Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
New York: Miramax Books/Hyperion Books for Children, c2002.
Pages
500
Description
Ethan Feld, the worst baseball player in the history of the game, finds himself recruited by a 100-year-old scout to help a band of fairies triumph over an ancient enemy.
Awards
Audie Award (Finalist — 2003)
Mythopoeic Awards (Finalist — Children's Literature — 2003)
Indies Choice Book Award (Honor Book — Children's Literature — 2003)
IAFA William L. Crawford Fantasy Award (Finalist — 2003)
Locus Recommended Reading (Young Adult Novel — 2002)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2002-09-04
Physical description
500 p.; 8.6 inches
ISBN
0786808772 / 9780786808779
Similar in this library
Library's review
The only thing this has in common with _The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay_ by the same author is being very good. This is a nominally YA book about saving the worlds through baseball, and it's well-written and funny and full of a lot of stuff that I suspect is over the heads of the
Ethan Feld, "the worst ballplayer in the history of Clam Island, Washington", is recruited by a "hero scout" and ex-Negro League pitcher named Ringfinger Brown to prevent the end of the world. It's great fun, and along the way we learn the true origin of the designated hitter rule. It also reads aloud very well -- I read the first chapter to my partner when she was sick, which was enough to get her hooked.
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supposedly target audience. If I hadn't watched Ken Burns' "Baseball" documentary, I'd have been sure he was making up the Elysian Fields as the birthplace of baseball -- the name is too perfect. Ethan Feld, "the worst ballplayer in the history of Clam Island, Washington", is recruited by a "hero scout" and ex-Negro League pitcher named Ringfinger Brown to prevent the end of the world. It's great fun, and along the way we learn the true origin of the designated hitter rule. It also reads aloud very well -- I read the first chapter to my partner when she was sick, which was enough to get her hooked.
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User reviews
LibraryThing member figre
It wasn’t until I picked up this book to start reading it that I caught an important point from the back cover - “Hyperion – Paperbacks for Children” and the quote from the Today Show “A home run of a kids’ story”. Alas, in my haste to pick up another book by Chabon, I had grabbed
My only regret is that I wish I hadn’t known it was a children’s book. Would I have thought it too simplistic? I doubt it. This is a very involved tale with different images around every turn. Would I have thought the writing itself “dumbed down”? Maybe. But the conversations and the writing match the hero of the tale. And the one thing knowing this was a children’s book did was make me imagine reading this out loud to kids – and that was a very easy thing to imagine.
At the start, I had my small quibbles. Why do all these stories start the same – a misfit who has lost a parent (this time the mother) struggling in a new environment who has to go on a quest to save the remaining parent. But these quibbles disappeared quickly. Chabon has wrapped the mythos of baseball with a newly defined mythology of alternate worlds. These alternate worlds could have also slipped into cliché – there’s the requisite elfin-like creatures, and giants, and yeti, and coyote, and sometimes what seems like the kitchen sink – but he never lets them act like clichés; giving them personalities that match expectations but build into more. The entire thing is wrapped in a slightly different package and, while I didn’t warm immediately to the entire story (I think I was still put off by that whole “children’s book” thing), I soon found myself looking forward to what new things Chabon was going to deliver in each step of the journey.
And the use of baseball is what takes this over the edge – makes it more than a nice little tale. The marrying of baseball with Chabon’s alternate worlds is what makes this book work and provides humor that any baseball fan can enjoy (warning to all American League fans, Chabon is obviously not a fan of the designated hitter). The culmination is particularly effective – every child’s nightmare (that is, every child who has played baseball) is turned into the triumph that saves us all.
Fun and entertaining.
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this novel for children. But a 500-page children’s book? It didn’t really make sense. So I dove in to see what I would find (after all, I can still read A Wrinkle in Time and enjoy it.)My only regret is that I wish I hadn’t known it was a children’s book. Would I have thought it too simplistic? I doubt it. This is a very involved tale with different images around every turn. Would I have thought the writing itself “dumbed down”? Maybe. But the conversations and the writing match the hero of the tale. And the one thing knowing this was a children’s book did was make me imagine reading this out loud to kids – and that was a very easy thing to imagine.
