Summerland

Starred review from September 9, 2002
Pulitzer Prize–winner Chabon (The Adventures of Kavalier & Clay) admirably steps up to the plate as a rookie audiobook performer on this top-drawer recording of his first novel for children. The generously detailed story of young Ethan Feld's amazing summer adventure takes on vivid aural color via the voice of its creator. Though Ethan is the worst player on his baseball team, he finds himself the prospect of a mysterious recruiter. Before long, Ethan and two of his friends are spirited to a series of fantastic parallel worlds where they must rely on their baseball skills and courage to save the strange places they've just discovered and the ordinary one they've left behind. Along the way, they encounter small magical creatures called ferishers; a sensitive Sasquatch; giants; and a wicked, shape-shifting tyrant called Coyote, who kidnaps Ethan's father. As narrator, Chabon gives a confident, smoothly paced reading, befitting his familiarity with the material. But it's in the various character roles that he shines, taking detectable glee in creating dynamic vocals. His delivery of Ethan's dialogue is particularly sharp and believable. Simultaneous release with the Hyperion/Miramax hardcover.
All ages.

March 1, 2004
Following the death of his mother, a boy moves with this father to an island, where a mystical baseball scout recruits him for a special mission and escorts him through a gateway to a series of interconnected worlds. In a starred review, PW
said that the author "hits a high-flying home run, creating a vivid fantasy where baseball is king." All ages.

Starred review from June 24, 2002
In his debut novel for young readers, Pulitzer Prize winner Chabon (The Adventures of Kavalier & Clay) hits a high-flying home run, creating a vivid fantasy where baseball is king. Following the death of his mother, 11-year-old Ethan Feld and his father, a designer of lighter-than-air-dirigibles move to Clam Island, Wash. The island is known for its almost constant rain, save for an area on its westernmost tip—called Summerland by the locals—which "knew a June, July and August that were perfectly dry and sunshiny." In Summerland, Ethan struggles to play baseball for the Ruth's Fluff and Fold Roosters, with dismal results. But here, too, a mystical baseball scout recruits Ethan and escorts him through a gateway to a series of interconnected worlds that are home to magical creatures called ferishers and an evil, shape-changing overlord called Coyote. Ethan and two of his fellow teammates soon accept a mission to save these other worlds (plus the one they live in) from ultimate destruction at Coyote's hand. When his father's well-being is also threatened, Ethan's quest becomes all the more urgent. To succeed, Ethan and his friends must find a way to beat giants, ferishers and others in a series of games where striking out truly has apocalyptic implications. Chabon unspools an elaborate yarn in a style that frequently crackles with color and surprise. He occasionally addresses readers directly, imbuing his tale with the aura of something that has been passed down through the ages. Impressively, the author takes a contemporary smalltown setting and weaves in baseball history, folklore and environmental themes, to both challenge and entertain readers. Images of the icy Winterlands and beasts like the werefox and Taffy the motherly Sasquatch recall C.S. Lewis's Narnia and some of Philip Pullman's creations in His Dark Materials. Devotees of the genre—and of America's pastime—will find much to cheer here. All ages.