. I mean, if you really want to martyr yourself, do it creativel...more

54 likes · like · see review

Mar 28, 2011 Aldrin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

For his autumnal yet incandescent family tragicomedy, The Royal Tenenbaums, Wes Anderson drew inspiration from a handful of literary works remarkably possessed of whimsy and insightful wit. Chief among these is the late J. D. Salinger’s short but utterly perceptive book, Franny and Zooey, whose title characters are members of the Glass family, the basis for the dysfunctional Tenenbaums in Anderson’s film. The eccentric director, drawing further attention to his enchantment with Salinger’s fictio...more

16 likes · like · see review

Oct 16, 2009 Lola Wallace rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: myfavoritebooksever, childhood, 1960s-and-70s

I first read this book when I was 7-going-on-8. I read it, and then I read it again. Then I read it again, and kept going until, according to my personal mythology, I had read it 11 times. And then I stole my school's copy of the book. I hadn't picked it up for many years since then, but this book is woven into my neural pathways every which way, and rereading it still makes me love it more.

The Mixed-Up Files drew me in with its details and paraphernalia
(the instrument cases! the transistor rad...more I first read this book when I was 7-going-on-8. I read it, and then I read it again. Then I read it again, and kept going until, according to my personal mythology, I had read it 11 times. And then I stole my school's copy of the book. I hadn't picked it up for many years since then, but this book is woven into my neural pathways every which way, and rereading it still makes me love it more.

The Mixed-Up Files drew me in with its details and paraphernalia
(the instrument cases! the transistor radio! mac and cheese and baked beans!), something I always loved about runaway and/or survival stories. It introduced me to New York City--the New York of the 1960s (the Automat!)--and appealed to my love of museums and old things. I also loved the tone: I knew even then when I was being talked down to, but Konigsburg clearly respects her readers and expects them to be smart. The framing and Mrs. F.'s voice made the book feel more adult. And then it hit me in the gut with its fully-developed characters and its non-preachy life lessons, subtly divulged.

I was never the sort of child who wanted to run away, really, but Claudia's simmering ennui and frustration and impotent rage hit me right away. I had never really seen these feelings described on paper in this way, but I felt them, all the time. Like Claudia, I was privileged, smart and loved, but I wanted something more. And I still do. And this book is all about how that's kind of a good thing.

The biggest life lesson I absorbed from this book, or maybe it's not a lesson so much as just a way of looking at the world, is the importance of maintaining and nurturing the integrity of your self and being an individual (but not necessarily in any obvious way), while recognizing other people's individuality and that their way of seeing the world is (usually) just as valid as yours. I'm not talking about different beliefs or clashing opinion so much as personalities. Claudia and Jamie's relationship illustrates this beautifully. This bit of wisdom is one of the most fundamental things I've ever learned and also one of the hardest to live out. (less)

15 likes · like · see review

Sep 26, 2008 Jill rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Children of All Ages

Recommended to Jill by: I found it on Amazon.com

From the Mixed-up Files of
Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
By E.L. Konigsburg

This is a delightful story for children of all ages. I'm wondering why I never discovered this book when I was a kid?

Claudia is planning to run away. She wants a different life, than that of the oldest child, with so many responsibilities. Her brother Jamie doesn't know it yet, but she has chosen him to be her companion. One reason she has chosen Jamie, is because he is good with money. Claudia usually spends her money on h...more

6 likes · like · see review

Jul 17, 2008 Bobby rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kidsstuff, mystery, contemporary, newbery

There are certain, special books that I don't want to give up once finished. I guess to prolong the separation and perhaps to somehow physically absorb whatever magic it possesses, I'll find myself pressing my palms against the book, sandwiching it. It doesn't happen very often. But it did happen with this book.

I had never read this book growing up. But I'm so glad that I finally got around to it.

