Rating: 
Summary: Don't Be Fooled by the Writing Style or Topic
Review: This may look like a children's book but don't be fooled. Hidden underneath the simplistic style is a complex and interesting deeper meaning rooted in the author's deep love of baseball and mythology. The baseball part is obvious, but the mythology is more impressive. Chabon has an obvious knowledge of the Greeks (Chiron), the Native Americans (Coyote) the Europeans (fairies), the Americans (Saquatches, Tall Tale Heros) and most importantly Norse (Ragnarok, Odin, Midgard's Serpant, Yggdrasil, and Loki who is equated with Coyote, and is the villain of the tale). This idea of modern myth writing has been proven to work (Tolkien) and Chabon again executes well. This could easily have been written as a darker story (It has been done with baseball, see "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon" by Steven King) but I liked Chabon's approach. It would be a shame to deprive young baseball fans, just discovering the game, the oppertunity to read this great fantasy. Conversely, it is a shame that adult baseball fans are depriving themselves. Sure the plot is weird, but it is unique and engaging, more than you can say of the plots written by some "adult" fantasy writers. The characters are everyday kids, just what you would want, and the "petty" story takes on great significance as you read. It no longer seems so petty. Granted, it does not feel as serious as the Lord of the Rings, but it's likely that you'll be able to get over your internal reaction of "this makes no sense". Read this book baseball fans. You just might discover something.
Rating: 
Summary: Clever, Imaginative Story Telling
Review: I would have given it five stars if I loved baseball or if this book gave me a love of baseball but I do appreciate the author's, Michael Chabon, intense and passionate love of the game. A book for kids is the perfect follow-up to the wonderful Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Klay and it shows the author's gift for narrative to be as strong as ever and the story moves swiftly and breathlessly. The imaginary worlds he creates in Summerland come as more of a surprise, as they are both fresh and familiar as the same time. It may lack the sense of wonder of the Harry Potters or the complexities of His Dark Materials but it touches elements of both and brings in a little Americanism (reminiscent of Baum) along with it. He has turned the national sport into the stuff of myths and legends and turned the stuff of myths and legends into daily life. It is both a rollicking adventure story and a sweet meditation on story telling with (its only drawback to this non-fan) a lot of baseball. It is truly a modern American fairy tale.
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: More Magic by Michael
Review: It was always apparent that Michael Chabon had a fantasy novel in him. From the vivid imagery of the Cloud Factory in "The Mysteries of Pittsburgh" through the fact/fiction world of Kavalier and Clay, Chabon's ability to create worlds with words has been unparralled in so called "modern fiction". What's suprising is the ease with which he leaps from serious writing to whimsical storytelling, without missing a beat.
"Summerland" was rumored to be a book for youths, but the crisp language and artful plotline are hallmark Chabon. Set in parallel worlds of Little League baseball, the story speaks to the kid in all of us that doesn't have all the talent, but finds in the end that faith can put tickmarks on the scorecard. Ethan Feld, the hero of "Summerland" is clearly a younger version of Art from "Mysteries", playing a part he feels wholly unsuited for, yet Chabon doesn't allow him to fail. One of my favorite things about Chabon's writing is his method of creating this type of character, and then nurturing him through rough waters. The other role players in this story include a legendary baseball bat ("Splinter"), ferishers, a werefox (a play on Chabon's Werewolves in Their youth?)and other fantasy sorts that are richly drawn and highly stylized. Ethan's friend, Jennifer T. Rideout is also a great character, with a knowledge of baseball lore that accompanies a golden throwing arm, and she is probably Chabon's best female creation to date (sorry Phlox), owing to her youth and love of baseball.
By the time you reach the "Home" section of this 500 page novel, you are reminded why, if you are a fan of his, you love Chabon's writing. His stories always close neatly, and leave you wondering just what happens to his cast on page 501. He's truly one of our greatest writers, and "Summerland" is a worthy successor to his achievements to date.
Rating:
Summary: Summerland - makes me feel fine.
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.
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: Disappointing coming from Mr. Chabon
Review: Michael Chabon is my favorite author, and The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay is my favorite novel, so I tackled Summerland with much anticipation. Unfortunately, it does not live up to Chabon's previous works. The novel is horribly paced and the American mythologies, the use of which which others have lauded, were integrated poorly. Save on rare occassions, Summerland fails to grasp the magic of such children's novels as The Wizard of Oz and Harry Potter. As an adult novel, it is a near-complete failure. I can't help but think that this novel was written before any of Chabon's previously published work and could be published only now that its author is famous. Still this book was somewhat enjoyable, although I would only reccomend it to a Chabon completist.
Rating:
Summary: ***Summerland Rocks***
Review: This book by Michael Chabon is so great, it has a very interesting storyline. Summerland has some pretty graphic details including eating werewolves and having blood seep down the giants beard and more detailed sentences. I have to say I was a little disapointed when I found out that this book does swear quite frequently. This book deserves a 5 because it is a very detailing interesting fantasy like story with abnormal creatures. Although it is really long it is the right type of dialogue for ages 10 and up. It is worth buying even I have read it mor than twice and I hope another book comes out following in this one's footsteps.
Rating:
Summary: Much better than Harry Potter
Review: This is the best children's book I have read in a long time. I am an adult but I think this book fits best in "read it to you child at bedtime" book category. It would be fantastic. It is as some others said baseball, the quest and American middle earth all wrapped up in one. I couldn't put this book down after starting it and I bet you will not be able to either. If you like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Baseball, Narnia, etc. then you will love this book.
Rating:
Summary: Home run by Michael Chabon
Review: I expected a funny interesting book from the writer of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, but I didn't give Chabon enough credit. Summerland is great if you like baseball or fantasy, or if you enjoy any story with an active imagination.This book is 1 part fable (explaining why there is never any rainfall on this small corner of Washington), 5 parts adventure (Ethan Feld is on a quest - not only to improve his pitching, but also to save Summerland, baseball, and the world), and 2 parts baseball, bringing in not only detailed information about the game and some of the best players, but also a genuine love of the sport. A kid at heart, I love reading kids books, but this is really a book for all ages. I bought two copies of this book after reading it (in hardback because this book is so good it can't wait for the paperback version) - one for my 10 year old sister and one for my 28 year old sister. It is really that good. I loved this book. Thank you Michael Chabon for writing it. Summerland is wonderful.
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