I need your help! I am hoping to locate and purchase a book-on-record
~ specifically, I'm looking for the LP record version of the book
"From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler." I don't have
too much information on the recording - mostly what I remember is that
this book was available on record and I used to check it out of the
library in Markleeville, California each summer when my family would
spend our vacation at our cabin up in the mountains.  It was a
wonderful recording of the book, and there were separate voices for
Claudia, Jamie, and of course Mrs. Frankweiler.  The recording must be
at least 20 years old by now.  This was one of my favorite records to
listen to as a child and I'd love to have a copy as an adult.  I'm
hoping you can direct me to a website to purchase the record, or to a
collector that I can purchase from directly.  I would also consider a
recording on casette or CD as long as it is the *same* recording -
i.e. the same version with the same voices, just in a separate medium.

Hope you can find it!

Thanks!

Hello Susan,

I remember reading this book to my young son many years ago!  The
author, E. L. Konigsburg won the 1967 Newbery Medal for this wonderful
story about Claudia and her brother who run away to the New York
Metropolitan Museum of Art.  This was only her second book, and her
first book was runner up.

While searching for you I was able to locate an audio cassette
recording that you may purchase from Amazon.com

Amazon.com buying info From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E.
Frankweiler [UNABRIDGED]


http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0807275565/qid=1023239621/sr=12-1/104-6343494-3377512

"From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler [UNABRIDGED]
by E. L. Konigsburg, Jan Miner (Reader)
(Audio Cassette - May 1995) 
Avg. Customer Rating: 4 and 1/2 stars
List Price: $18.00
Our Price: $12.60 
You Save: $5.40 (30%)
Availability: Usually ships within 24 hours
Reading level: Young Adult 
Edition: Audio Cassette 
Audio Cassette: ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.75 x 6.86 x 4.24" 

The reader, Jan Miner, is a very talented versatile actress who has
played many range of roles including the works of Shakespeare to
Tenessee Williams and more.

I quote from the review of the cassette on this page:
Audio review Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler [UNABRIDGED]


( http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/detail/-/books/0807208736/reviews/104-6343494-3377512#08072087365000
)

"Book Description
Read by Jan Miner
Two cassettes /3 hours 32 mins.

Twelve-year-old Claudia Kincaid is restlesses--she wants to do
something different, such as running away from her comfortable
suburban life in Connecticut for a while. But not just any place will
do because Claudia likes her comforts. It needs to be a place with a
bit of luxury and some good company. Ans she wants to be gone just
long enough to teach her parents to appreciate her.

With careful planning, Claudia stages her own secret live-in at New
York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, taking along her nine-year-old
brother, not so much for company, but mostly because he is a miser and
will have money. What happens to Claudia and Jamie, and the changes
that come about in this sister-brother duo, prove greater than either
had bargained for.
--This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition."

I hope this information is what you were seeking.
tlspiegel-ga

---

Clarification of Answer by tlspiegel-ga on 04 Jun 2002 19:27 PDT

Hi again,

My search was done by going to google.com, typing in amazon.com, then
applying a search at Amazon through BOOKS, with the title: From the
Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.
tlspiegel-ga

---

Request for Answer Clarification by susan_california-ga on 05 Jun 2002 12:43 PDT

Hi tlspiegel!

Thanks for looking into this for me! I'm new to this service (as of
yesterday!) so I'm still learning the ropes around here & I really
appreciate the expertise that people have.

Unfortunately, I don't think the recording shown at Amazon.com is the
one that I'm looking for.  Unless it is a re-release of a previous
recording, then a recording from 1995 is probably too new to match the
one I'm looking for. It's got to be 20 years old or so because it was
around when I was growing up and I'm 27 now.  I'm starting to think
that perhaps it is a scholastic recording made available to libraries,
elementary schools, etc.  I actually never read the book growing up
(because I always had access to the record!) so I'm not sure if the
record was abridged or not.  I do know the record was two-sided and
picked up halfway through on the second side.  The first side of the
record ended just as Claudia and Jamie locate the statue of Angel
sitting on the "crushed-up" velvet platform and Claudia notices the
'M' carved into the bottom ... then she exclaims "M ... for
Michaelangelo!" and you're instructed to turn the record over :-) 
Funny how I can remember that!

