Baseball is America's pastime and a game loved by many, but not Ethan Feld. His baseball-obsessed father tries to encourage him but Ethan has no love for the game. Or does he?

One morning, Ethan wakes up to discover a fox-like creature on his stomach. This “shadowtail” takes him to the Summerlands, one of the four worlds on the lodgepole, a tree that holds them all up. All the creatures there are obsessed with baseball, and play as often as possible. Ethan brings his two friends, Thor and Jennifer. Jennifer has a true obsession for the game and can throw some heat on the ball. Thor is unique and always speaks in scientific terms and claims that he is from another planet.

We soon discover that he is not human at all but a changeling, a unique creature in the Summerlands. The nemesis, Coyote, wants to destroy the universe and end life for all eternity, with the help of Ethan's captured father, Bruce. Ethan and his friends are the only ones who can stop his tormenting conquest and save his father.

Michael Chabon brings a mature approach to a classic hero versus villain novel. I was brought into a world of mystical creatures and endless games of baseball. This book gave me a new look at baseball and how life progresses. The first 100 pages were a bit slow, but after that I became much more interested. Soon conflicts arose that puzzled me, as well as fantasy theories that dazzled my brain. One theory that interests me is that creatures can perform magic using only their brains; it lets them do everything from floating to keeping people bound to them for life.

I recommend this book for teens and adults who are young at heart. This is a terrific fantasy novel, one of the best I have read. So, pick up the bat, and have a ball with this fantastic read!