E. L. Konigsburg's children Laurie Todd and Ross Konigsburg, the inspirations for her protagonists in From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.

Friends and family of E. L. Konigsburg, the author of From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (Atheneum, 1967) gathered at the Metropolitan Museum of Art to celebrate her life and work on February 21. The memorial for the two-time Newbery winner, who died in April, took place in the museum’s Patron’s Lounge overlooking a snowy Central Park in New York City. From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, much of which takes place in the Metropolitan, earned Konigsburg her first Newbery Medal. The story follows a girl, Claudia, and her younger brother, Jamie, who run away from their suburban home to the museum. Their adventure leads them to unravel a mystery behind a Renaissance sculpture there. The book, along with a 1973 film adaptation,The Hideaways, with Ingrid Bergman playing Mrs. Frankweiler, and a 1995 for television production with Lauren Bacall in the title role, has made the Metropolitan a must-see for many children visiting the city. Many members of the publishing and library communities attended the memorial, hosted by the Konigsburg family and Simon & Schuster, the parent company of Atheneum Books for Young Readers, Konigsburg’s publisher. Justin Chanda, vice president and publisher of Atheneum, spoke of Konigsburg’s lasting impact on generation of readers, saying that she imparted “the power of home.”  Chanda said that the author considered Atheneum her home and stayed with the publisher for her entire career. Konigsburg holds the distinction of being the Newbery winner with the longest span of time between medals. In 1997, 29 years after she was awarded her first, she won a second for The View from Saturday (Atheneum, 1996), a story told in the four voices of members of a middle-school quiz bowl team. Ginee Seo, children’s publishing director of Chronicle Books, reminisced about her time working with Konigsburg when she held an earlier position at Simon & Schuster. She was a “rock star” among authors and was always asked to speak at conferences, Seo said, adding that the author was always charming, stylish, and “knew how to accessorize” for appearances at events. Nevertheless, Konigsburg always looked forward to returning to her room where she could take off her panty hose and relax, Seo added. The author’s oldest son, Paul Konigsburg, spoke of the times his mother would drop him, his brother, and sister at the Metropolitan to explore its many rooms while she went off to take art lessons. His sister, Laurie Todd, and his younger brother, Ross, were the inspirations for Konigsburg’s characters Claudia and Jamie, he shared. Konigsburg’s other books include the Newbery Honor title Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth (1967), along with A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver (1973) and Throwing Shadows (1979, all Atheneum), both finalists for the National Book Award.