FROM THE MIXED-UP FILES
We all have a favorite book that changed our lives when we were kids, helped us escape from the turmoil of growing up and made us fall in love with the written word. For me, "From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" by E. L. Konigsburg was that book. Obviously some people agreed, because she won the 1967 Newbery Medal for it. E. L. Kongisburg's birthday is February 10, so of course, in my usual excuse for cake, we have to have a celebration!

"From the Mixed-Up Files" tells the story of a precocious 11 year old named Claudia who, like many 11 year olds, decides to run away to teach her parents a lesson. A practical girl, Claudia is discerning about where she wants to run away to - "She didn't like discomfort; even picnics were untidy and inconvenient: all those insects and the sun melting the icing on the cupcakes. Therefore, she decided that her leaving home would not be just running from somewhere but would be running to somewhere. To a large place, a comfortable place, an indoor place, and preferably a beautiful place. And that's why she decided on the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City." Claudia brings along her frugal little brother Jamie because he "could be counted on to be quiet, and now and then he was good for a laugh." He also saves his money, so inviting him was a fiscally sound decision on Claudia's part. Like I said, she was practical.

Claudia was my kind of girl. My parents were obsessed with camping, but I thought "roughing it" was sleeping on the floor at a slumber party. Sleeping on the ground in a tent was a throwback to Neanderthal man in my opinion. So running away to a museum was a splendid idea!

After I read "From the Mixed-Up Files," I immediately wanted to live in a museum. This was not some passing fancy, though; that desire still drives my obsession with original art. When my son Cooper first read this novel and I told him how it affected me, he decided to make my dream come true. I came home from work one Saturday evening and Cooper had transformed our hallway into a museum. He had taped up pictures he had drawn of trains, abstract pictures and portraits of our family. That memory is probably one of the best gift I've ever been given.

Even though "From the Mixed-Up Files" is for eight to 12 year alive for any aged child. If you have a child who reads, they can read the story on their own. If your child is just beginning their reading adventure, you can read a chapter together every night. For toddlers, whose attention span is about as long as the title of this book, you have to get creative. Take a cue from Cooper and let your little artist create their own Museum of Modern Art.

If you're short on time and energy, you can plop your child down in front of a piece of paper, give them the finger paints and set them loose. If, however, you want to attempt to catch their attention for a few days, consider reading some books about artists and then painting in their tradition.

A wonderful artist to start with is Jackson Pollock. Many people today still think that Pollock painted no better than their child's refrigerator art, so this won't be a stretch. An aside to you art doubters: a 2001 article in "Discover" magazine acknowledged that the repeating patterns in Pollock's work mirrors the fractals found in nature. So he wasn't just spilling paint on a canvas.

"Action Jackson" by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan and illustrated by Robert Andrew Parker, introduces the reader to Jackson Pollock during 1950. Jackson begins his day, spends time with Caw Caw, the crow he tamed, and Gyp, his border collie. His destination is his studio, where he is working on his painting "Number 1, 1950," also known as "Lavender Mist." At the end of the book there is a brief biography of Pollock, and four pages of notes, sources and bibliography. It is a book that I as a parent enjoy as much as my child.

Chronicle Books has a series of board books titled "Mini Masters" which contains books on Picasso, Gauguin, Matisse and VanGogh, among others. Most children understand Picasso more than adults, so introducing your child to Picasso can only enhance your own experience with the artist.

After hanging your child's masterpieces in your new home museum, consider taking a field trip to let your child see the originals of the paintings they have seen in the books. "Self-Portait Dedicated to Paul Gaugain" by Vincent Van Gogh and "Mother and Child" by Pablo Picasso are both part of the Maurice Wertheim Collection being shown at The Fogg Art Museum at Harvard University until June 20, 2008.

If you want to plan a bigger trip, go to the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. The Guggenheim houses seven Pollocks, 14 Picassos and 17 paintings by Kandinsky, another artist that is accessible to children. Not all of these paintings are on view at one time, but you are sure to catch a few no matter when you go. If you bring your older children you can visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art and hunt for Claudia and Jamie!

Once you return from your museum jaunts, sit with your child in the room or hall where their artwork is housed. Pretend you are on an adventure and enjoy feeling like a kid again. Oh, and don't forget the birthday cake. I