Noah is one of The Souls and is chosen by Mrs. Olinski to be on the sixth-grade Academic Bowl team. He is the son of Mrs. Gershom, a realtor, and Dr. Gershom, a dentist. Noah also has a brother named Joey. He knows a lot about myriad subjects; he often recites “facts” and “always [has] an answer for everything.” When Julian proposes a project for The Souls, Noah quickly understands that it has to do with helping Mrs. Olinski “stand on [her] own two feet. . . .” Konigsburg implies that it was Noah who suggested The Souls become members of Mrs. Olinski’s sixth-grade Academic Bowl team.
Noah’s journey begins when he goes to Century Village in Florida to stay with his grandparents, Sadie and Nate Gershom. While he is there, he accidentally becomes the best man at the wedding of Nadia’s grandfather and Ethan’s grandmother. Noah thinks that he “did a wonderful job” helping with the preparations for the wedding. He is creative, industrious, and resourceful. Noah begins to realize that when he acts out of kindness, others do also. Noah gives up personal items that he has acquired while he has been in Florida, to be used as prizes at the Diamondstein wedding reception. The people who win the prizes end up spreading the kindness to other people. Noah is proud of himself and continues his journey at Sillington House with The Souls and their project to help Mrs. Olinski.
