Practice Questions for The Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler by EL Koningsburg

From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler  by E. L. Koningsburg

Preface

1. According to Mrs. Frankweiler, what 3 things is her lawyer interested in?  Law, taxes and his grandchildren, p. 3
2. What is the lawyer’s name? Saxonberg, p. 3
3. What is Sheldon’s occupation? Chauffeur, p. 3
4. Why did Mrs. Frankweiler write this story?  To explain changes to her will, p. 3

Chapter 1

1. Where do Claudia and James flee to?  The Metropolitan Museum of Art, p. 5
2. In which city is the Metropolitan Museum of Art? New York City, p. 5
3. What is the birth order of Jamie?  He is 2^nd youngest of three brothers, p. 5
4. Why is Jamie rich?  He saves all his money; doesn’t collect baseball cards, p. 6
5. Which chores does Claudia consider unjust?  Empty dishwasher and set table on the same night, p. 6
6. What time does the Kincaid family watch TV on Sunday nights? 7:30, p. 6
7. What did Claudia give up to save money to run away? Hot fudge sundaes, p. 6
8. What is the cost of a train fare? $1.60, p. 7
9. How much does fare cost if under age 12? Half (80 cents), p. 7
10. In which suburb does the Kincaid family live? Greenwich, p. 7
11. How does Mr. Kincaid travel to work?  By train, p. 7
12. What club does Mrs. Kincaid belong to?  A Mah Jong club, p. 7
13. What is Mah Jong?  A card game, p. 7
14. What does Claudia use to research her trip to New York City?  Maps, pamphlets and review of field trips she took, p. 8
15. What does Claudia substitute for hot fudge sundaes?  Good Humor bars from the freezer, p. 8
16. How much is Claudia’s weekly allowance? 50 cents, p. 8
17. What is the penalty for breaking a Kincaid house rule?  A nickel, p. 8
18. How often does the family’s cleaning lady come to clean? Twice a week,  p. 8
19. Where was Jamie’s transistor radio made?  In Japan, p. 9
20. How long ago had Jamie bought the radio?  One and one-half years ago, p. 9
21. How does Steve’s wastebasket get so messy?  He empties his pencil sharpener in it, p. 9
22. What colour is the train pass Claudia finds?  Red, p. 9
23. Why is the train pass in the garbage?  The cleaning lady thought it was old, p. 10
24. What day of the week do Claudia and Jamie leave home? Wednesday, p. 10
25. How old is Kevin? 6 years old, p. 10
26. What card game do Jamie and Bruce play on the school bus? War, p. 11
27. How do Jamie and Bruce vow to not shuffle their cards? Spitting, p. 11
28. Where will Jamie and Claudia pack extra clothes?  In their musical instrument cases, p. 14
29. What kind of footwear does Jamie want to wear? Sneakers, p. 15
30. What is the secret about Jamie and Bruce’s game of war?  They gamble for money, p. 16
31. How much money does Jamie have?  $24.43, p. 16
32. What does Jamie plan to do with Claudia’s note about the plan?  He will memorize then eat it, p. 17
33. Who has to walk home with Kevin on Wednesdays? Steve, p. 18

Chapter 2

1. What is the school bus driver’s name?  Herbert, p. 20
2. Where does Herbert park the bus?  A lot on Boston Post Road, p. 21
3. Why does Jamie make so much racket when walking off the bus?  His money is all in change, p. 22
4. What’s hanging from Jamie’s belt?  A compass, p. 22
5. Where does Jamie think they will be hiding out? In the woods, p. 23
6. How does Jamie want to travel to NY instead of train? Hitch hike, p. 24
7. How many items does Claudia mail on the day they leave home? Two, p. 26
8. What is on the box tops from corn flakes? Stars, p. 26
9. What was on the blue seats of the train?  Dust and lint, p. 27
10. Who is appointed treasurer?  Jamie, p. 27
11. Where did Jamie suggest that they hide instead of the Art museum? Central Park, p. 27

Chapter 3

1. How many blocks are from the train stop to the Art museum?  40, p. 28
2. Who says, “We’ll wear out 40 cents worth of shoe leather”? Claudia, p. 29
3. Why do the children avoid walking down 5^th Avenue?  The stores will tempt them to spend their money, p. 29
4. Who does Claudia say was the last person to use a compass in Manhattan?  Henry Hudson, p. 30
5. How much floor space is the Metropolitan Museum of Art?  20 acres, p. 31
6. What is the entrance fee at the art museum? Free to all, p. 32
7. What do Claudia and Jamie leave in the checking room?  Music cases and book bags, and Claudia’s coat, p. 33
8. Where do the children hide when the guards are locking up?  In washrooms, standing on the toilets, p. 35
9. Who had the lounge chair in the museum been made for?  Marie Antoinette, p. 36
10. Who does a cat walk?  The night watchman, p. 36
11. What type of bed does Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler have?  16^th Century canopy, p. 38
12. Who donated a 16^th Century canopy bed to the art museum?  Mr. Untermyer, p. 38
13. What is the 5-minute warning of the museum’s closing time?  A bell, p. 40
14. What season does the book take place?  Winter, p. 40
15. How does the museum bed smell?  Musty, p. 40
16. Why does Jamie not immediately fall asleep?  He is hungry, p. 40

