FROM THE MIXED-UP FILES OF MRS. BASIL E. FRANKWEILER: As a child, who didn't dream of running away somewhere and having a grand adventure? Or at least want to give your seemingly under-appreciative parents a taste of life without you? Both of these sentiments are echoed in E. K. Konigsburg's beloved 1967 novel about two children who run away from their Connecticut home and play house inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Set in one of the city's most cherished cultural institutions, the book follows the siblings as they bathe in the Museum's fountain, sleep in an antique bed and try to solve the mystery of an angel statue donated by the book's titular character.

Exploring the Museum through their eyes and experiencing their childlike wonder at the priceless treasures that surround them in their temporary home gives even the most jaded New Yorker a new lens through which to view the unique and special place we're blessed to have. And wouldn't we all love to solve a good mystery and end up the beneficiaries of a wealthy, art-collecting older lady? Yes, we would.