Peter and the Sword of Mercy (Starcatchers) [Deckle Edge] [Roughcut]

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

Book Description

Release date: October 13, 2009 | Age Range: 10 - 11 years | Series: Starcatchers | Lexile Measure: 710L (What's this?)

The year is 1901--it's been twenty-three years since Peter and the Lost Boys returned from Rundoon. Since then, nobody on the island has grown a day older, and the Lost Boys continue their friendship with the Mollusk tribe, and their rivalry with Captain Hook. Meanwhile in London, Molly has married George Darling and is raising three children: Wendy, Michael, and John. One night a visitor appears at her door; it's James, one of Peter's original Lost Boys. He is now working for Scotland Yard and suspects that the heir to England's throne, Prince Albert Edward, is under the influence of shadow creatures. These shadow creatures are determined to find a secret cache of startstuff which fell to London many centuries ago. The starstuff is hidden in an underground vault which has only one key: the Sword of Mercy, a legendary weapon kept with the Crown Jewels. Molly is determined to help, but when she suddenly goes missing, it is up to her eleven-year-old daughter, Wendy, to keep the starstuff out of the Others' clutches. She has heard her mother's stories of a flying boy named Peter Pan, and he may be her only hope in saving the world from a shadowy doom...

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5–8—It's 1902, 23 years since the events of the last book, and Peter and the other inhabitants of Mollusk Island haven't aged a day. In London, however, things are much different. Molly is now married with three children: Wendy, Michael, and John. The Others seem to have disappeared, and the Starcatchers are all but gone from this world. But all is not well on Mollusk Island, or in London. Evil Ombra has inhabited the body of a man and made himself Prince Albert Edward's closest advisor and seen to the death of his true advisors. Queen Victoria is dying, and the prince will soon be king. It is now Wendy's turn to take up her mother's cause and convince Peter to join the fight between good and evil yet again. Followers of these adventures will be overjoyed at finding a new installment in the series. New readers, however, will be lost if they don't pick up Peter and the Secret of Rundoon (Hyperion, 2007) first. Barry and Pearson again give kids a quick-paced read with nonstop action.—Lisa Marie Williams, East Gwillimbury Public Library, Holland Landing, Ontario
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

The fourth title in the Peter and the Starcatchers series (originally planned as a trilogy of prequels to Barrie’s classic Peter Pan), this adventure involves a magical sword once wielded by Charlemagne and now held by the forces of evil as they attempt to seize a cache of starstuff, the powerful substance that the Starcatchers must protect. Wendy steps into her mother’s shoes as the story’s heroine, while the action zigzags from one set of characters and locales to another. Full of narrow escapes from nasty villains and bits of humor, this fast-paced adventure delivers plenty of thrills. Grades 4-6. --Carolyn Phelan

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 10 - 11 years
  
• Roughcut: 528 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion Book CH; First Edition edition (October 13, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1423121341
• ISBN-13: 978-1423121343
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 1.8 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #93,852 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #77 in Books > Children's Books > Literature & Fiction > Historical Fiction > Europe

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved It! November 2, 2009

By Kids Book Maven

Format:Roughcut

I loved, loved, loved this book! I was so excited that the authors had gone ahead and written a part 4, and it was in no way a disappointment. The adventure was uniquely different from the other books in the series, and there was lots of action and many sinister characters. Thanks for another wonderful book!

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Another high-quality, exciting adventure for Peter, Tink and friends November 30, 2009

By KidsReads

Format:Roughcut

All is good in Neverland. So good, in fact, that Peter never expects to leave the wonderful island where he and the Mollusks reside. Most of the Starcatchers are old or have passed on, and the stardust that remains is well hidden from the rest of the world. Peter, Tink and the band of ever-young Lost Boys could not ask for a better situation. However, there is the presence of the infamous Captain Hook. Hook is stranded on the island with a few of his men, but he is sure to stay away from that "wretched flying boy." They live a kind of peaceful co-existence. But as new developments arise, that all is about to change.

In London, Queen Victoria's long reign has ended with her passing. Now her son, Edward, is the natural heir to the crown. But things do not go smoothly as the new king seems to be under some kind of spell. Forces are at work to keep him under the power of an evil band of men, led by the powerful Ombra, aka Von Schatten, a group that consists of the ferocious man/creature known only as the Skeleton:

"...his face, which was as hideously scarred as his hand, the shiny purplish skin drawn tight to the skull, hairless except for a few random tufts. A lone yellow eye glared from a deep socket; where the other eye would have been was only a hole. There was no nose; the mouth was a lipless cavern that could not fully close and thus revealed jagged teeth in a permanent mirthless grin."

This ruthless group is determined to get the tip of Curtana, which is Charlemagne's famous "Sword of Mercy." It is the Sword of Mercy that will give them the key to unlocking the chest that hides Stardust, the magical ingredient that grants immortality, youth and, of course, wealth.

While the Royal Family lies in peril, there are also strange happenings in the London Underground. People are disappearing, and James Smith -- once one of the Lost Boys himself -- has reason to believe that there is a conspiracy afoot. He stops one evening to visit with Molly and express his concerns, but too soon both James and Molly disappear. Now Wendy, Molly's 11-year-old daughter, is determined to locate her mother; to do that, she must first find Peter Pan. She has overheard enough of the conversation between her mother and James to know that only Starcatchers will understand the importance of this situation.

Thus begins one of Peter's most dangerous adventures ever.

Many familiar characters appear in this wonderful book: Wendy's Uncle Neville, a scientist and inventor of the Ornithopter, a flying machine that helps Wendy get to Neverland; Ammm, the porpoise leader (thank goodness Wendy speaks Porpoise); Lord Aster, Wendy's amazing grandfather; Shinning Pearl and Fighting Prawn, daughter and leader, respectively, of the Mollusk tribe; and, of course, the frighteningly determined Mr. Grin, the crocodile who mercilessly pursues Captain Hook.

In addition, some fun new personalities are introduced: Magill and his big bear, Karl; Patrick Hunt, a historian and specialist on the Sword of Mercy; Scarlet Johns, who, under the power of Von Schatten, works with the evil side; and the sniveling Simon Revile, traitor and servant of Von Schatten.

Between sinking ships, stardust, pirates, chomping crocodiles, sharp-toothed mermaids, ghosts, unexpected betrayals, and, yes, even some deaths, Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson continue with the high-quality, always exciting adventures of Peter, Tink and friends. When you're finished with this one, you'll be even more anxious for the next installment in this terrific series. James M. Barrie, the original author of PETER PAN so long ago, would be delighted.

--- Reviewed by Sally M. Tibbetts

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars OK, not done yet--but awesome! October 15, 2009

By E. Heredia

Format:Roughcut|Amazon Verified Purchase

My son and I are arguing and fighting over rights to keep on reading, and we're only on page 150. It is an excellent addition to the series and one I know we will enjoy again and again. Do yourself a favor and read all of these in order. If the length seems intimidating, the CD's read by Jim Dale are a treat not to be missed. Appropriate for 6 and up, but nothing inappropriate, only some implied scariness and bad guys.

Alright--edited now long after reading--we have since read the book and listened to the audio 2 times through. Enthralls all ages of normally active and excited kids every time we open it up/turn it on. Don't miss!