From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, by E. L. Koningsburg
Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, an eccentric old woman who sits in her mansion researching anything that peaks her interest, writes about Claudia and Jamie Kincaid’s adventure in a letter to her solicitor, Saxonberg, who just happens to be Claudia and Jamie’s grandfather. Mrs. Frankweiler tells their story just as they told it to her.
The adventure begins when Claudia Kincaid decides to run away from home in protest of all the injustices heaped upon her as the oldest child. However, Claudia can’t simply run over to a neighbor’s house for the night. For weeks, she plans to run away to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. She convinces Jamie to join her because Jamie, who is very good at saving money, has the funds they need to survive.
For a week, Claudia and Jamie live in the museum dodging guards at night, bathing in the fountain, sleeping in an antique bed, and eating their meals at an automat. Then, they see “The Angel”, a statue purportedly sculpted by Michelangelo. Claudia’s focus changes from escaping her hum-drum life to discovering the authenticity of the sculpture.
In fact, she refuses to leave the museum until she has solved the mystery. After all, Claudia didn’t run away from home only to return as the same person who left. Her research leads to the public library and, then, to Mrs. Frankweiler’s house in Connecticut.
