I had to read this in 5th grade and it was torture throughout. The story was good but the way it was written gave no true human reactions and it was a normal book with a weird displaced mistery put into it.

I received 8 of 10 individual orders of this used novel within a few days and the other two before the deadline. The quality of the novels was overall good - perfect covers and very slight yellowing. I had one query from a vendor for which I received a prompt reply from the vendor and from Amazon. I'm very satisfied.

As I child I would have wanted to be Claudia: brave enough to run away, worldly enough to live in a museum, and smart enough to figure out the "cupid" mystery. But having read it only a few days ago, as an adult, I'd like to have written some of lines author E.L. Konigsburg attributed to her narrator Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. Here are two examples:

"Happiness is excitement that has found a settling down place, but there is always a little corner that keeps flapping around."

"...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 you. If you never take time out to let that happen, then you just 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."

Note: Find a new edition that contains Ms. Konigsburg's Afterword. You'll like her discussion of things around and in the museum that have change, or stayed the same, since she wrote the book.

I feel funny reviewing books that are older than I am (this was published in 1967), but I will share what I thought. I thought this was a cute story, and I don't know how I missed this one when I was young...it seems like it would have been just my style! And, except for a few details (such as how much things cost and the fact that Claudia wears a petticoat), it doesn't feel like it's outdated. I thought a couple of parts were particularly funny, like when Claudia and Jamie find an unopened candy bar on the ground, and Jamie wants to eat it. Claudia says "You better not touch it. It's probably poisoned or filled with marijuana, so you'll eat it and become either dead or a dope addict." How funny!

I think you have to be a kid or a kid at heart to properly understand the magic of this book. What kid did not dream of running away? Here is a girl, a very practical girl, who makes that dream come true. She and her younger brother create an elaborate plan to run away and hide in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Remember, this was written before huge advancements in security. As they live an awesome life in a museum, they allow themselves to become part of a possible mystery.

This is an exciting and smartly-written book that manages to laugh at itself and his characters while still making you love everyone connected to this clever story.

It's wonderful to see a book first published in the later 1960's still being loved and enjoyed today. It was a special treat to pass this fantastic read on to my children since it was one of my favorites growing up. Living near enough to New York that we get to the MET at least once a year made it even better for them.

Some things haven't changed in over 40 years. Kids Claudia's age still feel they have the worst parents and most miserable situation at one point or another. What sets this story apart from other "kid hates parents, kid runs away..." stories is that Claudia comes up with an adventure so that she isn't running away, but running to something - the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art. Rather then reciting the whole story I'll just say this is a fabulous book and if you didn't read it as a child, get it and read it now with your children.

After the Witches by Roald Dahl this is my second favorite children's book. I just absolutely love it!!

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 hot fudge sundaes, but Jamie has saved over twenty dollars.

Claudia plans for them to take a train to New York City, and stay in the Metropolitan Museum of Fine Arts. Hiding out, being hungry most of the time, and walking in order to save money, the two children experience the adventure of a lifetime. They also get involved in the mystery of an angel statue which was sold to the museum by Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. Could the angel statue be a real Michelangelo? Only Mrs. Frankweiler knows for sure.

Will Claudia and Jamie get caught in the museum? Will they run out of money and need to go home before solving the mystery? Does their family really miss them? Can they find Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler? Will she be willing to help them, if they do find her?

I recently spent the night in The Museum of Ancient History, in Draper Utah, with two of my granddaughters. They call it Dino-snores. We slept right under the tail of a huge dinosaur. There is definitely something intriguing about sleeping in a museum, especially when the lights go out.

Jill Ammon Vanderwood
Author: Through the Rug
Through The Rug: Follow That Dog (Through the Rug)

I picked this book up at a local book store because I was going on vacation. I read a lot of complex books and such, in my profession so I was looking for something simple, easy to read, but very fun and enjoyable. WEll, this book accomplished all of the above.

The book is a great introductory book to a young person who is a pre-teen making a transition into chapter books. Ms. Konigsburg develops the characters well, especially the children, and I promise there are surprises around every corner.

My favorite character in the book has to be Mrs. Frankweiler. She is so mysterious only because she wants to be. I remember many times growing up wishing I had some all-important secret that I could keep to make me important. Then I wondered could I actually keep the secret? Mrs. Frankweiler doesn't just have one important secret she has file cabinets full.

I went to the national Naval Air Museum in Pensacola, FL right after reading this book, and found myself asking where would I hide in here.

I love this book, and would reccomend it to the young and the young at heart. Just when you think you know everything, trust me you know nothing in this book. Even at the end you understand that Mrs. Frankweiler is the master keeper of secrets.

