In this activity, students will examine the author’s point of view and make inferences based on details from the text. There are three unique aspects in this text: periodically, the narrator speaks directly to Saxonberg; it is unclear who the narrator is until chapter eight; and the narrator ends up being one of the main characters in the story: Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler!
Text examples of each of these are:
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a storyboard showing the author's point of view Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.
Encourage creative thinking by asking students to imagine what Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler would write in her diary after meeting Claudia and Jamie. This activity helps students internalize point of view and infer character motivations.
List important moments Mrs. Frankweiler experienced during the story and the feelings she may have had. Brainstorming supports students in connecting text details to character perspective.
Show a sample sentence that blends events from the book with Mrs. Frankweiler’s thoughts. Modeling builds student confidence in using first-person voice.
Let students draft their diary entries and share them with a partner or the class. Sharing encourages engagement and helps reinforce understanding of point of view.
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler is told from a unique first-person point of view, with the narrator revealed partway through the story as Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler herself. She sometimes addresses Saxonberg directly, adding a conversational tone.
Students can look for clues in the text, such as the narrator speaking to Saxonberg and revealing personal knowledge, to infer that the narrator is Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, which is confirmed in chapter eight.
Examples include the narrator addressing Saxonberg directly, describing Claudia's feelings, and revealing her own role in the story. Quotes like “The game was nothing very complicated, Saxonberg...” and “Claudia felt that having Jamie there was important” show different perspectives.
The narrator addresses Saxonberg to create a conversational style and to give the story a personal touch, making readers feel involved in the unfolding events and the narrator's perspective.
Teachers can have students use a template to identify different points of view in the story, select quotes that highlight each perspective, and illustrate scenes with characters and items that reflect those viewpoints.