Book Review: SUMMERLAND

"The greatest stories contain every story."

I can't remember who said that (or if I just made it up) but it is certainly true of SUMMERLAND. Take everything you love about THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA and LORD OF THE RINGS, mix in a dollop of THE TALISMAN, throw in a bit of THE GOONIES, add a splash of FIELD OF DREAMS, and you've got yourself an exuberant adventure story that will make you feel--and wish--that you were twelve years old again.

I was enchanted by this book within the first half of the opening chapter, and there isn't even anything that exciting in those first few pages. I have come to expect outstanding writing from Michael Chabon (and this book is no exception) but what stands out to me here is that although children are this target audience, he doesn't dumb down the language or paint everything in broad, cheesy strokes to make it simple. Instead, he does what I wish more people would do, which is to trust that kids are smart and can follow a complex story, and will rise to the occasion if he gives them a challenging word here and there (unlike, say, the author of a certain series of books about a boy wizard, who couldn't write her way out of a wet high school newspaper). Chabon borrows elements from numerous sources to craft an epic tale of good and evil, weaving these patchwork pieces into a literary quilt that maintains its uniqueness. SUMMERLAND is storytelling at its' best, and I have no doubt that I will be re-reading it the near future.