E. L. Konigsburg - The View from Saturday

Pros: Some people might find politically correct, right-on, trendy topics a positive aspect. I didn't.
Cons: It may have won the Newbery, but I wasn't impressed.

At the risk of incurring calumny from readers on this site by criticizing yet another sacred cow of children's literature, I have to say that I thought E.L. Konigsburg's The View From Saturday was little more than a self-indulgent exercise in...

Pros: heart warming, well written, age appropriate for all
Cons: none that I can think of

The View From Saturday is one of the most well written books that I've read. It doesn't just let us into the mind of one character, or narrator, but rather, into four very unique characters. The interesting thing about View From Saturday is the...

Pros: Decent writing
Cons: Someone forgot a coherent plot, real characters and any writing above 'decent'

I've read this book multiple times. I've seen the Newberry award on it. I've tried to reconcile the two, without success.

This book is about a group of 4 sixth graders and their teacher in a trivia contest, going up to national levels. Or...

Pros: Interesting style/Entertaining story
Cons: Reader needs to be patient for the full "view" to come into focus

When I learned that E.L. Konigsburg won her second Newberry Medal for "The View From Saturday", I was anxious to read the book. Her first such award came thirty years earlier for "From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler,"...

Pros: Great ideas, very fun read
Cons: nothing

A 1997 Newberry Award winner was a definite pick for this book. The View From Saturday, by E.L. Konigsburg, is classic Konigsburg work. She was written other great stories. But, ..Saturday is without doubt her best.


In the story of four...

Pros: Not your average juvenile work, very thought provoking.
Cons: Not your average juvenile work, very thought provoking, I don't believe half would "get it"

I'll admit it. When I first started reading The View From Saturday, I was not impressed. The first character was an average preteen boy that was annoyed because he had to send a thank you note to his grandparents for his stay in their retirement ...

Pros: well-written, believable, enjoyable
Cons: none that I can think of!

Actually, this book deserves many more than just 4 stars, but it is the story of 4 seemingly individual youngsters whose only connection is their hometown. However, they are all connected via more historical and family roots than would be evident...

Pros: Abnormal, reliable characters.
Cons: the time jumps may be disconcerting to some people

Nobody thought that Epiphany Middle School would ever win the Academic Bowl. Not in a million years. It just never could happen. Especially not with a team of four sixth graders. However, every time a question is asked, the team seems to know the answer,...

Pros: The end.
Cons: Everything but the end.

I read this book for a project for school, which meant I had to read it. I regret that. In my class, some kids thought it was so bad that they stopped reading it while I read it and just got the information from me.

The View From Saturday was a book I wished I never read. It's very confusing, and the only part that made sense was the end. This book was written in four views of different people, and it repeated itself over from those views.

Now, I should be telling you what was about. My mind stayed on the topic for about 5 minutes so here it is: three people meet a boy and have tea together.

I do not recommend this book to anyone.