VFS Book Reviews

The View from Saturday is a great book about four kids that call themselves the souls. They are all related, and they are all on Mrs. Olinski’s academic bowl team at Epiphany Middle School in New York. Their names are Nadia, Ethan, Noah, and Julian.
While I was reading the book, in the beginning, the book started a little bit slow, but after we finished all the back stories of the souls the book started to get better. My favorite part was when Ginger, Nadia’s dog, almost eats treats with laxatives and tranquilizers, but she got saved by Julian.
My recommendation for this book, on a scale from one to ten, would be an eight. I would recommend this book because the book had some funny content and was a decent book.
-Alex L.

The View from Saturday is about four 6th grade children- Noah, Nadia, Ethan, and Julian who get chosen by their paraplegic teacher, Mrs. Olinski, to be on the academic bowl. They call themselves “The Souls” and together they support each other and win the academic bowl, and along the way, help Mrs. Olinski recover emotionally from her automobile accident.
I liked the book for the most part because it had many new words that I learned the meaning of, but I found that the first four chapters were a bit confusing. However, it is an awesome book overall.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes stories from different people’s perspectives, and I would give this story a 8.75/10 stars. If you like stories that have many different characters, this is a book that you should definitely read.
-Amelia

Four sixth graders, Noah, Nadia, Ethan, and Julian, also known as “The Souls”, are four children who are different from each other. Their teacher, Mrs. Olinski, had to choose a team for the upcoming academic bowl. The team would’ve been called Epiphany, but instead, they were “The Souls”. Mrs. Olinski is their coach. She chose the team, but she has no idea how.
I loved this book because there were many interesting parts. There was a nice flow and a rhythm to the book. Each of the characters have an interesting and different personality than each other.
I would rate this book an 8/10 because the book was a little confusing, but it was a blast to read. If you love academic competitions, then you will love this book.
-Bella

The View from Saturday is about four 6th grade children that find a connection and come together to become The Souls. Each one of The Souls has a unique story to why they were related to each other. One teacher by the name of Mrs. Olinski chose The Souls to compete in the Academic Bowl against the 7th, 8th, and 9th grade to show that the 6th grade could maybe win. Throughout the book, Mrs. Olinski couldn’t find out why she chose The Souls, but finally, she realized it.
I liked this book because it was high in detail, and the turn of events are spectacular. The creativity of switching from the current day back to the Academic Bowl is also immense.
I recommend this book if you want to see what respect, courtesy, and responsibility to its finest. The View From Saturday, personally, is an 8 out of 10.
-Cameron

The View from Saturday is about, four sixth grade students and their teacher, Mrs. Olinski, who compete in an Academic Bowl against other middle schools. Mrs. Olinski suffered from an accident, but why did she start teaching? How did she choose her team? Read to find out!
I would rate this book ten out of ten stars because I was always on the edge of my seat towards the end of the Academic Bowl when it was most intense. I would recommend this book to anybody who enjoys comedy, happy times, and intense moments.
This book is one of my top 10 books because I felt that I was with Mrs. Olinski until the very end. I also thought that the characters were funny and unique.
-Alex M.

The View from Saturday is about a teacher who chose four sixth graders to enter an academic bowl. After being paralyzed from the waist and down, she finally returns. The four students Nadia, Noah, Ethan, and Julian have special minds of their own that made the teacher, Mrs. Olinski, choose them. They all have different minds of their own which is useful when it comes to an academic bowl. The team decided to name themselves ‘’The Souls’’. Every Saturday they all have tea at the Sillington house. “Tea time is always at 4:00 pm on Saturday afternoon.’’ This tea party has brought them together.
I would recommend this book if you are person who enjoys humorous and entertaining books. I would give this an 8 out of 10. This book was written by E.L. Koningsburg, who is an extremely talented author who has won multiple medals for her novels.
-Anika

The View from Saturday is a book about four Sixth grade students who have their own different stories and are extravagant friends. They all go to school at Epiphany and have the same teacher. Mrs. Olinski is a paraplegic, which means she is paralyzed from the waist down. The four students are also smart enough it make it into an academic bowl, they win it.
I liked this book, although it starts extremely slow. The book was very understandable and realistic. After getting to know the characters, Nadia, Ethan, Julian, and Noah, you learn about something they did over the summer.
I would rate this book 7/10 because you get to really know what’s happening. You feel like you’re there.
-Jordan

The View from Saturday is about a group kids named the Souls. The people who are in the Souls are, Noah, Nadia, Ethan, and Julian. The teacher, Mrs. Olinski teaches at Epiphany Middle School. Mrs. Olinski helps the Souls get sharper and win the Academic Bowl.
I love this book because the Souls learn how to work together. I felt like I was in the book and communicating with them.
I highly recommend this book and I give it a rating of 9. I give it a nine because I loved this book, but it left me hanging. If you like books with kids who work together to win, you would love this book. Enjoy the book!!!
-Blythe

