Peter and the Starcatchers (Peter and the Starcatchers, #1) by Dave Barry

Peter and the Starcatchers (Peter and the Starcatchers, #1) Reviews

• 
  Madeline

  *Reviewer's Note: obviously, there isn't a movie version of this book (yet, anyway - they're supposedly working on one, which will probably be terrible but I'll save that rant for later) so
  once again I have to put a book on my The Movie Is Better shelf because I can't be bothered to create a shelf titled The Stage Adaptation Is Better. Just keep in mind that if that shelf existed, this book would be there*
  
  First, Some Background: (for review of actual book, please skip ahead to paragraph four) So this past spring, I spent four days in New York with three of my friends. As we are all giant theater dorks, our sole objective was to see as many shows as we could for as cheaply as possible (a feat we accomplished quite spectacularly, thank you verra much). One of my friends, the the giantest theater dork of us all, had heard fantastic things about this off-Broadway show called Peter and the Starcatcher, and convinced us that we had to venture away from Times Square in order to see it. The short version of the story is, after a subway adventure and being afraid we wouldn't get to see the show because we bought stand-by tickets because the show was technically sold out, we got in.
  
  And oh my sweet baby Jesus, it was the best thing I have ever seen on stage, ever. EVER. It was funny and touching and exciting and sad and fucking hilarious. Almost all the props, scenery, and special effects were created by the actors, which made the whole show look like something being performed in someone's attic by a bunch of neighborhood kids (which, really, is the only way a Peter Pan story can be performed) who just happened to be extremely talented. (see the show's website
  here for an idea of what it looked like) The cast was amazing, the script was perfect, and it was alternately funny and heartbreaking. My point is, the show is the sole reason I read this book, and I knew going into it that the book had no chance of being as good as the play, so I wasn't even that disappointed when I turned out to be right.
  
  JM Barrie's Peter Pan, while amazing, left a lot of unanswered questions. How did Peter get to the island? Who taught him to fly? Where did the pirates come from? How did Peter and Tinkerbell meet? Why, if fairy dust allows people to fly, is Peter the only one who can fly without it?
  
  Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson took these questions and used them to write a Peter Pan origin story, and it's much, much cooler than it sounds. Peter starts out as an orphan, along with several of his friends from the orphanage, being put on a ship and sent across the ocean to work as servants for an evil king. Also on the ship is Molly, a girl who knows more than she's telling about a mysterious trunk being kept belowdecks with mysteriously magical properties. In pursuit of the ship, and the magic, is the pirate Black Stache. Did I mention that the ship Peter is placed on is called the Never Land? Oh yes, I see what you did there.
  
  It all makes for a fast-paced, fun pirate adventure with lots of action and humor (not as funny as the play, I have to admit). As I read, I kept thinking that this is the book
  The Dagger Quick wished it could be. The characters are all great, especially Molly, who despite fulfilling the usual Girl Character in an Adventure Story jobs like being held hostage and getting rescued, is still perfectly capable and intelligent, and gets to do her fair share of the rescuing. Also she speaks Porpoise, which was never not funny.
  
  My only gripe about the book, really, is that the authors seem oddly intent on making connections between the book and the animated Disney version of Peter Pan, instead of Barrie's original. Characters from the movie are described in the book as looking just like their animated counterparts: Peter has bright red hair, Black Stache (who becomes Hook) has curly black hair and a long mustache, and Smee is described wearing the same outfit he wears in the movie. The last straw was Tinkerbell, who in this version was originally a bird (it makes sense, I promise) that had a green body and a bright yellow head. However, this annoying aspect might not have actually been the authors fault: given that the publishing information at the beginning of the book loudly proclaims that this is a DISNEY EDITIONS book, I imagine the publishers prodded the authors to include some stuff that would tie the book into the animated movie.
  
  This was a fun book, although vastly different from the (superior) stage version. I could go into all the differences, but frankly this review is long enough and I'm not sure anyone actually cares that much. The point is, the book is a fun adventure story that is actually a really well-done prequel to Peter Pan, but if you get a chance to see the play, you absolutely should.
  
  Okay, one more thing about the play: here are two lines that I remember and wanted to share.
  
  First, from Captain Stache to Smee: "Oh Smee. How flat and unprofitable the world must look from the deck of your HMS Cynic."
  