Does anyone know what the title of the movie was that is based on this book?

I love this book. I saw it one day in the bookstore with my 7 year old who is a good reader. I bought it for her as a gift and re-read it first. I enjoyed it again as an adult and she has enjoyed it too. A good read with enough excitement and mystery to keep you turning the pages (but nothing scary).

I think this is one of the best books I read growing up. I can't say enough good things about it. It is a must read!

One of my childhood favorites! I recently went to the Met and just had to purchase and re-read the book!

I absolutely loved this book! I am 23, and can remember reading this book over and over as a pre-teen/young adult and loving it. I currently have it in my library and re-read it every once in a while. I am definitely keeping it for my children to read, and I would recommend it to anyone!

"From the Mixed-up Files...' is one of the great books for middle school-aged children. Years ago I enjoyed reading it after my daughter recommended it. This year I gave it to my niece. Not to be missed!

I want to go to New York to see this museum. This book was incredible and I loved the style of writing and the way the story unfolded letting each character have their own voice. I loved the notes at the end from the author. I really could tell she loved these characters and did care about their ever after. Every child should read this book. Wait, every adult should read this book!

I bought this book for a class that I was student teaching for, and to my dismay none of them heard of it. Thanks to standardized testing books like these collect dust. My class loved it, and I highly recommened having it on the bookshelf for future generations

I LOVE THIS BOOK! It is interesting and exciting with a bit of mystery and suspense, but it also has a soft side that lets you really connect with the author and characters.

I LOVE THIS BOOK! It is interesting and exciting with a bit of mystery and suspense, but it also has a soft side that lets you really connect with the author and characters.

I read this book as a child and absolutely loved it. This is one book I definitely want my children to read and I've made it a habit to buy it as gifts for my friends' children as well.

My third grade teacher bought me this book when I was struggling to learn how to read to help me want to learn. The story captured my attention and my enthusiasim for more learning. I was thrilled to rediscover this book and share it with my girls. My 3rd grader has enjoyed it so much that she has already shared it with a school friend and has others wanting to read it, too! It's still good after all these years!

What can any one say about this 35 year old Newbury award winner. A must read for any child visiting New York City for the first time. A great book to read aloud to the entire family. Enjoy!!

From The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler talks of two kids: Claudia, the straight-A student, and Jamie, a particularly annoying character who quite favors the word "Baloney."

The story starts out when Claudia and Jamie run away from home and they chose the Metropolitian Museum of Arts as their hideout. As they tour the museum they encounter a statue, one of the most beautiful things they have ever seen in their entire lives. Claudia was interested in who could have sculpted this wonderful piece of art, but guess what? There didn't include the name of the sculptor, and the museum didn't even say anything about where this statue came from. So Claudia and Jamie decide to do a little investigating, and they find out that a woman named Mrs. Frankweiler had sold it to the museum for a bargain price of $225. Could it be a fake? Will Claudia and Jamie ever track down Mrs. Frankweiler? Read this book to find out.

I will tell you that I personally did not enjoy this book as much as I thought I would have. I personally enjoy mystery stories, but this story was pretty different from the books I usually read. I may not have enjoyed it, but I will recommend this to readers that prefer a different kind zang in the mystery genre.

Like many of the reviewers here, I read this book as a child and loved and remembered it. I grew up and now I work at the Met and I have gotten the book for my kid.

When I told my kids the basic idea of this story, they were excited. When they heard it, they were mesmerized. They enjoyed it so much, we had to extend a bedtime so that they could hear the end. Very well done.

I loved this book at age 10 and just gave it to my 8 year old niece. It is a G-rated mystery about a sister and brother who "run away" from sub-urban Connecticut and hide out in the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art. How they get there and hide out inside is entertaining. Along the way, they get involved in a mystery. No violence, no sex, very innocently entertaining. It was written in the 1960's so the setting might be somewhat dated to the text-messaging 10-year-olds of today. I would set that aside if I was you - it is a fun read for a young person who has moved on from "childrens books" but it not ready for Young Adult fiction.

I read this when i was about 9 or 10. I thought it was amazing. I loved how the author describes Michaelangelo's "David." This book is one of the first teach me how to enjoy amazing literature, and not just read the book, but analyze it's meaning.

Enjoy,
Loran

I read this book as a child and have never forgotten it. I was THRILLED to discover it again and have since bought several copies to pass on to the children in my life. Such a cute and interesting story...helped fulfill a fantasy of mine of hiding out in a museum! Pass it on...this is a great, great book.

