a little twee. but quite unusual. the idea that children can fly and see peter but forget how or lose interest as adults. ( )

This is a great book for children on a fun day because most children have seen the Disney movie, Peter Pan!

I don't typically enjoy fantasy literature, which may explain why I didn't love Peter Pan. The story is a familiar one, because of all the attention it has received on the stage and in film, but there is another element added in reading the book. It is much darker and more depressing, and left me feeling dissatisfied. It seemed to me that this stemmed more from the author's internal issues than it did from the author's creative device. The writing style is interesting, though occasionally confusing, as it seems as if you are eavesdropping on a storyteller weaving a tale to a small, young audience.

Reading this was an interesting experience, one that I will probably not repeat or supply for my children. We'll stick to the movies, as they provide the story without the darkness. ( )

The illustrations in this version of Peter Pan greatly add to the charm and wonder of this classic. ( )

This is a book about a young girl Wendy who meets a shadow friend and becomes great friends. Peter a lost boy takes Wendy back to Never Land where they have a wild adventure with faries and pirates. Peter never wants to grow old and Wendy has grown up before her time.

This is a classic story that I have always enjoyed, I haven't found a version yet that disapointed me.

Children and pretend to fly and think of there happy thoughts, Share those happy thoughts with the class. Also the children could use flash lights and explore with shadows.

Strangely, I don't think I'd ever read this book before. It was a bit of a revelation in that although I was very familiar with both the play and the Disney movie, I was surprised by the amount of death which is both discussed and dealt out during the book. Although the deaths are not described in grisly detail (which would make them more easily ignored or forgotten by children), they are much in evidence.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book for the fantasy that it was and the lovely sentiments expressed about mothers and fathers and girls. As always, Tinker Bell has the best lines. ( )

I read this story to the kiddos a couple of years ago but when I saw it on the library shelf in the book-on-tape section I thought I'd give it a listen. And what a treat I had! I am now convinced that this tale is meant to be listened to, whether read aloud by a dramatic adult or as read by Jim Dale, as I heard it. He really captures the magic of this story.

Peter Pan is the boy who wants never to grow old. He lures Wendy, along with her brothers John and Michael, to come to Neverland to be a mother to the Lost Boys, the raggle taggle group of boys who follow Peter with great devotion. They have many adventures involving pirates, Indians and mermaids.

I am so glad that I listened to this one. Whenever my juvenal side needs a little attention I will be sure to seek it out once again. Highly recommend for kids and adults alike. ( )

Peter Pan is the tale of a boy who finds the fountain of youth located on the 'second star to the right and straight off 'till morning'. That place is Neverland. In Neverland there are adventures to be had, and it is the dreamiest world to be for any young boy, because it contains all the fantasies with none of the responsibilities of getting older. Peter and the lost boys fight pirates, they can fly, they magically have food to eat and they get to run around with real swords and weapons! There is never a bedtime to be kept, no rules, no nagging or chores to do, there is time for everything in a life free of cares and hardships.

When Peter brings in Wendy and her siblings though, things start to get funky. The lost boys begin to dream of the mother they have never had, of a mother who loves them. For a while Wendy fills this role, but then she too misses her own mother.

Peter Pan is certainly a classic worthy of all the hype as it has graced the stages from Broadway to Disney, to Hollywood, to so many different book publishers who hope to carry on this glorious favourite. I think somewhere in marketing however has made a mistake. I believe the story should not be marketed towards children, as they have yet to know what the abandoning of youth really means, but that it should be read more often by adults. Kids grasp the fun that this Neverland world would be, but neglect to see the implications of living there forever.

I don't cry when I read books, so I was astonished when I cried in the final lines of Peter Pan. It is that forgetting of childhood, of moving to a new season, of letting go of things that were once all that you dreamed of and thought about. I have never understood it more clearly than with the finishing of this text, the sadness that it would be to live as a child for the rest of your life and watch everything else grow and change except you.