  And here's what Molly said to Peter when they said goodbye, in a scene that made the whole damn theater cry like babies: "It's supposed to hurt. That's how you know it meant something."
• 
  emma

  honestly pretty unhinged that i thought to mark this as read, considering my reading it = my fifth grade teacher reading it aloud to us in like 15 minute installments for months on end, but i stand by it. i was an attentive listener and a teacher's pet from birth.
  
  this book is fun and good when a teacher is forcing you into it, but i tried to pick it up again a few years later and it was a full on snooze.
  
  shoutout to Ms. C, though. good job on the read-aloud.
  
  part of a project i'm doing where i review books i read a long time ago, blah blah blah, enough already.
• 
  Sara Bow

  Süße Story und tolles Abenteuerbuch - aber eher für jüngere Leser. Werde die Bücher meinem kleinen Bruder schenken, der damit sicherlich mehr Freude haben wird als ich. Breche die Reihe damit erstmal ab.
• 
  Martin

  Peter Pan - the prequel
  See;
  Never land,
  the Pirates,
  the Mermaids,
  the Indians,
  the Lost Boys,
  the Crocodile,
  the creation of Captain Hook,
  and Tinkerbell!
  
  To sea...
  Cyrus Pembridge, the Never Land’s captain, was widely regarded as the most incompetent man to command a ship since the formation of water.
  
  “Who in the name of common sense would put to sea on that ship with that man in charge?” wondered Mack.
  
  “Well,” Alf answered, “we are.”
  
  “True,” Mack said. “But nobody else’d hire the likes of us.”
  
  Dinner on board the ""Never Land"
  The boys peered doubtfully into the pot, which contained a darkish liquid. It looked far from appetizing, but they were hungry. Tubby Ted, always the first to take action where food was concerned, cupped his hands and scooped out a handful of the liquid with some small grayish lumps floating in it. He sniffed it, wrinkled his nose, then shrugged and took a lump into his mouth. Immediately he spat it onto the floor.
  
  “IT’S ALIVE!” he screamed.
  
  The boys looked at the lump on the floor, and sure enough, it was wriggling.
  
  “It’s a worm!” said Tubby Ted. “He fed us worms!”
  
  Thomas, peering into the pot again, gasped.
  
  “There’s something swimming in there!” he said. “It’s … it’s a mouse!”
  
  “Really?” said Hungry Bob, looking into the pot. “Why, so it is! Cook must be in a generous mood. Usually he don’t serve mouse ’cept on special occasions like Christmas.”
  
  The pirate captain
  Black Stache liked the British flag—he had a dozen or more in his collection—and felt especially proud when he sank a ship belonging to the Queen. Black Stache had no love for the Queen, no love for women of any sort, except for his ma. He had a real soft spot for his ma, and was truly sorry for the time he’d marooned her.
  
  These characters are the beginnings of the famous story "Peter Pan".
  
  
  Enjoy!
  
  
  
• 
  Michael Fierce

  Sometimes I think I am
  Peter Pan because if growing up means you have to put down or put away the things you've loved since you were a kid then I can tell you I don't want to grow up. Not now. Not ever. Never. Ever.
  
  I planned to read the original classic one day, having always been a fan of the
  Disney animated cartoon version growing up, that forever connected me to
  Peter Pan,
  Captain Hook,
  Wendy and all the wonderful characters and places associated with
  Kensington Gardens and
  Neverland. I couldn't find a version that had a cover I really wanted so I thought I'd hold out until I found just the right one.
  
  Then, one day, I saw the 2003 film version directed by
  P.J. Hogan, and though I'll probably get eaten by a crocodile for saying this, I think it's far superior to any version before it and any that will follow. The minute the movie ended, a craving to read more
  Peter Pan gnawed at me until I finally picked up
  Peter and the Starcatchers.
  

  
  
  Peter and the Starcatchers was a little different than what I was expecting. A bit of the background and history of the original
  Peter Pan had been reworked but it didn't matter because this book was still a lot of fun, clever, action-packed, spiritually rewarding, and even answered a few questions along the way.
  
  It continued my interest and appreciation for everything I loved about
  Peter Pan in the first place.
  
