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ABOUT THE BOOK
NO SPOILERSClaudia Kincaid is a twelve-year-old from Greenwich, Connecticut, who is tired of feeling unappreciated and bored with the sameness of her suburban life. She decides to run away, but not in any ordinary way: she plans it carefully for weeks, saves her allowance, and chooses the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City as her destination. She recruits her younger brother Jamie, who has more than twenty-four dollars saved from winning card games, and the two of them slip away on a Wednesday morning, hiding in the school bus and then catching a train into the city. Once inside the museum, they blend in with school groups, hide in the restrooms at closing time, and sleep in a canopied sixteenth-century bed in the English Renaissance galleries, quietly turning one of the world's greatest museums into their secret home.
Free Battle of the Books questions for From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
SPOILERSEvery one of these has the same answer, and that is the point. In a real battle the question is read aloud with a dozen other books in play, and students have a few seconds to place it. Here is what a battle might ask about From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. Use them as a quiz, a trivia round, or BOTB practice.
Where in the book they come from
- Early in the book
In what book do two kids plan to pack their clothes inside violin and trumpet cases?
✓ Answer
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg
Claudia plans their escape for a Wednesday because that's music lesson day, giving them an excuse to carry their instrument cases. They empty the instruments and fill the cases with clean underwear, socks, and extra shirts. In From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, Jamie jokes that he should have taken up the bass fiddle for more room.
- First half
In what book does a boy pick the Italian Renaissance for study, hoping his sister will quit?
✓ Answer
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg
When given first pick of which gallery to study, Jamie picks the Italian Renaissance because it sounds overwhelming. He expects Claudia to give up in despair. In From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, his plan backfires because it leads them straight to the discovery that changes everything.
- First half
In what book does a boy whisper "Income, Claudia, income!" after finding coins at the bottom of a fountain?
✓ Answer
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg
While bathing in the museum restaurant's fountain, Jamie feels smooth bumps on the bottom and realizes they're coins tossed in by wishmakers. He splashes over to Claudia excitedly whispering about their new income source. In From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, Claudia quips that rich people have only penny wishes.
- Second half
In what book does a boy pretend to be part of a school field trip to deliver a letter?
✓ Answer
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg
Claudia comes up with a clever plan. Jamie walks into the museum office and says he's from the visiting school group, using the fake name Bruce Lansing if asked. It works perfectly because no one questions a kid on a field trip.
- Second half
In what book does a girl suddenly shout a different city at a train ticket window?
✓ Answer
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg
Just as Jamie is about to buy tickets home to Greenwich, Claudia blurts out "Farmington, Connecticut" instead. She's decided on impulse to visit Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, the woman who originally sold the mysterious statue, and Jamie has to pull her away from the window to find out why.
- Near the end
In what book does a boy say a scary old woman is "really not so bad looking"?
✓ Answer
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg
When Mrs. Frankweiler asks if she frightens him, Jamie misunderstands and thinks she's talking about her appearance. His honest but clueless answer makes her inspect herself in a mirror, which leads to a funny scene about aging and vanity.
