How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
The deadline for choosing an academic team was the Tuesday following the winter holiday. The other homeroom teachers were ready by Thanksgiving. They held mini contests in their classrooms and had selected the winners of those. They had ready answers for anyone who asked how they had chosen their teams. (5.1)
All the other teams at Epiphany (and for all we know, all the other school teams competing in the New York State Academic Bowl) are chosen through competition. Seems fair, right? Well, maybe being "fair" isn't always right.
Quote #8
Their path to the state finals started with the sixth-grade championship. Mrs. Olinski had expected victory, for her team was quick and informed and worked together perfectly. No one had expected them to trounce the other two sixth grades, but they did. (6.6)
It's practically not even a competition. Mrs. Olinski's team is so much better that it "trounces" the other teams.
Quote #9
Other victories followed, but none was sweeter. (7.40)
This "victor[y]" isn't the one that wins The Souls the state championship; it's also not the first competition, where they beat the other sixth graders. Instead, it occurs in the middle of their journey, and it's the one where the school really begins to rally around Mrs. Olinski. For the Souls, this is mission accomplished.