the mysterious edge of the heroic world and E.L. Konigsburg In General

I always like a trip through one of E.L. Konigsburg's books and this one was no different. There's always a certain something about her books that Melissa sums up almost perfectly:

There is something about E.L. Konigsburg's writing that simultaneously entertains, enlightens, and even mildly annoys me. I enjoy her books, sometimes immensely-- as in this case-- but am usually left with a sense of not-quite-getting it, of not entirely being in on the joke.

Except for the annoying bit (because it doesn't annoy me, although it almost does at times), I think this is the perfect description of Konigsburg's books. The reason why her books always seem to immediate is that she knows exactly how to describe the process that children (and adults too) go through of learning about the world, other people around them, and especially themselves. And that's why it doesn't annoy me- I feel like she takes me through that process as I read her books. I don't always quite grasp everything, but I know it, and knowing it is part of what I learn. I never read anything else like it.