Saturday, January 3, 2009

My First Taste of the Metropolitan Museum of Art

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
by E. L. Konigsburg
Dell Yearling Paperback, 1967
My copy is from 1982.

Elaine Lobl Konigsburg has achieved a few firsts in her lifetime. According to Wikipedia,
"She is the only author to win the Newbery Medal and a Newbery Honor in the same year (1968), with her second and first books respectively: From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth. Konigsburg won a second Newbery Medal in 1997 for The View from Saturday, 29 years later, the longest span between any two Newberys awarded to one author.

For me, I'm not sure what came first--the book or the 1973 film adaptation (which I could have sworn was on Saturday morning TV, but maybe I have this confused)--apparently there is also a 1995 made-for-TV version. Regardless I loved Claudia and Jamie and admired the spunk and survival skills of these two kids--packing the necessities in her violin case, bathing in the fountain, collecting wishing coins to spend on food . I loved the mystery of the statue. This book sparked an interest, not only in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (a place I have yet to see in person), but an interest in Michaelangelo as an artist. I really like the new cover art on the book.


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

One of my favorite authors! I LOVED reading books by E.L. Koningsburg when I was in elementary.

Elizabeth West said...

Oh my goodness I LOVE Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley and Me, Elizabeth! It's a favorite for sure. This blog is taking me back in time!

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