YA book blog: Summerland

Cover image: Summerland

In  Summerland by Michael Chabon (New York: Miramax Books for Children,  2002), Ethan Feld is on the verge of quitting his Little League baseball team because he is “The Worst Ballplayer in the History of Clam Island, Washington.”

Ethan is recruited by Chiron Brown, a scout for heroes, to prevent an attempt by Coyote to bring the world to an end.

The fairy realms that Feld and his companions travel through construct their societies around baseball. Feld faces a series of individual and team challenges and discovers the position of catcher is what he is destined to play.

I don’t follow baseball. I’ve been disinclined toward team sports ever since being chosen last every single time in PE. But that doesn’t matter. Chabon makes baseball captivating and understandable. This is an excellent story and I think its subject matter will encourage boys to read.

A strong female character, Shadowtails pitcher Jennifer T. Rideout, makes the story accessible for girls and I relate to Feld’s early frustration toward the sport of baseball. The book is shelved in the Young Adult collection at the main branch of my library.

Originally submitted to a class discussion board for Cuesta College LIBT 118: Connecting Adolescents with Literature and Libraries.