Illustration of Jamie and Claudia by E.L. Konigsburg
On Friday, April 19, E.L. Konigsburg passed away at 83, just one year older than Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, the eccentric a narrator of her Newbery Medal winning novel From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Bail E. Frankweiler.
One of my favorite books growing up, this book shares the tale of two children Claudia and Jamie who run away from their home in Greenwich, CT and live at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. I was quickly drawn in to their adventure hiding in the bathroom in the museum, sleeping in the antique beds, bathing (and collecting money!) from the wishing fountain, and of course, solving the mystery of the Angel a sculpture rumored to be the work of the great Michelangelo. As Jamie would say Oh Baloney! Or perhaps Bologna.
E.L. Konigsburg (born Elaine Lobl) captured the hearts and imaginations of readers with over 20 childrens books. As I flipped through my copy of the book, I was struck by this quote:
Some people spend all their time on vacation taking pictures so that when they get home they can show their friends evidence they had a good time. They dont pause to let the vacation enter inside of them and take that home. ~Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
