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

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Stars: ****This book is being counted towards the Newbery Project, Initials Reading Challenge, Unread Authors Challenge, Book Awards Challenge, and Young Adult Challenge.Summary: When suburban Claudia Kincaid decides to run away, she knows she doesn’t just want to run from somewhere, she wants to run to somewhere — to a place that is comfortable, beautiful, and, preferably, elegant. She chooses the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Knowing that her younger brother Jamie has money and thus can help her with a serious cash-flow problem, she invites him along.
Once settled into the museum, Claudia and Jamie find themselves caught up in the mystery of an angel statue that the museum purchased at auction for a bargain price of $225. The statue is possibly an early work of the Renaissance master, Michelangelo, and therefore worth millions. Is it? Or isn’t it? Claudia is determined to find out. Her quest leads her to Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, the remarkable old woman who sold the statue, and to some equally remarkable discoveries about herself.I thought this was a good book that makes you think about things (especially at the end.) I can see why it won the Newbery award. The descriptions of Claudia and Jamie in the museum sounded like they made sense to me. One thing I found interested is that even though they ran away and their is a bit of talk about the parents being upset in the newspaper, not once do we see it from the parents side, not even at the end. Other books I’ve read with kidnapping or running away, you see it from the parents side as well. The omitting of this I don’t think is a bad thing though.This is a book I’ll definitely have my kids read when they are old enough.
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About Kathleen

I've been a nonfiction lover for as long as I can remember. I love children's nonfiction as well and love to share my knowledge and the books I gained them from, with the world. I wish more people would give nonfiction a chance.