From The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler After reading this book, I guarantee that you will never visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art (or any wonderful, old cavern of a museum) without sneaking into the bathrooms to look for Claudia and her brother Jamie. They're standing on the toilets, still, hiding until the mus...	A Guide for Using From the Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler in the Classroom This growing series presents an exciting approach to teaching well-known literature! Each book includes sample plans, author information, vocabulary building ideas, and cross-curricular activities. The Intermediate and Challenging books also include sectional activities and quizz...	Island of the Blue Dolphins Scott O'Dell won the Newbery Medal for Island of the Blue Dolphins in 1961, and in 1976 the Children's Literature Association named this riveting story one of the 10 best American children's books of the past 200 years. O'Dell was inspired by the real-life story of a 12-y...	A Wrinkle in Time Director John Kent Harrison's imaginative film adaptation of Madeleine L'Engle's 1963 A Wrinkle in Time may not be able to fully satisfy the immense expectations of those decidedly loyal to L'Engle's book, yet delivers a family thriller impressive enough to stand on its own merit...	Old Yeller 2-Movie Collection (Old Yeller/Savage Sam) The quintessential tale of a boys love for his dog has touched the hearts of millions. Set amidst the landscape of 1860s texas a young boy named travis wants nothing to do with the lop-eared stray. But old yeller quickly proves himself as a loyal friend protecting the family & sa...
The Westing Game (Puffin Modern Classics) When an eccentric millionaire dies mysteriously, sixteen very unlikely people are gathered together for the reading of the will . . . and what a will it is!	Hatchet ALONEThirteen-year-old Brian Robeson is on his way to visit his father when the single-engine plane in which he is flying crashes. Suddenly, Brian finds himself alone in the Canadian wilderness with nothing but a tattered Windbreaker and the hatchet his mother gave him as a prese...	Number the Stars The evacuation of Jews from Nazi-held Denmark is one of the great untold stories of World War II. On September 29, 1943, word got out in Denmark that Jews were to be detained and then sent to the death camps. Within hours the Danish resistance, population and police arranged a...	The Indian in the Cupboard Young Hal Scardino stars as a sensitive boy who discovers a way to bring plastic toys to life in a locked cupboard. One of those toys, a 19th-century Iroquois warrior (played by actor Litefoot), was actually a real warrior now only several inches tall. A bond eventually develop...	Where the Red Fern Grows Author Wilson Rawls spent his boyhood much like the character of this book, Billy Colman, roaming the Ozarks of northeastern Oklahoma with his bluetick hound. A straightforward, shoot-from-the-hip storyteller with a searingly honest voice, Rawls is well-loved for this powerfu...

Decent adaptation for a TV movie.
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (Marcus Cole, 1995)While doing the research on this film, I discovered that there have actually been two film versions of E. L. Konigsburg's delightful novel, with this one being the more recent. Most reviewers seem to prefer the 1973 version. Maybe they're right. But not having seen it, I have to say I liked this one well enough as a trip down memory lane.Veteran TV director Cole (Beyond the Prairie: The True Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder) directs from Betty Goldberg (Trapper John, M.D.)'s script. Cole casts Lauren Bacall as the mysterious and un-first-named Mrs. Basil, Jean Marie Barnwell (Angie) as Claudia, and Jesse Lee (Bobby of the newer Brady Bunch stuff) as Claudia's brother Jamie. The story, for those of you who have been living under a rock for thirty years: Claudia feels neglected at home and wants to run away. She enlists the help (and money) of younger brother Jamie. The two of them, through a series of minor misadventures, end up hiding in New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, where Claudia becomes obsessed with a mysterious angel statue that may or may not have been carved by Michelangelo, and she sets about authenticating the piece.Really, it's about what one would expect from a TV movie, in terms of direction, acting, etc. Nothing here that's going to win any awards. But who cares? For those of us who loved the novel, there's enough of it here to jog your memory (and hopefully you won't be too bogged down by the piece of it that mysteriously vanish). *** ½

Fine book and a Fine film!!
I, as most of the other reviewers, began with the book as a child and saw the film later. This was one of my favorite books as a child and I remember the film THE HIDEAWAYS that was made 30 years ago. I loved the book and the THE HIDEAWAYS was okay, although it has some noticeable changes from the book. When I purchased this more modern version of the book I did not think I would enjoy a more contempory version of the story. I was wrong! Sure there are some changes from the book but not enough to alter the story line greatly. What I really enjoyed were the characters. Lauren Bacall did a very good job in her role as Mrs. Frankweiler, as did Jean Marie Barnwell in the role of Claudia and Jesse Lee in the role of Jamie.So, while there are some changes as others have noted, this film still maintains the best elements of the book. I only wish more films adhered to the books from which their story was taken. Also, this story stands up over time. My 9 & 7 year old son & daughter enjoy this story as much as I did and still do.

"Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler": Very disappointing film version
After reading E. L. Konigsburg's book, I was very excited to see this film adaptation of it. But it's not all that great--I was very disappointed. There are several differences between the movie and the book, one so much so that it ruined the whole picture for me.The basic plot remains the same as the book: Claudia knew that she could never pull off the old-fashioned kind of running away...so she decided not to run FROM somewhere, but TO somewhere. And so, after some careful planning, she and her younger brother, Jamie, escaped. Soon, while exploring the Muesum, they set their minds to solving the mystery of Angel, a statue new to the muesum's collection, rumored to have been created by the ledgendary Michaelangelo.But several minor details were changed. The entire character Saxonburg (although minor) has been deleted from the screenplay. Also, because of this, the way that Claudia and Jamie do eventually get home is different. (In the book, Saxonburg takes them home; here, their parents come and get them.) Also here, Jamie puts in a phone call to Mom and Dad, which sturs things up a bit. This was not done in the novel. An assortment of other things have been changed as well.Lauren Bascall does a nice job as Mrs. Frankwiler, and the rest of the casting is good. But because of the changes from novel to screenplay, I dislike this version. Read the book (of the same name; winner of the Newbery Medal) first. Then try this, just to see how you like it. Also try the film "The Hideaways", another film version of this story. Hopefully it will be better!

An OURSTANDING movie!
I read this book when I was in 5th grade and I adored it. I was so excited when I found the movie and it was great too. Great job!

An OUTSTANDING movie!
I read this book when I was in 5th grade. I LOVED the book and I was so excited about seeing the movie. The movie was great. Even though there were afew minor changes in it. Great job!