Benim bi' tadım kaçtı.

This was fun and adorable. But also sensical especially on growth factor and maturity of children.

I rated this five stars a long time ago, out of pure nostalgia, without really remembering much about the book beyond "they stayed in the museum." Well, I just finished reading it out loud to my son, and I would just like to reaffirm: YES, five stars. No question.

The plot is so subtle, compared with so much of what is being published now! But wow these kids are individuals. Wow they talk like real humans and have a real and wonderful relationship with each other. My son described Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler herself as "half forensic scientist, half philosopher." She's also 100% unapologetically prickly old lady, and 100% real herself.

It's so subtle, I was afraid my son would be bored or wouldn't get it, but he loved it. Really loved it. It was such a wonderful thing to read aloud together. These are the times he'll remember, I hope. I certainly want to hold those moments tightly in my heart.

OK, I'll admit it: I freakin' hate the Newbery Medal. Any time I see it on the cover of a book, I'm 98.5% sure it sucks. All of the books that have been given this "honor" seem to have been written with the intent of teaching kids some crappy history lesson. There's no magic or mystery to any of them...reading these books is akin to eating dry toast when you know damned well you could cover the bread with butter, cinnamon, and sugar. I mean, if you really want to martyr yourself, do it creatively, like St. Agatha, who got her breasts cut off. Otherwise, sit back, relax, and enjoy life, because nobody wants to hear your whining.

I digress. The point of this rant is that there is a major exception to my "I Hate Newbery Rule," and it's this book. The idea of two kids hiding out in The Metropolitan Museum of Art is so brilliant, it sends me running running to the stereo to do a wild, naked dance to The Muffs's version of KIDS IN AMERICA. I love Claudia's obsession with art and mystery, as well as Jamie's passion for gambling. And the siblings' interplay just can't be beat. Snappy dialogue, brilliant plot, evocative subject...what was the Newbery panel thinking when they awarded this book its highest honor?

I always felt that I should absolutely love this book, because the idea of running away to live in a museum was enthralling to me. But somehow the book missed something that would have made it more engrossing for me.

I honestly have no idea why, but there was something about this book (I guess the adventure?) that I absolutely loved when I was younger.
Really cute story of two kids that run away to live in a museum, skirting the cops and sleeping in the priceless beds and having a series of adventures in the museum!

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3 1/2 stars (read as an adult)

I found most of this story to be very pleasant... but I LOVED the ending.

Maybe I expected a lot from this book because I heard so much about it over the years, but I really thought this book was terrible. There was no plot. The mystery wasn't even a mystery, and barely anything happened.

Delightful and amusing.

You know how sometimes fate just works out, and the impossible happens?

That was my case with this book.

At the end of 2016, around November or so, my friend and I decided to fill up a journal with random challenges. When we finished, each of us gifted each other a book.

This was the book I received. Had it not been for the act of teaming up with my friend to do the journal challenges and then completing it, I would NEVER have discovered this book. Well, maybe I would have because fate works in unexpected ways. But yes, it would've been unlikely to have discovered it.

This is a children's book that was written at the end of 1960s. The world was way different back this. This book perfectly illustrates that. It's about two siblings going on an adventure into the museum. FUN RIGHT? I found this plot very interesting. As a 90's kid, I probably would never have done that. I would be somewhere in the mall instead.

Anyway, this book is just very cute. You have these kids who think they understand the world and have everything under control. In a very whimsical way, they do get around to it and they do discover loads. They visit the National Museum, undergo funny endeavors so that they don't get caught, and admire different art pieces.

But my favorite part about this book was that it provided very deep and subtle messages. Themes of finding yourself, enjoying life beyond materialistic culture, and life's unexpected surprises were tackled. Because this book is a children's book, it has positive undertones. The real surprise to me was that it brought up a lot of emotions of how much times have changed. Also, it celebrates the idea of different personalities and how each individual is beautiful by being who they are.

I never thought that I would enjoy this book so much. Sometimes, you just need a short, simple story to hit you in the right places.

Thank you, Ghaya and the universe, for allowing me to discover this hidden gem!

3.5
Yet another book that would have been magical had I first read it at the proper age. It has moments of wonderfulness (and one of the best premises of any book ever) but the framework is awkward, and the message a little heavy-handed. Still, a great choice as a read aloud for my son who is quite the museum goer (not so much thanks to me -- last year his fourth grade class went on no less than 20 field trips, most of them to art museums, at least three of them to the Met). I enjoyed it on this reading more than I did when I first read it in my twenties, probably because I know both the Met and New York City better now than I did then, and this book is a lovely snapshot as they were 45 years or so ago.

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler follows siblings Claudia and Jamie who run away to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Claudia hopes to teach her parents a lesson as she does not feel appreciated, and she chooses her brother Jamie to accompany her. The two must work together in order to get by, and they begin to bond and grow closer as this happens. What seems like a fun trip where the two can hide out and learn a lot soon turns into a mystery where they hope to figure out the truth about a statue in the museum.

This was such a fun and quick read for me. I really liked seeing the relationship between the siblings. They complimented each other well as the trip allowed them to learn more about one another. It was really funny to see their quips and sarcasm. I also thought it was really interesting that the book was narrated by Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler herself. It starts with a letter from her and she occasionally interjects with comments, but she did not appear until towards the end of the novel. This structure worked really well and was unique. I really wish the book was just a little longer because I would love to see what everyone is up to following the mystery reveal and eventual return home.

I am really glad that my boyfriend bought me a copy of this book just because he saw it on The Office. I had not heard of it before and probably would not have picked it up otherwise. I can definitely see why kids would love this book, so I cannot wait to have it available in my own future classroom. I think it would even be fun to teach at some point.