Anyhow, is there some way you can find out if the recording listed at
Amazon is related to/the same as the recording that I'm looking for? 
I posted this inquiry at a higher rate than the first inquiry that I
tried because I figured it might take a while to find ... I had
actually checked Amazon and a few other places before coming here and
didn't have any luck myself.

Hope you can provide me with more information! Thanks again.

Susan

---

Clarification of Answer by tlspiegel-ga on 05 Jun 2002 14:01 PDT

Hi Susan,
I just received notification that you needed clarification.  I will be
calling Amazon.com as soon as I finish writing this to you, and I'll
post my answer  as soon as I find out either way.  Stay tuned!
tlspiegel-ga

---

Clarification of Answer by tlspiegel-ga on 05 Jun 2002 14:44 PDT

Hi again Susan,

Well here's what I did and what my findings were:
I called Amazon.com and spoke to a Product Specialist Supervisor. (She
was very friendly and interested in my query - I sure do like
Amazon.com!)  :)

She worked with me, and basically had nothing more to tell me than
what I already knew.  I asked her for the number to call Bantam Books
- and I spoke to a Product Specialist Supervisor at Bantam.

I wish I had more positive news for you, but it appears... no one
knows for sure.

Thank you,
tlspiegel-ga

I must say that tlspiegel deserves mega-props for the level of
research! I super-appreciate the time put into this.  Many thanks!

I don't know if you realize this but the made a movie of that book
Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, (1973), movie, "museum
director" w/Donald Symington (Ralph): also known as Don Symington

Northwestern Oklahoma State University says they have a copy of that
in their Media library, the original LP record I mean.
Main site is here : http://www.nwosu.edu/

Media listing is here :
http://www.nwosu.edu/MEDIA/records.htm

Perhaps they could be persuaded to let you make a digital copy of the
original recording?? Don't know, but you could ask :-)

Hope that helps 

webadept-ga

Hi Susan!

Funny you mention this book as I just came across a copy as I was
boxing up books to donate to the local school.  Kids are still reading
that book even almost 40 years after it was written!

I don’t know if you followed up on tlspiegel’s answer yet, but I have
a strong feeling that this isn’t the recording you are looking for.
(Not that I’ve done any better mind you!)

It’s just that if this recording takes 2 cassette tapes (3 hrs 32
mins) there is no way it would fit on one vinyl record which holds
only about an hour’s worth of audio.  Also, apparently the recording
being sold at Amazon is “read by” the actress Jan Miner. The sense
that I get from your question is that the story was not read, but sort
of “acted” with different people playing the various parts. It must
have been some sort of “condensed” version as the book is 160 pages
long. One couldn’t read it fast enough to fit it on a record.

Meanwhile, I’ve perused many of the sites selling old vinyl records
…so far no luck.  However, I did find on Ebay (of all places!) the
fact that there was a movie made in 1973 of this book:

“Description:  From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler,
the 1973 Fielder Cook family drama starring Ingrid Bergman, Sally
Prager, Bruce Conover, Johnny Doran, Mike Hammett, Georgann Johnson,
and Madeline Kahn”

If these are the voices you recall, maybe that’s where the recording
came from.

Good Luck – K~

Well, I see now that my screen has refreshed, that webadept has
already provided you with that particular connection ... Hope it helps
you out!

-K~

Oh Susan - Thank you so much for your kind words.  I really wish I
could have found "exactly" what you wanted!  But the research was very
enjoyable and it brought back neat memories for me.  Thanks again!
tlspiegel-ga