Helen Tobin

Level II - Third Place - Helen Tobin, Indian Hills Jr. High School, Clive
The View from Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg

Dear E.L. Konigsburg,

Before I read your book, I felt twisted and different from my peers. However, your book, The View from Saturday, made me feel simple.  Through the stories of five characters, I realized that my feelings weren't different at all, but rather similar to those feelings as everyone else's who are just too afraid to share.

I figured that I would connect to Nadia the most in the book. After all, she is a girl about my age who, like me, is very outspoken. Instead, I found myself feeling a strong connection to Julian. Julian and I both have the same longing for a conversation with peers that doesn't include the topic of Britney Spears, but rather books or languages. His cleverness and quite confidence made him my favorite character.

I also connected to Mrs. Olinski's feeling of loss after their win. You see, I am in Mock Trial at my school, which is also an academic competition of sorts. I felt the same way last year with our competition ended as Mrs. Olinski did after The Souls won. That sense of loss made me said because I knew there would be no more Saturday morning practices with bagels, or fixing our questions for the tenth time. We would lose the closeness as a team. Until I read your book, I thought I was the only person who felt that way.

The lesson I learned from your book is how to be a real team. The Souls weren't just there for each other when they were winning. They trusted each other to no end, and believed in each other. Sure, their skills complimented each other, as Mrs. Olinski would have said, but it was more than that. Their different journeys and cultures melted together to create seamless perfection, and all of the members brought different characteristics to The Souls. With Noah's smart, but not wise demeanor, and Ethan's strong family background, as well as Nadia and Julian's confidence in themselves, they all blended into the ideal team. Their faith in each other has inspired me to be a better teammate in every competition and to put more trust into the people around me, rather than just relying on myself to do everything.

Life doesn't always go like you plan. In fact, it almost never does. However, it will work itself out. I truly believe that even at my worst moment, everything will be alright. Your book has helped me put more faith in life and in myself. Through the stories of four people, you have created a junior high student who, I am tempted to think, is me. Thank you for such an inspiring story!

Kind regards,

Helen Tobin