E. L. Konigsburg (1930–2013)
Author of From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
About the Author
Elaine Lobl Konigsburg, noted children's writer and illustrator, was born February 10, 1930 in New York City. She received a BS in chemistry from Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie-Mellon University) in 1952. She did graduate study at the University of Pittsburgh. Her best-known titles show more included A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver, The Second Mrs. Giaconda, Father's Arcane Daughter, and Throwing Shadows. She won the Newbery Honor in 1968 for From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and the William Allen White Award in 1970. She won the Newbery Medal again in 1997 for The View from Saturday. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler was adapted into a motion picture starring Ingrid Bergman in 1973 and later released as The Hideaways in 1974. It became a television film starring Lauren Bacall in 1995. Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth was adapted for television as Jennifer and Me for NBC-TV in 1973. She died on April 19, 2013 from complications of a stroke that she had suffered a week prior at the age of 83. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Image credit: Ron Kunzman/Simon & Schuster, via Associated Press
Series
Works by E. L. Konigsburg
Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth (1967) — Cover artist, some editions; Illustrator, some editions — 1,302 copies
The E. L. Konigsburg Collection: Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth; The View from… (2007) 92 copies
The E.L. Konigsburg Collection: From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler; Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth,… (2016) 6 copies
From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, the Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg, and the Whipping Boy (2009) 3 copies
Associated Works
Scholastic Book Clubs Chapters - A Special Sampling of Novels By Newbery Authors (2001) — Contributor — 16 copies
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Konigsburg, Elaine Lobl
- Birthdate
- 1930-02-10
- Date of death
- 2013-04-19
- Gender
- female
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- New York City, New York, USA
- Place of death
- Jacksonville, Florida, USA
- Places of residence
- New York, New York, USA
Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, USA
Youngstown, Ohio, USA
Farrell, Pennsylvania, USA
Jacksonville, Florida, USA
Port Chester, New York, USA - Education
- Carnegie Mellon University (Chemistry)
University of Pittsburgh - Occupations
- author
illustrator
bookkeeper
teacher - Relationships
- Konigsburg, David (husband)
- Awards and honors
- Lewis Carroll Shelf Award 1968
William Allen White Children's Book Award 1970
Regina Medal (2001)
Members
Discussions
YA Modern Fiction in Name that Book (July 2016)
What Are You Reading the Week of 7 February 2014? in What Are You Reading Now? (February 2015)
Book read in elementry school 2nd-5th grade child locked in museum in Name that Book (March 2009)
Reviews
From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg
One of my absolute favorite books in elementary school, still remember reading it and how it impacted my thoughts on reading
Rereading this with my daughter was wonderful! The magic of running away to live in the MET still resonated, but I loved Claudia's journey to understand herself even more than I did as a child. Her exploration of her own motivations will stay with her much longer than her week in the museum. I loved that she and her brother Jamie have such different personalities when it comes to spending money and planning. They are forced to learn how to prioritize and compromise. And Mrs. Frankweiler is just delightful!… (more)
I was underwhelmed by this story of two girls pretending to be witches. There were several smile-inducing situations but for me most of it fell rather flat. This is the second book I've read by this author that just didn't impress me at all, especially considering it was a Newbery Honor winner. Meh.
I didn't like the sarcastic nature of all the characters in this book. I don't disagree that 6th graders may be sarcastic, but reading a book aloud to them that models it for them isn't what I'd like to do as a teacher. I won't be reading this book to the class or placing it in my classroom library. They can find it at the public library if they so wish.
Lists
Overdue Podcast (1)
Witchy Fiction (1)
Sonlight Books (6)
scav (1)
Five star books (1)
1960s (1)
Newbery Adjacent (1)
Best Young Adult (1)
Books for Tori (1)
Urban Fiction (1)
Female Author (1)
Elevenses (2)
Comfort Reads (1)
1970s (1)
Favourite Books (1)
Tagged Runaways (1)
Awards
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Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 35
- Also by
- 6
- Members
- 31,068
- Popularity
- #637
- Rating
- 4.1
- Reviews
- 596
- ISBNs
- 409
- Languages
- 13
- Favorited
- 36
