Over the Wall

by John Ritter

Overview

Tyler's temper is out of control. If he isn't careful, he'll blow his chances of making the All-Star team and being noticed by a scout. But Tyler's coach, a Vietnam War veteran, has seen anger destroy enough people. He knows that if Tyler is ever going to fulfill his dreams, he'll have to learn to fight his battles with his glove, his bat, and his love for the game. Not with his fists. But it all comes down to Tyler. Does he care enough about his future to work through the past?

"A grand slam." (The ALAN Review)

"An ambitious mark that predents a compelling, multilayered story." (School Library Journal)

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780698119314
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	02/18/2002
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.80(h) x 0.92(d)
Age Range:	12 Years

About the Author

John Ritter has written many books and numerous short stories for young adult readers. His first novel, Choosing Up Sides, won the 1999 International Reading Association Children’s Book Award for Older Readers and was designated an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults. Kirkus Reviews praised Choosing Up Sides—which attacked the once-prevalent views of religious fundamentalists toward left-handed children—as “No ordinary baseball book, this is a rare first novel.” In 2004, Ritter received the Paterson Prize for Books for Young People for his third novel, The Boy Who Saved Baseball.

Editorial Reviews

A grand slam.

ALAN Review

Ritter (Choosing Up Sides) again draws parallels between baseball and social issues as he explores the struggles of a 13-year-old boy on and off the field. There are many "walls" in Tyler's life: the outfield wall he dreams of clearing with a hard hit; the Vietnam monument bearing the name of his grandfather; and the invisible barrier Tyler's father has built around himself since the accidental death of Tyler's older sister nine years earlier. Spending the summer in New York City with his cousins, Tyler is determined to make an all-star baseball team. But Tyler's talent doesn't impress his coaches as much as his explosive temper does, and he is told to "shape up or ship out." Led by a tough but sensitive coach, a Vietnam vet, and by his pretty eighth-grader cousin, trained in "peer arbitration" at her private school, Tyler learns to control his anger and understand his so-called enemies. The author tackles tough subjects relating to violence in sports, religious hypocrisy and the Vietnam War while creating layers of metaphors that neatly unfold as the story progresses. Although Ritter stacks the deck a little obviously, his powerful lesson in compassion will likely reverberate for readers. Ages 10-up. (May) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

"The author tackles tough subjects relating to violence in sports, religious hypocrisy and the Vietnam War while creating layers of metaphors that neatly unfold as the story progresses," said PW. Ages 10-up. (Feb.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Gr 6-9-The wall in the title partly refers to the wall that the book's narrator, 13-year-old Tyler Waltern, wants to smack a baseball over. It also refers to other walls, such as the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial in Washington, DC, and other more illusive barriers between people. As the novel opens, Tyler finds himself spending the summer with his aunt, uncle, and cousins. The attraction of New York City is the chance to play serious baseball over the summer while also escaping from his moody, troubled father, who has been a virtual recluse since the accidental death of Tyler's sister nine years earlier. The boy's own worst enemy, on the playing field and in life, is his own explosive temper and combative disposition. Helping Tyler through his problems are his firm but understanding coach and his wise-beyond-her-years younger cousin. This is a complex novel, with the events of the past haunting the lives of several of the major characters. By the end, Tyler has gained a level of self-awareness by unraveling some of the tangled stories in his family's past and understanding the intricacies lying beneath the surface of life. Sports are just a part of this ambitious work that presents a compelling, multilayered story.-Todd Morning, Schaumburg Township Public Library, IL Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|

School Library Journal