I've never been hugely enamored of the Peter Pan legend, but this prequel is fairly charming. Peter and his friends are orphans put on a ship to be sent to be slaves for a foreign monarch. On board is a strange trunk sought after by good guys and bad guys alike, including the rather familiar pirate Black Stache. In short, this is a children's book. It was okay to read as an adult, but I would have enjoyed it far more twenty years ago.(Amusing aside: when I first wrote this I listed the authors as Dave Barry and Ridley Scott. Methinks that would have made for a very different story.) ( )

Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com

It's always interesting, at least to me, to read a book that is the retelling of a beloved childhood tale. Whether it be a retold fairy tale such as SNOW WHITE or SLEEPING BEAUTY, or a classic such as PETER PAN, these new spins on old stories usually fall into one of two categories--terribly bad remakes, or truly amazing, imaginative stories with new twists. Thankfully, authors Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson have turned PETER AND THE STARCATCHERS into the latter.

In this rendering, Peter is an orphan about the ship Never Land. He's become the leader of sorts to the other young orphans who have been sold into slavery to King Zarboff the Third, evil ruler of Rundoon. Not long after Peter and his boys board the boat, he meets Molly Aster. The fourteen-year old daughter of the new Ambassador of Rundoon is unlike any other girl Peter has ever met. Actually, the only other girl he remembers seeing in a very long time was the daughter of the Headmaster of St. Norbert's Home for Wayward Boys.

Peter's increasing infatuation with Molly is challenged when she lets him in on a secret--she is an apprentice Starcatcher, one who guards the magical starstuff from the Others who would use it to do harm. Starstuff is magic that, when it falls to Earth, it brings about increased intelligence, happiness, and even the ability to fly. Although Peter is, at first, quite skeptical of Molly and her Starcatcher business, he soon learns that she's being nothing but truthful.

Add to the story the dreaded Pirate Black Stache and the evil pirate crew of the ship the Sea Devil, and you have an interesting story. Throw in the a shipwreck, a missing cargo of starstuff, mermaids, a flying crocodile, and island dwellers that just may be cannibals, and the story goes from interesting to amazing. This is a remarkable retelling, or possibly even a prequel, to the well known story of PETER PAN. Kudos to both Mr. Barry and Mr. Pearson for a highly entertaining and thoroughly engrossing read! ( )

Peter and the Starcatcher's is kind of like a prequel to the story of Peter Pan. Peter and his friend's are taken from their orphange and are told that they are going to be shipped to become the servants of King Zarboff. They board their ugly old ship called the Neverland and find a girl named Molly and a chest filled with a glowing substance called starstuff. Starstuff is a very volatile substance that mutates anything it touches. It allows powers like flight, healing, and evolves animals. The ship becomes immersed in a battle with pirates lead by the Black Stache and crashes on a nearby island. The story is filled with loads of action and adventure and is an intersting read for people of all ages. ( )

Book I

This book is an interesting creation of the origin of Peter Pan and how he became enemies with the well known Captain Hook. This adventure is a whimsical tale that carries the reader on the sea to a strang eisland where even stranger things begin to happen. For anyone who grew up with Peter Pan, this book is a must read. ( )