Summerland

Summerland, by Michael Chabon, is a novel about a young baseball player who is roped into a mission to save a fantasy world called Summerland. The young protagonist Ethan Feld, is a clumsy, slightly dorky boy who's father is an inventor. Ethan plays baseball with little enthusiasm, and searches for something that will help him make sense of his life. This "something" comes in the form of an agent, who takes Ethan to Summerland, where he is expected to become the hero of a group of little people called Ferishers. Ethan and his friends go off on their quest to defeat Coyote and his followers, and save Summerland.

I felt that the story of Ethan Feld and his friends was well written, even though it was slightly simple. The story had a fairly predictable plot line, but all of the main characters were very well developed. Therefore, even though the plot may have been simple, the story did not become boring because it was carried by its characters. The fantasy elements of the story were wonderful and well thought out. The different creatures, both good and evil, were described in loving detail, which added a charm and life to the book which you may not find in other fantasy books.

I recommend Summerland, to middle-school age students, who are looking for a nice fantasy book to use for reports. Because of the simple nature of the plot, this book is well suited for book reports and the like. Summerland is a good read, and a great book which mixes fantasy and baseball in a way that I have never seen before.