Peter and the Starcatchers
Peter and the Starcatchers. Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson; Hyperion, 2004.
Grade Level: 6-8
Hardcover ISBN: 0786854456 $17.99
Paperback ISBN: 078684907X $7.99
Synopsis:
Fast-paced adventure of young orphan Peter and his mates as they are dispatched to an island ruled by the evil King Zarboff. They set sail aboard the Never Land, a ship carrying a precious and mysterious trunk in its cargo hold - and the journey quickly becomes fraught with excitement and adventure. With treacherous battles with pirates and foreboding thunderstorms at sea, you soon reveal the secrets and mysteries of the beloved Peter Pan.
General Review:
The authors weave multiple story lines together in short, fast-moving chapters. Bringing in familiar material, this adventure sets the stage for Peter's later exploits. Richly drawn characters, especially the villains and the nonstop action will keep the pages turning. Although this is a long book, very short chapters make it manageable for younger readers. A story for all ages. A great read a-loud for family reading time or the classroom.
Themes: Magic, Pirates, Orphans, Friendship, Islands
Author Information:
Dave Barry
Ridley Pearson
Discussion Questions: Standard 3, Benchmark 3
- In the beginning, Peter is powerless to change his own destiny and is a virtual prisoner aboard the Never Land, unable to escape or even feed himself properly. How does he gain power over his own life by the end? What can we learn from Peter and his actions?
- Peter takes risks for the safety and well-being of his friends. Do they reciprocate his honorable actions? Who is the better friend? How do people prove their friendship to one another? Who do you think are the best examples of friends in the story? Why?
- This is an action packed high-seas adventure. Which scenes of the book were your favorites? Why? How do the authors develop and sustain the suspense of this long novel?
- A unique aspect of Peter and the Starcatchers is the cast of more than one nemesis. Describe Stache and Smee and compare them to the other antagonists in the story, Slank and Little Richard. Which pair frightened you more? Why? What qualities did they have in common?
- How do Barry and Pearson connect this story to the original Peter Pan? What elements and details are kept and which ones are spared? What do you think was important to maintain in creating a prequel? Were there any questions you were excited to learn the answers to by reading this book? What were they?
Suggested Activities:
- Write a prequel to a folktale or fairy tale of your choice. Be sure to stay true to the original characters and don’t get bogged down explaining yourself, just begin with an exciting scene as the authors do in Peter and the Starcatchers! Standard 5 Benchmark 1
- Create a timeline or map of the location of the trunk and the starstuff for the whole book. Your graphic should make clear not only the location of the trunk, but who controls it. Standard 5 Benchmark 1
- Scope out locations for at least three scenes for the movie adaptation of the novel and explain in detail why you think they would work. You must provide either sketches for the director to view or pictures of the actual places. Standard 5 Benchmark 3
- Using only dialogue, write a scene between Peter and Molly after the close of Starcatchers and before the original Peter Pan opens. Standard 5 Benchmark 3
