Rating: 
Summary: Maybe a Double, but no home run.
Review:
In Summerland, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Chabon uses baseball as a metaphor for existence itself and pins the fate of everything on the outcome of a single, fateful game played by the most unlikely of teams. To carry that imagery over into this review, reading Summerland was like watching the Babe come to bat. You love the Babe. You have all the expectations of seeing him one out of the park, so anything less than a home run-a single or even a double-tends to be a disappointment. I wanted-I expected-to read a great book, but instead, I discovered a good book, which would not, and should not, be a disappointment if it were not for the stature of the author.Summerland is not great children's literature. It's 500 pages are filled to the brim with characters, gadgets, fantasy worlds, and situations derived from a wealth of sources from Native American and European mythology to American Tall Tales. And that may be why this book is not a home run. Like so many power hitters, Chabon is so determined to hit knock the cover off that he uses his power when maybe a finesse blooper over the shortstop's head would be best. Chabon crams so much "stuff" into this book that he lacks focus-on the storyline and particularly on character development. Chabon doesn't write consistently from point of view of our baseball-hating hero, Ethan Feld. Therefore, Ethan is not the focus of our attention or our emotional attachment as this child of destiny should be. He becomes just one of many characters in an adventure story. If we become attached to Ethan, we will, by extension care for those close to him and dislike those who want to do him harm. J. K. Rowling accomplishes this with great success by staying focused on Harry Potter's point of view. But other authors have successfully incorporated multiple points of view in their works. The Lord of the Rings and Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy are two fantasy masterworks. Tolkien leaves Frodo and the Ring for many, many pages at a time to tell the stories of multiple sets of characters and Pullman leaves his Lyra to follow happenings in multiple universes. So why doesn't Summerland rise to this level? Summerland's story just doesn't have the weight of "reality" great fantasy needs. We believe in Middle Earth, we believe in Hogwarts, and in Philip Pullman's multiple universes. Chabon doesn't focus on making the world of the book feel real. Rather, his narrative voice contains the wink and nod of a person telling a tall tale, bringing the book to the level of a Fairy Tale rather than a full-fledged fantasy adventure. And, to me, that is difference between a home run and a double. But there is nothing wrong with a good solid double, and Summerland is an entertaining, if somewhat long, tall tale. - K. B. SHAW, Publisher -
Rating: 
Summary: Not recommended
Review: Good fantasy/childrens' authors (Rowling, Tolkien, L'Engle, Ende, Lewis, etc.) twist or bend reality to reveal new worlds. In contrast, Chabon uses a blunt force trauma approach. For example, there is a special creature (Cutbelly) who can travel from "Summerland" to "Winterland" and other worlds. Cutbelly can take the protagonist (Ethan) with him. Cutbelly dies or gets injured (reader can't tell) and Ethan simply picks up a really smart/nerdy grade school classmate to perform the complex task of navigating between worlds/dimensions. No explanation given as to how this seemingly normal gradeschool child without magical abilities can do this. Characters, save one or two, did little to endear themselves to the reader. The Ultimate Fatal Flaw: Chabon rather randomly creates characters, plot points, situations and worlds without adequate grounding, explanation, or motivation. Unfortunately, I rarely read fiction (almost always reading work-related nonfiction) --- so this book was to be my "Summer" treat. Avoid the dissapointment.
Rating: 
Summary: perfect for my commute
Review: I got this CD from the library and throughly enjoyed it! The author should have a second career as a voice-over artist! He was great! I don't get why people had issues with this book; I'm 27 and I love'd it! I'm hoping to get a copy for my brother who's in high school...for anyone who enjoys baseball & fantasy (I'm a cubs fan and well acquainted with both! :) It's perfect!)
