Reading Update: From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg

So this book is a classic, and I feel a bit sheepish that I have not read it before now. The narrator is Mrs. Bail E. Frankweiler, who is sharing with her estate attorney, Mr. Saxonberg, the reason why she has included Claudia and Jamie Kincaid in her will. Claudia and Jamie Kincaid are siblings who run away from home and hide in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan. Their adventures in the museum and the ingenious ways they avoid being caught are entertaining. While at the museum, they become intrigued by a new piece of art recently donated to the museum. The identity of the artist is under question, and the brother and sister attempt to discover the true identity of the artist. Their investigation leads them to Mrs. Frankweiler.
  I would save this read for younger kids. I think many of my 7th and 8th graders would scoff at the book because it's childish when compared to adolescent literature written today. It was amusing to read the story and be reminded of the changes that have occurred in daily life since the 1950s: bus tickets were 25 cents and cell phones were nonexistent.
    E.L. Kongisburg provides insight about life truths, and I would use some of her insight as a writing workshop prompt.

Because after a time having a secret and nobody knowing you have a secret is no fun. And although you don't want others to know what the secret is, you want them to at least know you have one" (158). 

Konigsburg also uses parentheticals as a way to insert asides that illustrate the narrator's voice. This would be a handy writing workshop minilesson.

The bed had a tall canopy, supported by an ornately carved headboard at one end and by two gigantic posts at the other. (I'm familiar with that bed, Saxonberg. It is as enormous and fussy as mine. And it dates from the sixteenth century like mine. I once considered donating my bed to the museum, but Mr. Untermyer gave them this one first. I was somewhat relieved when he did. Now I can enjoy my bed without feeling guilty because the museum doesn't have one. Besides, I'm not that fond of donating things) (40). 

Practical Considerations: A great book to have in classroom libraries in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades.