The View from Saturday
by E. L. Konigsburg
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Book Summary Information
Author: E. L. KonigsburgBrand: Atheneum
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1998-02-01
ISBN: 0689817215
Number of pages: 176
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Book Reviews of The View from Saturday
Book Review: "The View" of Real Life
Summary: 5 Stars
From the superficial point of view, Nadia, Noah, Ethan, and Julian are the quintessential portraits of typical middle school students. However, E.L. Konigsburg, author of The View From Saturday, develops these characters to be anything but typical. In The View From Saturday, Konigsburg delivers the individual story of each of these students and how their personal pasts eventually binds them together as The Souls. The Souls were each carefully selected by their teacher, Mrs. Olinski, to be the elite members of the academic quiz team. Yet, Mrs. Olinski is puzzled by the fact that she can not specifically explain why she was drawn to each of these students. The Souls know why they were chosen for the quiz team, and it is not until the end that Mrs. Olinski realizes how she chose each member and why they were so successful. Through the questions asked at the academic quiz bowl, Konigsburg allows the reader to discover each character individually, and shows how their personal experiences made them well prepared for the team. Though "book knowledge" is essential for a mature intellect, Konigsburg show that the journey in the sea of life experiences can lead to the greatest teachings of all. Konigsburg first shows how the past experiences of her students aided them in the academic quiz bowl. Each chapter begins with a scene from the academic quiz bowl in which the prestigious superintendent of education asks one question. One by one, through each chapter, Nadia, Noah, Ethan, and Julian buzz in with the correct answer. Their answers are derived from personal experiences, which allow Konigsburg to develop each character individually in accordance with the question. The Souls' responses did not originate in some text they read, but rather from first hand adventures in which they unconsciously gained greater knowledge. Noah is the first of The Souls team members to buzz in. He correctly identifies the meaning and origin of the work "calligraphy". Noah did not spend hours studying the dictionary, but was taught how to use a calligraphy pen by his grandparent's friend Tillie. Noah used calligraphy to write invitations to the wedding of Ethan's grandmother and Nadia's grandfather. Nadia, who had long since been an active member in helping sea turtles, was able to answer a question about the North Atlantic Ocean. Ethan's experiences also aided in their victory at the Academic Bowl. Because of Ethan's experiences with his heritage and his permanent residency in New York, he knew who New York's four most famous women were. Finally, Julian's many years of living on a cruise ship enabled him to correctly identify the navigational acronym POSH. Each of these four students came from different backgrounds, but it was their backgrounds that made them so successful in the academic quiz bowl. Konigsburg shows, quite clearly, that their success was mainly due to knowledge that they learned out in the real world, not a textbook. Konigsburg characters exemplify the importance of being aware that interactions with other people, nature, and society can foster intelligence. Korigsburg also uses the knowledge The Souls derived from experience to improve their social relationships. The knowledge they gained from hands-on learning was not only important in the academic sense but also in their interactions with other people. Nadia, while working with the sea turtles, learned that sometimes the baby sea turtles needed to be manually transported out into the ocean. She applied this idea to her relationship with her father. She realized there would be hard times between her and her father and they would "need a lift" to get back with each other. While learning the art of calligraphy, Noah was taught by Tillie that, in calligraphy, "less is more". Noah used this saying in his relationship with Nadia; sometimes they would disagree, but fewer words meant more. Julian also applied his unique experiences to the betterment of relationships. Because Julian was the victim of unpopularity at school, he tried to erase the word "cripple" from the blackboard before Mrs. Olinski, who was paraplegic, got her feelings hurt. The Souls did not learn their mannerisms from information given in a classroom or literary work, but, again, from personal experiences created by Konigsburg. These personal experiences became apart of who each character was and their knowledge of how to interact with their surrounding environment. In the end, Konigsburg ties together all her characters by showing the common knowledge gained by their involvement in a real world setting. Each of The Souls found insight in the world around them and they each had something unique to add to the group. This is why Mrs. Olinski chose the members as she did; for their worldly wisdom, not "book smarts". As Publishers weekly puts it, "Konigsburg orchestrates a stunning quartet of harmoniously blended voices. She expresses the individual struggles of each of her characters while showing how they unite to reach a common goal. Wrought with deep compassion and a keen sense of balance, her imaginative novel affirms the existence of small miracles in everyday life."
Summary of The View from Saturday
HOW HAD MRS. OLINSKI CHOSEN her sixth-grade Academic Bowl team? She had a number of answers. But were any of them true? How had she really chosen Noah and Nadia and Ethan and Julian? And why did they make such a good team?It was a surprise to a lot of people when Mrs. Olinski's team won the sixth-grade Academic Bowl contest at Epiphany Middle School. It was an even bigger surprise when they beat the seventh grade and the eighth grade, too. And when they went on to even greater victories, everyone began to ask: How did it happen?
It happened at least partly because Noah had been the best man (quite by accident) at the wedding of Ethan's grandmother and Nadia's grandfather. It happened because Nadia discovered that she could not let a lot of baby turtles die. It happened when Ethan could not let Julian face disaster alone. And it happened because Julian valued something important in himself and saw in the other three something he also valued.
Mrs. Olinski, returning to teaching after having been injured in an automobile accident, found that her Academic Bowl team became her answer to finding confidence and success. What she did not know, at least at first, was that her team knew more than she did the answer to why they had been chosen.
This is a tale about a team, a class, a school, a series of contests and, set in the midst of this, four jewel-like short stories -- one for each of the team members -- that ask questions and demonstrate surprising answers.
A powerhouse sixth-grade Academic Bowl team from Epiphany Middle School; the art of calligraphy; the retirees of Century Village, Florida; a genius dog named Ginger; and a holiday production of "Annie" all figure heavily in the latest book by E. L. Konigsburg, who has produced a Newbery Medal-winning children's tale to rival her classic From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, which won the Newbery Medal almost 30 years ago. The new book centers around a group of four brilliant, shy 12-year-olds and the tea party they have each Saturday morning. Konigsburg's wacky erudition and her knack for offbeat characters make this a funny and endearing story of friendship.
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