Rating: 
Summary: Suspend your Disbelief
Review: I have spent a number of incredibly enjoyable hours over the past few days devouring Summerland (when I should have been writing, playing with my kids, etc.,). Chabon has pulled from a variety of mythologies, Native American legends, and a remarkable storehouse of baseball lore in order to create an engrossing world of fantastic creatures and thrilling adventures. If John Irving, Stephen King, and Susan Cooper decided to write a book together, they just might come up with one as compelling as Summerland. Yes, Summerland is quite different from the magnificent Kavalier & Clay, but it is still uniquely Chabon--with its funky humor, in-depth characterization, and unusual vision, all steered by a questing morality. Suspend your disbelief, sit back, and enjoy. Incidentally, although Summerland is classified as adolescent lit, I found it in the adult section at my local library.
Rating:
Summary: Second 1/2 Made It Worthwhile
Review: I read this book because it was a gift from a friend who really enjoyed it. By page 250 of this 500-page book I was wondering what she liked so much about it. It seemed like the author was trying too hard, using too much cloying imagery and too many heart-rending techniques.
But then, at about page 250, where the young girl is talking to the sasquatch about leaving your family to follow your heart's desire... it somehow became a page turner.
Yes, the book does ramble and it really does try too hard - but all in all it is a pleasant read.
Sidenote: Keep in mind, I'm not the target 'young adult' audience. This is the view of a 35-year old avid reader.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining fantasy romp
Review: Okay, you won a Pulitzer. Where do you go from there? If Michael Chabon is any indicator, then you venture into the jungle of kids' fantasy. Written because his daughter isn't yet old enough to read his previous works, Chabon's first kids' book is an entertaining blend of fantasy, folklore, and... well, baseball. Ethan Feld doesn't like baseball, and he's about the only person in the idyllic Clam Island who doesn't. So he's more than slightly confused with a bushbaby-like werefox called Cutbelly takes him through the Tree that connects all the worlds, to the Summerland. There, a race of American-Indian-like "ferishers" are being threatened by the villainous Coyote, who is trying to destroy the Tree -- and everyone on it. And a giant clam (yes, you read correctly) has predicted that Ethan will be the one to help the ferishers. (And somehow it involves baseball) Then the hideous graylings massacre the ferishers, leaving only the chieftain Cinquefoil behind. And Ethan's father is kidnapped by Coyote, who wants Mr. Feld's airship secrets to help him, well, destroy the world. With the help of his best friend Jennifer T., Cinquefoil, a pleasant Sasquatch and others, he sets out to be the baseball-playing hero they all need. Chabon manages to create a book with a warm edge, despite the poignant spots and grim storyline. Very, very weird material such as the ferishers, the giants, werefoxes, baseball saving the world, and the giant prophetic oyster is somehow made quite normal and believable. But tossing fantasy elements at the readers isn't why the book is appealing; rather, it is Chabon's ability to make us laugh, cry or shiver. Between the more comical moments are things such as a ferisher mourning her beloved baby brother, who became a faceless rag doll, or the introduction of the hideous, head-pitching graylings (which, as disfigured ferishers, show anunderstanding of what made J.R.R. Tolkien's Ringwraiths so hideous -- ordinary creatures transformed into something intensely evil and hideous). Ethan is the oddball kid, the quiet one who doesn't want to doggedly pursue something he isn't good at, and can't possibly imagine himself a hero. Jennifer T. is a tough girl, but her own vulnerabilities are shown in her dislike of failure, even if it wasn't the other person's fault. And Coyote rises above most fantasy villains as he is presented as evil, but we get some insights into his hideously twisted thought processes. Some of the characters, such as Taffy the Sasquatch, are a little harder to swallow, but Cinquefoil is a very human, very likeable guy. While this book is fairly wordy, it's a deft wordiness that fans of "Hobbit" will probably enjoy. Chabon's dialogue is realistic, and his descriptions are detailed but not overly so. Because of Chabon's Pulitzer win, some readers may be expecting an incredibly in-depth classic for the ages. That will only yield disappointment. It's merely a good book, with all the elements of a good book that kids, and most probably adults as well, will enjoy. Not to mention die-hard baseball fans.
