Peter and the Shadow Thieves (Hardcover)

~ (Author), (Author), Greg Call (Illustrator)
Key Phrases: groaning voice, Fighting Prawn, Tinker Bell, Tubby Ted (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7–In this sequel to Peter and the Starcatchers (Hyperion, 2004), trouble arrives at Mollusk Island (otherwise known as Never Land) in the form of a ship filled with nefarious characters searching for the trunk of starstuff that the Starcatchers spirited away in the first book. When the bad guys, led by nonhuman Lord Ombra, learn that it is in London, they sail off in pursuit, and it takes the combined efforts of Peter, Tinker Bell, and Peter's friend Molly's Starcatcher family to ensure that it is returned to outer space before Lord Ombra can use it to rule the world. Kids won't have to have read the first book to dive headfirst into this one; it is filled with enough rollicking, death-defying adventure to satisfy anyone. Readers familiar with James Barrie's Peter Pan (or even the Disney animated version) will immediately recognize and enjoy familiar characters, but it is when the action switches to London that the plot really starts to sizzle. Breathless chases and near-death experiences are spiced with a miasma of Dickensian squalor, creating scenes that are rich in color and action if short on in-depth characterization. This should appeal to fantasy and adventure fans alike.–Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 5-8. In this second prequel to the adventures made familiar by J. M. Barrie and Walt Disney, which builds on the events of Peter and the Starcatchers (2005), two veteran writers for adults do not disappoint. Sustaining the first book's lively pace are short chapters packed with action and well-chosen details--both icky (Peter and the bucket of excrement!) and marvelous (the pitch-perfect sound of Tink's exasperation). An evil force is once again trying to obtain starstuff, the magical substance that, among many other qualities, enables Peter to fly and to remain eternally youthful. Peter must visit London to help his friend Molly and her family of starcatchers, leaving the boys on Mollusk Island at the mercy of Hook. Squalid London streets, aristocratic mansions (one of which houses a young George Darling), and even Stonehenge make atmospheric backdrops for bouts with pirates, wolf packs, and a deliciously creepy villain who steals souls from shadows. Readers will relish the chance to further explore the backstory of a favorite childhood tale, and hope for a third installment. GraceAnne DeCandido
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 556 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion / Disney Editions; First Edition edition (June 27, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 078683787X
• ISBN-13: 978-0786837878
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.8 x 2.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (70 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #50,330 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The continued past of Peter Pan., July 1, 2006

By	Karusichan "Karusichan" (Lansing, MI. USA.) - See all my reviews

Peter Pan is back, now a immortal youth stranded on Mollusk Island (Never Land) with his group of lost boys in tow. James, Prentiss, Thomas, and Tubby Ted are great admirers of his abilities, however the fact that they can never join in on his fun of tormenting Black Stache (whom Peter has redubbed Captain Hook) is always a point of contention. Suddenly there is a new ship that appears to stir things up, a ship captained by a certain noseless man named Nerezza, an ominous creature of darkness named Lord Ombra, and the former captain of the Never Land, Slank. They have come to find the starstuff that had previously come to the island with Peter, only to learn that it has been returned to London with Lord and Molly Aster.

Peter greatly fears this Ombra, especially since his faithful companion birdwoman, Tinkerbell, is terrified of him. He worries for Molly, a dear friend of his from the previous adventure, and decides to return with the ship in secret so that he might warn Molly of this frightening creature. Things become complicated when he arrives in London. First and foremost he must find Molly's home, a feat that proves quite difficult for the orphaned boy. Also, there is a sudden wave of shadow theft in London, something that leaves a person but a mere shell of their former self. Peter suspects it is connected to Ombra, and vows to reach the Asters before he does, knowing full well that Molly very life is at stake. But can he do it in time, in a town where he has no notion of where she is, and worse is the fact that he cannot use any of his new abilities in order to find her.

This continues to be a great new addition to the Peter Pan legend. I loved Peter and the Starcatchers, and this part not only continues in the same vein, but it retains all of it's drama and excitement, making this series a fast paced treat that is sure to delight readers of all ages. I adored the addition of some new characters, George Darling, for one, who is in line for Molly's affections along with Peter, Nerezza the pirate, Lord Ombra, the dark and sinister villain that makes Hook look like a meddling child, and even J.M. Barrie makes a brief appearance. Overall, this book is a definite treat and something that I believe people will treasure in years to come just as much as Barrie's original creation.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Raves for the audio CD version, with Jim Dale as narrator, November 3, 2006

By	Gen of www.LibraryOfEden.com (California) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Peter and the Shadow Thieves (Starcatchers) (MP3 CD)

I listened to both this second book in the series and the first one on unabridged audio, narrated by Jim Dale, who narrated the Harry Potter audiobooks. Jim Dale is my very favorite audiobook reader, so when I found out he narrated this one, I was on board for the sequel!

I loved the first book and passed it around to all of my friends, and this book was a good follow-up, but it did have a few parts that dragged. The pacing was slower in this than in the first one, and I found myself feeling a tiny bit impatient or bored through a few parts. That said, it was still an excellent and enjoyable book, and if you read the first one then I highly recommend getting into this second book as well.

I love Barry and Pearson's sense of humor, and I love anything to do with pirates, so Black Stache and the rest were a lot of fun for me. Dale's performance, of course, was impeccable, and if you like being read to I'd definitely recommend this audio version over reading it on the page, just because of Jim Dale.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sequel that doesn't disappoint!, August 13, 2007

By	MindCreations (South Carolina) - See all my reviews

"Peter and the Shadow Thieves" continues with the story of young Peter, an orphan boy whose life has completely changed when he came in contact with a powerful substance known as stardust. Now an expert flyer, Peter has become very fond of Mollusk Island and the lost boys whom have adopted him as their leader. However, things change drastically when new visitors arrive one day... some old enemies along with new, one in particular who appears to be made out of darkness and can steal shadows from any living thing, causing them to become mere shells of the persons they used to be. Of course this new enemy is looking for the stardust that was once on Mollusk Island. Once it is discovered that the stardust is in the hands of Lord Aster, they set sail for London. Peter, knowing his friend Molly and her family are in real danger, sets off to follow with his fairy Tink, not knowing whether or not he will even make it to the coast without being found out by the shadow creature.

"Peter and the Shadow Thieves" does not disappoint! It continues where the first book, "Peter and the Star Catchers" left off. It is a page turner filled with action and very comical scenes, most of which involve Tink and her very blunt opinions on other characters. Though the book has almost 600 pages the chapters are short and it's easy to whiz through this thing within a few days. I highly recommend it for any Peter Pan fan out there who is looking for another adventure to read!