The View from Saturday

As you may know, the Newbery Award is the highest honor a children's book can garner in the United States. Newbery winners are a touch and go lot, and a lot of kids avoid them like the plague. I've always been particularly interested in those award winning books that appeal to kids just as much as they appeal to the adults that shower them with praise, moolah, and awards. For instance, many adults felt that the book "A... Read Full Review

Nadia Diamondstein, Julian Singh, Ethan Potter, and Noah Gershom were "just kids" without one another. The first character is Nadia, the owner of an exceptionally smart dog and whose grandfather gets married over the summer. Julian, a stranger from England who knows magic and has a father who starts a Bed and Breakfast. Next in line is Ethan, the quiet child whose grandmother weds Nadia's grandfather. And Noah is the unlikely... Read Full Review

Let's get right to business. The View from Saturday, by E. L. Kningsburg, is my favorite book ever. I have read it countless times, borrowing whosever's copy was closest. I finally bought my own copy about a month ago, and it is already getting worn out, because I have turned the pages so many times. One of the reasons that this book is set apart from all other books is the subject material, and how it is written. It is about... Read Full Review

This was an excellent book. It was very tricky and mind-boggling,the kind of book I prefer. You sense the feelings of the characters, like the dullness of Ethan, the strangeness of Julian, and the thoughtfulness of Noah. This book has a good example of a "small world". If you liked this book, you might want to read Holes by Louis sachar or Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech.

Once I started The View from Saturday, I could not put it down. It is definitely one of my favorites. This book distinguishes itself in many ways. One way is the refreshing organization of the story. Reading it is just like working on a puzzle one area at a time, starting from totally opposite sides of the puzzle. You see the finished picture when you turn the last page. I enjoyed how the characters seemed to be all... Read Full Review