Chapter 4

1. Why does Claudia put her petticoat on slowly?  She enjoys the clean smell of it, p. 44
2. Why couldn’t Jamie and Claudia put their belongings in the museum drawers?  They were all fastened shut, p. 45
3. What was hidden in a sarcophagus with no lid?  Claudia’s violin case, p. 44
4. Where was the trumpet case hidden?  In a huge urn, p. 45
5. Why does Jamie leave the bathroom stall the first morning?  He hears running water, p. 45
6. Who had turned on the tap?  The janitor, p. 45
7. Where does Jamie’s mother say he came from?  Heaven, p. 46
8. What do the children buy to eat at night?  Peanut butter crackers, p. 46
9. What does Jamie drink with breakfast?  Coffee, p. 46
10. What gallery does Jamie pick first to study?  Italian Renaissance, p. 47
11. Why does Jamie pick it?  To make Claudia bored, p. 47
12. Why does Claudia think he chose it?  Because of nudity, p. 50
13. Where does Claudia have tennis, ballet and diving lessons?  At the Y, p. 50
14. What was the newsman carrying?  A black camera, p. 51
15. What was stenciled on the camera case?  TIMES, p. 51
16. When had Jamie appeared in a newspaper photo?  While on a trip to Fire Dept, p. 52
17. How much does a NY Times paper cost?  10 cents, p. 53
18. Why does Claudia want to buy a copy of this paper?  To see what’s so special about the angel statue, p. 53
19. What was written on a blue circle of construction paper?  Gr. 6 WPS, p. 54
20. Where the teacher seated with the Grade 6 class at the mummies? On a folding stool, p. 54
21. What question does Jamie ask the mummy expert?  The cost of becoming a mummy, p. 55
22. How do the Kincaid children obtain the NY Times?  They steal it from a man who set it on a counter, p. 57
23. How many filing cabinets are on Mrs. Basil’s north wall? 17, p. 58
24. How large is the angel statue?  24 inches, p. 58
25. What price was paid for the statue?  $225, p. 59
26. What was the source of Mr. Frankweiler’s wealth?  Corn oil, and corn product development, p. 60
27. Which state does Mrs. Frankweiler live in?  Connecticut, p. 60
28. What is Michelangelo most famous for? Painting the Sistine Chapel ceiling, p.
29. What else was in the same newspaper that Claudia did not see?  About 2 missing children, p.
30. What is Claudia’s dad’s name? Steven C. Kincaid, Sr.,
31. Why will fingerprints not solve the mystery of the statue?  Too modern of a police tool, p. 63
32. What does Jamie think is wrong with Claudia when she things Angel looks likes someone in her family?  She has a fever, p. 64

Chapter 5

1. On which day do they go to the Laundromat?  Saturday, p. 67
2. Why do their underwear turn grey at Laundromat?  Washed with coloured socks, p. 68
3. Which library do they perform their research?  Donnell Branch Library, p. 69
4. Who had a broken nose?  Michelangelo, p. 72
5. According to Claudia, what are the two ways to get to know someone?  Live with or play cards with them, p. 75
6. What type of candy bar does Jamie find on the steps?  Hershey’s Almond, p. 75
7. What does Claudia suggest the chocolate bar is probably filled with?  Marijuana, p. 75
8. Why are the children’s pockets bulging on Saturday after lunch? Food and clean laundry, p. 76
9. Why is the morning wait so long for the children?  Staff come in one hour before open to the public, p. 77
10. Where do they hide in the morning?  Under beds, p. 77
11. What two words are in Jamie’s mental telegram to Claudia? STAY PUT, p. 79
12. Where do the children bathe?  IN the fountain, p. 80
13. What bronze creatures spray the water of the fountain? Dolphins, p. 81
14. What is Saxonberg’s stomach ailment?  An ulcer, p 81
15. How much $ do they collect from the fountain? $2.87, p. 84
16. Who wants to hug the statue? Claudia, p. 84
17. Where did the children stay when their mom gave birth to Kevin?  With Aunt Zell, p. 86

Chapter 6

1. What time does the art museum open on Sundays?  1 pm, p. 88
2. What did the children say inside the little chapel?  The Lord’s Prayer, p. 88
3. Where do the children hide when they hear the guard coming down the steps?  Behind the booth that rents out walkie-talkies, p. 90
4. What colour is the new velvet under Angel?  Gold, p. 91
5. What kind of mark is left on the blue velvet?  Three rings and the letter M, p. 92
6. Who moved the platform and blue velvet drape to the basement? Morris, p. 95
7. Where do the children discover the meaning of the mark?  At the bookstore, p. 96
8. What nickname does Claudia use for Jamie?  Sir James OR Mr. Pinchpenny, p. 96
9. Why do they decide not to call the New York Times?  Too much publicity, p. 96
10. What do the children rent in New York city?  A post office box, p. 97
11. How does Claudia write the letter to the museum?  With a typewriter, p. 99
12. Where does she find a typewriter?  Outside the Olivetti building, p. 99
13. Why does this typewriter not get stolen?  It is chained, p. 99
14. What sentence is typed at the tope of the sheet in the typewriter?  “Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their party”, p. 100
15. What post office box number do they rent? #847, p. 100
16. What did they watch at the Rockefeller Center for a short time? Skaters, p. 100

