Classic children's lit

I got a chance to read From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler by e.l. konigsburg, which shows up regularly on must-read lists of children's literature, and even won the Newbery Award.  I have to say that I was underwhelmed.  It seems to fallen prey to that phenomenon of not being able to live up to high expectations.

It is, ultimately, the story of young Claudia, who decides she is going to run away.  Like many young people that contemplate this, her reasons are large, yet unspecific.  Life at home is simply "not fair."  Claudia, however, is anything but typical....she is a planner.  She planned every detail, including roping in her younger brother, Jamie, because he has all the money.  They run away to the Metropolitan Mueseum of Art in New York City, and manage to stay in the museum at night, so they have someplace safe and warm.  They then become involved in trying to discover the origins of a statute that may have been carved by Michelangelo.

I enjoyed the resourcefulness of the siblings, and because I'm a librarian, their research process.  It is definitely pre-internet, and even pre-personal computer.  Nowhere, It is told from a very weird perspective, a sort of interrupted narrative from a third party.  I found that confusing at first.  It was a fine story, but, I'm not sure I can rave about it.

Funny and insightful

I had no idea what to expect from Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle.  I found this book funny, touching, interesting, and insightful.  Quite a bit more to it than I would have guessed from the cover.

Nate has been ridiculed his whole life in his small Pennsylviana town.  He doesn't fit in.  His older brother is everything a son should be: handsome, athletic, well-liked.  Unfortunately, Nate is nothing like him.  Short, "husky," un-athletic, and a lover of show tunes, he has been called many names, none of which are cool.  His chance to escape his small town come when his best friend, Libby, lets him know that there is an open call in New York City for "ET," the musical.  He sneaks on a bus to make his dream of becoming a star on Broadway come true.  Of course, things never go quite as planned.

His trip to New York shows him how there is so much more to the world than his small town.  In a world where a guy must be gay if they don't like sports and girls, he learns not only that being gay isn't hated everywhere,  but also that it's OK to not be sure who you are quite yet.