Haven’t we all struggled to find our place and our people? Haven’t we all wondered what it means to truly feel at home? Haven’t we wrestled with what it means to make a new friend when you’re not in kindergarten anymore, and you can’t just go up to a stranger and ask, “Will you be my friend?” In reading Across the Pond, I am reminded that wherever we go, we are not alone. The big question is: will Callie ever find a place to belong?Ĭallie’s struggle in this story is so easy to resonate with.

But when she joins the local birding club, things don’t go as expected. Life in a castle isn’t as magical as she expects, and her first interactions with kids her age leave her not wanting to go back to school at all.Ĭallie convinces her parents to homeschool her-on the condition that she has to participate in something social with kids her age.

Her family’s move from San Diego to a castle in Scotland gives her a true chance to start over.īut as it turns out, even in a new place and surrounded by new people, Callie still isn’t sure where she belongs. Like many readers, young and old, Callie is struggling to find her place and her people in the world.

Across the Pond is the story of a girl named Callie. If any of those things sound like characteristics you’d love in a story, you might want to add Across the Pond ( Amazon Affiliate Link) by Joy McCullough to your reading list. But when she clashes with the club leader, she risks losing a set of friends all over again.*Please note: This post contains affiliate links. Sure, it sounds unusual, but at least it’s not sports or performing. Inspired by a journal that she finds hidden in her bedroom, Callie decides to join a birding club. Her parents agree, on one condition: she has to participate in a social activity. So she comes up with the perfect solution: she’ll be homeschooled. Plus, starting off on the wrong foot with the gardener’s granddaughter doesn’t help her nerves about making new friends. On top of that, she’s going to live in a real-life castle!īut as romantic as life in a castle sounds, the reality is a little less comfortable: it’s run-down, freezing, and crawling with critters.

After a major friendship breakup in San Diego, moving overseas to Scotland gives her the perfect chance to reinvent herself. From the author of A Field Guide to Getting Lost comes a heartwarming, “emotionally perceptive” ( Kirkus Reviews) story about new beginnings, burgeoning friendships, and finding your flock.Ĭallie can’t wait for her new life to start.

Across the Pond by Joy McCullough