Author and illustrator Betty Selakovich Casey recommends From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg. “From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler hit all the right notes for me as a 10-year-old girl. Claudia, the protagonist, is smart, adventurous, and, of course, under-appreciated by her parents. She lives in New York City and rides the subway—it all seemed so exotic to me, a young girl in a small town in Oklahoma. And, as a child who was always drawing and writing, I loved that Claudia and her brother spent the night at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The mystery surrounding Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler made this one of the most beloved books of my childhood. I read it to my own three children, who loved it as much as I did. Even thinking of it now takes me back to those pages, to the warm comfort of being completely immersed in a good book.”
From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 1967) is recommended for ages 8-12.
Be sure to check out That Is a Hat (The RoadRunner Press, 2014) and May Finds Her Way (The RoadRunner Press, 2013), both written and illustrated by Betty Selakovich Casey.
Learn more at BettySelakovichCasey.