  I plan to read the entire series and am so glad writers of this calibre are continuing the myth and magic that is
  Peter Pan, who made his first appearance in 1902!
• 
  Kate

  4/5stars
  
  This is honestly a really cute and fun middle grade retelling of Peter Pan. I think a lot of kids could like this even more than the original story.
• 
  Janssen

  I love Dave Barry. My parents both adore Dave Barry, as does my grandmother, and they've been reading or handing off various columns and books of his to me for as long as I can remember. I've read practically every column he's ever written and most of his books. For some reason, though, I've never read his novels, Big Trouble and Tricky Business. I love his non-fiction columns, so I was less interested in his fictional books. Then, when I went home for Christmas, my brother was reading the second of Dave Barry's juvenile books, called "Peter and the Shadow Thieves." I asked him how they were, and he raved about them. Even at eleven-years-old, I trust his advice, so a few weeks ago (I clearly don't trust his advice in a TIMELY manner), I picked up the first one at the library.
  
  This is a fun book. I think I've mentioned before that I really adore re-tellings of classic or widely-known stories. I think Beauty (Robin McKinley) is excellent, and I love Ella Enchanted (Gail Carson Levine). There's just something so thrilling about watching the pieces fit together when you already know what the end result is. This book fits right into that category. It's the story of how Peter Pan became, well, Peter Pan.
  
  Read my complete review at
  http://everydayreading.blogspot.com/2...
• 
  Lissa

  I picked this book up in the airport on my way to South Africa because I thought it looked a bit Harry Potter-esque. I knew it was a book for children, but it had a heft similar to the Harry Potter books, and I was looking for something light and fast to read. Sometimes, for plane reading, I don't want something heavy and ponderous - just something that will keep my attention and interest for long enough to get from here to there. Unfortunately, the heft of the book and the magical subject matter are about where the similarities between Peter and the Starcatchers and Harry Potter end.
  
  Peter and the Starcatchers is a sort of prequel to Peter Pan. It tells the story of how Peter went from being an orphan in London to becoming Peter Pan. In fact, one of the most interesting aspects of the story is seeing how each of the players in the Peter Pan story that most people know comes into the scene. At the beginning of the book, Peter and four other orphans from St. Norbert's in London (the future Lost Boys, of course) are loaded onto the ship, the "Never Land" sailing for the country of Rundoon. They are to be sold into service for the evil King of Rundoon, King Zarboff the Third. On the boat, Peter sees a mysterious magical trunk loaded, and makes the aquaintance of a young girl named Molly who is perhaps not all that she seems. Meanwhile, the evil pirate Black Stache (the future Captain Hook, of course) plans to the steal the magical trunk for his own use. Much of the rest of the book is a comedy of errors as each of the factions tries to get a hold of the trunk. There are, of course, other side adventures including some savages (the indians?), a lagoon full of mermaids, and a gigantic crocodile.
  
  The book is a great children's book, but unlike Harry Potter, it does not transcend the genre. As an adult, I found the action to be pretty thin, the plot and the writing very simiplistic and not particularly thought provoking. As a children's book, I think it has a lot of things going for it, including a good length. As seven or eight year old, I think I would have enjoyed this book immensely. In thinking about the books I loved as a child (A Wrinkle in Time, The Dark is Rising series, The
  True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle -- all of which I read around grade 3 or 4), this is definitely less intricate and thought provoking. But for a younger child - even one where it's still necessary to read books aloud, this would be good. I think it would be especially good for young boys who don't have the young adult series like The Babysitter's Club enticing them to read.
• 
  annelitterarum

  J’hésite entre 3 et 3.5 car la fin m’a plus touchée que prévu🥺
• 
  Morgan

  This was a really cute story. It's a prequel to Peter Pan that starts at the very beginning...before Wendy, before Never Land, and when Captain Hook had no hook.
  
  I had tried reading this book a couple times, but could never get past chapter 5 or so. It was just a bit too slow...However, my mom-in-law lent me these books forever ago, and I felt I needed to read them and return them. :) So that's what I did!
  
  It still took me awhile to get into this book. The main problem (and reason I gave it 3 stars instead of 4) is that the plot isn't described until page 160! That was far too long to get the actual plot going. But once you know what's actually happening, it's quite enjoyable.
  
  Peter and four of his orphan friends (the Lost Boys) are on a boat heading for Rundoon to become slaves to the wicked King. One night, Peter sneaks out for food and comes across a mysterious trunk that is causing quite the stir on the boat. Especially among a young girl the same age as Peter, Molly. She seems to know what's going on, and is even protecting the trunk. What you finally find out is that the trunk is full of Starstuff, a precious element that falls from the sky and produces wonderful results such as flying, healing, and the ability to never grow old...see where it's going?
  
  The story then climaxes with a battle between Peter, Molly, and the Lost Boys, Natives (the Indians...) Mermaids, and Pirates on an island in the middle of nowhere. The result is a really fun story with wonderful twists.
  
  It was a fun story, one I would definitely read to my kids one day....
• 
  Kels

  after all these years this book still manages to amaze me🥰🥰
• 
  JP Seabury

  I have vague childhood memories of the tale of Peter Pan and Wendy, which probably come more from the Disney movie than any books that might have been read to me as a child. But from what I remember, it was one of those stories that starts in the middle of some other story.
  
  You don't know, for instance, how Peter Pan came to be a boy who could fly, or never grow-up. You don't know how it is that he lives on an island with the Lost Boys, a tribe of "Indians", and his arch-nemesis, Captain Hook.
  
  In the book, Peter and the Starcatchers, you discover the answer to all those questions. It's a wonderful book (which I managed to get for $2.00), and I enjoyed every minute of it. I tell others that I screen these "big kid" books, by reading them before giving them to my three sons -- but the truth is, I love them!
  
  Peter & the Starcatchers is the first of three books written by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, all apparently not authorized by the character's copyright holder. Nonetheless, they are original, masterful pieces of writing, and I highly recommend them to young (and old) readers.
• 
  Joe Hunt

  This book is horrible.
  
  (Full disclosure: once upon a time, I thought Dave Barry was funny -- in the 80's -- so not a total hater.)
  
  But I'm a huge J.M. Barrie fan (or Johnny Depp-as-J.M. Barrie).
  
  p.s. I read it -- b/c I heard on comingsoon: they're going to make it into a movie.
  
  Read the real Peter Pan alongside it -- I was doing that -- and you'll feel totally insulted.
  
  The original...We've all seen the Disney cartoon (and the legend is so big), so we think we know it. But no.
  
  It's so well-written. Every single line is funny, practically.
  
  And he sticks in some side-commentary, for example...Fantastic.
  
  (The 2003 live action Pan is pretty great -- also b/c it's close to the book. So, I mean: better than Disney.)
  
  
  Anyhow: the book is horrible. And a terrible affront to the memory and real thing.
  
  Peter & the Starcatchers not funny at all. I would say: "Like they're not even trying...but they are a tiny bit, and it doesn't work."
  
  The plot is really small and frail. Could sum it up in one paragraph: a treasure chest full of fairy dust. The bad guys try to steal it. (The good guys try to stop them. It's a race.) Peter gets some, and it makes him fly.
  
  And it's so formulaic -- like, they have a list. "Okay. What do we need in there, to make it look like a Peter Pan book ?
  
  A boy named Peter: check.
  
  Someone who ends up being Hook: check.
  "Let's call him Black Stache. That's a stupid name." Check.
  
  Smittee, some fairy dust, alligator, mermaids, flying...
  
  Anyhow, I'm really angry. It's one of the saddest things I've ever read. A rip-off and a cheap knock-off, forgery / travesty... Really just an insult to one of the greatest stories ever.
  
  And so now Disney is turning it into a movie.
  
  Here's the thing, too: I, personally, would love to see the further adventures of Peter Pan -- if someone could write them well, make them interesting.
  
  Be true to the original (even the side-commentary, I think)...Of course, have some of the old elements -- but have some new stuff, too, that's cool and interesting. Fun.
  
  The new stuff here: talking porpoises. Horrible.
  
  Really -- like "Worst.Book.Ever."
  
  (I wanted to put zero stars. But I had to put one, so they knew I registered.)
  
  p.s. Final thought: I think I'm going to write my own further adventures of Peter Pan, someday.
  
  Just to prove it can be done: better. If something's worth doing, it's worth doing right. Already started brainstorming.
  
• 
  Cindy

  This was chosen as a book club read for me, and my initial reaction to the selection was "Oh, no. Not another Peter Pan story." I was pleasantly surprised at this "prequel" series. It is definitely recommended for kids, but I enjoyed it myself. I thought the ideas of how Pater Pan and his friends came to be was quite creative. For any audio book fans, this is read by Jim Dale of Harry Potter fame. Just like in Rowling's books, Dale is fabulous at reading these stories. The book (and its sequels) are pretty lengthy, but they read pretty quickly.
• 
  Angelic Zaizai

  Mau tau kenapa Peter [pan:] bisa terbang ??
  Mau tau kenapa Peter tetep jadi anak2 selamanya ??
  Mau tau kenapa ada nama Neverland ?
  Mau tau kapan Peter kenalan sama Molly ?
  Mau tau darimana asal Wendy ??
  
