Peter and the Starcatchers
The Adventures of Peter Before He Became the Infamous Pan
Who was Peter before he became Pan? Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson answer this and more in a brilliantly crafted prequel to J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan
J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan has captured the hearts of readers since its publication. Pan enthusiasts have followed the boy wonder through the sky to the second star on the right. For those that wonder how Neverland came to be and how Peter became Peter Pan, Peter and the Starcatchers, first in a series of three, is the perfect novel to answer your questions.
Peter and the Starcatchers
Who is Peter Pan? This is the first question that Peter and the Starcatchers answers. Peter is an orphan who is put on a ship bound for the menacing island of Rundoon with other boys from the orphanage. Their ship, the Neverland, holds some precious cargo including a mysterious trunk and an equally mysterious girl named Molly. Peter and Molly become fast friends and he uncovers something fascinating about the trunk, locked away at the bottom of the boat. If you touch it, you feel like flying.
That trunk holds stardust, a source of great energy that Starcatchers are trying to protect from falling into the wrong hands. Molly and her father are Starcatchers, the only people in the world who know how to properly handle stardust. The Neverland is attacked by burly pirate, Black Stache, who is convinced the trunk holds the greatest treasure in the world. But, just when it looks like the Black Stache wins, a monsoon hits and Peter, Molly, the trunk, and the pirates are washed up on a deserted island.
No one can find the trunk. Everyone is looking for Peter. What happens next makes history. Fish are exposed to stardust and become mermaids. A trible of natives holds Peter, the orphans and Molly prisoner. A giant crocodile flies. Porpoises talk. Peter and Black Stache fight a historic battle. The Black Stache loses his hand and becomes, you guessed it, Captain Hook. Peter exposes himself to an unheard of amount of stardust, loses his ability to age, and can fly without the aid of stardust.
Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson collaborated on Peter and the Starcatchers after Dave's daughter asked the infamous question: "How did Peter and Hook meet?" They turned the novel into a three part series that includes Peter and the Shadowthieves and Peter and the Secrets of Rundoon. Overall, these men have opened up the magic of Peter Pan for a new generation of children who've only seen the movie and have never read the magic. By reading Peter and the Starcatchers, Peter and the Shadowthieves, and Peter and the Secrets of Rundoon, children around the world can open up their imaginations and fly with Peter to brand new adventures.
Barry Dave, and Ridley Pearson. Peter and the Starcatchers. New York: Hyperion Books, 2004.