Rating: 
Summary: Chabon should go back to writing adult stories
Review: Summerland by Michael Chabon
If I had to describe this book in 5 words, it would probably be a spin- off of the Harry Potter series. This book was not one of the best books I have read to say the least. I mean, sure it was "ok" and it did have some originality into it, but it didn't live up to its praise by Publisher's Weekly review stating that "Pulitzer Prize winner Chabon hits a high- flying home run." I wasn't impressed by Chabon's writing; the book didn't hold my attention; the most attention-grabbing parts were the color less pictures at the beginnings of each chapter. This book took me a lot to get into it and nothing to get me out of it. I highly anticipated this book when my 7th grade language teacher told me that after reading "Time Magazine" article on the adult author, Chabon is going to be the next J.K Rowling. But obviously, Chabon should go back to being an adult writer. Chabon is an adult writer so maybe adults would like to read a children's book written by an adult writer, I presume why the ratings for this book are so high. I would find it to be an insult to J.K Rowling's work because her work was being compared to his. Summerland is about a boy, Ethan, who lost his mother at a very young age, (like Harry Potter) and is having trouble playing baseball in which he is forced to play by his father. His Father is an inventor and invented a flying car. At this point the author doesn't clarify if this is in the future, past or present. From there, Ethan meets a creature by the name of Cutebelly and tells him of the other secret worlds in, which he lives in, that nobody knows of which might be vanished by an evil dictator named Coyote. Then Ethan discovered his father mysteriously disappeared (who was really kidnapped by Coyote). Along goes Ethan and friends to stop the evil Coyote from ruling the world(s) and possibly killing his Father by traveling through the worlds using his Father's old flying car and winning baseball games to defeat enemies that cross their path. This book is filled with morals, adventure and sickening amount of baseball games, so many that it makes you literally want to jump out of your chair and get a bat in order to play baseball using the book as a baseball. On a more serious note, I enjoyed how the author incorporated the metaphor of summer having its own world since during the summer it feels like a whole different place. I enjoyed his various and descriptive characters that he put in the book, but it may be overwhelming to some people. This book is arguably bad or good considering the person. My opinion on this book when recommending it would be not to read it, but if you enjoy Michael Chabon as a writer and have an obsession with baseball I would definitely recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Delightful and Disappointing
Review: This book is a little frustrating. It has all the right pieces to be a fine book, for kids and adults. Baseball. Mythology. American legends like Paul Bunyan and John Henry. A battle between the forces of good and the forces of evil.
But despite all of these, or maybe because of these, subjects and characters and plot devices, the book is a little bit hollow. Chabon sounds too many notes. The characters are charming, but not touching, if that makes any sense. I kept wanting to dive into the imaginative space of Summerland. At the same time, the confusion of all the bric-a-brac allusions to Norse mythology, then Native American mythology, then American Legend, graft upon graft, kept my feet planted firmly on the edge of the pool.
An okay read for a lazy summer's day, but one that probably won't be read again.
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Rating:
Summary: Summerland
Review: This was a very, very, very good book. it was very well written. this book is wonderful for all ages. i would reccommend it for the High-Schhol age reading leval though.
Rating:
Summary: Not recommended
Review: When you think of fantasy books in which characters band together to go on a mysterious quest, you think of one place. Britain. Most quest stories for children either are written by Brits or take place (as in the case of Lloyd Alexander's "Prydain Chronicles") in a European setting. Honestly, the most notable exception to this rule is also the oldest. "The Wizard of Oz" is a proudly American tale, beginning in Kansas and continuing in a land that has a particularly Yankee feel to it. So it should come as no surprise that the man to follow in the late great L. Frank Baum's shoes should be none other than Michael Chabon. An author mostly associated with books for adults, he has tried his hand at penning the ultimate American children's fantasy. And to his credit, he nearly succeeds.
