It's no accident when Mrs. Olinski selects Noah, Nadia, Ethan and Julian to represent her sixth grade class in the Academic Bowl competition: all are chosen by design. But just who's design is it? Mrs. Olinski, who is back teaching for the first time since a car accident left her paralyzed, can't say for certain why she picked each child, and it's almost magical the way the four click when they come together. They complement one another's talents to make an unbeatable team. Unknown to their teacher, the children's lives interconnect outside of school, too, in a seemingly fated way, so when Julian suggests they call their team The Souls, it just seems right. E.L. Kongisburg's funny, inventive and entertaining story weaves in and out of the lives of its memorable characters to explore both the truths and the mysteries of life, and to celebrate the wonderful things that can happen when people speak and act from their hearts. (Ages 9-12)