When Claudia decided to run away, she planned very carefully She would be gone just long enough to teach her parents a lesson in Claudia appreciation.  And she would live in comfort-at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  She invited her brother Jamie to go, too, mostly because he was a miser and would have money

The two took up residence in the museum right on schedule.  But once the fun of settling in was over, Claudia had two unexpected problems: She felt just the same, and she wanted to feel different; and she found a statue at the museum so beautiful she could not go home until she had discovered its maker, a question that baffled even the experts.  The former owner of the statue was Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler And without her help Claudia might never have found a way to go home.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

5 Responses to “From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler”

1. Robbie Foster says:

   September 16, 2009 at 12:00 am

   This is an old favorite of mine that I often buy for children to whom I want to give a gift. My own children enjoyed the book in the 70s, both as I read it to them and as they read it for themselves. My grandchildren loved the book too. Now I buy it for other children with whom I am acquainted. My own childhood daydreams imagined hiding in a library where I could sample the books at will. My environment was too narrow to imagine being in a museum. I recommend this book for any child.
2. David Johnson says:

   October 15, 2009 at 12:00 am

   This book was read to us about 20 years ago in 7th grade English class and It was a great story a great adventure for children to read. I do not recommend running away to a museum.