At the start, I had my small quibbles. Why do all these stories start the same – a misfit who has lost a parent (this time the mother) struggling in a new environment who has to go on a quest to save the remaining parent. But these quibbles disappeared quickly. Chabon has wrapped the mythos of baseball with a newly defined mythology of alternate worlds. These alternate worlds could have also slipped into cliché – there’s the requisite elfin-like creatures, and giants, and yeti, and coyote, and sometimes what seems like the kitchen sink – but he never lets them act like clichés; giving them personalities that match expectations but build into more. The entire thing is wrapped in a slightly different package and, while I didn’t warm immediately to the entire story (I think I was still put off by that whole “children’s book” thing), I soon found myself looking forward to what new things Chabon was going to deliver in each step of the journey.
And the use of baseball is what takes this over the edge – makes it more than a nice little tale. The marrying of baseball with Chabon’s alternate worlds is what makes this book work and provides humor that any baseball fan can enjoy (warning to all American League fans, Chabon is obviously not a fan of the designated hitter). The culmination is particularly effective – every child’s nightmare (that is, every child who has played baseball) is turned into the triumph that saves us all.
Fun and entertaining.
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LibraryThing member DCArchitect
An intriguing mix of Beowolf, Native American lore and baseball, "Summerland" is the coming-of-age story of Ethan Feld. Many of the standard elements of this type of story are found in "Summerland" including a difficult past for Ethan as well as a search for acceptance by his father. Other
Mr. Chabon is clearly working within the 'arch-myth' framework. "Star Wars," "The Matrix," and "Harry Potter" (to a degree) are joined by "Summerland" as tales embodying the 'hero's journey.'
"Summerland" is successful because Mr. Chabon is able to wrap enough of his wonderfully descriptive prose around a fantastic mixture of the otherworldly (Norse Mythology, Native American lore and Chabon's own take on the world of faerie) and the familiar (baseball, American tall tales, and the regular human experiences of growing up) to create a engaging whole.
Mr. Chabon set out to write a children's book. He was only marginally successful in that endeavor. Yes, the heavier plot and more obscure vocabulary of "Kavalier & Clay" is absent and the protagonist is an 11 year old boy. That doesn't mean that many of the 11 year olds that I know would be particularly fond of "Summerland." While nothing in the book is inappropriate for an 11 year old, much of the book - in fact much of what is best about the book - would go right over their heads. The 500+ pages of interwoven plot might be a bit much too for kids to read on their own, but if you're looking for something to read outloud to your kids that won't make you want to hit your head against a wall, "Summerland" is a good choice.
That isn't to say that "Summerland" isn't worth reading unless you have a collection of ankle-biters to listen. Any Chabon fan looking for something a bit lighter than "Kavalier & Clay" to read on vacation or on an airplane would certainly enjoy "Summerland."
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characters include Ethan's friend and sidekick Jennifer T and his guide, 'Cutbelly,' a werefox.Mr. Chabon is clearly working within the 'arch-myth' framework. "Star Wars," "The Matrix," and "Harry Potter" (to a degree) are joined by "Summerland" as tales embodying the 'hero's journey.'
"Summerland" is successful because Mr. Chabon is able to wrap enough of his wonderfully descriptive prose around a fantastic mixture of the otherworldly (Norse Mythology, Native American lore and Chabon's own take on the world of faerie) and the familiar (baseball, American tall tales, and the regular human experiences of growing up) to create a engaging whole.
Mr. Chabon set out to write a children's book. He was only marginally successful in that endeavor. Yes, the heavier plot and more obscure vocabulary of "Kavalier & Clay" is absent and the protagonist is an 11 year old boy. That doesn't mean that many of the 11 year olds that I know would be particularly fond of "Summerland." While nothing in the book is inappropriate for an 11 year old, much of the book - in fact much of what is best about the book - would go right over their heads. The 500+ pages of interwoven plot might be a bit much too for kids to read on their own, but if you're looking for something to read outloud to your kids that won't make you want to hit your head against a wall, "Summerland" is a good choice.
