From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. By E. L. Konigsburg. Antheneum, 2002. 176 pages. Tr. $ 17.99 ISBN 978-0689853227

Summary: As the oldest child, Claudia feels that she’s treated unjustly. Although she’s a straight A-student and completes her share of household chores, and on occasion those of her pesky brothers, her allowance is out of balance: it’s far too skimpy for the amount of work she does around the house. Moreover, she’s bored by the endless-stream of analogous weeks, and longs for something new. She opts to run away with her youngest brother, Jamie, to the New York Museum of Art. There she’ll stay in comfort, until the day her parents fully recognize her worth. 

Critical Review:  We often forgot that tweens’ lives are often difficult. Tweens day-to-day activities are highly circumscribed and controlled by parents and teachers. Though Claudia’s story is over 40 years old, it still is of value to young readers. Claudia’s experience with running away teaches tweens the meaning behind the old adage –“ the grass is always greener on the other side.” Claudia’s camp-out at the Museum of Modern Art isn’t as comforting as planned, and she longs for home. She realizes that she was wrong to assume her parent’s didn’t love her, and learns that it’s always best to give voice to concerns instead of letting them fester. The novel also features a lot of art history, as Claudia and Jamie research whether the angel statue is actually by Michelangelo. 

Genre: Mystery

Reading/Interest Level: 9-12 years

Awards: Newbery Medal (1968)

Similar Materials: Blue Balliett’s Chasing Vermeer

Subject/Themes: Runaways; Brothers and Sisters; Museums; Metropolitan Museum of Art; Art History; Self-Reliance; Mysteries

Character Names: Claudia Kinkaid; Jamie Kinkaid; Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

Programming Ideas and/or Lesson Plans: 

http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collateral.jsp?id=1340_type=Book_typeId=884 (Discussion Questions)

http://www.umsl.edu/~wpockets/schoolhouse/lessons/mixup/mixup.html (Budget/Planning Lesson Plan)

http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collateral.jsp?id=589 (Vocabulary Builder)

http://www.brighthub.com/education/k-12/articles/90873.aspx (Family/Flattery Lesson Plan)

Brief Annotation: Twelve-year old Claudia runs away from her family, camping out at the New York Museum of Metropolitan Art with her younger brother.