What is it that makes this book so wonderful? Let's begin with Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler's clever na...more There are certain, special books that I don't want to give up once finished. I guess to prolong the separation and perhaps to somehow physically absorb whatever magic it possesses, I'll find myself pressing my palms against the book, sandwiching it. It doesn't happen very often. But it did happen with this book.

I had never read this book growing up. But I'm so glad that I finally got around to it.

What is it that makes this book so wonderful? Let's begin with Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler's clever narration. Her voice(like the character) is frosty and matter-of-fact but only on the surface. There's also a warm undercurrent that shows the esteem she has for these kids and their adventure.

Then add to that the relationship between Claudia and her brother Jamie. It's terrific and so well done. Like many siblings, their dynamic is a balancing act between affection and irritation, respect and disdain.

And then you've got the "cool factor" to the story: Who hasn't thought about interacting, let alone living, with the artifacts in a museum? The author clearly respects kids, a must if you want to create decent children's literature. By allowing Claudia and Jamie to treat not only the Met but New York City as their home and playground (and not get caught) exemplifies Konigsburg's apparent belief in how capable and astute children can be.

And like all great children's literature, the book possesses a wisdom, a lesson, and a worldly vision that will benefit the reader -- young or old -- and provide him with a better understanding of his surroundings.

There's a bittersweetness to this book that I can't quite put my finger on. Why was I teary-eyed at the end of this book? Was it because I felt compassion for the childless Mrs. Frankweiler who seemed to have finally found the family that had escaped her before? The portrayal of a New York and the Met that will never be again and that I'm sorry I missed? The conclusion's truth in the importance of having secrets and wanting to feel special?

I think I was just sad to have this one end.(less)

9 likes · like · see review

Apr 05, 2008 Rebecca Grace rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone who wants to get kids excited about art

Recommended to Rebecca Grace by: My mother

Shelves: children-s-books

I read this years ago as a child and just finished re-reading it with my 7-year-old son. It actually touched off a lot of interesting discussions about what has changed and what has stayed the same in the years since the book was first published in 1967 (my son piped up with all kinds of objections throughout the book, like "what about the motion detectors and the lasers around the art?"). Of course today admission is no longer free at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, no one is allowed to bring i...more

9 likes · like · see review

Jan 09, 2009 Jesse rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My end-of-2008 nostalgia continued with this, a dear childhood favorite, and it's not particularly hard to see why--isn't hiding for a week at the Met and solving a Michelangelo-centered mystery a fantasy of every artistically-minded child? (It certainly was mine.) And in hindsight I can see how much Claudia was in myself at that age, the yearning to "grow up" ASAP, the intense desire to be seen as preternaturally special--isn't it interesting how wrapped up in the pages of a book one sometimes...more

3 likes · like · see review

Dec 04, 2008 The other John rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: amusing, schoolbook

This is another runaway tale, also set in New York, but that's about all it has in common with My Side of the Mountain. This is the tale of Claudia Kincaid, a kid growing up in Connecticut. She finds suburban life to be quite unbearable, what with homework and chores and all, so she decides to run away from home. Being a child accustomed to comfort, she decides to eschew the traditional lot of a runaway such as sleeping in alleys, begging for meals, and the like. Instead she decides to run away...more

3 likes · like · see review

Apr 24, 2009 Josiah rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

One of the first books from the effervescent mind of the great E.L. Konigsburg, this novel stands up as well today as it did when it was first published.
Populated by strong, independent characters as in all of the author's stories, this book follows an interesting story thread of both unique survival and a pressing mystery, as Claudia and her brother hide in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Attempting to keep one step ahead of the police and their parents is not an easy task, but ul...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jul 22, 2009 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, 2009

I loved this as a kid and forgot all about it. I found it again while rummaging around a local bookstore during the "Squawking Matilda" book signing. (How's that for promo Lisa?) The story was as sweet as I remembered, and I learned something new too. A couple of months ago, I visited Brookgreen Gardens in SC. It is the first and only outdoor sculpture garden of it's type in the US. A truly amazing place. An illustration from the book (set in the Metropolitan Museum of Art) reminded me of one of...more

3 likes · like · see review

Dec 08, 2008 A rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A brother and sister run away in style to the Metropolitan Museum and solve the mystery of a statue's attribution.