That isn't to say that "Summerland" isn't worth reading unless you have a collection of ankle-biters to listen. Any Chabon fan looking for something a bit lighter than "Kavalier & Clay" to read on vacation or on an airplane would certainly enjoy "Summerland."
Show Less
LibraryThing member jennyo
I loved this book. It's about a young boy named Ethan Feld and his battle to save the world. It's got ferishers (fairies, but they don't like to be called that), werecreatures, a Sasquatch, giants, and more. But, most of all, it's got baseball. I can't begin to describe this book to you...it's an
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adventure story on a grand scale. It was written for children, but like Lewis's Narnia Chronicles, adults will find it wonder-full too. I'm not releasing my copy. It's a first edition, and I'm going to ask Mr. Chabon to inscribe it for my son and me at a lecture next month. Show Less
LibraryThing member rphbamf
Summerlands by Michael Chabon
American Gods by Neil Gaiman is one of my favorite books, as is The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon. Now, take Chabon’s voice, Gaiman’s book, toss in a healthy dose of baseball, and make it a “kid’s�Â? book, and you get Summerland.
2 on LibraryThing
American Gods by Neil Gaiman is one of my favorite books, as is The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon. Now, take Chabon’s voice, Gaiman’s book, toss in a healthy dose of baseball, and make it a “kid’s�Â? book, and you get Summerland.
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Except it is really not a kidâÂÂs book, in my opinion, and there were many parts of this book that I had to reread three of four times before they made sense.2 on LibraryThing
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LibraryThing member delphica
(#45 in the 2003 Book Challenge)
It is with very great regret that I give this one a negative review. I adore Michael Chabon, I think he is one of the best people working in fiction today. It is a novel aimed at children, I read in an interview that he was interested in writing something that his
Grade: C. C for "cringe."
Recommended: only if you are a Michael Chabon completist.
It is with very great regret that I give this one a negative review. I adore Michael Chabon, I think he is one of the best people working in fiction today. It is a novel aimed at children, I read in an interview that he was interested in writing something that his
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own children would be able to read. Unfortuately, I think he is suffering from a Harry Potter related syndrome -- he seems to have the notion that since he is a good author, that he can write an engaging book for children. It is true, I think, that a well-written children's book is an enjoyable book for everyone, however the reverse isn't really quite as true -- an excellent author cannot simply churn out a good children's book by dumbing down the subject matter. All the quirkiness that makes his other books so engaging seems very forced in this one.Grade: C. C for "cringe."
Recommended: only if you are a Michael Chabon completist.
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LibraryThing member hoosgracie
Fantasy that is centered around baseball and trying to save Summerland - an area of an Washington state island that is sunny all summer until developers come in and it starts to rain.
LibraryThing member damy
Michael Chabon is probably better known for the Pulitzer Prize winning book about superheroes and golems called The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, his The Escapist comic series, and his movie (which was also a book), Wonder Boys. Every time I read a children's book, I'm reminded of how
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much more interesting the majority of them are in comparison to adult books. Summerland seems to be a little like Roger Zelazny (Amber series) meets J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter) meets Madeline L'Engle (Wrinkle in Time) meets C.S. Lewis (The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe). It's the story of 2 ordinary kids travelling through shadow to different worlds in a flying machine trying to save the world. Their companions include a werefox, a foot-high baseball-playing Indian chief, and a sasquatch named Taffy that was once the pet of a 6-story-high giant named John. Summerland is a book that you never want to end. Show Less
LibraryThing member egyarnetsky
Ethan Feld is arguably the worst little leaguer in Clam Island history. Nonetheless, a mystical 100-year-old baseball scout has determined that Ethan is the chosen one! Chosen to play on a traveling all-star team? No, chosen to save the universe!
On Clam Island there is a special place called
On Clam Island there is a special place called
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Summerland where you can leap between parallel worlds. In our Summerland, developers are destroying an ancient birch forest. In the parallel Summerland the trickster Coyote is destroying the birchwood home of the ferishers, fairies who have played baseball for a millenia. Can Ethan and his friends deal with ferishers, werefoxes, bigfoot and giants to save Summerland and the world? This is a wonderfully detailed fantasy from this Pulitzer Prize-winning author. Show Less
LibraryThing member modelcitizen
It's a fantasy adventure about a boy and his motley bunch of baseball klutzes, out to save a piece of enchanted land. As the entire plot revolves around baseball, it didn't hold much appeal for me, but some may still love it for the universal themes of courage, determination and familial love.