For me this book is a coming of age tale, a choice we all have to make of weather to stay in our own fantasies, of having everything taken care of for us or actually having the bravery to face our fears and then enjoy along with the responsibilities, these are the benefits of aging. More than a dream, to live forever in an mortal world would be a curse, it makes me sad thinking about it, Peter is not a hero but a victim of a place and an imagination that he cannot will himself to escape for fear. We are meant to embrace each new stage, each step and grow and learn with them. I loved the impact that Peter Pan had on me as an adult. When I was younger I really didn't get the point, and it seemed so anti-climactic in the end, I didn't get it at all. I am in love with this classic now for sure. I can relate in so many ways to the war of embracing the future- while still longing for the past, the fear things will change and not knowing how that will feel. ( )

I really enjoyed this book; much more than I expected. It was a quick read, but still very enjoyable. I should note that this was the first book that I read for a book club that I joined. The discussion for the book club was fun and expanded a few ideas that I missed on the first reading, but did not really change my overall view or impression of the book. I really enjoyed how the entire book was played as a dream of a child and was successful at creating that atmosphere throughout. I loved how the chronology never really made sense and seemed very dream like. The dynamic nature of the island was amazing and kept my own imagination running. I think my favorite part was how the "real" world still had this slightly fantastical element to it. In particular that nanny and the fact that Mrs. Darling had a "kiss" that Peter stole at the end of the book. In the end a great overall read that I would recommend to anyone and I may pick up and read again in the future. ( )

I honestly don't know what makes Peter Pan so great. It's a timeless classic. I didn't like it as a child. In fact, I hated it, mostly because I insisted on reading it myself, and I couldn't get past the father doing taxes. However, when I reread it, mainly because of the movie Finding Neverland, it just blows my mind, how amazing a storyteller and craftsman Sir J.M. Barrie was. It must be amazing seeing the play. Anyway, the sheer imagination he had amazes me. The beauty and the feeling... it's a boy's adventure story, but behind it is a story of a man who desperately seeks freedom for his childlike mind. It's brilliant. ( )

This was my first reading of J. M. Barrie's classic tale of the boy who would never grow up, Peter Pan. I'm pretty sure everyone is familiar with the story of Peter Pan, so I'll just highlight my thoughts about the book. Having always been steeped in the Disney version of the story, I was a little surprised by the darker and more violent elements of the original story, but found that they added an element to the story that really illustrates how much of a child Peter Pan truly is. I found myself becoming increasingly irritated with his actions, and those are truly of a child who has lived his whole life by his own rules and without the guidance of parental supervision. Peter is selfish, arrogant, unconcerned for the safety of others and wholly immature, yet innocent in every way. I also found Tinker Bell so much more amusing this time around. Overall, it was a fun read and didn't leave me disappointed at all.

The Vess illustrations in this edition are beautifully rendered and capture the essence and spirit of the boy who won't grow up perfectly. ( )

This was my first reading of J. M. Barrie's classic tale of the boy who would never grow up, Peter Pan. I'm pretty sure everyone is familiar with the story of Peter Pan, so I'll just highlight my thoughts about the book. Having always been steeped in the Disney version of the story, I was a little surprised by the darker and more violent elements of the original story, but found that they added an element to the story that really illustrates how much of a child Peter Pan truly is. I found myself becoming increasingly irritated with his actions, and those are truly of a child who has lived his whole life by his own rules and without the guidance of parental supervision. Peter is selfish, arrogant, unconcerned for the safety of others and wholly immature, yet innocent in every way. I also found Tinker Bell so much more amusing this time around. Overall, it was a fun read and didn't leave me disappointed at all. ( )

This is the famous tale of the boy who never grew up. Peter Pan is a young boy who went off to Neverland to never grow old and become a man. This story is about how he chose to take Wendy and her two brothers, John and Michael, to this wonderful island of imagination and adventure. This is the story of some of their adventures while on the island of Neverland. It is also home to the infamous Captain Hook and the lovely, but rude, fairy Tinker Bell. The Lost Boys inhabit the island as well. This is the story of their adventures on the island and learning about a parent's love.

I was surprised at how hard this book was to read. I really had trouble getting through this book. It contained a lot of larger words and diction that I didn't recognize. I also found it very detailed and very mature for children. I did like the details and how the narrator talked to the reader as if they were right next to you telling the story.

If I used this book, I would use it for vocabulary or to have the kids act out as a play and teach them different ways to use language. It would be a hard book for young children to read and understand, so I would have to save this book for either middle school or high school standards. There are also some inappropriate words, such as orgy, that probably wouldn't go over well with parents! ( )

A true classic of a boy who teaches Wendy, Michael, and John to fly. They venture to Neverland, the land of the lost boys who never grew up. They encounter Captain Hook, Tinkerbell, and a ticking crocodile. A great read if you wanna get lost in another world, a land where anything is possible, especially for kids. The strength of this book are the strong characters and setting.

I saw the movie first. I was suprised how close to the book, the movie actually was. Peter Pan is cocky and Tinker Bell is a brat.

