Peter and the Shadow Thieves (Starcatchers) [Paperback]

Dave Barry (Author), Ridley Pearson (Author), Greg Call (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 11, 2007 | Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up | Series: Starcatchers (Book 2)

In this riveting and adventure-packed follow-up to Peter and the Starcatchers, we discover Peter leaving the relative safety of Mollusk Island—along with his trusted companion Tinker Bell—for the cold, damp streets of London. On a difficult journey across the sea, he and Tink discover the dark and deadly, slithering part-man/part-creature Lord Ombra. It seems that the dreaded Ombra has a variety of mysterious powers including the ability to make shadows disappear. When Peter reaches London, he sets out to find the indomitable Molly. Together they must combat Ombra’s terrible forces to both protect the Starcatchers and the treasured starstuff and most importantly to rescue Molly’s mother from the clutches of evil. Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson have done it again—written a compulsively readable, impossible-to-put-down tale that will delight readers of all ages.

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. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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 --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 592 pages
• Publisher: Disney Editions; 1ST edition (September 11, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1423108558
• ISBN-13: 978-1423108559
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5.8 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (88 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #86,129 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 43 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

This review is from: Peter and the Shadow Thieves (Hardcover)

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.

16 of 17 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 North Coast Gardening (California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Peter and the Shadow Thieves (Starcatchers Series) (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.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book to read *to* your children, December 22, 2006

By 

Lori Jean "Reading Mom" (Glendora, CA USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Peter and the Shadow Thieves (Hardcover)

I started reading "Peter and the Starcatchers" to my 6 & 8 year old children earlier this summer. Our bed/nighttime reading was normally books that we could read through in one sitting or maybe over 2-3 nights. I wasn't sure they were ready for long, multi-chapter books. But, oh, were they into the book! I would even stop mid-chapter and ask if they knew what was going on or remembered what had happened previously and they did... this book captured their attention, without a doubt! Even my husband - after he read in my place when I was gone one night around chapter 10 - would come running in at story time to listen. We were so excited when "Peter and the Shadow Thieves" came out right when we finished "Peter and the Starcatchers" so that we could find out what happened to Peter Pan next. There are many chapters, some as short as a page, and every night I heard "one more chapter, PLEASE" over and over. It was easy to say yes! We are pining away for the next in the series.

I've been a Dave Barry fan from his early days as a columnist and can see his quirky sense of humor surface often in these books. I'm not (yet) familiar with Ridley Pearson's work, but I've bought "The Kingdom Keepers" for my kids for Christmas and I hope that will be an interesting a read for us. My 8 year old will find "Escape from the Carnivale: A Never Land Book" under the tree in a few days and I'm confident that he will enjoy it as these books really do a great service to inspire love of reading in young and old alike. Advanced readers (maybe 6th grade reading level and up) will enjoy these books for themselves, but for younger kids, read it *to* them and they will come to love books too.