LibraryThing member sara_k
Summerland by Michael Chabon blends the magic and wonder of baseball with tall tales and fairy tales. In Summerland the branches of realities are melded together and the process and glory of baseball help keep the worlds together but trickster coyote is trying to separate the universes and bring an
That sounds rich and deep but it is a surprising light story and in some ways unsatisfying in its predictability.
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end to the mythical worlds. Good people, strange people, and not quite good and not quite people join in the battle that asks us to care for each other and feel the rythym of the game.That sounds rich and deep but it is a surprising light story and in some ways unsatisfying in its predictability.
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LibraryThing member schinders
a terrific fantasy read, that's more about baseball then magic in the end. a good book for turning sports minded boys on to reading.
LibraryThing member Crypto-Willobie
I can see how this would work as a kids' book but it worked for me as a slightly whimsical adult book. As it happens I read not long after I read [American Gods] and I was surprised by the resonances I found between the two works. Four point eight seven stars!
LibraryThing member lscottke
A real weaving of Norse and American Northwest Indian mythology.
Ethan Feld is a motherless 11-year old who shows no talent for baseball and wants to quit the team, until he is unexpectedly (and erroneously) called upon to save the Universe. Together with his friends and teammates Jennifer T. and
The story moves at a suspenseful pace switching between the protagonists’ odyssey and the antagonist’s progress. Chabon’s writing style employs a wild mixture of humor, horror, baseball culture, nanotechnology, mythology, shamanism and tall tale to craft the plot, drawing on the rich heritage of Norse, Pacific Northwest Indian and Frontier American story telling. The length may put off younger readers, but it’s hard to imagine a more entertaining read for a fantasy fan or a more incongruous crew of unlikely heroes. This book could make reading assignments and genre research look fun.
Ethan Feld is a motherless 11-year old who shows no talent for baseball and wants to quit the team, until he is unexpectedly (and erroneously) called upon to save the Universe. Together with his friends and teammates Jennifer T. and
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Thor, Ethan sets out to find his kidnapped father, “scampering” into another world via Summerland, a baseball meadow that is one of the few crossing points not yet disconnected by shapeshifter Coyote in his plan to destroy the worlds of the Tree of Life. Ethan, Jennifer T., Thor and a bizarre assortment of creatures that include fairies, Sasquatch and a vertically challenged giant are pitted against the fiercest, most avid baseball players in the Universe. They play for safe passage across hostile lands in a hopeless race to reach Murmury Well before Coyote, with help from Ethan’s hapless father, can poison the waters that sustain the Tree of Worlds.The story moves at a suspenseful pace switching between the protagonists’ odyssey and the antagonist’s progress. Chabon’s writing style employs a wild mixture of humor, horror, baseball culture, nanotechnology, mythology, shamanism and tall tale to craft the plot, drawing on the rich heritage of Norse, Pacific Northwest Indian and Frontier American story telling. The length may put off younger readers, but it’s hard to imagine a more entertaining read for a fantasy fan or a more incongruous crew of unlikely heroes. This book could make reading assignments and genre research look fun.
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LibraryThing member hairballsrus
Aside from the mangled eighth tape of this ten tape adventure (yes, I drive a car that has a tape deck! Deal with it! :) ) I've finally listened to this book. At first, I wasn't sure if this story was for me; it's a 500+ page children's book about baseball, or in my case a 10+hour set of tapes.
Can a baseball game be played to determine the destiny of the universes? You betcha. It's the Shadowtails gainst the Hobbledehoys. But watch out. Coyote never plays fair.
It turned out to be a very enjoyable adventure, causing me to drive around and around my block to finish tapes!
