Thursday, December 20, 2007

Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil...



From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankenweiler

by E.L. Konigsburg

Newbery Medal 1968*

Good story, gets my recommendation as one to read... a lot in here to discuss with a class/reader: kids running away from home (where would you eat, sleep, bathe?), museum treasures, art history, parents and family, generational relationships...

"...you should want to learn one new thing every day."

"No...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 you until it touches everything."

*beat out Scott O'Dell's The Black Pearl and Nobel prize winner Isaac Bashevis Singer!

5 comments:

BookGal said...

I love this book! I tried it with a fourth grade class a few years ago and they thought it was boring! That's kids for you! Thanks for visiting my blog.

alisonwonderland said...

this was a favorite of my childhood - as was Konigsburg's Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth.

Mr. Nauton said...

I could see how it's not the most fast-paced book, but boring?!?!?
There's a lot going on, and a lot of things to talk about, one of those books where 10 readers could find 10 different things to talk about, including Rennassaince art!
(I know I prob. spelled "Renn..." wrong, sorry)
I will def. pick up more of his/her(?) books...

thanks for the comments!

alisonwonderland said...

E.L. Konigsburg is definitely a "her"; the "E" is for Elaine.

I read her 1997 Newbery Award winner The View from Saturday earlier this year; you can see my review here.

Anonymous said...

I read the Mixed Up Files when I was 10 and adored it. I was forever dreaming about living in a museum afterward.