E. L. Konigsburg - From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler: Literature Guide

Pros: imaginative, kids can relate to the characters

Cons: Parts are a little unrealistic and dated by today's standards

Review: I will admit that the long title scared me at first. I don't know why. It took about four years of sitting on my shelf before I was willing to try it. But once I got past the title, I discovered that From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E....

Pros: Well written, tight plot, shows intelligent kids solving problems by using their heads.

Cons: none

Review: I was in fourth grade -- the beginning of the age of literary discovery -- when the sixth grade class presented the stage version of this story. I was hooked.

I was already a fan of such "running away" books as "Call it...

Pros: adventure for girls.

Cons: none

Review: This was the very first book that I checked out of the Library with my new card when I was a little girl, but not my last. It was recommended by the librarian and I had the best time reading it. This was many years ago when it first came out and I...

Pros: mystery, intrigue, readability

Cons: none

Review: Remember back to the fifth grade. You just discovered boys. Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy became a myth. Was there any mystery left in life? Then your fifth grade teacher brought in a record....did I say LP? Yes, an LP (for you young ones...an LP is a...

Pros: Unique, adventurous

Cons: None

Review: I have always been attracted to books that have strong female characters. This is one I highly recommend.

One of the main characters of this book, Claudia, is unsatisfied with her life at home. She decides to run away to the Metropolitan...

Pros: Wonderful, fully developed story

Cons: None

Review: From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler is a book that is guaranteed to please even the most timid of young readers. The plot is carefully constructed and even becomes a quasi-mystery. Would your child enjoy reading a book about a brother...

Pros: A very memorable book that awakens great imagination.....

Cons: The book ended..

Review: It isn't often that a book strikes a child as so memorable, she remembers it as an adult. From "The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" is that book for me. I would really love to see other children reading this book, loving this...

Pros: ---

Cons: ----

Review: This book is a great mystery. There are many twists and turns as two kids try to find out the the truth about a beautiful angel statue. Throughout the book they have to find places to hide and the author really enthralled me as I...

Pros: Part adventure and part mystery--it's a classic chapter book kids aged 9-12 will love...

Cons: Too much left to the imagination in the end...

The Bottom Line: Though more than 30 years have passed since first published, this book has a timeless appeal for kids who love to live vicariously through characters who are much like themselves...

Review: The world was a much different place in 1968 when author E.L. Konigsburg won a John Newbery Medal for her book, From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. For that matter, the world was a much different place a month ago when my...

Pros: It is a book that sparks the imagination.

Cons: Some of the references and prices date the book.

The Bottom Line: This book explores a child's need to be important, to have a sense of self outside of adults, and the pure joy of learning and mysteries.

Review: Dear Saralinda*:

I’ve been searching through stacks of books at our library’s used book store to find books that I think you might like. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a chore. I’m rather delighting in the task. I’m finding so many books that...