Chapter 7

1. How long does Claudia want to rent the post office box?  2 days, p. 103
2. Under what name does Jamie rent the box?  Angelo Michaels, p. 104
3. How much is the rental fee? $4.50 for 3 months
4. Where do the children wait to decide how to send the message?  In an Egyptian tomb, p. 105
5. Who are Sarah, Rube and Bruce?  Children from Jamie’s 3^rd grade class, p. 106
6. How did they end up delivering the letter?  Jamie does, p. 108

Chapter 8

1. What is Jamie’s explanation for why he’s not at school on a Tuesday?  The boiler broke, p. 111
2. Who was the children’s tour guide? An Indian girl, p. 113
3. What was the tour guide wearing? A sari, p. 113
4. What is Claudia’s mother’s birthstone?  Topaz, p. 113
5. When do the children receive the letter from the museum?  Wednesday, p. 114
6. What is Claudia’s response to the letter?  She cried, p. 117
7. What does Claudia feel that she rescued instead of a boy?  A log, p. 118
8. Why does Claudia wasn’t to make a discovery about Angel?  She wants to be different, p. 119
9. How long do the children live at the museum? One week, p. 118
10. Where do they want to buy two half-fare tickets to on the day they leave the museum?  Farmington, CT, p. 120
11. What does the ticket agent tell them? You have to go to Hartford and then take a bus, p. 120
12. What does Claudia do as soon as they get to Hartford?  Hails a cab, p. 123

Chapter 9

1. What does Jamie think Mrs. Frankweiler’s driveway is?  A highway, p. 124
2. How much does Jamie tip the taxi driver? 17 cents, p. 125
3. Why does he give the driver so little?  It is all the money they have left, p. 125
4. Who is the butler?  Parks, p. 125
5. What do the children say their business is when they come to call?  They are seeking information about the Italian Renaissance, p. 126
6. What does Mrs. Frankweiler’s office look more like?  A laboratory, p. 126
7. How does Jamie try to get Mrs. F’s attention while she makes them wait?  He emitted two fake sneezes, p. 127
8. Why is Claudia so eager to see a picture of herself in the paper?  She wonders where they got a picture of her since her mom never buys the school photos, p. 128
9. In the middle of the conversation between Mrs. F and the children, she rings her butler to get her something.  What is it?  A mirror, p. 129
10. Who is Mrs. F’s barber?  Parks, p. 129
11. To what does Claudia compare Mrs. F’s eyes?  A kaleidoscope, p. 130
12. Why did Mrs. F sell the statue to the museum?  Because she doesn’t like donating things, p. 132
13. What does Claudia like about Mrs. F’s bathroom?  The black marble tub, p. 133
14. What is the name of Mrs. F’s maid?  Hortense, p. 133
15. Why does Claudia take so long to wash up before lunch?  She decides to take a bath, p. 133
16. What is Jamie’s first concern when he hears the water running for the bath?  That Claudia is going to drown herself because they got caught, p. 134
17. What are the others eating when Claudia joins them for lunch?  Soup, p.136
18. What was Jamie’s favourite part of running away?  Not keeping a schedule, p. 139
19. What was Claudia’s favourite part of running away?  Hiding and Angel, p. 139
20. How does Mrs. F. promise to give them a ride home?  In a Rolls-Royce, p. 141
21. How long do the children have to find the file about Angel? One hour, p. 142
22. Under which heading do the children find the correct information?  Bologna, Italy, p. 145
23. What is sealed between two sheets of glass?  Old paper with a poem written by Michelangelo, p. 146
24. Where had Mrs. F. been hiding while the children went through her files?  In the closet, p. 146
25. How did Mrs. F. obtain the sketch?  She won it playing poker, p. 148
26.  How will Mrs. F. give them the sketch?  She will leave it to them in her will, p. 149
27. How long has Mrs. F. known the secret about Angel?  Twenty years, p. 151
28. Why does she not want to give the document to the museum?  It will be debated about by experts and some will doubt it is real, p. 152
29. What would Mrs. F. like to experience that is impossible?  To know how Mrs. Kincaid feels, p. 154

Chapter 10

1. What combination does Mrs. F say Saxonberg is?  Soft heart and hard head, p. 155
2. How does Claudia go up to Mrs. F’s third floor?  In an elevator, p. 156
3. How do the children tell their stories? Into a tape recorder, p. 155
4. What did Jamie turn on in the Rolls Royce and not turn off? Intercom and back windshield wipers, p. 157
5. How much does Jamie win playing cards with Mrs. F? 34 cents, p. 159
6. How do the children plan to continue their relationship with Mrs. F.?  Visit her and secretly adopt her as their grandmother, p. 160
7. Where will Mrs. F. sign the updated will?  At the restaurant at the Mmof Art, p. 161
8. What does Morris report to Sheldon?  Two music cases had been found at the Museum, p. 162