Appropriate for ages 9-13

This Newbery award winning realistic fiction story is about a brother and sister who decide to run away, but not to just anyplace. With their meager allowance savings and a train pass, they go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. There, Claudia becomes obsessed with finding out whether a statue of an angel is really by Michelangelo, and she won't go home until...more A brother and sister run away in style to the Metropolitan Museum and solve the mystery of a statue's attribution.

Appropriate for ages 9-13

This Newbery award winning realistic fiction story is about a brother and sister who decide to run away, but not to just anyplace. With their meager allowance savings and a train pass, they go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. There, Claudia becomes obsessed with finding out whether a statue of an angel is really by Michelangelo, and she won't go home until she finds out. This quest leads her to the Connecticut home of the statue's elderly donor, Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, who offers them a chance to solve the mystery. What appealed to me most about this book when I read it as a child was the idea of bathing in what used to be the fountain in the museum cafeteria. (It must be very irritating to visitors that the fountain has been replaced by a restaurant.) At the time, I was bored by the statue puzzle, and was not attracted to the stern character of Mrs. Frankweiler, who narrates the story. As an adult, I loved this book; I appreciated the the inventiveness and persistence of Claudia and found the statue story suspenseful. Like Claudia, I also developed an affection for Mrs. Frankweiler. This thirty-fifth anniversary edition contains a very enjoyable afterword by the author, a copy of her original acceptance letter, and a brief epilogue to the story. The jacket has also been updated--the children ascending the Met stairs are photographed in color, wearing contemporary raingear.

I was not sure, after reading the Publisher's Weekly review from 2002 on barnesandnoble.com, that the reviewer had actually looked through the new edition, since the review didn't mention anything at the back of the book except the afterword, which is described on the jacket. In contrast, Sharon Levin of Children's literature (2002), also on barnesandnoble.com, became a groupie of the author and enjoyed this reissue because of the additional features. She hoped it would inspire a new generation of readers. Her review was more helpful.(less)

1 like · like · see review

May 22, 2012 Bhan13 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: juvenile

Sometimes when I re-visit a book from childhood I'm disappointed by the poor writing, but this book was just as enjoyable as ever. As an adult I was a little appalled by the security at the Met, but I was also impressed by Claudia's grammar quibbles, I'm not sure many 6th graders now would recognize the mistakes she calls her brother out on (she would have been very annoyed by that last phrase).

The edition we read had an afterword by the author for the 35th anniversary of the book, which gave a...more

1 like · like · see review

Dec 18, 2008 Lizzie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: nyc, meg-s, children-s, borrowed

Oh this is the cutest thing. So silly I never read this as a kid. I can tell you exactly why I would have liked it: because I used to pretend to live at the Milwaukee Public Museum in the European Village and/or Streets of Old Milwaukee exhibits. (I, uh, thought they were kind of the same thing. They're right next to each other!) This plan, like Claudia's, also would have worked. I'm just saying.

I didn't realize that Frankweiler herself was present later in the book (that it's not just a remote...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 16, 2011 Hayes rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2011, favorites, read-prior-to-2009

The Metropolitan Museum *sigh*

I grew up down the street from the museum and spent more hours there than I can count. This book brought back such wonderful memories.

2 likes · like · see review

May 19, 2008 Abigail rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone With a Longing for Beauty, and an Intolerance for Monotony

Shelves: childrens-fiction, newbery

Review Temporarily Removed.

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 16, 2013 the review man rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kids-and-ya

SPOILERS AHEAD...