  
  Mau ???
  Pake Three.. eh baca aja novel ini.. seruuuu
  
  
  
  *serasa deja vu gini.. pas banget ya King of Neverland - Michael Jackson meninggal... RIP*
• 
  Farah Neemat

  It is not that interesting but it has a good start. 🌷
• 
  Mohammed omran

  This book deserve 3 stars
  Really fantastic
  I decide to rate 5 stars but when press the golden stars i check 3 stars
  
  My favorite character, Peter, was portrayed differently than his Disney, film and novel counterparts (He also isn’t explicitly called “Peter Pan” either), but he was still the boastful yet playful and free-spirited character that audiences have come to love.
  His developing relationship with Molly was truly a treasure to read as it unfolded, and despite being new characters, I grew fond of Molly and her father.
  Writing-wise, and surprisingly, the book often had very beautiful imagery and metaphorical descriptions, making it easier for the reader to envision the world that Barry and Pearson re-created.
  A lot of Barry’s wit and humor was palpable throughout the novel, which fit really well with the adventurous tone that the story had. It helped relieved a lot of the more intense or mysterious moments.
  I’m not going to provide any specific spoilers because I think everyone who’s reading this right now should read this book and embark on its journey.
  Overall, it’s an amazing book. It’s the first in a series — there’s at least three more books following the first one. I can never put this book down, regardless of the amounts of times that I’ve reread it.
• 
  Ximena

  Nada que ver a lo que me esperaba, para ser un libro más infantil la verdad es que me ha dado un descanso de lo que he estado leyendo, que ha sido un poco más de lo mismo.
  Es una lectura súper rápida y entretenida! Sin duda la recomiendo...
• 
  Justin (Bubbas_Books)

  My students read this out loud over the past few months before we see the stage adaptation. It lagged in areas but other parts were engaging and exciting. A nice addition to the Peter Pan lore.
• 
  Liz B

  What a slog this was to get through, in spite of Jim Dale's wonderful-as-always narration. My husband said that Dale's contribution primarily made it obvious how inferior this book was to the Harry Potter series. We finished it, though...months after starting.
• 
  Totoro

  well, there are some mixed feelings towards this book, at first,if you'd noticed, "i really wanted" it, paper back or electronic, didn't matter. after i got it, i was still really excited being a peter pan fan and also i really love sea adventures , pirates, fairies and all that, so i started the book head over hills.
  
  everything about the book, though except for the term "starstuff" instead of "fairy powder", was fine. i honestly don't know what went wrong between me and this book, maybe i don't like adaptations, it was my first time anyway.
  
  peter was great, explanations about the characters were obvious and to the point, the characters were a little too many, sometimes i lost track of the many names and how i've had pictured them the first time. the background for the Lockness monster bit was funny XD
  
  and to my most favorite part which would take 2 stars out of the 4 :the audio book with Jim Dale's voice, once again i felt like i was traveling through harry potter with him, it was magical and wonderful, thank you Mr. Dale ^ ^
  
  
  بعنوان کسی که عشق داستانای مربوط به دزدای دریایی و پیترپنه این کتاب یکم ناامیدم کرد دلیلش برا خودمم کامل مشخص نیست. داستان عالی بود و یجورایی وقایع قبل از داستان اصلی پیترپن رو میگفت به نظرم یکم هم دزدان دریایی کارائیب داشت توش . یخورده شخصیت زیاد داشت به نظرم و گاهی وقتا .بعضی هاشونو فراموش میکردم. ویادم میرفت بار اول چه شکلی تصورشون کزده بودم دزدای دریایی دقیقا همون کارتونی وخنده دار میومدن تو ذهنم. پیترش نسبت به پیتر اصلی آقای بری یکم نایس تر بود به نظرم. وازونجایی که کتاب صوتیشم گوش کردم با صدای آقای جیم دیل. عاااااااالی بود از خود کتاب میتونم بگم لذتش بیشتر بود برام
• 
  Katrina Michelle

  I read this YEARS ago and don't remember much, so I can't rate it, but I have to re-read it and then read the rest of the books because what I am doinggggg this is an entire Peter Pan retelling SERIES! (yes, this required a run-on sentence)
• 
  Jenny

  This was a fun adventure! So this is sort of a Peter Pan retelling/prequel of the original story. Basically this story tells us how Peter Pan was created. Fun adventure, and felt very true to the original Peter Pan. I really liked it!
• 
  Manasvini

  3.5/5! this was very fun and nostalgic, but unfortunately my standards have increased since middle school so it didn't live up to my imagination
• 
  J. Bookish

  I’m a sucker for all things Peter Pan.
  
