Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


So many of my young middle school friends have read this book, that I had to see why they found it so interesting. As you might guess from the cover, the story is really a prequel to Peter Pan. Peter is actually an orphan who ends up with other orphan boys on the ship Never Land. The boys are being sent to be servants of the King of Rundoon. On board the ship is a trunk that contains some kind of magic. The reader doesn't really know what magic it contains at first, but those who are around the trunk feel the effects of this magic. Also,on board the ship is a young girl named Molly who knows the contents of the trunk. She reveals to Peter the importance of the trunk and enlists Peter's help in trying to protect it. The ship is, of course, pursued by Pirates, the evil Black Stache and his crew, who are determined to get the trunk. Peter saves the day, and because of his exposure to the "starstuff" in the magic trunk, he is changed, so he never grows old and is able to fly. His fondness for Molly reminds us of Peter's affection for Wendy in the Peter Pan tales. We realize that Molly must be an ancestor of Wendy's. I did enjoy reading this story. I heartily recommend it to any middle schooler who hasn't read it.



View all my reviews