Flying with Peter

Peter Pan

by J.M. Barrie

Genre: Fantasy (Middle-Grade)

"As he flies through the skies of London, Peter Pan spies the Darling children in their nursery. Curious, he sneaks into their house, but is almost caught. In his hurry to escape, Peter leaves his shadow behind. 

"When he returns to reclaim it, he meets Wendy Darling and her brothers, John and Michael. Soon he convinces them to fly off with him and his not-very-polite fairy to the magical Neverland, the island where he lives as captain of the lost boys. But a war is raging between the lost boys and pirates, and the evil Captain Hook wants to rid the island of the boys for good, especially the cocky Peter. Will he succeed?" 

(We probably all know the story of Peter Pan, but I included the synopsis in case it's been a while since you watched the different movie variations.)

I've always adored the tale of Peter Pan and have seen all of the movies several times. The story of a boy who can fly and never grows up draws me like a bee to nectar. And, of course, there are mermaids, which (nearly) always help any story. I can't believe that it took me this long to read this book, but I'm glad I did. And I probably appreciate it more that I'm older, because although it's written for children, there are some literary aspects, humor, and British sayings that my older self appreciated. 

Yet, reading this book took me back to my childhood and live it all over again. I, too, was a child flying freely with Peter Pan, reading stories to the lost boys, and fighting the pirates without fear. 

There are differences in this book compared to the movies, of course, but they didn't bother me because I was wholly in the world that Barrie created. And what a fascinating, fun world it is! 

One thing, however, did bother me. The author doesn't bring you very close to the characters. Sure, you hear their thoughts and feel some of their feelings, but you're always bobbing about, first to this person, then to this one, and you're never taken to the core of who the person is. In fact, I felt closer to the narrator than any of the characters because he was so effervescent. 

Usually I don't like it when the narrators pops his/her head up and talks to the reader, disturbing her from the story. But in this book, for some unknown reason, I didn't mind it. Possibly because the narrator was talkative from the beginning, and the reader felt slightly apart from the characters the entire time. I do have to say, though, that the narrator did annoy me a few times, especially when he gave his opinions on the characters and children in general. Why couldn't he let us come up with our own? 

To sum up all of this blathering, this novel is an easy, light, fun read that's sure to take you back to a younger, more imaginative you. I give it a 3.5 out of 5 and recommend it for about 9 year olds and up. 

What I learned: Everyone grows up (I'm still trying to reconcile myself to this fact...). However, it's not something to be dreaded, but greeted, like a friend. 

My favorite quote: "To die will be an awfully big adventure." 

*What about you? Have you read this book before? What are your thoughts on interactive narrators? 

Another Peter Pan Adventure

Peter and the Shadow Thieves
by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
Genre: Middle-Grade Fantasy 
*Sequel to Peter and the Starcatchers

"Peter leaves the relative safety of Mollusk Island-along with his trusted companion, Tinker Bell-for the cold, damp, dangerous, streets of London. On a difficult journey across the sea, he and Tink discover the mysterious and deadly Lord Ombra, who is intent on recovering the missing starstuff-celestial dust that contains unimaginable powers. In London, Peter attempts to track down the indomitable Molly, hoping that together they can combat Ombra's determined forces.

"But London is not Mollusk Island; Peter is not the boy he used to be; and Lord Ombra-the Shadow Master-is unlike anything Peter, or the world, has ever seen."

Another adventure awaits! The action in this novel was less intense than the first one, and I didn't like it as much, perhaps because it took place in dirty, foggy London. The plot seemed more rushed and somehow less fluid. Peter also annoyed me at times because it seemed like as soon as he came to London and met up with Molly, he became clueless and had to ask her everything. But he made up for it at the end. Molly also bothered me at times, but not as much because she had a better reason for acting like that. I also had an unanswered question at the end about the starstuff and its affects on a certain character, and it is not cleared up in the third and final book.

However, there is still a lot of action and slightly more character development in Peter, although there could have been even more. I liked the circle ending, and the main antagonist is definitely creepy and creative. I enjoyed how Barry and Pearson continued adding and weaving elements of the original story to their own version. That made it even more fun to read.

I give this book a 3.5 and recommend it for ages 9 and up because of the creepy evil-shadow character.

What I learned: Sometimes one must put and fight for something greater even than family bonds.

Ridley Pearson's website: http://ridleypearson.com/
Dave Barry's website: http://www.davebarry.com/

You thought You Knew the Story of Peter Pan...

Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
Genre: Middle-Grade Fantasy 
*First novel of a trilogy/quartet

"In an evocative and fast-paced adventure on the high seas and on a faraway island, an orphan boy named Peter and his mysterious new friend, Molly, overcome bands of pirates and thieves in their quest to keep a fantastical secret safe and save the world from evil.

"Aboard the Never Land is a trunk that holds the 'greatest treasure on earth'-but is it gold, jewels, or something far more mysterious and dangerous?

"Roiling waves and raging storms; skullduggery and pirate treachery provide the backdrop for battles at sea. Bone-crushing breakers eventually land our characters on Mollusk Island-where the action really heats up."

If you haven't read this novel yet, or even if you have, please, please pick it up! I don't care if you are nine years old or forty-five; it is a book worth reading. This tale has everything a good story should have: suspense, convincing/conniving evil characters, life-like protagonists, magic, and plenty of plot twists. It even has beautiful illustrations. It is super easy to read (it's meant for a younger audience, after all), and took me two days to read it this second time.

I love that this story is basically the back-story of Peter Pan's life and that it explains how he got to Never Land, why he can fly, and all of that crucial, mysterious information that the original story just doesn't clear up completely. And even though it is meant for a younger audience, I still enjoyed this story. It had plenty of good, innocent humor and enough action to keep me on my toes, but then again, I might still be a kid at heart.

The only major qualm I have about this book is that my copy had a lot of little errors, like misplaced quotes, missing words, and the like. I'm sure not every copy is like that, but it did annoy me slightly. I'm reading the sequel now, and it doesn't have any mistakes.

I also wish that the narrator could have given us more insights into Peter's mind, since he is the main character, but I still felt like I knew him. The book does jump around from different characters quite frequently (at the end of every chapter), so that could be a bit overwhelming. But it is still a masterfully written novel, which makes sense, since its authors are the famous Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson (who's written the Kingdom Keepers series).

I give this book a 3.5 and recommend it for ages 8 and up.

What I learned: When people use something powerful with good motives, they usually end up using it for evil. Plenty of pirate/ship words, including: aft, dory, yardarm. Oh, and pirates often go around ships barefoot.

Dave Barry's website: http://www.davebarry.com/
Ridley Pearson's website: http://ridleypearson.com/


 So, who's going to pick this book up now? Or if you have already read it, what did you think?