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

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

Author: E.L. Konigsburg
# of Pages: 176

Published by: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Age Range: 8-12 years
Grade Level: 3-7 years

This book takes the form of a letter from Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler to her lawyer, Saxonberg. Twelve-year-old Claudia Kinkaid decides to run away from home with the help of her little brother, Jamie, who is nine. With Jamie's money and Claudia's brains, they get out of their suburban area and run to a place where any kid would love…The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Once they get to the museum they establish a routine. They wander around, join tour groups, hide in exhibits at night, and try to spend as little money as possible. They discover a hubbub around a recent museum acquisition, a marble statue of an angel that might be carved by Michelangelo. Michelangelo is a huge deal in the art world. This nine year old and twelve year old are going to try and solve a huge art mystery that the historians and museum officials are stumped by. They spend time in the library doing research, then they decide to track down the person who sold the mysterious statue to the museum, the one and only Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. When they get to her house, which is quite big and old, they ask Mrs. Frankweiler about the statue and she agrees to let them know what's truly going on under two conditions: 1) they must find the file on the angel statue in her filing room in less than an hour and 2) they must tell her all of the details on how they ran way. The kids are up to the challenge. They go through all of the mixed up files and find out that it is true! The statue was made by the great Michelangelo! Mrs. Frankweiler tells the kids that she will give them the files on the statue in her will, but that they cannot tell anyone in the meantime before she dies. The kids go home feeling like they've done something special. There is a huge secret revealed at the end of the book, you must read it to find out! 

This book is a great adventurous fiction book that is realistic. Although this could happen, these days it would be difficult to hide out in a museum overnight. The characters seem to be real people and are relatable to the students who would read this book. Many children think about running away from home, and if their trip away from home turned into this adventure, they would definitely try! The setting is real because it is at a real art museum. The theme is realistic and the writing comes from the children's point of view. 

Classroom activities and lessons include: 

• Lesson plans with discussion questions 
• literature circle activity plan
• Do character descriptions
• Unit study 
• Webquest activity 
• Teach about Michelangelo! and the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Here is a short clip: