Peter and the Shadow Thieves

I was hesitant to read this one because I was afraid to mess with the perfection of Peter and the Starcatchers. But I was not disappointed. This book was just as wonderful as the first and still stayed true to JM Barrie's Peter. Fabulously done humor, adventure and interpersonal drama. Loved it!

This is one of my favorite books and I hope to read the next one in this trilogy. Peter and molly return to save the starstuff but is it to late? Will a shadowy figure find the starstuff?Will Molly's dad be safe? Read this book to find out.

Really well-done follow-up to "Peter and the Starcatchers." I found this one to be a bit more action-packed and therefore got through it a bit quicker than the first. Even though she was kind of tacked on at the end of the first book, I love Tinker Bell. She's such a great little character and her

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personality really shines. I like that, at least as someone who knows the whole story, I can tell where Barry and Pearson are going with some of the threads of the story. This one definitely kept me engaged. I just love great kids' lit.

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Second in the series. I didn't enjoy it as well as the first book, but it was still a fun ride

A great continuation of the starcatchers series. Loved it

This is about a boy that had recently earned some flying powers (read the first book, Peter and the Starcatchers) and eternal youth. This boy is about to experience the real meaning of EVIL when he faces this gliding shadow thief that steals other's shoadows to gain control. His dreaded name is

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Ombra.

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i consider this book a worthy follow up of Peter and the Starcatchers, filled with crafty wit and actions from both the heroes and villians that keep you on your toes until the very end!

Sequel to Peter and the Starcatchers.

Slank is back for the box of starstuff, this time accompanied by Nerezza, a man with a dark hole where his nose should be, and Lord Ombra, a mysterious shadowy figure who may or may not be human. They come to Never Land and threaten Fighting Prawn's daughter

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until he tells them that the starstuff has been taken to London by Lord Astor and the other starcatchers.

Peter and Tinker Bell stow away aboard Slank's ship in order to warn Molly that she is not safe. Lord Aster is off on a mission to make sure that the starstuff is safe from the others. When Molly's mother is captured by Lord Ombra, Peter and Tinker Bell, along with Molly and Peter Darling, join forces to warn Lord Aster before it is too late.

Meanwhile, with Peter out of the way, Captain Hook comes up with a dastardly plan to capture the Lost Boys. Will Peter return in time to save them?

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This is the second book about Peter and what happened to him before he met Wendy. It was very enjoyable, very well-written, and followed very much in the style and story type of the first book. If you liked the first one, you'll like this one.

A strange group of pirates lands on Mollusk island

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looking for the chest of starstuff that Peter and Molly had brought there. Of course, we know the starstuff has been returned to London. The pirates quickly find out and head off to London. Peter is concerned about one of the pirate crew Lord Ombra who appears to take over people through their shadows. He decides to accompany the pirates back to London in an effort to warn Molly about their intentions. But things aren't always that simple.

This was a fast-paced book, it was very well-written and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I look forward to reading the third and final book of the series. I was a little disappointed that the rest of the Lost Boys played such a small role in this book; but I guess these books are about Peter after all. This book also has a somewhat open ending that will hopefully be resolved in the third book.

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Even more action and more villains than the first book. Dangerous new enemies but same characters with loads of action and flying.

Summary: After Peter's amazing transformation, he decides to stay on the island. It isn't long before the Others are back, looking for the Starstuff they lost. Peter hitches a ride on their boat and heads to England to warn Molly.

The Take Away: I really liked the use of shadow as the bad guy. Not

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only does it play nicely on Peter's opening scene with Wendy, it really captures the greatest fear of childhood (and maybe adults too) -- the unknown.
The subplot of what's happening with Hook and the soot to be known as Lost Boys kept the ending light and mischievous, just like Peter, but contributed little else to the story.
The inclusion of George Darling was, again, a nice touch of adding in known plot lines, as was a cameo by James Barre himself.
Like all second books to a trilogy. this one leaves as many questions unanswered as it answers. The writing is superb, and I'm glad that the third title is sitting on my floor, to be read.

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I absolutely love the idea behind this series. Instead of retelling the old version of Peter Pan, Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson have simply imagined a background for Peter. This series goes through the days before Peter became the legendary "Peter Pan." It's great, because those who aren't familiar

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with the story can follow, and those who do know the story can be amused by references to what Peter will eventually become.

Aside from the history behind the characters, this is an entertaining and delightful children's novel. Peter and the Shadow Thieves is the sort of book that made me fall in love with reading. It has all the right elements of mystery, suspense, humor, and simple, good fun. There are dangerous parts that made me hold my breath (especially with Jim Dale's narration!) and completely immerse myself in the story with the characters and root for their victory

As with any fantastic children's novel, Peter and the Shadow Thieves has a terrifying bad guy. Named Lord Ombra, he can steal the shadow of anyone, and he wants the magical starstuff to make him all-powerful. I don't know about you, but I think an adventure book is only as good as the antagonist, and Lord Ombra is a definite win. He seems like a character straight out of a particularly horrifying Doctor Who episode. Our shadows are exactly the type of thing we take for granted, and for Barry and Pearson to introduce a character who is capable of stealing people's shadows -- *shudder* I admit, Lord Ombra has entered into my nightmare hall of fame.

In the end, I think I wanted a little more from the side of Captain Hook and the Lost Boys. In this novel, Peter is in England fighting Lord Ombra and the Lost Boys are left to their own devices against Captain Hook. I know that Peter is the main character, but I would have liked more of a balance between the two. Besides that, however, it's a fun, entertaining read that I recommend for all lovers of adventure and fantasy. The end is satisfying in that it answers the most crucial and biting questions, but it still leaves a lot unanswered, so that I'm eager to continue the series.

There just aren't enough words to say how amazing Jim Dale is as a narrator. He puts life and vivacity in every story he reads. The characters all have their own voices, and he matches his pace, rhythm, and tone to what's going on in the story. If you're at all interested in audiobooks, definitely go for the audiobook version of this one. It is a treat.

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Like the first book of this series, this one was hard to put down. It has a clever plot, a really good ending and some good new characters.

If it has been awhile since you read Peter and the Starcatchers, you might want to read that book again before you embark on this one. There are a lot of references to the previous book in the beginning. It is another long book, but has enough action to keep boys interested. Peter leaves his island

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after seeing the horrifying Lord Ombra impose zombie-like trances on his friends to try to warn Molly about the creature. The part about Peter trying to find Molly is entertaining, but goes on a bit. Again, some historical places are included in the story, which are good for subsequent reading.

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Peter is drawn off the island by a dark force - the shadowy Lord Ombra. Peter must defeat him or lose himself to the "others". In some ways, better and tighter plotting than the first book.

I read this series a while ago. It was REALLY good. It provides the background for how Peter Pan and the Lost boys, Captain Hook, Smee and the Pirates got to the island, how Peter got the magic to fly and explains Tinkerbell. It's sort of a prequel to Peter Pan. Except it's so much more. It's an

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adventure story with excitement and fantasy, brave children and girls who don't just stand back and let boys defend them but who are self-actualizing and equals--despite the time period. I read this series to my 8 year old daughter and we both could not wait until it was "reading time" each night and we tended to drag our time over a little to just see what was going to happen NEXT! Because we HAD to know. I caught myself wanting to peak and read ahead when she went to sleep. So, yes it's really quite a good series of books if you like fantasy. Very enjoyable and highly recommended.

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The second book in the Peter and the Starcatchers series, which is a prequel of sorts to Peter Pan. Although possibly it should be described instead as a "re-imagining," since many of the characters don't feel much like Barrie's originals, and it has a mythology that's very much its own.

This one's

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a not-bad kids' book, with an interestingly creepy bad guy and some very nice illustrations. But I didn't find it nearly as charming as the first one, and not remotely as quick and engaging a read. I think partly that may just be due to not having been in quite the right mood for it, but I think it's also true that the pacing is slower, and the plot is somewhat less interesting than Peter's origin story was.

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A great read-aloud for the whole family or classroom. Each chapter is short (1-5 pages) and ends with a cliff-hanger--it's all adventure. A bit o' Dickens' London in this one.


**Spoiler Alert**

I loved the cameo of James Barrie in this one, as if I was reading the true story of Peter Pan in which

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Mr. Barrie encounters the impish boy and becomes inspired by him to write the Peter Pan story that we all know--cute. I did cheer out loud as Tink repeatedly kicked evil-guy bootie with remarkable feats like punching guys in the eyeballs! Go Tink!

Peter seems to be "growing up" (maturing) in this novel, as he becomes selfless and responsible, considering his responsibilities as a leader of the lost boys and a friend. He chooses responsibility over personal gain at every corner, so I'm anxious to see some sort of reverse character development in the final book of the trilogy, because, isn't he the boy who "refuses to grow up?" I'm also anxious to see the development of the "pan" concept, and how it is that George and Molly grow up to forget their experiences with Peter. Will Aster erase their memories? Or will it be an inevitable side effect of "growing up"?

Moving the final book to the top of my to-read list....

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This series is a delightful change of pace from my usual fare, given that it's aimed at a slightly younger generation than the YA urban fantasy I enjoy so often. It also has the bonus of being narrated by the amazing Jim Dale, who has surpassed Gerard Doyle as my favorite male fantasy

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narrator.

While I'm sure some have found faulty with the portrayal of Molly and Tinkerbell as not being "kick ass" enough (compared to other recent female heroes). But I find them both to be strong and independent in exactly the ways I hope young girls will want to be. I wouldn't mind having a Tinkerbell for a companion myself, as she's pretty tough for being so tiny!

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I didn't realize until a little ways into reading this that it was the second in a series. I'll definitely have to read the first, and then some later ones.

The story is a rollicking fantasy/adventure, set in the world of Peter Pan, created by James Barrie (who himself makes a brief cameo appearance

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in this book.) Peter's Never Land Island is troubled by the villainous crew of a ship, which is led by an otherworldly spectral figure, Lord Ombra. When they leave, Peter stows away on their ship to get to London and warn his old friend Molly Aster, whom he has learned is in danger.

Molly and Peter try to foil the plans of Ombra and his nefarious crew, whose aim is to capture a trunk of "starstuff" which Molly's father is charged with returning to the heavens. If it falls into the hands of the Others, the entire world would be in danger. Aided by Tinker Bell, and by George Darling in the later third of the book, they have a thoroughly action packed adventure.

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peter can fly.

I am really enjoying this series and I look forward to sharing them with my boys when they are a bit older!

#2 in the series did not disappoint. The story gets a little darker with higher stakes, but good triumphs. Clever clues and references to the original Peter Pan. Good family book -- great driving companion.