Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson

Grade Level: 5-6 | AR Points: 13.0

Peter and the Starcatchers

I remember as a child reading about this boy who could fly, lived life as he wanted to, playing and having adventures with his friends, and would never grow old.  His name was Peter Pan.  I never thought about how Peter came to be this way, I guess I just accepted that it had always been.  But, everything must have a beginning and Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson have teamed up to explain the beginning.  So, where did Peter Pan begin?

The evil king of Rundoon needs servants, so Peter and four other orphans are taken captive aboard the old, creaky ship, the Never Land to be delivered to the king.  As Peter is trying to find food, he meets Molly.  Molly is the daughter of the British Amabassador to Rundoon and they are on a special mission.  They are guardians of a trunk filled with mysterious and valuable treasure.  Unfortunately, the pirate Captain Black Stache also knows this treasure is on board and he wants it for himself.

Peter finds out that Molly and her father are Starcatchers and members of a secret society that protects starstuff.  Starstuff is a magical substance that falls from the stars and changes everything it touches.  They must make sure evil people do not come into possession of starstuff as that would make them very powerful indeed.  When, through a long series of events, they become shipwrecked on an islad, they must try to recover the starstuff, but they find that everyone else is trying to get it for themselves.

Barry and Pearson have taken a story that has enchanted youngsters (and adults) for years and have done a masterful job of explaining how an orphan named Peter became Peter Pan.

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