I don't care terribly for Peter Pan but I love the illustrations in this edition. My favorite, by far, is the full page b&w illustration of Tiger Lily attacking Hook on page 124

Barrie, J.M. (2003). Peter Pan. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks.

0689866917

It seems with several movie versions, Hook, Finding Neverland, and the actual play, nobody could escape knowing something of the story of Peter Pan. However, it seems that only a small number of people actually read the book these days. Those that do, will discover a shockingly complicated and difficult text. Jumps in time and point of view, numerous metaphors, images, cultural and historic references and an interrupting narrator will make this a challenging read for many young readers.

Plus Peter is really forgetful and potentially annoying.

Nonetheless, there are uses for this book and exercises that may be completed. Just don’t do them with too young of a crowd. If I were to use this book in the classroom it would be with high school students. Since there are so many rich themes and metaphors and since most students are probably familiar with some version of the narrative this book could be of good use in introducing analysis and literary theory.

It is undeniable that Barrie captured a sense of magic, fun, and childhood that most children’s writers cannot help but desire to equal. And because of this, there are great fun exercises that can be done, such as having children create or draw their own maps of Neverland. Since the book is also a play, it lends itself to being reenacted. This could help with visualization.

Also, a special note if teachers use the edition of the book forwarded by author Susan Cooper—Her comments would influence anyone’s reading of the text. For me, most striking is the delicate description of Barrie as ”yearning for little-boy love” (p. XVI).

Activities to do with the book:

Have students create their own Neverlands, analyze the book’s literary themes, enact scenes, research Barrie’s life, discuss the imagination and separation between reality and fantasy, consider issues of power and the conditions of motherhood, the construction of masculinity and femininity etc.

Students could also discuss the many reinterpretations and sequels to the narrative.

Favorite Quotes:

“All children, except one, grow up” (p. 1).

“To die will be an awfully big adventure” (p. 123).

“I’m youth, I’m joy” (p. 195).

FOR MORE OF MY CHILDREN'S BOOK REVIEWS SEE http://sjkessel.blogspot.com/

http://spwebdesign.livejournal.com/57... ( )

A good old-fashioned fairy tale, perfect to help one "get away" from real life. And since Barrie's writing is so much more fanciful and creative than any movie could imitate, too, reading the book is more than worth it even if you know the story through and through. I'd like to have this on my shelf once I have kids... ( )

Fucked up. I think that it was written for adults. It is very dark and the humour of it is very advanced and deep. I did enjoy it though. ( )

Peter Pan, Tinker Bell and the Darling Children's adventure to Never-Never-Land and what they discover from their trip becomes a life lesson. ( )

Man, I do not remember Barrie/Narrator being as angry and hateful during the end when I first read it. Issues.Way more fun than any version based on it, pretty much. More violent, more histrionic, more like children in general. We are simply beasts when we're young and I swear only folks from the that whole UK area are spiteful enough to capture that. ( )

Having grown up on performances and Disney's version, reading JM Barrie's story of Peter, the Lost Boys, and Wendy. Ultimately the story is about growing up, acceptable roles in society, and unrealized loves. Barrie's story is much darker than Disney's sanitized movie, especially considering the subtle racism and how many times Tinker Belle tries to kill Wendy.We have the utter violence and depravity of the Pirates, the nobility of the Indians, and how children can become an organized, if rowdy unit of family.Few children's books are as dark as Peter Pan, but few are also as revealing about the human nature. ( )

A children's classic, much beloved by thousands of kids who have never even read the book (thanks to Disney and Tinkerbell). I finally got around to reading it and discovered that, unsurprisingly, the story was much more complex than the cartoon movie version might lead you to believe. We learn a lot more about the Darling family, including the mother and father who are just caricatures in the Disney version, and the theme of not wanting to grow up is fleshed out as Barrie examines the pros and cons of staying forever young. Peter Pan is at once the light-hearted and mischievous imp we all love, but he is also tragic in his eternal youth. Did you ever wonder what happened to the Lost Boys? Or what the family reunion was like when Wendy and her brothers finally return home? Or what became of Wendy as she inevitably grew older? Read the original to find out.

The illustrations in this particular edition are gorgeous, one reason I sprang the extra money for a hardcover book. They capture the charm and wonder of Neverland, the whimsy of the story. A wonderful story on both fronts, and well deserving of being called a classic.

*On a side note, I believe that the recent live action film version does a much better job of capturing the original spirit of the story. ( )

EXCELLENT! My favorite book in the entire world. ( )