A brilliant read, Frankweiler satirically deconstructs notions of rebellion and childhood independence, all the while poking fun at the self-important indulgences so commonly found in YA fantasy and mystery. Granted, Frankweiler requires its own measure of suspension of disbelief. (Two middle-school-aged kids living in the MMoA, avoiding detection while solving a previously-uncrackable architecture mystery? Precious, right?) But Konigsburg's framing of the story not only plays o...more SPOILERS AHEAD...

A brilliant read, Frankweiler satirically deconstructs notions of rebellion and childhood independence, all the while poking fun at the self-important indulgences so commonly found in YA fantasy and mystery. Granted, Frankweiler requires its own measure of suspension of disbelief. (Two middle-school-aged kids living in the MMoA, avoiding detection while solving a previously-uncrackable architecture mystery? Precious, right?) But Konigsburg's framing of the story not only plays off its ridiculous premise; it outright runs with it. And boy, is it ever fun. We see Jamie, the male lead, cheating at cards long enough to amass a small fortune in quarters. Now this is hilarious: while Jamie is smart enough to cheat his friends out of serious amounts of milk money, he's also stupid enough to run away from home and live in an art museum merely because his sister asks him to. If that's not commentary on the nature of childhood, I'll eat my hat. And yet Konigsburg also pokes fun at the adult reader here too—any 'grown-up' (read: one who has replaced their childhood ignorance with maturity) would certainly never act like the kids do here, which would result in the loss of the story's First Mover. Thus Frankweiler's lessons are entirely reliant upon the existence of the Child. This might sound like Le petit prince territory, but it's really not—Konigsburg is subtler and (dare I say?) more readable.

Or how about Claudia? She sensibly decides to bathe in the fountain pool, which serves the double purpose of cleanliness and loose change scavenging. One might argue that this is more rational behaviour than would be exhibited by the average Wall Street banker (and certainly more rational than most of the adults in the book). And yet this is the same Claudia who decided to run away from home with her clothing stuffed in a violin case.

There's a bit of mystery to the story, and this is where I think Frankweiler falters. I don't remember how the kids solve the mystery, which is likely a testament to its irrelevance. The other issue is that of Basil E. Frankweiler's character. After all of Konigsburg's subtle jabs at the Adult, do we really need this wise mother figure putting the kids back in their place? It's worth noting that even given their relative success at independent life in the Big City, Frankweiler's presence reminds the reader that the kids are still children. It's not a bad way to frame the main characters' evolution (or, perhaps more accurately, lack thereof), although I can't help but think that the end would have been more bitingly satirical had Claudia and Jamie lived in the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the rest of their lives. I can see them finishing grade school, graduating from college, working their way up the social ladder, becoming CEOs (and as a side effect, losing their childlikeness). A pipe dream for sure, but a frighteningly real one.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 27, 2011 Tracey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, fiction

So, what exactly would be the category for lingering behind and taking up residence in the Metropolitan Museum of Art? I'll go with criminal trespass till I learn otherwise. So - when I commit criminal trespass, should I blame Thomas Hoving, or E.L. Konigsburg? I recently finished False Impressions, and just finished From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, so I'm already making plans. Enough time has gone by since the publication of the book - 1967 - that the guards must have gotte...more So, what exactly would be the category for lingering behind and taking up residence in the Metropolitan Museum of Art? I'll go with criminal trespass till I learn otherwise. So - when I commit criminal trespass, should I blame Thomas Hoving, or E.L. Konigsburg? I recently finished False Impressions, and just finished From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, so I'm already making plans. Enough time has gone by since the publication of the book - 1967 - that the guards must have gotten out of the habit of checking the bathroom stalls quite so thoroughly, so there's no reason I can't use the same ruse to stay in the museum overnight. Let's see ... They say in the preface to the book that the fountain that used to be in the restaurant (which I believe has been moved) is now in Georgia, but there is one called the Pan Fountain - oh, and the reflecting pool around the Temple of Dendur, of course, of which seventy-five cents of the change in the water is mine anyway.