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It's a mix of myths with Coyote as the chief mischief maker and fairies known as ferishers. There's werefoxes and wererats, werewolves and ice mice, bigfoot and big liars. Changelings and Clam Island. Not to mention Nubakaduba. And baseball. Lots and lots of baseball. Can a baseball game be played to determine the destiny of the universes? You betcha. It's the Shadowtails gainst the Hobbledehoys. But watch out. Coyote never plays fair.
It turned out to be a very enjoyable adventure, causing me to drive around and around my block to finish tapes!
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LibraryThing member mkschoen
The best I can describe this is Narnia meets "Field of Dreams." Except that where Narnia has that ineffable air of England, this is pure Americana - cowboys and Indians, tall takes, the Wild West, and of course, baseball. Really it feels like parts of it should be narrated by James Earl Jones, the
Ethan Feld lives on Clam Island in Puget Sound, and hates baseball. He's the worst player on his team, though his teammates don't hate him for it, including his pal Jennifer T. Rideout, a budding pitcher. While most of their island is the typically rainy northwest, the ballfield lies in the mythical Summerland, favored by a quirk of weather to be enternally sunny and pleasant. But when things turn dark even there, Ethan is scouted by Ringfinger Brown to be a hero, working for the ferishers, or faeries. Ethan, along with his father and Jennifer, are taken to their mythical world to help fight Coyote, who is trying to end the connections between worlds, poison the great tree that supports the world, and end the Universe. It's the bottom of the ninth, last out, and Ethan and his rag-tag gang must play a host of teams on their travels to save the day.
The book features a plethora of American myths and stories - including Native American lore, the tall tales of Paul Bunyan, and Sasquatch. History factors in too, but mostly as it ties to baseball, with stories of the Negro Leagues, and depictions of sport as the popular pastime of the working-class.
The language can be difficult at times. Chabon has many of his characters speak a sort of faux-wild west patois that takes some getting used to. And the story can be a bit slow-moving - like baseball. But while the language can be complex, the basic story is a bit young, your basic hero's quest, through faraway lands and with faithful friends and amusing sidekicks. There are a few more complex issues dealt with: Ethan's mother died years ago, and his father never really recovered. More complex is Jennifer's story - a ne'er-do-well father and absent mother, along with racial issues (she's part Native American). Chabon touches on this all very lightly, but that might be a good way to approach the issues with younger children.
The book is so closely tied to baseball that I doubt very much that a child who is not a fan of the game would enjoy it at all. I'm not sure what to do for a what to read next: Harry Potter if they haven't already read it, and fantasy fans can move on to Terry Pratchett maybe. Or "A Wrinkle in Times" maybe. Baseball kids could try Kinsella's "Shoeless Joe" or maybe some of Mike Lupica's work (no fantasy but plenty of sports).
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way he did the paean to the sport in the Field of Dreams.Ethan Feld lives on Clam Island in Puget Sound, and hates baseball. He's the worst player on his team, though his teammates don't hate him for it, including his pal Jennifer T. Rideout, a budding pitcher. While most of their island is the typically rainy northwest, the ballfield lies in the mythical Summerland, favored by a quirk of weather to be enternally sunny and pleasant. But when things turn dark even there, Ethan is scouted by Ringfinger Brown to be a hero, working for the ferishers, or faeries. Ethan, along with his father and Jennifer, are taken to their mythical world to help fight Coyote, who is trying to end the connections between worlds, poison the great tree that supports the world, and end the Universe. It's the bottom of the ninth, last out, and Ethan and his rag-tag gang must play a host of teams on their travels to save the day.
The book features a plethora of American myths and stories - including Native American lore, the tall tales of Paul Bunyan, and Sasquatch. History factors in too, but mostly as it ties to baseball, with stories of the Negro Leagues, and depictions of sport as the popular pastime of the working-class.
The language can be difficult at times. Chabon has many of his characters speak a sort of faux-wild west patois that takes some getting used to. And the story can be a bit slow-moving - like baseball. But while the language can be complex, the basic story is a bit young, your basic hero's quest, through faraway lands and with faithful friends and amusing sidekicks. There are a few more complex issues dealt with: Ethan's mother died years ago, and his father never really recovered. More complex is Jennifer's story - a ne'er-do-well father and absent mother, along with racial issues (she's part Native American). Chabon touches on this all very lightly, but that might be a good way to approach the issues with younger children.
