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

I just got back from a trip to New York City, and while I was there I visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art or "The Met", which is a huge and amazing art museum.

While I was there, so many of the sights reminded me of one of my all-time favorite chapter books from when I was a kid: From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg.

This book is about a brother and sister who run away from home, but decide to stay in the Met because it is much more comfortable than trying to live on the street. They spend time exploring the exhibits around the museum, and eventually they even solve a mystery about a piece of art. My favorite part when I was younger was how they would bathe in the fountain in the lobby and take the coins that people would throw in for wishes to pay for things!

From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler is definitely a classic - it won the Newbery Medal in 1968, and rereading it now, I realized it is just as good as ever. If you happen to be traveling to NYC this summer this is a must-read!

But even if you can't make it to NYC to visit the Met this summer, click here to explore some of the Met's art - they have interactive pages where you can learn more about the art and artists from the museum.