Oh, and in place of the fictional Angel of the book which may or may not have been "sculptured" by Michelangelo, there is Young Archer, which may or may not have been sculpted by Michelangelo. It's karma.

I will run away - taking the train; I'll pop for a taxi, and use the method Claudia and Jamie did to infiltrate and entrench myself into the museum. I don't know about sleeping in one of the antique beds, though; that seems a little squicky. And fragile. (And why would it be made up with sheets and all?) There must be an employee lunch room or something, or an administrative office with a couch or something. I'll figure it out.

So let's see. I don't have an instrument case like the kids who run away hid their socks and underwear in - but I have a pretty big pocketbook. And I don't have to check it. Hm. The laptop is probably not viable; I could charge it, but unless they have WiFi - well, I could use the time to finish the book.

The Mixed-Up Files is wonderful. I may not (may not) go through with this plan, but it's a really fun fantasy. It hit me hard because of all my reading about the Met lately - Hoving talks a lot about living with the art, about handling and having personal experience of it, and - - it's just mean. It's something I crave, and something I'll never have (unless I implement Plan E.L. Konigsberg) - the idea of having the whole of the Met to myself for the better part of every day is ... heady. Especially the part shown on the cover of this edition - the Arms and Armor hall. I love that place.

Except for those pesky alarms and sensors and such. The sixties were such a sweetly innocent time. And the kids in this book are sweetly innocent, and so very smart; it's a pleasure to be in on the planning and execution of such a great plan. The pen and ink illustrations in the edition I read were horrible - muddy, almost more inkblots than illustrations; they have to have been copies of copies of larger images. But the writing was great fun, despite the point of view of an adult added to a couple of years of watching Criminal Minds and Without a Trace making the kids' parents' terror a little more important to me than to the kids, but that's okay. The detailed money calculations were ... startling. I don't know why I never read the book when I was a kid, but I'm glad I did now.

And I really, really want to go hang out with the Young Archer.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Sep 11, 2008 Jayna Homer added it · review of another edition

Shelves: grades-3-6

Sixth-grader Claudia Kincaid wants to run away, but doesn't want to do it the regular way. She is mad at her parents. She feels they take her for granted, because as the oldest of four children and the only girl, she's constantly saddled with household chores and babysitting. She comes up with a plan to run away to the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art in New York City (where most of the story takes place) from her home in Greenwich, Connecticut. Claudia decides that her nine-year-old brother, J...more

1 like · like · see review

Oct 13, 2010 Leah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, fiction, childhood

What child doesn't dream of running away to the Metropolitan Museum of Art?

This was one of my favorite books as a child. The adventure of two kids running away to New York City and hiding in a museum was fascinating to me. In addition, they get to solve a mystery, which appealed to me even more strongly.

I agree with another reviewer who says that it was the details of the book that drew her in: packing their clothes in their instrument cases, the way they spent money, the wonder that Claudia fee...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 26, 2009 Annette rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: kids grades 4-5

Shelves: newbery-medal-winners

I just got done reading this book to my son. I wasn't really sure if he would like it because he likes books with a lot of action in them, but he said that he would give it 4 stars!
This is what I liked about it: I liked the mystery surrounding the statue, the dialogue between Claudia and Jamie (Jamie totally cracked me up!), the whole idea of running away to the Metropolitan Museum of Art is ingenious!
There were really only two things that I didn't like about it, 1) I think that I would have li...more

2 likes · like · see review

Feb 17, 2012 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: juvenile, fiction, read-aloud-to-boys

My boys thoroughly enjoyed this adventure (and learned a bit about the Italian Renaissance at the same time!). I hadn't read this since I was a kid and now, as a mother, I admit to being incredibly anxious on behalf of Claudia & Jamie's parents, and I was gratified that my 6yo asked about them fairly early on in the book. The initial planning stages of the adventure are especially intriguing as Claudia prepares for practically every eventuality. I really liked to see how the relationship bet...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 28, 2008 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Kids

Recommended to Sarah by: Marin

Shelves: just-for-fun-books

This was a cute kids book with a good message at the end: You only have to be a heroine to yourself.

