Wednesday, October 29, 2008

A View From Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg



Title: A View From Saturday

Author: E.L. Konigsburg

Stars: 3 1/2

Description: 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.

This isn't one my my favorite book but it was ok. This book is about all of these students, Noah, Nadia, Ethan, and Julian. It has a story about each of these students. Mrs. Olinski has to pick her students for this competition. And this book shows how she comes to pick her students, and how this changed her life.

Who is Your Favorite Character and Why? I don't really have a favorite character, but I really like Julian. Why? Because he is smart, caring, and he isn't like the other characters in the book.

What is Your Favorite Part and Why? I like the end part when Mrs. Olinski says,"Did I choose you, or did you choose me?" And the students answer saying, "Yes!" Why? Because that is a part where you figure out that the students care just as much for Mrs. Olinski just as much as she cares for them.

Why are you like the Main Character or why aren't you? I don't really know who the main character is, but I am guessing it is Mrs. Olinski. I am not sure. Maybe in some ways. Why? Because at the beginning she is kind of strict she thinks it is not appropriate to applause and cheer. But at the end, her students change her into someone loving and caring. So I would say yes and no!

I liked this book but I wouldn't say this is one of my favorites. But this book is heart warming!

I don't remember any bad words.

Natalie

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