STORYTIME: The View From Saturday by E. L. Konigsburg

Set in the suburban town of Epiphany, New York, E.L. Konigsburg's The View From Saturday tells the story of Mrs. Olinsky, a paraplegic sixth-grade teacher who attempts to turn four bizarre but brilliant students into a winning team for the state's academic quiz-bowl.

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STORYTIME: The View From Saturday by E. L. Konigsburg

POSTED: Wednesday, July 27, 2011, 12:00 PM

Each week, Dylan Williams reviews a new children's book that'll twinkle the imaginations of kids and kids at heart.

E. L. Konigsburg is one of the most iconic children’s authors of the 20th Century. She's the only author in history to have won both the Newbery Medal and the almost equally prized Newbery Honor in the same year. She has contributed shelves full of children’s works that have comforted and excited kids and adults all over the world. Her most recent Newbery Award-winning book, The View from Saturday (Atheneum, 1998), is perhaps the finest example of her literary prowess. Set in the small suburban town of Epiphany, New York, the book tells the story of Mrs. Olinsky, a paraplegic sixth-grade teacher who attempts to turn four bizarre but brilliant students into a winning team for the state’s academic quiz-bowl. As the competition heats up, Mrs. Olinsky and the team — known as The Souls — learn more about each other and begin to find their ways in the mixed-up world of sixth grade.

The tale is captivating and masterfully crafted. Blending omniscient third-person narration with first-person anecdotal interludes, Konigsburg uses the histories of the five principle characters to weave a complex web of a story with both an exciting plot and rewardingly deep characters. Kids will love the excitement of the quiz-bowl competition and the real-life applicability of the story; adults can enjoy the puzzling of Mrs. Olinsky as she tries to unravel and expose the kids’ true genius, as well as the skill with which Konigsburg ties the story together. A heartwarming and hopeful story perfect for academics, trivia enthusiasts, and the young at heart.

(dylan.williams@citypaper.net)

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