The Souls enable Mrs. Olinski to overcome her handicap and rediscover her identity and her confidence as a teacher. They make a conscious effort to "give her a lift" when she needs one, and fulfill their objective through simple acts of kindness.
Mrs. Olinski is a paraplegic, paralyzed from the waist down in an automobile accident. She has just returned to teaching as the instructor of the sixth grade at Epiphany School and moderator of the sixth grade Academic Team. Sixth grade is a tough grade to teach under the best of circumstances, and Mrs. Olinski sees right away that some of her meaner students, such as Hamilton Knapp, are going to put her to the test because of her disability.
Mrs. Olinski is not the only one who is aware of the difficulties she is going to have to overcome to regain her confidence and establish her place at the head of the class. The Souls - Noah, Ethan, Nadia, and Julian - perceive what is happening too, and resolve to do something about it. Through their friendship in school and their inclusion of her at Sillington House, they do what "all the king's horses and all the king's men" could NOT do for Humpty Dumpty after his "great fall" - the Souls help Mrs. Olinski find her place in the world again (Chapter 11).
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