Barry Dave - Peter and the Shadow Thieves

Grade 4-7In this sequel to Peter and the Starcatchers (Hyperion, 2004), trouble arrives at Mollusk Island (otherwise known as Never Land) in the form of a ship filled with nefarious characters searching for the trunk of starstuff that the Starcatchers spirited away in the first book. When the bad guys, led by nonhuman Lord Ombra, learn that it is in London, they sail off in pursuit, and it takes the combined efforts of Peter, Tinker Bell, and Peter's friend Molly's Starcatcher family to ensure that it is returned to outer space before Lord Ombra can use it to rule the world. Kids won't have to have read the first book to dive headfirst into this one; it is filled with enough rollicking, death-defying adventure to satisfy anyone. Readers familiar with James Barrie's Peter Pan (or even the Disney animated version) will immediately recognize and enjoy familiar characters, but it is when the action switches to London that the plot really starts to sizzle. Breathless chases and near-death experiences are spiced with a miasma of Dickensian squalor, creating scenes that are rich in color and action if short on in-depth characterization. This should appeal to fantasy and adventure fans alike._Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library_
Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gr. 5-8. In this second prequel to the adventures made familiar by J. M. Barrie and Walt Disney, which builds on the events of Peter and the Starcatchers (2005), two veteran writers for adults do not disappoint. Sustaining the first book's lively pace are short chapters packed with action and well-chosen details--both icky (Peter and the bucket of excrement!) and marvelous (the pitch-perfect sound of Tink's exasperation). An evil force is once again trying to obtain starstuff, the magical substance that, among many other qualities, enables Peter to fly and to remain eternally youthful. Peter must visit London to help his friend Molly and her family of starcatchers, leaving the boys on Mollusk Island at the mercy of Hook. Squalid London streets, aristocratic mansions (one of which houses a young George Darling), and even Stonehenge make atmospheric backdrops for bouts with pirates, wolf packs, and a deliciously creepy villain who steals souls from shadows. Readers will relish the chance to further explore the backstory of a favorite childhood tale, and hope for a third installment. GraceAnne DeCandido
Copyright American Library Association. All rights reserved

ALSO BY DAVE BARRY

FICTION
Tricky Business
Big Trouble
The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog

NONFICTION

Dave Barrys Money Secrets: Like: Why Is There a Giant Eyeball on the Dollar?

Boogers Are My Beat

Dave Barry Hits Below the Beltway: A Vicious and Unprovoked Attack on Our Most Cherished Political Institutions

Dave Barry Is Not Taking This Sitting Down

Dave Barry Turns 50

Dave Barry Is from Mars and Venus

Dave Barrys Book of Bad Songs

Dave Barry in Cyberspace

Dave Barrys Complete Guide to Guys

Dave Barrys Gift Guide to End All Gift Guides

Dave Barry Is NOT Making This Up

Dave Barry Does Japan

Dave Barrys Only Travel Guide Youll Ever Need

Dave Barry Talks Back

Dave Barry Turns 40

Dave Barry Slept Here: A Sort of History of the United States

Dave Barrys Greatest Hits

Homes and Other Black Holes

Dave Barrys Guide to Marriage and/or Sex

Dave Barrys Bad Habits: A 100% Fact-Free Book

Claw Your Way to the Top: How to Become the Head of a Major

Corporation in Roughly a Week

Stay Fit and Healthy Until Youre Dead

Babies and Other Hazards of Sex: How to Make a Tiny Person in Only 9

Months with Tools You Probably Have Around the Home

The Taming of the Screw

ALSO BY RIDLEY PEARSON

Kingdom KeepersDisney After Dark

Kingdom Keepers IIDisney at Dawn

Kingdom Keepers IIIDisney in Shadow

Steel TrappThe Challenge

Killer Weekend

Cut and Run

The Body of David Hayes

The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer: My Life as Rose Red (writing as Joyce Reardon)

The Art of Deception

Parallel Lies

Middle of Nowhere

The First Victim

The Pied Piper

Beyond Recognition

Chain of Evidence

No Witnesses

The Angel Maker

Hard Fall

Probable Cause

Undercurrents

Hidden Charges

Blood of the Albatross

Never Look Back

WRITING AS WENDELL MCCALL

Dead Aim

Aim for the Heart

Concerto in Dead Flat

ALSO BY DAVE BARRY & RIDLEY PEARSON

Peter and the Starcatchers

Peter and the Sword of Mercy

Peter and the Secret of Rundoon

Escape from the Carnivale

Cave of the Dark Wind

This book is not authorized for sale by Publisher
in the countries of the European Union.

Copyright 2006 Dave Barry and Page One, Inc.
Illustrations copyright 2006 by Greg Call

All rights reserved. Published by Disney Editions, an imprint of Disney Book Group. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher.
For information address Disney Editions, 114 Fifth Avenue,
New York, New York 10011-5690.
Printed in the United States of America
Printing History
Disney Editions/Hyperion Books for Children hardcover edition / September 2006
Disney Editions/Hyperion Books for Children trade paperback / September 2007
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data on file.
ISBN: 978-1-4231-4107-5
Visit www.disneyhyperionbooks.com
Visit www.peterandtheshadowthieves.com

We dedicate this book to our children Paige, Storey, Rob and Sophie and to all the other children who read Peter and the Starcatchers, and asked us what happened next.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We thank Wendy Lefkon, our unflagging champion, and her colleagues at Disney, for all their encouragement and support. (Not to mention the passes to Disney World.)

We thank Greg Call for his inspired illustrations, and his patience while we endlessly debated the question of what certain imaginary creatures look like.

We thank the many people who helped with research (Yes! There was some actual research!) and copyediting, especially Norman Anderson, Judi Smith, and David and Laurel Walters.

We thank the people who manage our lives despite all our efforts to thwart them: Louise Marsh, Nancy Litzinger, Joeylyn Lambert, and (again) Judi Smith.