| "PETER AND THE STARCATCHERS SERIES - 3 BOOK SET"
Authors: Dave Barry and Riley Pearson
Interest Level: Middle Grades (4-8)
ATOS Reading Levels: 5.2-5.6
AR Points: 13.0-16.0 each
Publisher Recommended Age: 10+
Publisher: HarperCollins/Disney/Hyperion
Book Type: 2 Paperback books and 1 Hardcover book, as listed below
Series Overview:
This New York Times best selling series is by the Pulitzer Prize-winning humor columnist Dave Barry, who teamed up with fellow humorist Ridley Pearson to tell the tales of Peter Pan before he met Wendy. These impossible-to-put-down tales lead readers on an unforgettable journey -- fraught with danger yet filled with mystical and magical moments. A splendid mix of humor and thrills for a young audience.
Book Group Guides:
Books in the Series:
Peter and the Starcatchers (Book #1, Paperback, 464 pages)
In an evocative and fast-paced adventure on the high seas and on a faraway island, an orphan boy named Peter and his mysterious new friend, Molly, overcome bands of pirates and thieves in their quest to keep a fantastical secret safe and save the world from evil. This impossible-to-put-down tale leads readers on an unforgettable journey -- fraught with danger yet filled with mystical and magical moments.
ALA Booklist: “Barry and Pearson offer humor and thrills for a young audience. The non-stop action will keep the pages turning. This deserves the hype.”
Kirkus Reviews: “A compulsively readable prequel to Peter Pan. Readers will come away satisfied.”
Publishers Weekly: “Peter Pan fans will find much to like.”
Family Fun Magazine: “Highly engaging, often thrilling, and fully respects the original.”
Peter and the Shadow Thieves (Book #2, Paperback, 556 pages)
In this riveting and adventure-packed follow-up to Peter and the Starcatchers, we discover Peter leaving the relative safety of Mollusk Island -- along with his trusted companion Tinker Bell -- for the cold, damp 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.
It seems that the dreaded Ombra has a variety of mysterious powers, including the ability to make shadows disappear. When Peter reaches London, he sets out to find the indomitable Molly. Together they must combat Ombra’s terrible forces to protect the Starcatchers and the treasured starstuff, and most important, to rescue Molly’s mother from the clutches of evil.
ALA Booklist: "Readers will relish the chance to further explore the backstory of a favorite childhood tale, and hope for a third installment."
Peter and the Secret of Rundoon (Book #3, Hardcover, 482 pages)
In this action-packed finale to the Starcatchers series, Peter and Molly find themselves in the dangerous land of Rundoon, ruled by an evil king who enjoys watching his pet snake consume those who displease him. But that’s just the beginning of trouble for our heroes. Peter and Molly once again find themselves pitted against the evil shadow-creature, Lord Ombra, in a struggle to save themselves, not to mention the planet. It’s a wild desert adventure, with rockets, carpets, and camels all flying through the air, zooming toward an unforgettable climax. . . .
School Library Journal: "Hang on to your hats, because the conclusion to this trilogy is a fast-moving roller-coaster ride."
Book Awards:
USA: New York Times, Best Seller for 45 weeks (Peter and the Starcatchers)
USA: Book Sense, National Best Seller (Peter and the Starcatchers)
USA: Book Sense, #1 Pick (Peter and the Starcatchers)
USA: New York Times, #1 Best Seller (Peter and the Shadow Thieves)
USA: Book Sense, #1 National Best Seller (Peter and the Shadow Thieves)
USA: Book Sense, Honor Book of the Year (Peter and the Shadow Thieves)
USA: Publisher's Weekly, #1 Children's Best Seller (Peter and the Shadow Thieves)
USA: Child Magazine, Best Book of the Year 2006 (Peter and the Shadow Thieves)
USA: Book Sense, Children's Pick 2006 (Peter and the Shadow Thieves)
USA: Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, Platinum Book Award Winner (Peter and the Shadow Thieves)
About the Authors:
David "Dave" Barry (born July 3, 1947) is a bestselling American author and Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist who wrote a nationally syndicated humor column for the The Miami Herald from 1983 to 2005. He has also written numerous books of humor and parody, as well as comedic novels.
In 1975, Barry joined Burger Associates, a consulting firm. He taught effective writing to business people. In his own words, he "spent nearly eight years trying to get various businesspersons to ... stop writing things like 'Enclosed please find the enclosed enclosures,' but ... eventually realized that it was hopeless."
In 1983, Barry was hired by Weingarten as a humor columnist. Barry won a Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in 1988, "for his consistently effective use of humor as a device for presenting fresh insights into serious concerns." For a 1992 American Booksellers Association convention, several authors including Barry formed a band for charity: The Rock Bottom Remainders ("remainder" is a publishing term for a book that doesn't sell). The members of the band, which has at various times included Stephen King, Amy Tan, Ridley Pearson, Mitch Albom, Kathi Goldmark, Roy Blount Jr., Barbara Kingsolver and Matt Groening, "are not musically skilled, but they are extremely loud," according to Barry.
Dave lives in Miami, Florida, with his wife, Michelle, a sportswriter. He has a son, Rob, and a daughter, Sophie, neither of whom thinks he's funny.
Ridley Pearson, born on March 13, 1953 in Glen Cove, New York, is an American writer. Pearson writes mostly suspense and thrillers, but has more recently begun writing novels for children. After his daughter asked him how Peter Pan met Captain Hook, Pearson teamed up with his long-time friend humorist Dave Barry to co-author Peter and the Starcatchers, a prequel to Peter Pan, which is published in the US by Disney and by Walker Books in the UK.
Pearson and Barry have produced two further prequels – Peter and the Shadow Thieves and Peter and the Secret of Rundoon – and have announced a fourth called Peter and the Sword of Mercy.
Pearson has since been employed by Disney to author a novel set inside the Magic Kingdom theme park in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Named The Kingdom Keepers, it features Disney characters coming to life and Walt Disney leaving clues for the secrets of the park. He has also written a sequel to that novel.
He currently lives in Saint Louis, Missouri with his wife Marcelle, and their two daughters Paige and Storey. |
