Customer Reviews
Sports and War 
2007-07-05
Tyler is incredibly focused. He is determined to make baseball his life. Even though he is only thirteen, he already has a plan to get noticed at home in his California high school during the school year, but then to also make a name for himself during the summers playing in a New York City league with his cousin. He is certain this summer he will make the New York all-star team and begin getting noticed.
Right away, though, there is a problem. Tyler has a terrible temper that causes him to get into fights with other players, on the other teams as well as his own. When something gets to him or he feels he's been treated unfairly, he simply explodes. He thought his abilities on the field would get him onto the all-star team, but the coach almost immediately pulls him aside and tells him that unless he can show a little maturity, he has no chance.
At first Tyler is even more furious at the coach for telling him he's not in control. But then he decides to do something to change the coach's opinion of him. It's not easy to reign in his temper, and a lot of the time he's just acting relaxed instead of really feeling it. But then he begins to reflect more on his life and the lives of his family members and their connections to violence and war. Eventually he begins to view himself and those around him in entirely new ways.
I liked the connection to the Vietnam War, although at times I thought the book lost its focus and the author couldn't decide between a story about baseball and a story about the effects of the war.
Unfortunately, I really didn't like the character of Tyler. I found him irritating and wasn't really rooting for him to be successful.
"Over the Wall," a baseball story that really hits home 
2006-12-11
I started reading "Over the Wall" on a Saturday, and could hardly put it down until I finished it on Monday.
Like John Ritter's other books, "Choosing up Sides" and "The Boy Who Saved Baseball," this is a well written and very entertaining story. I especially identify with Tyler's struggle to replace anger with empathy, despite what other people might think about him. I tend to react with anger, at least at first. Anger is the "easiest way out." Identifying with people and understanding their side is much more difficult
Tyler strives to become a better baseball player to compensate for his parents' mental absence and to rekindle their interest in his life. Tyler's strenuous quest is expressed with foreshadowing. This occurs early on when he disputes the umpire's bad call when he knows he was safe.
All of these writer's craft techniques: foreshadowing, comparing and contrasting between characters, and having the minor characters take control of the greatest part of the plot, are brilliantly expressed. "Over the Wall" by John H. Ritter was one of the greatest books I have ever read. Now I can't wait to read "Under the Baseball Moon" next.
Over The Wall 
2006-11-14
Tyler is a great shortstop and a terrific all around baseball player. He only has one flaw, he has anger issues. After every bad call he gets angry and is involved in a fight. Sometimes he gets in fights because people make fun of his bright orange hair. Tyler's coach, Coach Trioli, tries to help him by showing what happened in the Vietnam war. Now Tyler knows his coaches secret past and why he is so nice, but will Tyler get over his anger problems or will he be kicked of the and kicked off the league forever.
GOOD BOOK 2006-10-30
Hi, my name is A.C. Murphy and I thought that "Over The Wall" by John H. Ritter was a good book. My Favorite character would have to be Tyler's cousin Louis. Louis is my favorite character beacuse he plays 2nd base just like I do. In the beginning of the book, Tyler comes from San Diego and goes all the way to New York City. While Tyler is in New York City, his cousin asks him if he wants to play on his baseball team. So Tyler decides to play. They have a really good team. But in one game, Tyler gets in a fight and is kicked off of the team and reuins his chance on making the all star team. Towards the end of the book, Tyler apologizes to his coach and his coach gives him a spot on the all star team. If I were to rate this book on a scale from 1-10, I'd rate it a 10 because baseball is my favorite sport, and I've playing since I was three years old.
Good Book 2006-10-30
I think that John H. Ritter is one of the best authors and I really liked Over The Wall. The reason why I liked the book was because it's about baseball, and it's my favorite sport to play. I think that my favorite character would have to be Tyler's cousin Louis because he was tough and he played 2nd base. I play 2nd base also. If I were to rate this book from a scale of 1-10, I'd rate it a 10 because it was a really good book.
Over The Wall Book Review 2006-03-15
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)
Review of the tale of tyler 2005-05-18
The book is about a13 year old boy named Tyler. He lives in California but in the summer he goes to New York to play baseball. When he is there he loses his temper a lot, one day the coach pulled him aside and told him to cut it out, stop being so mad! Then he went home and just froze and decideed that since they (his family) were going to washington monument to pay thier respects to thier family he would read a book on the vitetnam war.He decides to make a memorial for the Vietnamese people that died, and then it is all star day will he make the team or will tyler strike out on the opportunity to???
the main characters are Tyler, cousin Breena, Louie, his coach (coach) Trioli, his mom and dad, his uncle Phil,his aunt, and his dead sister Alyssa.
On a scale of 1-10 I would rate this book a ten because some of the stuff in this book I can relate to! I would recommend this book to boys and girls ages 9-16 because it really sounds like a book for that age group, and people below that age group probably wouldn't get it! The genre of the book is sports fiction. You should read this book, because it really explains a lot about peoples emotions, and it just grabs your attention from the beginning! If I could read this book again I would, because I am a huge baseball fan, If I knew I had to walk away from the game I would flip out like tyler did when the coach kicked him off the team!!! I mean I Eat sleep and live for baseball!
* Orono, Me 12
over the wall 2004-02-19
this book was absolutely gr8. Not only was it about my favorite sport, baseball, but it was about going through peer pressure, which many people will experience later on in life.
Over the Wall by John H. Ritter 2002-03-21
"Over the Wall" by John H. Ritter was one of the greatest books I have ever read. It is about a boy named Tyler who has many conflicts with his family and his baseball team that he plays for. He has a mom and dad that he lives with in California, but the book takes place in New York where he visits his cousin Louie. He joins a baseball team there. Tyler has a very short temper which gets him in trouble quite a lot. At the end of the book he cleans up and tries out for the league All-Stars. Will he make them? Read the book to find out.
Ritter hits one Over the Wall 2000-09-30
John Ritter's second novel is an intricate web of baseball, war, and coming of age. Ritter's 14 year old hero, Tyler, almost lets anger destroy his sport. Through his development of self-control, he is able to come to terms with his family and with his country's involvement in the Viet Nam War. The story is seamlessly woven together with humor and insight into the development of adolescents. There are positive adult role models who help Tyler along the way, and even when Tyler does not realize it, the reader will. By the end we care about this young man and appreciate his reflection and growth. In this way, Tyler, too, becomes a role model for the many young readers who will be engaged by this novel. Older readers will appreciate the historical connections and younger readers will enjoy the fast paced story line. This is a great book for a read-aloud and contains enough discussion of the Viet Nam War era to make it a must for an interdisciplinary classroom.
I am eagerly anticipating Ritter's third book and welcome him to the ranks of exceptional writers for young adults.
