The View From Saturday

The View From Saturday by American author Elaine Lobl Konigsburg was published in 1996 and won the Newbery Medal for excellence in American children’s literature in 1997—Konigsburg’s second Newbery Medal. She is one of only six writers to win the award twice (her first was awarded for From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler in 1968). Prior to becoming a writer of children’s and young adult fiction and publishing over 20 works from 1967 to 2007, Konigsburg was a science teacher and longtime resident of Florida, and she drew on both experiences while writing The View From Saturday.

The paperback edition used for this study guide was published in 1998 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Plot Summary

The View From Saturday records the journey of Mrs. Eva Marie Olinski, a teacher at Epiphany Middle School, from her first day teaching sixth grade to winning the national Academic Bowl Championship with four of her students. Mrs. Olinski is a paraplegic, paralyzed from the waist down from a car accident 10 years ago in which her husband was killed. Mrs. Olinski is nervous about her return to teaching, which is made worse by two homeroom students who prey on her insecurities and mock her physical limitations. Mrs. Olinski chooses her Academic Bowl team based on her own observations rather than holding tryouts. Her team includes Noah Gershom, Ethan Potter, Nadia Diamondstein, and Julian Singh. The narrative follows the arcs of emotional growth that each of these students have before becoming members of the team and Mrs. Olinski’s own journey while choosing them.

Noah, who is smart and loves to quote facts, visits his grandparents at their retirement village in Florida. While there, Noah helps his grandparents organize a wedding between their friends Izzy Diamondstein and Margaret Draper—who also live in the retirement community. Noah even steps up and acts as a substitute best man when Izzy’s son, Allen, breaks his ankle. Noah learns calligraphy from another retiree and helps write the invitations, some of which accidentally end up with cat pawprints. Noah decides that recipients of the pawprint invites will get a gift. When it comes time to present the gifts, Noah selflessly gives away the treasured gifts he had received from his grandparents and their friends.

Nadia is Izzy’s granddaughter and Allen’s daughter. Her parents divorced the previous year, and Nadia is spending the summer in Florida with Allen, who lives near the recently married Izzy and Margaret. Nadia is upset about the divorce and angry that everyone seems to know more about her parents’ decisions than she does. Izzy and Margaret are passionately involved in monitoring loggerhead turtle nests and rescuing turtle hatchlings, something Nadia used to enjoy helping with before her parents’ divorce and before Izzy and Margaret’s marriage. This summer, Nadia’s feelings of rejection and anger make her pull away, and she refuses to help with the turtles. The fact that Margaret’s grandson, Ethan, is also visiting (and seems to be favored) fuels her anger. When Nadia expresses her feelings to her father, he tries to compensate by arranging a trip to Epcot Center at Disney World.

A storm hits the coast the evening before their trip, putting the turtle nests in danger. Izzy pleads with Nadia and Allen to cancel their trip and help rescue the turtles. Nadia, who knows a lot about turtle behavior, understands the danger. She puts her anger aside and helps her father, Ethan, Izzy, and Margaret rescue turtle hatchlings, making sure they get to the Sargasso Sea. This experience makes Nadia realize that everyone (just like the turtles) needs help and support while undergoing life’s transitions, including her father.

Ethan is Margaret’s grandson. He is quiet and reserved, living in the shadow of his high-achieving older brother. Ethan’s journey starts on the bus ride to Epiphany Middle School when a new student, Julian, sits beside him. Ethan does not welcome the company, but Julian continues to sit beside him every day. Ethan correctly predicts that Julian, who is part Indian, has a British accent and wears shorts, will be bullied. Despite Ethan’s curiosity, he does not foster a friendship with Julian. However, when Ethan sees a bully waiting to ambush Julian, he runs over and protects Julian. Soon after, Julian invites Ethan to a tea party through a cryptic message on a note, referencing a page in Alice in Wonderland. Nadia and Noah also receive the same private invite, and so begins the tradition of four o’clock tea every Saturday at Sillington house, where Julian lives with his father who is opening a bed and breakfast.

Julian’s journey started on cruise ships where his mother (who died years ago) and father worked before his father—a chef—bought Sillington house and moved them to Epiphany in order to settle down and open a bed and breakfast. Despite the bullying that Julian endures due to racism and xenophobia, his cheerful disposition and polite demeanor never waver. Julian sees kindness in Ethan, Nadia, and Noah, which prompts him to invite them to tea. The four students become close friends and name their group The Souls.

The Souls notice that Mrs. Olinski is being bullied in their homeroom by the same students who picked on Julian, and they agree to help her. Meanwhile, Mrs. Olinski is trying to pick her team for the Academic Bowl. She chooses Noah, Ethan, and Nadia with ease but struggles with her fourth choice. Mrs. Olinski is on the verge of choosing one of the more cunning bullies (who seems smart and popular), but when she witnesses his malicious behavior during the school’s performance of Annie, she changes her mind.

Nadia’s dog, Ginger, gets the part of Sandy in Annie, so Izzy and Margaret fly in from Florida to see the show. They are staying at Sillington house, and since Margaret and Mrs. Olinski are old friends (Margaret was a school principal), Mrs. Olinski goes to Sillington house after the performance of Annie for a visit. During this visit, Mrs. Olinski sees The Souls sitting together, chatting, and listening to each other with such kindness and respect that she instantly knows her fourth choice: Julian.

The Academic Bowl competition begins, and The Souls beat the other sixth grade classes and then the seventh and eighth grade teams. They win the district championship and move on to the regional championship, where they secure a place in the final. Mrs. Olinski gains her confidence back, quashing the bullies in her homeroom and enjoying the support she receives from the student body. The Souls win the trophy, and with the help of Mr. Singh’s insight, Mrs. Olinski finally understands why she chose her team. Each member, including Mrs. Olinski, found kindness and respect in others and in themselves, making them a winning team.