The book is so closely tied to baseball that I doubt very much that a child who is not a fan of the game would enjoy it at all. I'm not sure what to do for a what to read next: Harry Potter if they haven't already read it, and fantasy fans can move on to Terry Pratchett maybe. Or "A Wrinkle in Times" maybe. Baseball kids could try Kinsella's "Shoeless Joe" or maybe some of Mike Lupica's work (no fantasy but plenty of sports).
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LibraryThing member PghDragonMan
Summerland by Michael Chabon is a cute story with lots of baseball trivia and baseball as a metaphor for meeting the challenges of life. It is a YA story, but it is still enjoyable for adults, but not a very deep story. It holds a special charm for Pittsburghers with all the references to the
Great for casual reading with a very flowing language to it. Overall it is well worth four stars.
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Homestead Grays and Pittsburgh Pirates of past . . . when they actually had a respectable team.Great for casual reading with a very flowing language to it. Overall it is well worth four stars.
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LibraryThing member Topper
"Summerland" is a fun, original re-imagination of the cliche of "baseball mythology," where the game of baseball is the central conceit of a cosmology derived from diverse cultures. While the plot structure is recognizable--young boy is chosen against his will to save the world, and in so doing
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joins a motley band of misfits--the characters, tone, and style are a welcome addition to the fantasy genre. If I have one quibble with "Summerland," it's the tendency to treat ethnic characters (Native Americans, African Americans) as stereotypically attuned to the true nature or wisdom of the cosmos (if this book were optioned for a movie, Morgan Freeman watch out!). Overall, though, it's a smart, thoughtful, funny and engaging adventure for teenagers or adults. Show Less
LibraryThing member sriemann
My better half recommended this book to me to read, esp. as summer was drawing nearer. In fact, she said that I had better read it next or else or something to that effect) I'm glad she did though, because it was a wonderful book that mixed baseball and legends from different sources with some
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science fiction/fantasy to boot, all while being a story about kids who find out who they really are-- on a rather unexpected journey with unexpected travel companions. I love those kinds of stories, and so I loved this one, too. Show Less
LibraryThing member flexatone
Summerland is an ebuliant quodlibet! A little Lord of the Rings, a little Alice in Wonderland, just a shade of Harry Potter, *a lot* of folklore and a lot of baseball combine to make a great story. And also a great and meaningful ending as well. A great between-innings read!
LibraryThing member erinclark
Could not finish unfortunately and gave it away to the free book mobile in town. I loved, loved, loved Kavalier and Clay so I was disappointed that I could not even get through this one.
LibraryThing member jordan.lusink
"Just because something is invisible and immaterial doesn't mean it isn't really there." (40)
I've actually read this book before. I try to read it once a year, although I have to admit, it's probably been about...two and a half years since my last reading. Knowing a bit about my ridiculous love for
I don't know a whole lot about baseball, but Chabon gracefully weaves the elements of baseball with pieces of American folklore into this story about a boy who has to try to prevent the Changer (or Coyote, as he's sometimes called) from ending the world as we know it.
Set in the fictional town of Clam Island, Washington (that's right, Washington State. What up?!), we encounter Ethan Feld, who is possibly the most devastatingly horrible baseball player in the history of the game. He moved to Clam Island with his father, who is working on revolutionizing the dirigible field, after his mom died of cancer. He mostly continues to play baseball because he knows it makes his dad happy. We also meet his best friend, Jennifer T. Rideout, who is actually a phenomenal ball player. They are joined in their adventure by Thor Wignutt, a boy acting like a robot attempting to be a boy, who has always seemed oddly out of place.
