Across The Pond

Moving to a Scottish castle allows seventh-grader Callie to escape friendship problems in San Diego, but finding new friends, even in the birding club an old journal inspires her to join, proves challenging.

An irreverent trip through American culture by a critic who “cracks jokes as easily as one would crack walnut shells” (Washington Post). Americans have long been fascinated with the oddness of the British, but the English, says literary critic Terry Eagleton, find their transatlantic neighbors just as strange. Only an alien race would admiringly refer to a colleague as “aggressive,” use superlatives to describe everything from one’s pet dog to one’s rock collection, or speak frequently of being “empowered.” Why, asks Eagleton, must we broadcast our children’s school grades with bumper stickers announcing “My Child Made the Honor Roll”? Why don’t we appreciate the indispensability of the teapot? And why must we remain so irritatingly optimistic, even when all signs point to failure? On his quirky journey through the language, geography, and national character of the United States, Eagleton proves to be at once an informal and utterly idiosyncratic guide to our peculiar race. He answers the questions his compatriots have always had but (being British) dare not ask, like why Americans willingly rise at the crack of dawn, even on Sundays, or why we publicly chastise cigarette smokers as if we’re all spokespeople for the surgeon general. In this pithy, warmhearted, and very funny book, Eagleton melds a good old-fashioned roast with genuine admiration for his neighbors “across the pond.”

Perspectives on the journey of a Baseball Parent - From Little League, to the World Series, and everything in-between. From the start in 1989 as parents of then 6 year old Justin Verlander and later his younger brother Ben, and with little background or experience in any type of organised sports ourselves, we had no idea about the turn our lives were about to take when a neighbour from across the street suggested that our son Justin should sign up for Little League Baseball. In our wildest dreams we never would have imagined that 20 years later we would be receiving the Little League Parents of the Year Award in Willamsport, Pennsylvania. This is an honour bestowed annually on the parents of major league stars that played Little League Baseball. After over two decades spent raising two sons who have experienced great success both on and off the field, the term Baseball is Life has become much more than a cliche for the Verlander family. We have been touched by many life changing events that we were fortunate to experience, but often unprepared to handle.Looking back we were often blessed to be surrounded by many people who helped us by providing valuable insight in making decisions and dealing with situations that enabled us to put our boys in the best possible atmosphere to grow and develop their potential; both as athletes and young men. Other times we were just lucky. It was not always clear, that's for sure. This book was written in hopes that other parents raising young athletes can gain something from our experience and look back as we have, knowing that Baseball is a great metaphor for life and that lessons learned last a lifetime.

A water strider darts across a pond, its feet dimpling the surface tension; a giant water bug dives below, carrying his mate’s eggs on his back; hidden among plant roots on the silty bottom, a dragonfly larva stalks unwary minnows. Barely skimming the surface, in the air above the pond, swarm mayflies with diaphanous wings. Take this walk around the pond with Gilbert Waldbauer and discover the most amazingly diverse inhabitants of the freshwater world. In his hallmark companionable style, Waldbauer introduces us to the aquatic insects that have colonized ponds, lakes, streams, and rivers, especially those in North America. Along the way we learn about the diverse forms these arthropods take, as well as their remarkable modes of life—how they have radiated into every imaginable niche in the water environment, and how they cope with the challenges such an environment poses to respiration, vision, thermoregulation, and reproduction. We encounter the caddis fly larva building its protective case and camouflaging it with stream detritus; green darner dragonflies mating midair in an acrobatic wheel formation; ants that have adapted to the tiny water environment within a pitcher plant; and insects whose adaptations to the aquatic lifestyle are furnishing biomaterials engineers with ideas for future applications in industry and consumer goods. While learning about the evolution, natural history, and ecology of these insects, readers also discover more than a little about the scientists who study them.

In this gorgeous companion to the acclaimed Over and Under the Snow and Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt, Kate Messner and Christopher Silas Neal bring to life a secret underwater world. In this book, readers will discover the plants and animals that make up the rich, interconnected ecosystem of a mountain pond. Over the pond, the water is a mirror, reflecting the sky. But under the pond is a hidden world of minnows darting, beavers diving, tadpoles growing. These and many other secrets are waiting to be discovered...over and under the pond.

Cammy and William follow an old deer path around the pond in search of blueberries. But unexpectedly they find a lot more. Clue after clue tells them what kind of animal has been there before and left its trace behind. Share their adventure in this handsome and informative companion toIn the Woods: Who's Been Here?andIn the Snow: Who's Been Here?

Across the Pond tells of the changing use of this ocean, from a barrier to a route to riches and a highway for trade. Much is covered - exploration and exploitation; fighting and fishing; luxury cruises on the steamships of the Cunard and Collins lines and always the dangers of the sea. There also slipped the slavers with their cargo of shame. The story of the early aerial pioneers is recounted, there being many contenders for the first aircraft to fly across the Atlantic, such as the flying boats, known as the nancies. This is an ocean that bred some of the world's hardiest mariners, famous men such as Cabot, Hudson and Vespucci but also the nameless thousands who manned the ships, the hard-used mariners from the Chesapeake, the Solway and Seville. Here was bred the down east Yankee, the Nova Scotian bluenose and the Scouser from Liverpool. Across the Pond tells some of their story.

Whispers Across the Pond is a book of photography, poetry, and prose by Eugene H. Ware. This is the third book written by Mr. Ware, the others being “The Moods of Presque Isle” and “A Walk on the Park”. The poetry and prose within this book blend to produce reflections and emotions within the reader. In his books, Gene paints with words in order to share with you, the reader, a piece of nature you might otherwise never have had the opportunity to see or consider. Over the last few years, Gene, a financial consultant for over 45 years, has allowed his attention and mind wander into the area of writing. This coupled with his long history of nature photography has led to his authoring of this and his other books. Most of his writing centers on relating, through poetry and prose, how nature affects people and their lives. Presque Isle State Park is the center of most of his writing. The park is located five minutes from his home and its unique beauty and habitat draw more than Four million visitors a year. The park, an eight mile long sand peninsula jutting out into Lake Erie, is a place where solitude, reflection and beauty are allowed to blend with nature and bring nature into visitor’s lives. It is Gene’s hope that as you read each poem, you will be able to slow down, take a minute to reflect on the photography accompanying the words. He believes that if you experience nature, nature will open a new world for your enjoyment. One of Gene’s goals in writing his books is to get people outdoors exploring and enjoying nature themselves. Presque Isle State Park is handy for Gene, however no matter where you the reader live, somewhere nearby lays a natural adventure open for your exploration and enjoyment.