From Barnes & Noble
The Barnes & Noble Review
Bestselling authors Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson turn back the clock and set their sights on younger readers, teaming up for an action-packed prequel to J. M. Barrie's classic Peter Pan. Fast paced and brimming with seafaring adventure, Barry and Ridley's modern update returns to pre–Never Land days, quickly zeroing in on Peter, now a "wayward boy" who finds himself aboard a ship (called the Never Land) with other chums from St. Norbert's. Soon, Peter meets the headmaster's mysterious daughter and persuades her to reveal her secret about a chest full of "starstuff" -- a substance that can make people fly and give them other magical qualities -- that's being claimed by the British throne. Unfortunately, the scheming pirate Black Stache has his own plans for the powder-filled chest, and the plot thickens as readers are whisked from dramatic high-seas battles to a deserted island, where the dreaded villain eventually loses his hand to the legendary crocodile and where Peter makes his home. From beginning to end, the authors don't skimp on cliff-hanging turns of events, dishing up an inventive spin on Peter Pan's background that should sit well with audiences young and old. If you pick up Barrie's original first, Ridley and Barry's book won't suffer by comparison, a true testament to this team's remarkable writing style; and if you haven't yet read Barrie, Peter and the Starcatchers will make you eager to experience Peter Pan. With Disney at the helm of this book, too, the film promises to be but a heartbeat away. Matt Warner
From the Publisher
In this riveting and adventure-packed follow-up to the award-winning New York Times bestseller Peter and the Starcatchers, Peter leaves the relative safety of Mollusk Island - along with his trusted companion, Tinker Bell - for the cold, damp, dangerous 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, who is intent on recovering the missing starstuff - celestial dust that contains unimagined powers. In London, Peter attempts to track down the indomitable Molly, hoping that together they can combat Ombra's determined forces. But London is not Mollusk Island; Peter is not the boy he used to be; and Lord Ombra - the Shadow Master - is unlike anything Peter, or the world, has ever seen.
Child Magazine
Last seen in the bestselling Peter and the Starcatchers, Peter Pan and friends return for another rollicking adventure. This time, the action moves from Mollusk Island (Never Land, for the uninitiated) to cold, dangerous London, where Peter's friend Molly is in grave danger. A mysterious, caped evildoer, Lord Ombra, is hunting Molly and her family for their trunk full of starstuff (the fairy dust that makes people fly, among other things). Can Peter and Tinker Bell reach Molly before Lord Ombra does? Tinged with humor, each action-packed chapter makes a compelling read-aloud for younger kids and an addictive page-turner for independent readers. (Ages 8 to 12)
Child magazine's Best Children's Book Awards 2006
Publishers Weekly
The stellar Jim Dale helps ageless boy Peter Pan and his beloved Tinker Bell turn up the action-adventure meter a notch in Peter and the Shadow Thieves by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, a follow-up to Peter and the Starcatchers. Peter and Tink travel to the streets of London to help a dear friend, and face-off against a seafaring villain named Lord Ombra to good effect, via Dale's rousing rendition of the tale, and his always colorful and distinctive character voices. (July). Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Elizabeth D. Schafer
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Children's Literature
This Peter Pan prequel hooks readers on the first page. Luring readers with mysterious characters and treasure, cliffhanging chapters reel them in and heighten the suspense even though most readers will know where the story is headed. Most of the familiar characters are present: Captain Hook (named Black Stache), pirates, the Lost Boys, Indians, Tinkerbell, and the crocodile (Mister Grin). New characters, particularly resourceful Molly Aster and the secretive Starcatchers, add to the lore. Sailing aboard the dilapidated Never Land, Peter and fellow orphans seem destined for servitude in King Zarboff's Rundoon court until a storm shipwrecks them on an island. A trunk filled with magical starstuff connects characters as they scheme, manipulate, deceive, and steal to secure the life-enhancing dust. The theme of good versus evil prevails. Sadistic Black Stache delights in cruelly assaulting both his crew and enemies. Peter loyally comforts and defends his friends. The trunk's possession alternates between honorable protectors and greedy thieves. Humor buoys even the grittiest, most horrendous scenes; some can be risque such as the pirates' brassiere sail and the amorous antics of Molly's chaperone, Mrs. Bumbrake, with daft Captain Slank. Readers will not be surprised by the plot resolutions. This book's obvious pairing is J.M. Barrie's original Peter Pan texts, and readers should also consider Avi's pirate adventure, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle (1990). 2004, Disney/Hyperion, Ages 10 up.
