Peter and the Shadow Thieves
The Second Book in the Peter and the Starcatchers Trilogy
Peter and the Shadow Thieves is the second book in the Peter and the Starcatchers Trilogy. Follow Peter as he races to save Molly Aster and the world.
Peter and the Shadow Thieves is the sequel to Peter and the Starcatchers and the second book in the trilogy. Peter must leave his home on Mollusk Island (called Never Land by the Lost Boys) and travel to London where he and Molly Aster will stop at nothing to keep the evil Lord Ombra from getting the mysterious starstuff.
Themes of Responsibility in Peter and the Shadow Thieves
Peter loves Never Land and spends his time tormenting the stranded pirates on the island. His favorite past time is throwing mangos at Captain Hook. The boy who will never grow up will soon come to find out that he being a boy isn't all fun and games. He has to grow up sooner or later, even if it is only in his mind.
"Because of the change in you, you will never grow old. You will always have the body of a boy. But in here, in your mind, you must become a man, because the other boys need you" (p. 43).
These words were spoken by the Mollusk Tribe leader, Fighting Prawn, and serves us the the theme of Peter and the Shadow Thieves: Responsibility. Peter must learn to take responsibility for his actions if he is ever going to be an effective leader of the Lost Boys.
He takes this responsibility to the next level when he learns that the evil Lord Ombra, a shadow thief, has arrived in Never Land in order to find the starstuff. Lord Ombra learns that the starstuff was taken to London by Lord Aster. He immediately departs for London. Peter, having a great connection to Molly and her father, sets off for London to warn them.
Peter and Molly flee Lord Ombra and set off on a journey to find Lord Aster and save the starstuff before the Others find them first. On the way, readers are introduced to George Darling, and Peter meets none other than James Barrie, who gives Peter great advice, "Take the second path to the right."
Before Peter Pan or After Peter Pan? Where Does Peter and the Starcatchers Stand?
What's interesting about Peter and the Shadow Thieves is that as a reader, you learn the books are not literally connected to the original Peter Pan novel. As a brilliant turn of events would have it, it becomes understood that Peter Pan must have come from these books, and not the other way around. These books, obviously written before Peter Pan, are so carefully crafted that it creates the allusion that Peter Pan was based off the exploits of the boy, Peter, in the Peter and the Starcatchers series.
It is a brilliant theory delivered in action packed pages by the writing team, Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. Peter and the Shadow Thieves is a delight for parents to read to children or for children to explore on their own.
