| When 12 year old Claudia Kincaid decides to run away from the suburban life she finds boring, she chooses her younger brother to run away with her to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, right in the heart of New York City. Claudia has planned the entire thing precisely. One morning, she and Jamie simply board the school bus as usual carrying everything they'll need in Jamie's trumpet case. When everybody else gets off the bus, they simply lie down on seats in the back, hiding until the bus driver is long gone. Then they sneak off the bus and use some of the money Claudia's been hoarding to board a train for NYC.
There they walk to the museum (Claudia wants to take a taxi, but Jamie, having assumed the role of treasurer points out it's much more economical to walk the forty blocks). There, they simply go in. The guard takes them for members of a school tour. In the museum, they look around until close to closing when they go to the bathroom and hide in a stall, carefully keeping their feet up, so a guard won't see them. Claudia and Jamie sleep in Marie Antoinette's bed. In the morning, they get up in time to hide once more in the bathrooms, until the museum has opened. They'll eat at a neighborhood Automat. When money begins to run short they collect money from one of the museum's fountains. Eventually they will become fascinated by a statue on which has been acquired by the Museum, called "Angel." There's speculation that it was carved by Michelangelo. Soon they're on their way to see its donor, Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler who lets them search for evidence of the truth in her very mixed-up files. | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of book? - upbeat Time/era of story - 1930's-1950's Kids growing up/acting up? Yes Is this an adult or child's book? - Age 11-14 Age group of kid(s) in story: - grade school Wild kid(s)? - runaway! Main Character Gender - Female Profession/status: Age: - a kid Ethnicity/Nationality Main Adversary Identity: - Female Age: - 60's-90's Profession/status: Eccentric/Smart/Dumb: Yes Eccentric: How sensitive is this character? Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters Setting How much descriptions of surroundings? - 5 () United States Yes The US: - Northeast City? Yes City: - New York Writing Style Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog |
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