The View From Saturday is about four children that group together to form an academic bowl team. The childrens’ names are Noah, the first child that you meat, then there is Nadia, the second child that you meet, next there is Ethan, the third child that you meat, and finally there is Julian. All of the children are related in some way. Noah’s dad is a coworker with Nadia’s mom, and Nadia’s grandpa is now married to Ethan’s grandma.
This book was not the best book that I have read, but The View From Saturday was still good. At the beginning, the book was starting slow. Towards the end of the book though, everything started to speed up.
I think this book would be great for anyone to read. I am going to rate the book at a 7 out of 10. I did enjoy reading this book.
-Joseph

The View from Saturday is about four children who participate in an academic bowl. The Souls, as the children are known, are from a city in New York named Epiphany. The book starts with a teacher, Ms. Eva Marie Olinski, who is paraplegic from an accident. She stopped teaching for a while and when she returned to sixth grade children stopped saying “now what?” and started saying “so what?” Ms. Olinski, who had to choose students for the academic bowl, eventually chose the four children who had already met to be her team.
I enjoyed this book because it has a decent storyline and gives the reader enjoyment. I became absorbed in this book and didn’t want to stop reading.
I give this book an 8.5 out of 10 and I recommend this book. If you enjoy books that are realistic this is the book for you.
-Bisher

The View From Saturday is about four sixth graders who won an academic bowl. They were coached by a paraplegic named Mrs. Olinski. She was in an automobile accident and now her legs are paralyzed. The four sixth graders call themselves the Souls. Their names are Noah, Nadia, Julian, and Ethan. This team of sixth graders work great together and are great friends.
I really enjoyed this book because of the way E.L. Konigsberg wrote it. I loved how she talked about each soul individually, then she talked about all of them as friends. I loved that this book showed that you can do anything no matter the age or condition.
I would recommend this book because I thought it was exciting and interesting. I give this book a 9/10 because it was enjoyable to read, but kind of slow at times. However, it was really well written and enjoyable.
-Leanne

The View from Saturday starts off at the academic bowl and leads into the characters backstory. First, we meet Noah Gershom, a clever boy who is always thinking. Nadia, a redhead dog lover and Ethan, a smart and quiet boy. The last is Julian Singh, a British magician. They are called The Souls. With the help of their teacher, Mrs. Olinski, they defeat the Eighth graders win the Academic bowl.
This book is not my favorite book. I don’t care for this book. However, it has beautiful and clever way of writing. It was intriguing and had characters you can relate to. The book isn’t for me, but it might be for you.
I would give this book a 6/10 rating because I enjoyed it but wasn’t my type. I would recommend this to someone who has is intrigued to book with a main goal and a friendship plot.
-Clara

The View from Saturday is a book by E.L. Konigsburg. This is an amazing book about four kids named Noah, Nadia, Ethan, and Julian who are also known as the Souls. They are a team competing in the Academic Bowl, a contest of smarts. The Souls are united by one person named Mrs. Olinski. She was paralyzed from the waist down during an accident. The Souls help her gain her confidence back.
I loved this amazing book because of the way the souls come together. This book is a tale of friendship and happiness. This book is great because nobody thought that four sixth graders could beat 7th or 8th graders.
I would give this book 9 stars out of 10 because of this great tale.
-Colin

A View from Saturday is about four 6th grade students, Nadia, Noah, Ethan, and Julian, they are great friends. They have an awesome teacher; her name is Mrs. Olinski, Mrs. Olinski is paraplegic. All of them live in The Big Apple also know as New York. Mrs. Olinski picked all of the 6th graders in the academic bowl. Will they win, or will they lose, you are going to have to figure out on your own.
You will want to keep reading the book until you finish. It is exciting, funny, and lots of adventures. It is like you are with the 6th graders and Mrs. Olinski every step of the way.
I really enjoyed this book I would recommend this to people ages 10 and up. There are a lot of difficult words, so I recommend using vocab words. I would give this book a 9 out of 10.
-Ella

The View from Saturday is a book about four 12 year olds that are on the same academic bowl. The four kids named their group the Souls. The Souls are Julian, Nadia, Ethan and Noah. Their teacher Mrs. Olinski was paralyzed in a severe car crash. The Souls are leading Epiphany middle all the way to the finish line. Will Epiphany Middle school win the regional championship?
This book was one of the best books I ever read. I felt great when Hamilton Knapp and his friends lifted up Mrs. Olinski and carried her to her car. When you read this book you really understand what Mrs. Olinski went through in her life.
This book was super amazing to read. I would give this book a 9-star rating. The book was well written and easy to understand. I would recommend this book to everyone.
-Owen

The View from Saturday is about a group of four kids who compete in the Academic Bowl as sixth graders. The name of their group is The Souls. The Souls go to Epiphany Middle School and their teacher, Mrs.Olinski, is paralyzed. In their class there is this one kid named Hamilton Knapp. He is the class bully and does things from making fun of Mrs.Olinski being paralyzed to making fun of Julian and calling him names.
I did not like this book because I don’t feel like it was attention grabbing and did not make me want to continue to keep on reading the book.
From a scale of 1-10 I would give the book a 2 because The View from Saturday was not a very detailed book.
-Jordin

