A Few Fun Facts About 'From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler' & Its Author

We weren't surprised that the children's classic The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler came out on top in the 2023 edition of NYPL's #LiteraryMarchMadness. Written by E.L. Konigsburg and published in 1967, it has been beloved by generations of children (and adults) and has never been out of print. The story is about two siblings, Claudia (12) and Jamie Kinkaid (9) who escape their humdrum suburb for "the greatest adventure of our lives." With Jamie's pockets stuffed with coins, they take the train into New York City and spend over a week hiding out at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, blending in with crowds during the day and outwitting security guards at night. The adventure ramps up when they learn about the museum's recent acquisition of a marble angel statue—possibly created by Michelangelo—purchased for just $225. Determined to solve the mystery of the angel's provenance, Claudia and Jamie track down the seller, Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, and find the answer to the mystery amidst her jumble of files.

Whether you somehow missed out on this book as a child or you're already a super-fan, here is some background information and fun facts that will add more dimension to the book and its author. 

Growing up in small-town Pennsylvania in a working-class family, Elaine Lobl took a practical approach to college deciding to major in chemistry which she also pursued for a time as a grad student. After marrying David Konigsburg and moving to Florida she taught science at an all-girls school. It wasn't until a move to the New York suburbs and her three children all starting school that she began to pursue writing. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Franweiler was her second book.

In interviews over the years, E.L. Konigsburg and her children have shared several things that inspired the story of Mixed-Up Files. For instance, on a family picnic in Yellowstone Park, the Konigsburg children were full of complaints about the rustic setting and their mom thought to herself that were her kids to ever run away, it wouldn't be into nature, but somewhere civilized like a museum. Recounting his memories to the Met, Paul Konigsburg described being dropped off there nearly every weekend for a while with his brother and sister to bide time while their mom took art classes. On one visit, his sister and mom peered into a period room from behind velvet ropes and noticed a piece of popcorn in a chair far from where visitors could reach and wondered how it had gotten there. This planted a seed for the story as mother and daughter fantasized about someone living in a museum after hours. The mystery at the heart of the book was inspired by a true art mystery that Konigsburg read about in a 1965 New York Times article about the Met's $225 purchase of a sculpture that was possibly the work of Leonardo da Vinci. 

Over the course of her career, Konigsburg published over 20 books about half of which she illustrated herself, including Mixed-Up Files. She often asked those around her to pose while she sketched. Her daughter, Laurie, who was the same age as Claudia, posed for her and her son Ross posed for Jamie. She recruited a neighbor in their apartment building to pose for the character of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. 

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is the star setting of the book, but The New York Public Library has an important cameo. On the fourth day of their adventure, Claudia and Jamie travel first to the 42nd Street library to research the Renaissance and Michelangelo and are directed by a librarian to the (former) Donnell Branch Library on 53rd street. 

"Once at the library, they examined the directory which told them what was available where and when the library was open. In the downstairs Art Room the librarian helped them find the books which Claudia selected from the card catalogue. She even brought them some others. Claudia liked that part. She always enjoyed being waited on."

Mixed-Up Files has been adapted twice for the screen. A 1973 film was only in theaters for a few weeks and then released on home video under the title The Hideaways. The titular role of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler was played by Ingrid Bergman in one of her last roles. Notably, for the first time, the Metropolitan Museum closed for a day to accommodate filming. The 1995 made-for-television version takes more liberties with the story and takes place in the 1990s (Jamie is shown using a computer in the library). Instead of the Met, the museum scenes were filmed at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Lauren Bacall took on the role of Mrs. Frankweiler.

From the Mixed-Up Files has been challenged in school libraries, including in including in Jacksonville, Florida where Konisburg was a long-time resident, by parents who feared that children would be inspired by the book to run away from home. In the 2017 children's novel Ban This Book by Alan Gratz, it's the removal of her favorite book— From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler—from the school library that sets the shy main character, Amy Anne, in motion to protest book banning.

Other of Konigsburg's books that have been challenged include Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth, The View from Saturday, and Silent to the Bone. 

Looking to get lost in another museum? Check out our book list: Children's Books That Take Place in Museums

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