I've read this book at least five times, and it just keeps getting better. Spare, beautiful, accessible and funny, it has a huge amount to say about life, the universe and everything - and it's also an expression of the ultimate childhood fantasy. After all, who doesn't want to run away to the Met?! This new Pushkin edition is just the sort of lovely packaging that the book deserves.

I'm old enough to have read this when it was appropriate to my age, but unfortunately, I just now got around to it. That's a pity, because it is a splendid little book. My family also lived in the suburbs of New York about when this was written, although I can't recall any field trip to the Met.

The children, especially, have distinctive and interesting characters, but are far from being the "miniature adults" so common in children's books.

It was also a wonderful vacation from the adult world. There was recently a mass shooting, leaving dozens dead. Does it matter which one? I decided to donate blood, and because I've got a relaxed schedule, the blood bank convinced me to donate platelets/aphaeresis, which takes a lot longer. I was able to read this entire little jewel in the two hours I was hooked up to that annoying machine.

If you haven't read this, do so.

This is the sixth time I have had my students read this novel. It is on the "5th grade" list here in the Boise district, but I have used it with 6th graders, as well. Though it was written in 1969, it still has a cool plot (brother & sister hide out in the Metropolitan Museum) and my students always love it! It has lots of humor and all students can relate to the sibling arguments. Not an easy read though. Lots of references to things my students don't understand: typewriters, carbon copies, and eating at an automat. There's also the city vs. suburb thing. The characters are buying train fare, city bus and subway tokens - most of my students have only ridden their bikes to places nearby. It's even great for discussing narrative point-of-view, since this book is supposed to be the voice of Mrs. Basil Frankweiler writing to her lawyer about these kids. So you can see where this might be confusing for some students. Also good for any history or art connections to the Renaissance.

Wonderful.

I found this book in a box I was organizing, and couldn't resist a reread. It enchanted me as a child, and the magic holds for adult me as well.

Reading this novel as an adult made me appreciate how Konigsburg tells her stories without talking down to child readers. There's a sense of being addressed as an equal and being treated like a real person in this book. And then there's the story itself.

The adventures of the Kincaids as they run away and hide out in the Met were my secret daydream growing up, and as I read, I found myself wanting a chance at that adventure once again. If you have any appreciation for the delights of knowledge and of knowing something no one else knows, you will love this book. It is such a keeper.

What child doesn't dream of running away to the Metropolitan Museum of Art?

This was one of my favorite books as a child. The adventure of two kids running away to New York City and hiding in a museum was fascinating to me. In addition, they get to solve a mystery, which appealed to me even more strongly.

I agree with another reviewer who says that it was the details of the book that drew her in: packing their clothes in their instrument cases, the way they spent money, the wonder that Claudia feels as she gets to experience the museum after closing time. All of these are exquisitely detailed.

As an adult re-reading this, I'm surprised by how much I enjoy it even now. I think that part of the reason is the children themselves. They're drawn as real children: they squabble, they're irrational and irritable, and they think like children do. That's what makes them so interesting.

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!

Not a fan of this book. The little girl was annoying and controlling and it didn't really make sense why she got so hooked on the Angel (or why she ran away in the first place). And it really annoyed me that Mrs Frankweiler kept pausing in her story telling to yell at her lawyer. It made her sound like a jerk but they make her be this awesome person for the kids. There wasn't much point to the book and not enough happened to keep you interested.

