Discussion Guide - Book 5 FILES OF MRS. BASIL E. SamanthaGreenMysteries.com
A NOTE FROM Christy Lynn Allen AUTHOR, SAMANTHA GREEN MYSTERIES Dear Serious Reader, This book was written many years ago, and although many things have changed (like the price of bus fare... and expressions like boloney! ), nothing beats a big adventure or a good secret! Maybe one day you ll visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art and stumble upon your own mystery! As always, here are some unique activities, probing Discussion questions and expressive journal ideas! X RATE THIS BOOK & SHARE COMMENTS WITH OTHER SERIOUS READERS: SamanthaGreenMysteries.com/SRC X
Museum Lingo JL When Claudia and Jamie move to the museum, they discover a new world with its own landscape and language. Part 1: Match each word with its picture Answers are on the bottom of this discussion guide s last page Tapestry She hid her book bag behind a tapestry screen in the rooms of French furniture. A Which picture shows a tapestry? Sarcophagus Claudia hid her violin case in a sarcophagus that had no lid. Which picture shows a sarcophagus? Stonemason The crushed-up mark on the dark blue velvet was Michelangelo s stonemason s mark. B C Which picture shows a stonemason? Pedestal...they found themselves in front of the pedestal that Angel had stood just the day before. Which picture shows a pedestal? Curator The museum purchased the statue last year when one of its curators spotted it during a preview showing of works to be auctioned by the Parke-Bernet galleries. Which picture shows a curator? D E
Museum Lingo Part 2: Choose the correct definition for each word Answers are on the bottom of this discussion guide s last page Tapestry A tapestry is... a) an old movie screen b) a musical instrument that produces a tapping sound c) a thick fabric woven with pictures or designs Sarcophagus Stonemason Pedestal A sarcophagus is... a) the esophagus of a serpent b) a large boat c) a stone coffin usually carved or painted A stonemason is... a) a statue of a builder b) a person who cuts, carves, and builds with stone c) a paperweight A pedestal is... a) the base or structure upon which an object is displayed b) a foot stool c) the piece of metal that connects a pedal to a bicycle Curator A curator is someone who... a) discovers cures for diseases b) selects and oversees items displayed in a museum c) only eats fish
Michelangelo Who Was He? In From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, visitors flocked to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to see Angel, a marble statue believed to be an early work of Michelangelo. Although the statue of Angel is fictional, Michelangelo was a real artist, made famous by masterpieces he created during the Italian Renaissance. Using your book and the internet, answer the questions below: 1. What was Michelangelo s full name? 2. When and where was he born? 3. In the book, what did Jamie discover at the library about what happened to many of Michelangelo s works? 4. What famous sculpture did Michelangelo complete when he was 24 years old for the French cardinal, Jean de Billheres? (Hint: it is the only work of art he ever signed.) 5. Michelangelo s Statue of David, was originally going to be placed along the roofline of Florence Cathedral. Why was it placed in the Piazza della Signoria instead?
Discussion uestions Get even more out of your reading experience. Answer a few discussion questions, then dazzle your friends with your deep thoughts! G C E 1. Why do you think the author started this book with a letter written by Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler? 2. What are Claudia s reasons for running away? 3. Explain what the narrator means by this: (see Chapter 1) Flattery is as important a machine as the lever, isn t it, Saxonberg? Give it a proper place to rest, and it can move the world. What happens when Claudia flatters Jamie?
Discussion uestions 4. What does the narrator wholeheartedly admire about Claudia? Why? (See Chapter 2) 5. How does the adventure of running away together change Claudia and Jamie s relationship? 6. Why is Claudia so enchanted by the statue of Angel? Why is solving the mystery of Angel so important to her? 7. What are some things Claudia and Jamie do to try and prove that Michelangelo made Angel? What clues do they find?
Discussion uestions 8. Why does the letter they receive back from the museum make Claudia cry? 9. What deal do Claudia and Jamie make with Mrs. Frankweiler? 10. Why do you think Mrs. Frankweiler kept Angel s secret for so long? What made her decide to share it with Claudia and Jamie? 11. What is the big twist at the end of this story? (What unexpected thing do we as readers discover?)
Journal Ideas Now it s your turn to write! Pick an idea, or think of your own, and grab your journal! G Because after a time having a secret and nobody knowing you have a secret is no fun. And although you don t want others to know what the secret is, you want them to at least to know you have one. Excerpt from From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg Write about a time when you had a secret. What made this information so special? How did it make you feel to know something that no one else knew? Did you keep the secret, or did you decide to tell someone about it? What happened was: they became a team. A family of two. There had been times before they ran away when they had acted like a team, but those were very different from feeling like a team. Becoming a team didn t mean the end of their arguments. But it did mean that their arguments became part of their adventure, became discussion not threats. Excerpt from From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg Have you ever experienced a time when you and another person (maybe a family member or a friend) bonded because of a challenging or meaningful experience? Write about this situation. Explore what it was like to actually feel yourself becoming a team. G 3. Many of his works have been lost 4. Pietà 5. It was too heavy (6 tons) 1. Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni 2. March 6, 1475 in Caprese, Tuscany (Italy) Michelangelo - Who Was He? Answer Key 3. B 4. A 5. B 1. C 2. C 3. E 4. C 5. D 1. B 2. A Museum Lingo Part 1 Part 2