I wasn't too fond of Saxonburg's role being in the book, but I love Mrs. Frankweiler! Jamie was comic relief and Claudia was every one of us recovering-perfectionistas. Cute story, clean book, not too adventuresome as most of the reviews indicated, although pretty irksome probably to worried parents, and a bit educational I think for everyone. A cute saying by Mrs. Frankweiler was something to th...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 06, 2007 Katie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: art lovers & children of all ages

Shelves: kids

Yes this is a children's book...but it's an amazing one! I think I first read this book sometime around 3rd grade, but it was just as good as I remember. It's even better now, since I've been to the Met and know exactly what they're talking about. (I especially loved seeing how little the Met has changed...looking at the pictures of the big pyramid and saying "I saw that last week!")

I think Claudia was one of my heros when I was a kid...I just didn't really realize it. I wouldn't mind getting lo...more

1 like · like · see review

May 08, 2007 Andrea Rockel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

While technically a re-read, I haven’t read it in, say, 12-ish years? I was watching Night at the Museum with some friends and realized that the movie reminded me of that great book I read as a kid about the brother and sister who ran away and slept in the Met Museum in NYC, which completely fascinated me when I was growing up, though I never had any real inclination to run away. Anyway, the book was fun to read, and brought back lots of memories of reading it for the first time - it makes me wa...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jul 01, 2007 Needleroozer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: squatters

Shelves: kids-chapter-books

I just reread this book not too long ago.

A brother and sister run away from home and SQUAT the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. They sleep in beds on display and bathe in a big fountain at night after everyone has gone home and the guard is in another part of the building. Then they solve a mystery!

This book is set in the 70s or maybe even the 60s. Unfortunately, any kids trying to squat the musuem today would be observed on "security" cameras in about 22 seconds and turned over to t...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 09, 2009 Nikki Adkins rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Finally read - have heard about this book for years. I mostly enjoyed it - (fun to see a predecessor to books like Elise Broach's "Masterpiece" & Calder's "Chasing Vermeer" & this was by far the most believable of the three), but I had some troubles with what an indifferent relationship the children seemed with their family (friends? Did they have any?), and sometimes I felt they were quite ugly with one another. I know this was part of the journey (Claudia and Jamie become a team), &...more

1 like · like · see review

Dec 30, 2008 TheKBSeries rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Alright, here we go with another book from my past that was forced down my throat by the bare hands of an english teacher. I hated this book so much that I decided to just not read it and struggle my way through that time of the year.

After arriving to school the morning after i decided that, i panicked! The current chapter that was to be discussed abruptly fell into the lesson plans of the teacher that morning and i began to panick. I glanced around at the obedient students who plucked out thei...more

2 likes · like · see review

May 09, 2013 Shi Anne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The main reason why the author choose to write the Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler is because it tells a story about two kids Claudia and Jamie because it has to do with two nine years old that want to go on an adventure to the Metropolitan Museum and other places. It tells how the kids run away from home to go on the adventure they want to solve mystery in arts. The story is told in second person because there is more than one narrator.

The main message of the story is they must fin...more The main reason why the author choose to write the Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler is because it tells a story about two kids Claudia and Jamie because it has to do with two nine years old that want to go on an adventure to the Metropolitan Museum and other places. It tells how the kids run away from home to go on the adventure they want to solve mystery in arts. The story is told in second person because there is more than one narrator.

The main message of the story is they must find the file on the angel statue in the filling room in under one hour and they must tell Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler how they ran away. The main topic that the author is trying to say is mainly about the kids taking an adventure to solve a mystery upon who sold the statue in the museum and what could happen to the kids while their on the adventure.

