The View From Saturday is a Children's novel by E. L. Konigsburg.
Mrs. Olinski is the advisor for an Academic Team group, the Souls. Each one — Nadia, Noah, Ethan and Julian— have connected stories that brought them together.
Tropes from this story include:
- Bullying the Disabled: And bullying a teacher at that. Hamilton Knapp mispronounces Mrs. Olinski's name and asking her to write higher on the board. She's nervous on the inside but explains that no, she cannot due to her accident. She gets more confident in handling him on realizing that Hamilton is a Jerkass but he is still a boy.
- Calling the Old Man Out: Nadia finds out over the course of a custody stay with her father that Ethan's grandmother set up a job interview for her mother in another state, which may have facilitated the divorce. She gets mad at everyone involved — Ethan for being so blase about it, Margaret for meddling, Grandpa Izzy for not telling her, and her father for not considering that it was important for Nadia to know where her parents would be — but only her father gets the brunt. Nadia calls out her dad for being so insensitive and oblivious because she has written a report on turtle migrations but he only cared when Margaret told him about it. To accentuate the point, she refuses to answer his house phone for the rest of the day when he has to go to work and erases all the messages he leaves. Her dad gets the message and offers to spend proper quality-time with her.
- Four-Temperament Ensemble: Noah is choleric, Nadia is melancholic (a rare redheaded example), Ethan is sanguine, and Julian is phlegmatic.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Mrs. Olinski briefly considered having Hamilton Knapp join the Souls. She notes that he is a smart boy even with his Jerkass qualities. Instinct tells her it's a bad idea, and not just because he's made enemies of the other Souls; she knows that Hamilton disrupts a play where Michael Froelich's dog was performing and hears his malice. After a point, she has enough when he and Jared burp in class on purpose; she brings them up to the front of the class and asks them to teach how they do that. When they both fail, she calmly tells them that if they can't explain it, it's an unspeakable act, and that being in class is a privilege. Mrs. Olinski warns them that they will have to explain future tricks in front of their class.
- Mathematician's Answer: The last line of the novel. When Mrs. Olinski asks the Souls whether she chose them or they chose her, the Souls can only answer "Yes."
- Never Work with Children or Animals: In-universe, the Annie auditions are rife with dogs that can't behave or listen to cues. Ginger is the only one who succeeds out of the Terrible Interviewees Montage, with Arnold coming into a close second.
- Relationship-Salvaging Disaster: Nadia is mad at her father and grandfather, all the while refusing to speak to Ethan or his grandmother after she finds out that Margaret was responsible for her mother moving out of state. Then a northeastern storm blows into the area, which means all the baby turtles will die. Despite the fact that she's still mad at everyone and was hoping to spend time with her dad alone, Nadia realizes she can't let innocent creatures perish and convinces her dad they will help. Grandpa Izzy manages an apology, so Nadia is able to forgive him and Margaret.
- What You Are in the Dark: Julian finds out that Hamilton Knapp was going to sabotage Ginger's performance with drugged dog treats that have laxatives and tranquilizers. It would have backfired since the crew decided to have Michael Froelich's dog Arnold go onstage instead for one day, which how well Arnold has been doing. Julian briefly considers letting Arnold get humiliated but realizes that he can't let an innocent dog get hurt in the crossfire. So he switches the treats with normal ones. When Arnold goes on, Hamilton assumes that it's because Ginger ate the drugged treats and gets the audience clapping and chanting. The disruption makes Julian angry enough to reveal his trick by approaching the Knapps' car and dropping the drugged treats in Hamilton's lap. Julian leaves smugly, knowing that Hamilton owes his mother an explanation. Mrs. Olinski, upon realizing Hamilton caused the disruption, decides not to make him part of the team, and gives the final spot to Julian when she sees the four Souls courteously having tea.
- With All Due Respect: Julian Singh insists that "tip" is an acronym for "to insure promptness". When the commissioner of education refuses to accept that, he politely contradicts him and says his sources are wrong. An expert from a panel vindicates Julian, allowing the Souls to get a lead.