ספר הרפתקאות מקסים.
כנראה מדובר בקלסיקה אמריקאית וממש כיף שתרגמו את זה עכשיו לעברית. הוצאת אוקיינוס ממש הרימה את הכפפה שזמורה ביתן הפילו עם ההידרדרות של סדרת מרגנית.
קלודיה מחליטה לברוח מהבית, אבל אסור לטעות, את לא החלטה ספונטנית. קלודיה יודעת שזה מצריך הרבה מחשבה ותכנון ומגייסת גם את אחיה הצעיר ג'יימס.
בזמן הבריחה שלהם הם נתקלים בפסל של מלאכית שאולי פוסל על ידי מיכאלנג'לו, הם מחליטים לגלות לכ מה שהם יכולים על הפסל, וחייהם לא יהיו אותו הדבר.
ממש כיף לקרוא על מערכת יחסים כל כך אמיתי בין אח ואחות. אין פה את האהבה חסרת הגבולות שקצת מאפיינת ספרים חדשים יותר (הקרבה עצמית על מנת להציל את האח/ות הקטן/ה) אבל זה לא אומר שאין שם אהבה. יש שם גם הרבה חילוקי דעות ולדעת בדיוק מה להגיד לשני כדי להכאיב. לפי שעתי כל מי שיש לו אחים יזדהה עם מערכת היחסים.
הסיפור טוב באופן כללי והמסר שלו מניין, גם אם אני לא בטוחה שאני כל כך מסכימה איתו.

Full Review
CONTENT WARNINGS: None, other than some outdated language such as minor racial slurs. Perfect for ages 7 and up, though truly anyone could enjoy this book.

BOOK 1/2 OF MY PHYSICAL TBR GOAL FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER
This book was so very heartwarming and sweet; the perfect middle-grade book for all seasons. The humor was delightful, the characters were fun and interesting to follow, and the plot was so cozy and absolutely lovely. I loved this book, and I can't wait to re-read it one day whenever I'm in the need for simple comfort!

Initial Thoughts
So so so very heartwarming. I loved this book. Not to mention, it helped get me through some rough periods that I’m still working my way through, but life is life and this was exactly what I needed for it.

RTC

Sometimes when I re-visit a book from childhood I'm disappointed by the poor writing, but this book was just as enjoyable as ever. As an adult I was a little appalled by the security at the Met, but I was also impressed by Claudia's grammar quibbles, I'm not sure many 6th graders now would recognize the mistakes she calls her brother out on (she would have been very annoyed by that last phrase).

The edition we read had an afterword by the author for the 35th anniversary of the book, which gave a bit of background and mentioned a more recent event which had similarities to the book's plot device, there was also a short piece with the book's main characters that she wrote to be given to the attendees the night she was awarded the Newbery Medal for this book.

Just a Note for Ms. Vella: this essay is for Mr. James class, I used
- "they say but I say" (introductory paragraph)
- "T-BEAR" (body paragraphs)
I hope I am allowed to post like this. (It can't count as an exceeding review because it's for a class).
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Prompt: How is "FROM THE MIXED-UP FILES OF MRS. BASIL E. FRANKWEILER"(cannot italicize on Goodreads) a Coming of Age book?
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The majority of young people choose to immediately tell a secret to a friend when they discover one. However, the secret then loses its meaning. If people wish to keep a secret's value, they shouldn't tell others about it. Instead, they should cherish it passionately like their very own treasure, and they would be the only ones aware that the secret exists. A felicitous example of this case is in Elaine Konigsburg's "From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler", where Claudia discovers the secret of the Angel. Claudia comes of age in the duration this book described by learning that the only person she really has to feel like a hero to is herself.
Children are always moaning and complaining about how unfairly they are treated. In the novel, Claudia is upset that as the oldest child in her immediate family, she was "subject to a lot of injustice" (6). She also found it unfair that she had to "empty the dishwasher and set the table on the same night while her brothers got out of everything"(6). Claudia feels, like many other children, that her parents need to "learn a lesson about Claudia appreciation"(7), so she decides to run away to achieve this. It just so happens that her destination was the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
With her companion and brother, Jamie, Claudia boards the train to New York. After settling in the Museum, Claudia decides on the second day that if they were hiding out at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, they might as well learn about it. They were going to "learn all about a different gallery"(47) each day. This shows that Claudia is transforming from solely thinking about running way to discovering a great life lesson. In their effort to expand their knowledge, they stumble upon a mysterious statue, the Angel. The mystery about the Angel is whether Michelangelo sculpted it himself. After a week at the Museum, Claudia and Jamie extremely wanted to find out the answer to the mystery, so they were off to a new destination: Mrs. Basil's apartment.
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This document is just a sample, the rest of the essay won't be included.