The style of the book is it is a narration because it is tell when the kids had left the house and how they ended up at the Metropolitan Museum of art it tells how it is true that the angle statue was made by the great ninja turtles it is actually Renaissance artist Michelangelo. Then in the end Mrs. Frankweiler had gave them the file on the angel statue but the kids can not tell no one but she does end up die in the end of the story.

My opinion of the book is that it is a great book because the kids Jamie and Claudia do end up solving the mystery of the Metropolitan Museum of art upon who stole the statue. What I liked about the book is that the kids were brave and they did not give up looking for the statue and they ended up solving the mystery no matter what nobody technically knew that they had left home and school. What I did not like about the book is that Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler ends up die-ing after she helps them find the file they needed upon the angel statue before she died. What I would change is Mrs. Basil from die-ing because I sense she was great help to the kids. No this book not similar to anybody I have read because it was a mix of mystery and adventure. (less)

like · see review

Apr 26, 2013 Beccie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

To honor E. L. Konigsburg, who passed away this week, I did a quick re-read of her Newbery winning book that I loved as a child. It did not disappoint, which is unusual because I so rarely enjoy the winning Newbery books. I remember when I read it as a child, I thought running away and living in a museum was the coolest thing ever. Now that I have actually visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art, it was even easier to be impressed. I didn't see a lot of statues when I visited because I just wante...more

like · see review

Apr 19, 2013 Mortalform rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 32-numbers-game, childhood, popcorn, read-aloud

"The adventure is over. Everything gets over, and nothing is ever enough. Except the part you carry with you. It's the same as going on a vacation. Some people spend all their time on a vacation taking pictures so that when they get home they can show their friends evidence that they had a good time. They don't pause to let the vacation enter inside of them and take that home. " p139-140

Happiness is excitement that has found a settling down place, but there is alway a little corner that keeps fl...more

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Great for Adults Too?	10	52	Jun 04, 2013 10:39am
Why is this such a good book?	26	165	Jun 04, 2013 10:24am
For those who loved this book	11	72	Sep 06, 2011 11:30pm
me too!!	9	79	Jul 25, 2011 08:55pm

combine
Other Editions (60)

More editions...

Genres

Childrens

706 users

Young Adult

618 users

Mystery

277 users

Classics

231 users

Childrens > Middle Grade

143 users

Childrens > Juvenile

132 users

Adventure

108 users

Academic > School

75 users

Kids

54 users

Art

51 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About E.L. Konigsburg

Elaine Lobl Konigsburg was an American author and illustrator of children's books and young adult fiction. She was the only author to win the Newbery Medal and a Newbery Honor in the same year (1968), with her second and first books respectively: From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth. Kongisburg won a second Newbery...more

More about E.L. Konigsburg...

Books by E.L. Konigsburg

Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley and Me, Elizabeth

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About From the Mixed-Up...

21 trivia questions
5 quizzes

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from From the Mixed-up File...

“Happiness is excitement that has found a settling down place, but there is always a little corner that keeps flapping around.” — 145 people liked it

“I think you should learn, of course, and some days you must learn a great deal. But you should also have days when you allow what is already in you to swell up inside of you until it touches everything. And you can feel it inside of you. If you never take time out to let that happen, then you accumulate facts, and they begin to rattle around inside of you. You can make noise with them, but never really feel anything with them. It's hollow.” — 39 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: From The Mixed Up Files Of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler Newbery Promo '99
avg rating	preview: From The Mixed Up Files Of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler Newbery Promo '99 Goodreads rating: 4.14 (73184 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/986719.From_The_Mixed_Up_Files_Of_Mrs_Basil_E_Frankweiler_Newbery_Promo_99?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1180019394l/986719.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/986719.From_The_Mixed_Up_Files_Of_Mrs_Basil_E_Frankweiler_Newbery_Promo_99?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]From The Mixed Up Files Of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler Newbery Promo '99 by E.L. Konigsburg[/url]

From The Mixed Up Files Of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler Newbery Promo '99

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website