Peter And The Starcatchers [Import] [Paperback]

Ridley Pearson (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Disney Editions (2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786856831
• ISBN-13: 978-0786856831
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (261 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,758,282 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

75 of 83 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thrilling New Fiction for All Ages, August 26, 2004

By 

Erika Sorocco (Southern California, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Peter and the Starcatchers (Hardcover)

Fourteen-year-old Peter is an orphan who doesn't exactly know how old he truly is, just like he doesn't know his last name. So when St. Norbert's Home for Wayward Boys places him aboard a ship called The Never Land, along with four of his mates, on a trip to an island ruled by the evil King Zarboff, where they will be forced to serve as slaves, Peter doesn't know exactly what to think. But when he meets up with fourteen-year-old Molly Aster, a rich passenger, traveling with her governess Mrs. Bumbrake, mysterious things begin happening. For instance, Molly can speak to porpoises, and she's hiding information about the strange trunk located in a holding cell upon The Never Land. Information about the magic, and mystery, that the trunk is holding inside. But when the notorious Black Stache learns about the treasure, the passengers upon The Never Land are in for a lot of trouble. Trouble that leads them all to fight with pirates, and become stranded on a desert island.

Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson have created an absolutely amazing re-telling of PETER PAN. Peter is an exciting character who is kind, and fun, while at the same time intelligent, even though he hasn't received any formal education. Molly, on the other hand, is brave and hard-headed, and will appeal greatly to female readers, as she possesses true girl power, which shines through in every page that she appears in. Readers who enjoyed the recent movie PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN will adore the character of Black Stache, as he puts the mean into PETER AND THE STARCATCHERS, what with his nasty attitude, and vicious orders. Overall this is an amazing adventure story that will be enjoyed by male and female readers of all ages, whether they are a fan of the original story of PETER PAN or not.

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Peter and The Starcatchers, June 9, 2005

By 

Woodlink (Oak Harbor, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Peter and the Starcatchers (Hardcover)

Incredible! I have read many, many stories to my children including the original Peter Pan. This book stands out as one of the most difficult to put down. My son is always begging for just a few more pages, and I have received many a reprimand from my spouse for reading past his bed time. My son expressed how much he enjoys the believability of the story, because it has a logical beginning to it, in his words, "the other Peter just comes out of nowhere, but this story tells the beginning."

Every chapter is quick, engaging and each one leaves you hanging. You find yourself desperate for the "and then what happened?"--almost irritated that the authors interrupt the excitement with a pan (pardon the pun) to the other characters. Except with each new pan you get caught up in those characters as much as you were with the one's you left. This tactic never leaves you with a decent option for "just one more chapter before bedtime". A wonderful story, beautifully illustrated and a must read before you or your children get a chance to grow up!

And as for those one star people-I feel genuinely sorry for them, as they probably don't like ice cream either.

35 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent beginning for the Peter Pan saga, September 16, 2004

By 

Blake Petit "Novelist, columnist & reviewer" (Ama, Louisiana United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Peter and the Starcatchers (Hardcover)

I've always liked the basic Peter Pan story, but was never as big a fan as I am of other classics like L. Frank Baum's "Oz" books, so ordinarily a prequel wouldn't necessarily interest me, but with Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson writing this, I absolutely had to give it a chance. This unlikely collaboration turns out one of the best fantasy novels I've read in quite some time.

Like all great "children's" fantasy, the book is written on a level that's wonderfully accessible for kids but never condescends and alienates older readers. Our hero, Peter, is an orphan who is being whisked away across the ocean for purposes unknown. Aboard his ship is a mysterious trunk and a mysterious girl who seems to know a lot about it. The trunk is highly sought after, and a Peter finds a pirate ship hot on their trail.

Each of these writers bring something to the table -- Pearson's talent for writing the fantastic and Barry's sharp comedic wit combine to tell an excellent story that I enjoyed so much I'm anxious to go back and rediscover the original J.M. Barrie novel, just to see how many dots I can connect.

The book fills in a lot of the blanks for the original "Peter Pan," and one could easily read this and then leap to the original with no further bridges, however Barry and Pearson supposedly have two more "prequel" novels in the works. I'll definitely be in line to read them.