In “Across the Pond”, author Storyheart , writes a coming of age tale about Fred Squire, a 15 year-old English boy. While his parents are enjoying a dream vacation for two that they won to Australia, Fred is being shipped off the States. Seated next to a woman that is continually asking question... more

In “Across the Pond”, author Storyheart , writes a coming of age tale about Fred Squire, a 15 year-old English boy. While his parents are enjoying a dream vacation for two that they won to Australia, Fred is being shipped off the States. Seated next to a woman that is continually asking questions and smells of garlic, he is worried about what to expect once he lands. After some minor mishaps his plane finally lands in New York. Meeting his parent’s friends Phil and Julie, he realizes that there is nothing to worry about. Making friends with their daughter, Brit who happens to be the same age, they soon embark on a journey that they will never forget. During a surprise outing to a ballgame Fred catches the 500th homerun ball hit by Braves player, Chipper Evans, who happens to be Brits favorite player. From there chaos ensues as eager fans surrounds them trying to buy the famous ball, they have to flee to the safety of the car. Meanwhile, Fred has to face the bully Harris, and his two minions, who have been terrorizing Brit and her girlfriends. After an altercation at the mall, and failing to get Brit to tell her parents about Harris, Fred takes matters into his own hand. Meeting Harris in an abandoned lot behind the mall a fight ensues between the two boys, with Fred defending the honor of the girl he has fallen in love with. Finally Brit tells her parents starting a chain reaction, which lands Harris in boot camp. With his journey coming to and end an unexpected visitor shows up. Mr. Vic Anderson, who represents the Atlanta Braves comes calling for the ball, telling Fred to name his price. Working out a deal with Vic, Fred trades the ball for a surprise visit from Chipper Evans, for Brit. Earning the respect of Phil and Julie the arrange a trip for Brit to go to England at Christmas. In just a short time Fred has went from Squire to Knight. With characters so lively you can find each one in your own hometown, Storyheart has written a tale that all teens will fall in love with. A definite homerun, with short chapters, quick-wit and believable situations that teens can relate to. With a brilliant blend of American and English this is a spot on book. With hilarious language translation problems and a repeat performance by the garlic lady, you cannot go wrong with this book. Although it has mild language it is a perfect read for any young adult. Chocked full of teenage drama, new love, and tons of sports, this is a book for boys or girls.

Left with limited option while his parents took a vacation to Australia, Frederick (Fred) Squire decided to vacation in the United States with his parents friends. Not knowing what to expect Fred started his list (for a school project) right away he found that England and America both spoke English,... more

Left with limited option while his parents took a vacation to Australia, Frederick (Fred) Squire decided to vacation in the United States with his parents friends. Not knowing what to expect Fred started his list (for a school project) right away he found that England and America both spoke English, but sometimes the differences could be embarrassing or it could get you in trouble. With the help of Phil, Julie and their daughter Brittany (Brit), he learned many new words and alternate meanings of some common words. Phil and Julie helped Fred be part of the family, meeting Brits friends helped him feel comfortable in a foreign land, hearing about her enemies made him have a purpose, finding a connection with Brit gave him a chance to feel like Sir Lancelot. The whole vacation was wrapped around Fred's visit with some fun outings scheduled for the whole family. A short, sweet and innocent sort of romance (just kissing) between Fred and Brit. Sort of skipped some of the `getting to know each other' stuff. Felt rushed from arrival to big event, to the next big event, would have liked more detail at each of those events. More of the fun at the barbeque, or at the baseball game, even more of the interaction with Brits friends at the Mall. The baseball thing was a great way to really bring out more of the differences between England and America. While I don't like the idea of Fred fighting and Brit not being honest with her parents (coming from a parents point of view here), I am encouraged by her telling someone she trusted and that he was someone who wanted to protect the girls, do the right thing even if it could have been handled differently (kind of a moral to the story type of a thing). These are good characters that I would have enjoyed getting to know better, but for a pre-teen or early teen type of book it doesn't get bogged down with a bunch of unimportant information which could be good. Everything is important to those of this age and this book reflects that. Really enjoyed the ending (no spoilers here), it is a little predictable (got to know Fred well enough for that) but still makes a good point. It is left open for more, Fred's return to America or Brit venturing to England, a good adventure for the pair would be nice to see.