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

From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler is a 1968 Newbery Medal winning novel that was written by E.L. Konigsburg.

Exposition:  The story takes place in Greenwich, Conneticut at first where the main characters, Claudia and Jamie Kincaid live with their family.  The story continues in New York City at the Metroplitan Museum, and eventually ends back up in Conneticut where they meet Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.

Conflict:  Claudia is feeling a bit taken advantage of by her family being that she is the oldest of four and the only daughter.  She decides to run away from home and brings one of her brothers along where they meet up with a mystery about a statue in the museum which may or may not have been sculpted my Michaelangelo.  Their new adventure is to solve the mystery.

Rising Action:  Claudia makes a detailed plan and brings Jamie along with her to runaway and live in the NYC Metropolitan Museum.  They work out and carry out the details which leads them to the museum and live there for several days before the statue of an angel is presented at the museum.  Intrigued by what they read about it in the paper, they begin their own search as to the discovery of its creator; after finding what seems to be clear evidence, they are left feeling rejected after sharing their findings and decide to go to the source of the statue, Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.

Climax:  The kids encounter with Mrs. Frankweiler leads them to a cryptic search in her home for the answer to the statue mystery which is both compelling and relieving to them.

Falling Action:  The kids decide to keep the information they learn a secret in a deal they make with Mrs. Frankweiler.  They tell her every detail about their runaway adventure in exchange for a treasure they will gain in the future if they can keep her secret.

Resolution:  The kids return home to their parents having learned a few lessons and changing their perspective, which Claudia had been looking for in her whole idea to run away.  Their relationship with Mrs. Frankweiler is one that they will continue, and they will eventually be surprised to learn that their own grandfather is her lawyer and will oversee their gaining of the secret they have learned.

I read this book many years ago, so reading it again was fun.  I learned that there are many lessons that could go along with the book historically speaking, but foreshadowing and personification would be great when reading this story as well.  I can also see using Claudia's grammar corrections as mini-lessons in class about prepositions, double negatives, and subject-verb agreement. 

Konigsburg, E. L., & Konigsburg, E. L. (1967). From the mixed-up files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, ([1st ed.). New York: Atheneum.