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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
I love this book! I read it around 4th grade. I can remember that because I lent it to my teacher to read to the class, the class got bored of it, and then my teacher LOST my book! It's a good one though.
Not gonna lie, I picked this book up because of a reference to it in “The Office”. I love it! I look forward to reading it to my niece and my children in the hopes that it sparks an interest in art, the MET, and reading!
I'll confess that I should have read this a long, long time ago, and have had a copy of it that I purchased on a visit to Pooh Corner books (one of my childhood haunts) floating around in my car for months. I figured there was no time more appropriate than an impending visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to get it in gear! This would be a superb read-aloud for elementary classes (where it already has a well-established home), and affords all kinds of teaching points from art appreciation to research skills. An afterword in my copy explains how much of the museum has changed in the years since it was written, so I didn't get to see many of the big things that the book depicts, but still, it was fun to visit the museum right after reading it.
Such a great book! Extremely creative and thought provoking. As a child it was one of my favorite stories and I highly recommend it.
I wanted to read this kids book because there is a particular scene that made a big impression on me as a child, and I think of it often, but remember almost nothing of the rest of the book. Here's my assessment of it now: Decent book. Very little action. Lots of preachy/teachy moments. Definitely written a long time ago, in some respects. Helps me to realize why I was so afraid of people hiding drugs in candy (even though that was a very small part of the book) when I was a kid.
I'm reading all the famous kids books I skipped due to generational timing or other reasons. Having this knowledge I hope I can make convincing arguments to my kids why they should read certain books. This book will be one of those I strongly encourage the boys to read. We've been to the Met several times and I know they'll relate. The character development is great, and it is somewhat like a detective story. I may suggest it this year for my soon to be 9 year old.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
All the characters are annoying, but in a very realistic way.
The asides from Mrs Basil E were the best part.
I wish her all the best in her budding romance/flirtation. But maybe calling someone dull is not the best way of starting it.
The asides from Mrs Basil E were the best part.
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A delightful read for children that can also make any adult's day.
I read this in Grade Five, and haven't since. Lately I saw it come up as a related read to contemporary art and other middle grade mysteries, and I'd forgotten it had that mystery element. It was a great re-read, absolutely timeless in its storytelling and characterization. Despite it taking place when it was written, in the 1960s, the characterization of Claudia and Jamie were both so immediately identifiable that it would take only slight changes to make it take place in any other time period. It's very short, and a modern version would likely delve more into the hidden familial relationship between some of the characters. Such a great book, I think young kids would enjoy this as much as teens and adults. Claudia is especially such a well-rounded, contradictory, realistic tween girl character, and Konigsburg captures both her and Jamie's character entirely through dialogue. Incredibly well-written, very recommended.