They are recruited by a "hero finder" who recruits Ethan to help prevent the end of the world. A ferisher explains to Ethan that the "world" is actually separated into four worlds, which are connected because they are actually four branches of the same tree. The ferisher elaborates that certain kinds of people can "scamper" from world to world. An oracular clam predicts that Feld will have the answer. Little do they all know, the Feld to which the clam refers is actually Ethan's dad. His father is kidnapped by Coyote, who wants to use him in order to help hasten the end of the world so that he can start over. Ethan must work together with his friends, the ferisher, and other folklore-ish creates to try and prevent the end of the world. Part of his journey through the Summerlands (one of the four worlds" formed by the great tree") is getting past particular obstacles by playing baseball, which seems to have some sort of mythical control over the creatures there. The question Ethan asks is: if I can't even play baseball, how am I going to save the world?
I've read this book before, and I'll read it again. As much as I am not particularly eloquent at explaining the plotline (it's really not as confusing as it sounds), I love this book and the beautiful worlds that Chabon creates, especially using themes and characters which are common to our American heritage. The adventure he takes us on with Ethan, Jennifer T.,, Thor, Cinquefoil (ferisher), Taffy (Sasquatch), and Skid (car-cum-dirigible) is a magical dirigible ride not to be missed.
I've actually read this book before. I try to read it once a year, although I have to admit, it's probably been about...two and a half years since my last reading. Knowing a bit about my ridiculous love for
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books, it should have an impact that I take time out from reading new books to read this old one. I love books by Michael Chabon in general. This is - as far as I know - his only children's book. (If you like this book and you're looking for something more adult - WAY more adult - you should read The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. Great book.)I don't know a whole lot about baseball, but Chabon gracefully weaves the elements of baseball with pieces of American folklore into this story about a boy who has to try to prevent the Changer (or Coyote, as he's sometimes called) from ending the world as we know it.
Set in the fictional town of Clam Island, Washington (that's right, Washington State. What up?!), we encounter Ethan Feld, who is possibly the most devastatingly horrible baseball player in the history of the game. He moved to Clam Island with his father, who is working on revolutionizing the dirigible field, after his mom died of cancer. He mostly continues to play baseball because he knows it makes his dad happy. We also meet his best friend, Jennifer T. Rideout, who is actually a phenomenal ball player. They are joined in their adventure by Thor Wignutt, a boy acting like a robot attempting to be a boy, who has always seemed oddly out of place.
They are recruited by a "hero finder" who recruits Ethan to help prevent the end of the world. A ferisher explains to Ethan that the "world" is actually separated into four worlds, which are connected because they are actually four branches of the same tree. The ferisher elaborates that certain kinds of people can "scamper" from world to world. An oracular clam predicts that Feld will have the answer. Little do they all know, the Feld to which the clam refers is actually Ethan's dad. His father is kidnapped by Coyote, who wants to use him in order to help hasten the end of the world so that he can start over. Ethan must work together with his friends, the ferisher, and other folklore-ish creates to try and prevent the end of the world. Part of his journey through the Summerlands (one of the four worlds" formed by the great tree") is getting past particular obstacles by playing baseball, which seems to have some sort of mythical control over the creatures there. The question Ethan asks is: if I can't even play baseball, how am I going to save the world?
I've read this book before, and I'll read it again. As much as I am not particularly eloquent at explaining the plotline (it's really not as confusing as it sounds), I love this book and the beautiful worlds that Chabon creates, especially using themes and characters which are common to our American heritage. The adventure he takes us on with Ethan, Jennifer T.,, Thor, Cinquefoil (ferisher), Taffy (Sasquatch), and Skid (car-cum-dirigible) is a magical dirigible ride not to be missed.
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LibraryThing member caitsm
Ethan Feld, a terrible baseball player is chosen to help save the magical world, Summerland, from enemies. The only problem is, is they need a baseball star...
LibraryThing member npl
Although he is “the worst baseball player in the history of the game”, Ethan Feld finds himself working with a 100-year-old talent scout to help a fairies save the world and Ethan’s father. Ethan and his teammates have to travel through several parallel worlds, including the baseball-rabid
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Summerland. In the end, the fate of the universe may just hinge a baseball game. Show Less
LibraryThing member lilibrarian
The story of a true fantasy baseball league. When Ethan's dad is kidnapped by the trickster Coyote as part of a plan to end the world, Ethan and two of his friends cross worlds and play a series of games to save the world in 9 innings.