Not knowing 'From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler' was and is a favorite book of our granddaughter, we purchased a copy as part of her Christmas gift. When she opened it and said it was a book she had read and reread many times, I thought for sure we would have to make a book return. "I love this book," she said, "and I'm keeping it so I can finally have my own copy." Based on her reaction, I think I can safely say this is sure to be a great read!

Not knowing 'From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler' was and is a
favorite book of our granddaughter, we purchased a copy as part of her Christmas gift.
When she opened it and said it was a book she had read and reread many times,
I thought for sure we would have to make a book return. "No way,
I love this book," she said, "and I'm keeping it so I can finally have my own copy."
Based on her reaction, I think I can safely say this is sure to be a great read!

I just bought this book for my 4th grader and had to read it again myself. It was one of my favorite books as a 4th-5th grader.

I read this book as a child. I thought of it often over the years. One of the only books that I remember to such exacting detail. I even remebered the name of the book but not the authors name. After taking my son to the Art Institute in Chicago, It made me want to find the book for him. The mystery was fun. The idea of sleeping in Marie Antionettes bed,taking baths in the fountain is the part that captures the imagination forever. I still want to hide away at the museum.Too bad Hot Fudge Sundaes cost way more than 40 cents and Woolworths is gone. However,the book will stay with you forever.

This book is great so far. It is full of mystery and adventure. Twelve year old Claudia has run away with her brother Jamie to the Metropilan Muesum of Art. Claudia decided to bring along her brother Jamie with her because he has a lot of money. While they are there at the muesum, Claudia and Jamie come across a great mystery in the muesum that is all over the newspaper. If you would like to find out what this great mystery read this book! Teachers it is also a great book to read with your class. Also edutactional!

This Newbery award winner is about Claudia and Jamie, two kids who run away from home. They leave the suburbs and head to New York where they stay in none other than the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They sleep in an old bed in the French section. They hide in the bathrooms. They even take baths in a fountain (and get paid for it, sort of)! But when a new exhibit comes in, the fun really starts. The Angel is beautiful, exquisite, and mysterious. The question: is the sculpture really done by Michelangelo? Claudia and Jamie will do anything to find out. I think I loved the book mostly because I really liked the idea of living in a museum. This book is good for all ages, but I expected it to be longer.

I remember this from my own childhood favorites and am now reading it with my daughter--
A great story with Humor and Mystery!

I read this in the 3rd grade back in 1978. It was always one of my favorite childhood books. Just recently, a friend of mine gave me an old copy and I reread it. It brought me right back!

It made me interested in art as well. I could always draw, but after reading this book, I thought more about appreciating it as well. The first time I ever went to the Metropolitan Museum in NY, the book was all I could think of. I am actually going to purchase it for my 4th grade son.

This book has stood out in my mind throughout the years as one of my favorite books I read when I was a kid. This is because of the wonderful story that was so different than anything I was reading.

This is the story of Claudia and her brother Jamie. Claudia is upset because, being the only girl in the family, she feels that her brothers just sit around while she does all of the work. She decides to run away and takes Jamie with her.

They run away to the Metropolitan museum of art. They have to try to survive on the little money they have and not be caught be the museum staff.

While in the museum they see "The Angel." This sculpture contains the very interesting mystery which is sustained throughout the book.

This book was so much fun to read. I have read it at least three times. Jamie and Claudia's relationship make the book so funny and the storyline is so great that it makes this book hard to put down.

This book is a wonderful story for all ages. We like to take the audio version on car trips as it engages, and is appropriate for, all listeners.

I know I'm under 13, but bear with me, please!
I am a very avid reader, but this will go down in MY book.
It contianed a good amount of excitement and all that other good
stuff. If you have started reading semi-classic books and enjoyed them , this is for you.
Get it in paperback, too, because its not worth almost doubling the price to get a stronger cover. Great buy!

Claudia and her brother Jamie run away from home and take up residence at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, where they investigate the mystery of a statue that may be a genuine Michaelangelo. This book has a lot going for it. The interaction between the siblings is entertaining and believeable, and the details of living in a museum and avoiding detection are interesting. Having established these effective characters and situation, however, author EL Konigsberg failed to come up with absorbing plot developments. I never cared about either the statue or Mrs. Frankweiler. Therefore, I lost interest in the novel about halfway through.

I didn't like this book. The plot wasn't very interesting, the characters weren't particularly well done, and there was little plot development. The part about Claudia and Jamie adjusting to their new life and just normal everyday activities were FAR, FAR more interesting than the development with the statue Angel and Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (I also don't like the name!)

I read this book for a book group, but I wouldn't have otherwise. Many people I know love, love, love this book, but I think it's just because of the theme of running away and staying in a museum.

The plot just gets worse and worse as the story progesses, and it's not especially good writing either.