"Summerland" begins on Clam Island where our hero, Ethan Feld, lives with his inventor father. The two are relative newcomers to the isle, but they participate whole-heartedly in the local youth baseball team. Ethan, unfortunately, is a horrendous player. He dislikes the sport and is perfectly aware that he is the reason the team has lost its last seven games. On one particular day, however, Ethan finds himself scouted by a local group of fairies or, as they prefer to be called, ferishers. The ferishers are looking for a hero, and their hero scout has come up with Ethan. Suddenly the boy that couldn't hit a baseball to save his life finds himself in charge of saving the universe in a world that couldn't possibly be any more different from his own.
First of all, I should state that if you do not like baseball in the least, do not read this book. "Summerland" hinges on the idea that in the Summerlands (a world like and unlike our own to which Ethan travels) baseball is a sport that absolutely everyone plays. Entire civilizations have been destroyed by the designated-hitter rule. Giants are capable of throwing thunder and lightening itself. And in the end, existence itself is decided after nine straight innings. The crazy crew of characters Ethan teams up with become his own private baseball team, and Ethan himself learns how to swing a mighty, if painful, bat.
I enjoyed all the particularly American aspects of this tale. The ferishers do not look like magical leprechauns or British elves. Instead, they bear some resemblance to Native Americans and they play a mean game of ball. Our heroes come across the ultimate trickster god/villain Coyote, and it is his plans that need to be changed for the world to keep on going. They meet up with a group called the Big Liars, a motley assortment of some of the best tall tale legends ever to walk the American soil. They befriend a sasquatch. What Chabon is doing here is incorporating a variety of enjoyable motifs and images that conjure up some of the most beloved images of the United States itself.
Which isn't to say the book is entirely a success. There is a definite trend amongst established adult writers these days to switch focus and write for children. Clive Barker, Joyce Carol Oats, Elmore Leonard, etc. Chabon is just the latest author to jump aboard the kiddie lit bandwagon, but he's got a ways to go. After all, it takes a fair amount of skill to successfully pen books that kids will not only read but also enjoy. I can't fault Chabon's ideas, plot, or characters in "Summerland" because they are, one and all, entrancing. That leaves the writing itself, and I'm afraid its just not up to par. Chabon has a nasty habit of not explaining things, a writing style that works perfectly well for adults but is a strain on younger readers. Large shifts in the plot occur from time to time without much in the way of explanation. One of the characters, for example, explains how Coyote promised her a little brother but it turned out badly in the end. A fair amount of guesswork has to go into understanding this speech and when all is said and done it's still fairly unclear. A multitude of different problems like this one sprout up all over the book. It's almost as if Chabon hasn't yet discovered his children's literature voice as of yet.
There's a lot to love in "Summerland" just the same. Ethan Feld, our reluctant hero, is nothing so much as a slightly modified Charlie Brown. Here we have a character that never succeeds without luck or a vast amount of effort. He doesn't suddenly wake up one morning and decide that he's going to be heroic or superior. And for the most part he's treated exactly like the boy he is by the other characters. Unlike almost every other person in this story, Ethan is completely normal. He has a deep wisdom that surfaces from time to time, but otherwise he's a believable child. A person dissecting this book to pieces might well argue that the entire point of the story can be summarized as, "Magical events teach a boy to love baseball", and that wouldn't be far off. It's the journey that takes him from disenchantment to a steadfast love of the game that makes the novel worth reading. Other touches, like classic Native American folktales, the fate of men that place discovery over reason, and the names of the giants, all combine to make this little epic enjoyable and a stitch.
It's not perfect, no. It's not. Michael Chabon has some practicing to do before he is included on the list of "Great Crossover Writers For Adults and Children" but he's definitely getting there. He's accomplished something with this book that most writers never come to. He's made an original American fantasy novel. It's no "Wizard of Oz", but it's getting there. And it is definitely worth your time and money to read it. If you like stories where the heroes are good, the villains complex, and the situations dire if not hopeless, read yourself a little "Summerland". It's a pip.
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