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February 10 is writer E.L. Konigsburg’s birthday, and portion astir radical are acquainted with her classical children’s publication From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, she wrote much than 20 books, including representation books. Born to 2 Jewish immigrants, Konigsburg grew up successful tiny towns successful Pennsylvania. She was valedictorian of her precocious schoolhouse class, majored successful chemistry astatine Carnegie Mellon, and was the archetypal idiosyncratic successful her household to gain a assemblage degree.
Konigsburg started penning successful the mornings aft her 3rd kid went to school. In 1968, she won the Newbery Medal for Mixed-Up Files, and was besides awarded a Newbery Honor for her publication Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth. She is the lone writer to beryllium awarded some successful the aforesaid year. Almost 30 years later, successful 1997, she won the Newbery again for her caller The View From Saturday.
In 2006, she was a U.S. nominee for the Hans Christian Andersen award, for her contributions to children’s literature. She died successful 2013 astatine the property of 83, from complications of a changeable that she had the week before.
Konigsburg tackled galore topics that different authors mightiness not person touched successful children’s lit much than 30 oregon 40 years ago: antisemitism, racism, classism (About the B’nai Bagels), pornography (also B’nai Bagels), intelligence wellness (George), and diverseness — galore of her books person racially divers characters oregon disabled characters — to sanction a few. Was this ever handled the mode we would expect it to beryllium handled now? Of people not, due to the fact that these books were written decades agone and our connection and usage of connection has changed and evolved, arsenic it should perpetually beryllium doing. I person cringed erstwhile speechmaking immoderate of her writing. But determination are besides immoderate astonishing scenes wherever characters constituent retired the explicit racism oregon ableism of different characters, and wherever mothers don’t hesitate to formal down their entitled, sexist sons and husbands. Keeping the clip play erstwhile these were written successful caput erstwhile I reread (and work for the archetypal time) galore of her books, it felt a spot groundbreaking to me.
In that respect, portion I perfectly emotion Mixed-Up Files, I deliberation it’s a shame that much of her enactment isn’t mentioned oregon taught. Other books of hers are overmuch much divers and layered, diving into immoderate beauteous heavy topics.
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Many of Konigsburg’s characters are precocious kids — oregon astatine slightest that’s however they work to me. Kids who overthink, overanalyze, and apt basal connected the fringes of societal scenes. They’re precise articulate, benignant of quirky, and consciousness deeply. Especially with immoderate of her older books, this tin marque for immoderate precise dated, stilted reading. But successful her aboriginal books, which I thin to bask more, the penning feels smoother and much relaxed.
If you’ve work Mixed-Up Files and are funny successful exploring different books by Konigsburg, present are immoderate that I’d suggest.
About the B’nai Bagels
First published successful 1969, this is 1 that’s decidedly dated successful its connection and immoderate scenes, but I deliberation it exemplifies the kinds of characters Konigsburg often writes, arsenic good arsenic the topics she tackles. Mark is tense astir his upcoming Bar Mitzvah: things are weird with his erstwhile champion person who moved to the affluent portion of municipality and present hangs retired with an annoying kid, and to marque things adjacent worse, his ma signed up to negociate his Little League squad — and his brother’s the coach. Keep successful mind, this was 1969, truthful to person a ma bash this is not a tiny thing. Mark’s member and adjacent his dada marque immoderate comments, which his ma nips successful the bud. When the squad starts winning, things are large — but erstwhile helium finds retired immoderate accusation that could alteration everything with the team, Mark has immoderate hard decisions to make. This feels similar a snapshot of Jewish suburban beingness successful the precocious ’60s, astir reminiscent of The Wonder Years, with the observations astir one’s household and societal life.
The View from Saturday
This was published successful 1996 and won the Newbery successful 1997, and arsenic you work it, it’s wide why. The characters are the aforesaid observant, quirky, highly articulate kids that are connected the fringes. Konigsburg addresses racism and ableism successful this publication successful assorted ways, and the full publication felt a spot Westing Game–esque to me. Not successful the consciousness of a large enigma (although determination is simply a flimsy mystery), but however determination are layers to everyone and everything, with thing being rather arsenic it archetypal seems. It centers astir 4 students who person been chosen to beryllium connected an Academic Bowl team, who telephone themselves The Souls. No 1 expected them to win, but erstwhile they commencement beating everyone else, the spotlight is connected them. Their teacher, Mrs. Olinski, is asked however she chose them, and arsenic each of their stories unfold and intersect, we tin dilatory portion unneurotic however and why. In my opinion, this should beryllium the publication for which Konigsburg is known.
The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place
One of the past that Konigsburg wrote, this is simply a delightful publication acceptable successful 1983 and follows a 12-year-old named Margaret. After “prefer[ing] not to” bash astir things astatine summertime campy wrong the archetypal week, 1 of her great-uncles picks her up and takes her backmost to his location portion her prof parents are successful Peru. Her great-uncles Alex and Morris person built fabulous sculpture towers successful their backyard that person stood determination for much than 40 years — but arsenic their municipality has been dilatory gentrified, present radical privation to teardrop the towers down due to the fact that they don’t acceptable into the town’s “history.” There is truthful overmuch successful this publication to discuss, but Konigsburg doesn’t wound disconnected much than she tin chew: themes of bullying, overarching authority, friendship, and who gets to determine what are each expertly woven together. (I volition say, though, that determination are immoderate beauteous cringey, ableist assumptions of Jake, the handyman astatine camp, by Margaret and different campers, and I would person thought a publication published successful 2004 would beryllium different, but upon further reflection, I realized possibly not).
Konigsburg is simply a classical children’s author, but there’s much to her than a nighttime astatine the depository — which publication volition you take first?
If you’re looking for adjacent much children’s books, cheque retired this station connected the most influential children’s books of each time, oregon this station astir the best children’s books of 2022.
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