I didn't hate it, but I definitely didn't like it. I wouldn't recommend this book at ALL, unless you're really desperate for new books and can't think of ANYTHING else.

Don't read it. You'll just regret it. It's really NOT the kind of book that you stay up late to finish.

Follow my advice. Don't read it, and if you must, for an assignment or similar, just get it from a used bookstore, or better yet, from the library.

I first heard this story when I was 11 yrs old in sixth grade. Our teacher read it to us each day for several days. Afterwards I checked it out of the library and read it again and again, I have continued to read this book every few years, I have an autographed copy of it on my bookshelf, I am 38 yrs old and this book is forever in my personal library, it is the story of how Claudia and Jamie solve a grand mystery while on the run from the boredoms and fears of life. This book made me want to read about Michaelangelo and sculpture art, not to mention take as many trips to as many museums as possible.. and I always wanted to sneak and hide in some bathroom and spend the night. Not to mention I am always tempted to climb over the ropes and sneak into those places I am not supposed to go in museums.. but I refrain.. sigh.. I love this book!

I loved it! These to kids run away to the Metrapoletn musem and decide to stay there. My aunt lives in Menhaten. I have been there and its fun. I couldent put the book down. My aunt picked it for me and she always picks good books. IT WAS AWSOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is my least-favorite book ever. I only gave it one star because i cant give it zero. The story is so boring that you almost fall asleep reading it, and the writing makes even the few exciting parts feel like a long boring speech. The book this reminds me most of is Dragonwingd, which is, if possible even more boring. I think that the person that gave this the Newbery Medal and Dragonwings the Newbery Honor was trying to torture kids by increasing the possibility of teachers making kids read this in LA. Without question, this is E. L. Konigsburg's worst book.

This is a book with a poor plot and bad ending. The whole story comes in at the last two chapters. So these two kids go to the Met what kind of story is that. Reading this book is like reading 156 pages of;fjkkdfjkjfdkjfddslkjfdjskkdgjkfgdhfhgjfgdhgddhhdfjfdjdfk jfdjkdjfjdfshjfdhdfjdfhdfjkfhdjkdfshfhds fdjkjfhsdflhbgdfj dfsjhfdhj. Did you enjoy that I did not think so. This is why you should not read this book there is no good plot. So buy this book if you want to waste money and have nothing better to read.

I love From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. It is one of my favorite books. You should get it. It is full of adventure, and it teaches kids how to be determined and aslo shows them the basics of keeping a budget. I like this alot!

I read this book and afterword thought a lot about what I would do if I ran away! I really like books that make you think about things ou haven't htought about in a long time or ever! Overall, I thinl it's a pretty good book!

I read this book and afterword thought a lot about what I would do if I ran away! I really like books that make you think about things ou haven't htought about in a long time or ever! Overall, I thinl it's a pretty good book!

My childhood unfortunately is a long way behind me, yet this book remains with me. I don't know exactly how old I was when I read it, but it is the only children's book that I haven't forgotten.
I spent most of my young adult years remembering the details of the book without remembering either the title or how it ended. I remembered the clandestine stowing away in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and fishing in the fountain for money. It was only years later when I was searching for books for a young relative that I ran across this title and the cover art that brought it all back.
Of course, I couldn't pass up the chance to pass on this book. However, before I passed it on, I read it from front to back. Even though I am far from the targeted age for this book, I found it beautiful and captivating.
I recommend this book for children of all ages. I think it captures the essence of being a child. Even though I can't pinpoint the exact mastery of words or page-turning quality that this book obviously possesses, I am constantly reminded that in some way this book made an impact on me.
If you are thinking about purchasing a book for a child of any age, I would recommend this one. It made an impression on me, and my only hope is that it will have the opportunity to do the same to many more children.

My childhood unfortunately is a long way behind me, yet this book remains with me. I don't know exactly how old I was when I read it, but it is the only children's book that I haven't forgotten.
I spent most of my young adult years remembering the details of the book without remembering either the title or how it ended. I remembered the clandestine stowing away in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and fishing in the fountain for money. It was only years later when I was searching for books for a young relative that I ran across this title and the cover art that brought it all back.
Of course, I couldn't pass up the chance to pass on this book. However, before I passed it on, I read it from front to back. Even though I am far from the targeted age for this book, I found it beautiful and captivating.
I recommend this book for children of all ages. I think it captures the essence of being a child. Even though I can't pinpoint the exact mastery of words or page-turning quality that this book obviously possesses, I am constantly reminded that in some way this book made an impact on me.
If you are thinking about purchasing a book for a child of any age, I would recommend this one. It made an impression on me, and my only hope is that it will have the opportunity to do the same to many more children.