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

Picture from chapters.ca

A book for older children and one that can be read to younger children, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler tells the story of Claudia, a girl who feels unappreciated at home and runs away to live in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan. Before leaving, she carefully evaluates the merits of each of her brothers as a potential companion, and decides on Jamie, because he is careful with his money.

The story follows the two children on their adventure in the big city, providing an interesting snapshot of how life used to be. (Prices quoted for train rides and newspapers reflect the 1967 publication date of the book.) The children adapt quite quickly to their new environment and Claudia, always prepared, devises many plans to ensure they remain undetected.

But there is more to the story than a simple adventure. The museum has on exhibit a statue, named “Angel,” that may or may not have been carved by Michelangelo. The question of the statue’s origins captivates Claudia. When she thinks that she has discovered the clue to solving the mystery, only to find out that more evidence is needed, she is crushed. It is then that the secondary theme becomes evident.

Claudia’s quest for adventure, initially taken to teach her parents a lesson, turns out to have had a deeper purpose. She planned the journey in hopes that it would enable her to “be different” when she returned home. Thinking she could discover the secret, she envisions herself as a heroine. When it appears her adventure is coming to an end without an answer about the statue, she becomes despondent because she feels the same as she did when she left.

This theme may be a bit beyond some young readers, but it is one that could start some interesting conversations about finding oneself.

As for Claudia, she finds the answer she is looking for when she decides to visit the woman who sold the statue to the museum, Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. The answer about the statue is in Mrs. Frankweiler’s files. The children find it, but through an arrangement with Mrs. Frankweiler, they agree to keep the secret. And, as Mrs. Frankweiler knows, this secret is exactly what Claudia needs to feel “different”:

…Of course secrets make a difference. That was why planning the runaway had been such fun; it was a secret. And hiding in the museum had been a secret. But they weren’t permanent; they had come to an end. Angel wouldn’t. She could carry the secret of Angel inside her for twenty years…Now she wouldn’t have to be a heroine when she returned home…except to herself. And now she knew something about secrets that she hadn’t known before.

The book is recommended for children aged 8-12. Even those who are too young to understand that the larger themes will likely enjoy the adventure and be inspired to return to the novel time and again as they get older.

———————————————————————————————————————————-

Here is another quote I cannot resist including, because it is timeless and so applicable to today’s social media world (in which I am, admittedly, an active participant). This passage also shows the depth of this novel:

Claudia said, “But Mrs. Frankweiler, you should want to learn one new thing every day…”

“No,” I answered, “I don’t agree with that. I think you should learn, of course, and 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 of you until it touches everything. And you can feel it inside you. If you never take the time out to let that happen, then you just accumulate facts, and they begin to rattle around inside of you. You can make noise with them, but never really feel anything with them. It’s hollow.”