Children's Literature
In this sequel to Peter and the Starcatchers, Peter and Molly are in London and face something even more fierce than Captain Hook—one of the others. Lord Ombra is an other who is after the starstuff, and he will do anything to get it. Peter and Molly quickly learn that if Lord Ombra can touch a shadow, then Lord Ombra can not only steal the shadow, he can control the shadow's owner. With heightened adventure, suspense, and dark villains, Peter must be twice as resourceful in order to make it back to Never Land and the lost boys. Although the book is quite long (well over 500 pages), the adventure and suspense propels readers deep within the story. This next installment of the story adds rich layers to each of the main characters. For example, when Peter sees that Molly has grown and he has not, he realizes how truly different he really is. Not only are the main characters growing, but familiar personalities also make cameos (James Barrie saves Peter from a street urchin.) With heaps of personality and daring adventure, this tale is sure to please Peter Pan fans—old and new alike.
Amy Luedtke
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VOYA
Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, and Captain Hook are back in this delightful sequel to the popular Peter and the Starcatchers (Hyperion, 2004/VOYA December 2004). The story begins with Peter and his fellow orphans living comfortably on the remote Mollusk Island, which they have dubbed Never Land. Molly, the intrepid heroine of the first book, is back in London with her parents, who are guardians of a powerful substance known as "starstuff." Peter's only problem is boredom, which he alleviates by taunting Captain Hook and the other marooned pirates. Peter also feels uneasy because the powers he has obtained from the starstuff, including the ability to fly and to never grow old, have forever set him apart from his friends. The peace of island life is shattered when the sinister Lord Ombra and his henchmen come searching for the starstuff. Ombra discovers the starstuff is in London with Molly's family, so Peter and Tink undertake a dangerous journey to warn Molly. Peter makes it to London in time to rescue Molly, but Molly's mother is kidnapped by Ombra. This sequel is even better than its predecessor, with all the excitement and magic but more drama and suspense. Lord Ombra is a frightening and formidable villain, a not-quite-human creature who has the ability to control people by stealing their shadows. There is not quite as much humor here, but the more complex characters and relationships make the story more compelling. It is an exciting, rousing read perfect for fantasy adventure fans. VOYA CODES: 5Q 5P M J (Hard to imagine it being any better written; Every YA (who reads) was dying to read it yesterday; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2006,Hyperion, 464p., Ages 11 to 15.
School Library Journal
Gr 5-8-Peter Pan makes another delightful appearance in Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson's sequel (Disney Editions, 2006) to Peter and the Starcatchers (Hyperion, 2004). This time, unwelcome visitors arrive on Neverland in search of the starstuff that Molly and her father took back to England at the end of the first book. The mysterious Lord Ombra is annoyed to find the magical substance gone. He reveals his ability to steal one's shadow-and one's soul. The crew sets sail for London to kidnap Molly and offer Molly's starcatcher father a trade-Molly for the starstuff. Peter overhears the plan and is determined to warn his friend, so he and Tinker Bell follow the ship. In London, Peter and Molly team up with Molly's suitor, George Darling, to outwit Lord Ombra. What follows is a delicious adventure through London's foggy streets which ends at Stonehenge during a lunar eclipse. Veteran narrator Jim Dale delivers a flawless performance that will keep listeners riveted to the story. Bits from the original Peter Pan are cleverly slipped in, and Peter even has an encounter with author J.M. Barrie. This is one of those rare instances where the sequel is even better than the very fine original. Barrie would be pleased.-Tricia Melgaard, Centennial Middle School, Broken Arrow, OK Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
The co-authors of Peter and the Starcatchers (2004) go to the same well, and that would be one trip too many. When the evil Others come back with a powerful new ally to recover the trove of supernal Starstuff rescued in the first episode, Peter reluctantly leaves Mollusk Island ("Never Land") to deliver a warning to Molly (Wendy's mother-to-be) and the other Starcatchers. Despite introducing a chilling, Dementor-like bad guy in the person (or whatever) of soul-seizing Lord Ombra, and pacing cranked up by dozens of quick point-of-view cuts, so dependent is the plot on repetitive set pieces-how many times will Ombra ooze into another clueless victim's shadow? Or Tinkerbelle use her flashbulb trick to daze some attacker?-that the melodrama soon takes on a labored cast. Overstuffed with narrowly typecast characters and featuring a bulky side plot shoehorned in apparently just to keep Captain Hook and the Lost Boys in sight while the other players are off in London, this formulaic sequel shows two writers for adults who are just going through the motions. (Fantasy. 11-13)
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