I love historical fiction and science fiction. This isn’t a combination easily found in books so I was delighted to discover Storm Portal by Michael R. Stern. The book starts out slowly as Stern sets up the characters of a New Jersey high school teacher, Fritz Russell, and his family and friends. I was a little perturbed with the first adventure when a door to the past unexpectedly opens in Fritz’s classroom. Not only does he take this calmly, his class of teenage students doesn’t seem to be unduly concerned with the strange manifestation. Nor is anyone surprised to come upon General Robert E. Lee walking around in a meadow, lost in thought. Now I would expect the General would be upset at this sudden intrusion by a crowd of oddly attired strangers. However by the end of this first adventure I was curious to see what would happen next.
The event that followed when his next class passes through the portal horrifies many of the students. Observing a building on fire on a busy city street they are suddenly confronted with women jumping from the windows and landing heavily on the sidewalk in front of them. Fritz hurries his upset students back through the portal and into the safety of the classroom. However it is the third event of the day that not only grabbed my attention but also involved the President of the United States. By now I was hooked on this well written book.
As Fritz attempts to explain the strange events to students, his good friend and fellow teacher Ashley, school principal George McAllister, and even his own wife, Linda, he is also faced with trying to understand how this strange portal opened and what it could mean to the world. Stern has created characters that are realistically fascinated and confused by the things that are happening, all surrounding the popular high school teacher.
I loved Fritz and his friend Ashley; their relationship is solid and believable. The plot is compelling; I couldn’t wait to see where the story would take them. All in all I highly recommend Storm Portal as an enthralling and fun read. Suspend disbelief and dive into the adventures of Fritz Russell.
I’m delighted to give this book a Gold Bookworm for its rich characters and creative plot. Plenty of action and accurate historical detail will keep any reader engrossed. I have the sequels on my Kindle and ready to read!
Book Blurb
Time Travel is real!!
History teacher Fritz Russell walks through his classroom door to find Robert E. Lee resting in the woods on the day after the surrender at Appomattox. Fritz loves history, and entering the past seems a gift, the chance for a great adventure. He’s been bored teaching the same old stuff year after year, and here’s a chance to make it new. But when the classroom door opens to the Oval Office, he realizes that his time portal might also be put to serious purpose. The president wants his help on behalf of national security. Fritz does not believe he will be endangered by using his door to travel across time and space. And the president appears to be a great guy. But will Fritz’s own government consider him expendable if he cannot solve the mystery of the portal? He doesn’t have much time.
Between the Beats 
it sounds like an interesting read!