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

by E.L. Koingsburg

176 pages, ages 9-12

I know I read this book as a child, but I couldn't remember much about it.  Recently, the movie was on tv and I TiVoed it.  I've gotten through about half of it before falling asleep, twice.  But, I do keep watching it at 11:00 at night.

It brought back my memories of reading the book.  Claudia is tired of her life.  In her opinion, she has to do everything because she is 'the smart one' of her siblings.  She feels like she was to do everything.  She decides she is going to run away and teach her parents a lesson.

She can't do it on her own, she enlists the help of her younger brother, Jamie, mostly because he has tons of mney saved up.  Claudia decides that they should run away to the Metropolitan Museum.  They hid on top of the restroom toilets to avoid detection at closing time.  Within the walls of the museum, a mystery awaits, and Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler is at the head of it.

I remember really liking this book when I was younger.  I think I own it....I'm not sure where it is though.  This book is a 1967 Newberry Award Winner.