The View from Saturday, a well-written book about four sixth graders who won an academic bowl, is a book you should definitely read. This book takes you on a journey from tea parties to their paraplegic coach, Mrs. Olinski. The author does an amazing job of creating different characters that everyone can relate to.
Even though it was slow in the beginning, this book will take you on an adventure that is about love and friendship. I enjoyed this book because of the author’s descriptions of the characters and an adventure that keeps you on your toes. The author creates visualizations in your mind of what is happening.
I recommend this book because it keeps you on the edge of your seat while entertaining you and I give it a rating of ten. If you like books that keep you hooked, I think you will enjoy reading this.
-Macey

In The View from Saturday, Mrs. Olinski is a paraplegic 6th grade teacher who was paralyzed in an automobile accident. She had the job of picking an academic bowl team. She had chosen four kids, Noah, Nadia, Ethan, and Julian. These kids all work well together. The kids will be led to great success.
I felt like The View from Saturday was a great book. The book was fun to read and was a great way to pass time by. I did feel like the beginning was a slow at the beginning but, other than that it was a great book.
I would highly recommend The View from Saturday and I give it a 9 out of 10 rating. If you are looking for a good book you should check The View from Saturday out.
-RJ

The book View from Saturday is about a group of sixth graders called the Souls who win an academic bowl for their city, Epiphany. They are tight group of friends who are basically family by the end of the book.
This is a great book for anyone who enjoys a good friendship story. Also it is very relatable for sixth grade students. If I had to rate this book out of ten, I would give it a 7.
It is a very enjoyable story, but I would not recommend this to a person who enjoys books with constant action, because some parts of this book are slow and a bit boring. Otherwise, this book is funny and witty. It makes me laugh and fall asleep depending on the chapter. The characters are all relatable and creative. Kudos to E.L. Konigsberg for making an adorable and witty book. Enjoy!
-Marley

The View from Saturday is a book about four sixth graders who are in a tournament, but they face problems while trying to win. The sixth graders are named the Souls. The Souls have to answer hard questions but they didn’t give up. The teacher’s name is Mrs. Olinski. She was the teacher who cheered for the Souls.
My opinion is that the book was awesome because it had a little drama. The book was amazing and it was detailed.
I recommend this book as a 10 because it was funny. The book has detailed parts that made me have a laugh. I would recommend to read it twice. This book is amazing, so you should read it. You would really enjoy the book hopefully.
-Thomas

The View from Saturday is a really great book. The book is about a group of children called THE SOULS, the children are: Noah, Nadia, Ethan, and Julian. Noah visited his Grandparents in Century Village, Florida, for a wedding, and he was best man. Nadia left to her dad’s house in Florida, she did turtle walks by the beach. Ethan also left to Florida and greeted Nadia there, also did turtle walks. Julian used to live on a cruise ship with his dad, but he moved to Epiphany, New York and bought the Sillington House.
I love this book because the children in this book are my age. That proves that anyone, even me, can be a champion. The children in this book do an Academic Bowl.
I give this book a rating of ten. I highly recommend this book to all of you reading this.
-Walker

The View from Saturday is about four smart sixth graders, Noah, Nadia, Ethan, and Julian, who make it to the Academic Bowl team since their teacher, Mrs. Olinski, chose them. They called themselves “The Souls”. These four children find something that is common in themselves. That something was kindness, and it all started with a tea party at Sillington House.
I loved this book because this book, by E.L Konigsburg, was mostly about kindness among four friends. Also, this book relates to my life in elementary school. There wasn’t much kindness at my previous school. I was bullied, just like one of the four Souls.
If I were the official rater, I would rate this book a 9.5. I would rate it a 9.5 because there were a couple of immature words which, of course, was a bit inappropriate. Otherwise this book is a great book.
-Sohini

It all started with a tea party. Four sixth grade students come together with their teacher on an adventure. Noah, Nadia, Ethan and Julian are the quartet who come together with a tea party. The group, nicknamed the Souls, are the winners of the New York middle school academic bowl. Mrs. Olinski, their paraplegic teacher, is drawn to the group but she doesn’t know why. And kindness just happens to be the answer.
This book is one of the best books I have ever read, even better than From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. Which, in my opinion is a fantastic book.
I recommend this book to any person who is looking for something to read. I would rate this book a 10 because I could relate to the characters. The View from Saturday is one of my favorite books!
-Miranda

The View from Saturday is about four children in sixth grade who get together with their teacher to win an academic bowl. They work to help their teacher who is paralyzed in a car accident and is teased by mean children. The four main characters are a little group who have a main goal. They have different characteristics each and shows that each and every one of them have their own talent. The four children are Noah, Nadia, Ethan, and Julian and they are as The Souls. They really connect with each other.
I loved this book because it had many interesting details added to the story. I thought that the book was meant to show how these children helped their teacher.
I would highly recommend this book and give it an amazing 10-star rating. If you would really want to read this book, you can check this it out.
-Robert