  I wanted to read this because I was interested in the play, but I don’t enjoy reading scripts so I thought “hey, source material!”.
  
  I think this was incredibly inventive prequel to a very well-loved story. It could have gone horribly wrong, but it only served to make me love the characters even more.
  
  The writing was not my favorite. A bit choppy. The chapters were very short and bounced around quite a lot; perhaps more than necessary. It is an MG novel, though, so I’ll overlook that.
  
  I didn’t think I would want to continue with the series, but I totally do. More Neverland please.
• 
  Dave Revere

  Pirates and magic? Flying and stars? I was in before I even opened the book. Peter and the Starcatchers is a wonder-filled origin story for J.M. Barrie’s famous boy who never grew up. Peter Pan has always been the character with whom I most identify in fiction. His eternal dilemma between remaining static in the joys of boyhood and embarking on the greater adventure of growing up is ever poignant as I find myself becoming more proactive to prevent my own childlike sensibilities from slipping away.
  
  This book, though, is not that metaphor. This book is a rip-roaring, page-turning, joke-stuffed adventure. From the very first page, where we learn that Peter is the undisputed leader of a gang of boys because he can spit the farthest, we settle into the boyish tone of this tale.
  
  The adventure begins when Peter and the other orphan boys are sold to a ship called the Never Land whose first mate plans to deliver them as slaves for an evil king. Peter soon meets a mysterious girl named Molly. We learn from her, after Peter discovers a trunk of glowing green stuff, the central notion of the plot. Starstuff is a magical substance that falls to Earth every so often, imparting a sense of joy, the ability to fly and numerous other powers to whoever possesses it. The down side is if it falls into the wrong hands, those powers could corrupt and destroy our world. Molly belongs to a secret society sworn to safeguard the starstuff, and there are plenty of wrong hands which the two of them must prevent it from falling into.
  
  Mystery writer Ridley Pearson and humorist Dave Barry infuse this book with richly-developed, laugh-out-loud characters. Peter is brave and kind, yet bull-headed and obsessed with Molly’s opinion of him. Black Stache is a greasy, foul-breathed villain with a foot-long mustache and a knack for naval warfare. The colorful verbal abuse which he rains down on Smee, his inept first mate, is made more hilarious by the fact that Smee seems strangely immune to any actual consequences for his bungling. The boys each have a quirk of their own, and Molly is the kind of girl who’s smarter than everyone in the room and knows it. I admire how thoroughly the authors mine each personality for humor. Laughs are sprinkled in every chapter with simple, character-coloring interjections like this one: “‘All right, then,’ said Alf, who was not one to ask questions when two bob was involved.”
  
  Most memorable for me, though – the passages which really engaged my inner-boy, were those which described characters suffused in starstuff. Moments without trouble are rare in an adventure, and when they do come, they’re usually the boring parts. Here, though, we’re treated to imaginative descriptions of joy tethered to the physical details of flying. Mix that into hilarious scenarios involving unlikely flying things, and you have some of the most exhilarating and unique sections of the book.
  
  The authors do a nice job of explaining how Peter came to be the character we know, as well as building a setting familiar to us as the Neverland of Barrie’s story. I’m not sure if we needed to know these things. I tend to think Peter Pan loses a bit of his symbolic and connecting magic when his world and back story are so thoroughly explained. The authors do a nice job, however, of describing the changes Peter undergoes with a bittersweet sense of the inevitable consequences to come. We feel the immortal struggle of Peter Pan beginning to dawn. In any case, I don’t think most boys will want to read this for its full accounting of Peter’s origins so much as for the fact that it is a hilarious adventure which I defy you to put down. It’s chapters are short and stuffed with battles, pirates, creatures and magic. More than thatl, Peter and the Starcatchers left me yearning for starstuff of my own!