The View From Saturday

This 1996 Newbery winner tells of four sixth graders who amaze everyone when they win the Academic Bowl, beating seventh and eighth graders at Epiphany Middle School, then going on to the regional and, finally, the state competition. Mrs. Olinski created the team . . . or did she? Jenna Lamia and Jan Maxwell don't quite meet the challenge of bringing Noah, Nadia, Ethan, and Julian to life as they and their teacher tell the story of the team's bonding and success. Other than Julian's somewhat British accent and his father's not-quite-East-Indian voice, the characters' voices lack the individuality that allows listeners to connect with them. Listeners may lose interest through five "views" of the same story, especially when the ending is revealed in the first few minutes. N.E.M. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine