Type of bind: Paperback
EAN num: 9780060563073
ISBN number: 0060563079
Label: HarperFestival
Manufacturer: HarperFestival
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 240
Printing Date: November 01, 2003
Publishing house: HarperFestival
Age index: Ages 4-8
Release Date: November 11, 2003
Sale Popularity Level: 185371
Studio: HarperFestival
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
Revisit enchanted Neverland with
J. M. Barrie's timeless tale
Join Wendy, John, and Michael Darling as they follow Peter Pan, the boy who never grows up, to a world where fairies live and children can fly. But beware -- danger abounds in this magical land of mermaids, Indians, and fairy dust. Captain Hook and his pirate crew want all children to walk the plank, especially Peter Pan.
There is always an adventure to be had in Neverland. So come along with the Darling children as they soar into the night sky -- second to the right and straight on till morning!
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
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This was an interesting book, full of adventure but also has a more serious side about the need to grow up and grow in wisdom. It makes us realize the consequences of our actions and also the importance of family and friends.
The questions it left unanswered for me were:
-What school is it that Hook went to? What is known for its slouch and walk?
-The question of fairies that are unsure of their sex? Androgynous like angels?
-Forget fairies and you kill them the power of naming or unnaming
A great read for children of all ages, and if you like Peter Pan then check out `Capt. Hook' by J.V. Hart for an introduction to Hook as a young man.
(First written as Journal Reading Notes in 1999.)
Rated by buyers 
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I basically bought this particular book after I watched the movie, the one with Jeremy Sumpter as Peter Pan. The cover looks better than the others I've seen. It's Barrie's story so Im not commenting on the story itself, but I will comment on the quality of the book. True, there are colored photos from the movie included in the pages, but these can easily tear out. You have to be reeeally careful with opening the book, especially when you get to the pages containing the photos. This is a paperback book after all, so the binding is mostly glued on. Im thinking of getting a hardback in the future. This book is good to have as part of your collection if you bought the movie.
Rated by buyers -
This is one of those books that people think they have read but, if they do happen to actually really read it, (not an adaption, or an abridged version or see a movie or tv version) will discover that they hadn't read it before. Usually they will discover that they only knew bits and pieces of the story, or even that the story wasn't at all what they had thought it was. PETER PAN, the novel, bears only a superficial resemblence to the stage play, and even less to the Disney movie and books with which most people are familiar.
The story begins, as most people already know, in the Darling family's London home. Mr. Darling is a businessman, his wife, and their three children Wendy, John and Michael. The Darlings were unconventional in the methods they used to economize in their household expenses. They employed a very young (about 10 years old) cook/housekeeper and hired a Newfoundland dog as their children's nanny. Despite these minor eccentricities they were fine examples of the early 1900 middleclass until the night that Peter Pan appeared. Mr. Darling had, in a fit of temper, banished the nanny to an outside kennel leaving the children unprotected. Later that night Wendy was wakened by Peter who was looking for his missing shadow. After Wendy had reattached the shadow Peter convinced her and her brothers to follow him to Neverland and join in his adventures.
Once they arrive there the boys happily join in with Peter and the Lost Boys in their adventures while Wendy settles in as their mother. The boys are off fighting pirates, battling Indians and swimming with mermaids while Wendy, for the most part, stays home and mends their stockings. The final battle is waged between Peter and Capt. Hook with Peter emerging victorious but Wendy and her brothers have decided that it is time to go home and have convinced the Lost Boys to come along. Reluctantly Peter agrees to take them back but only if Wendy will agree to return with hime to Neverland each spring.
All of this is quite familiar to anyone who has seen or read any version of the story. The differences appear in the details of the novel. Mr. Darling is seen to be a bit insecure under all his bluster, Mrs. Darling is wistful, longing for something she can't quite name. Peter is not the charming, adventure loving boy of the Disney film but is rather darker, bullying the Lost Boys, very selfcentered. In fact he mirrors the villian, Capt Hook in many ways. Both Wendy and Tinkerbelle are infatuated with Peter and rather frustrated that he is unable to return their affections. Tensions arise within the group when Wendy and to some extent, the Lost Boys, are beginning to mature and lose their childish innocence while Peter stays the same.
In addition for 21st century readers the violence of the book is disturbing. Not only are there many deaths, Indians, pirates, animals and fairies, Peter is very casual about deaths among the Lost Boys as well. There are also some very racist statements and characterizations about the Indians. In addition the females, Mrs. Darling, Wendy, Nana, Tinkerbelle, and Tiger Lily are all relegated to very traditional roles, subservient to the dominant males - primarily Mr. Darling and Peter, not making the major decisions, only joining in the adventures occasionally and often needing to be rescued. When the boys grow up we learn what they do as adults but Wendy has only married and had a child, still fulfilling the same 'mother' role that she had while in Neverland.
If you are looking for a book to give or read to a very young child get the Disney version, this one is for middle school on up. Younger children would not enjoy the long winded style and Peter in this version would be more likely to produce nightmares than pleasant dreams. Older readers will be able to appreciate that maturing is not necessarily a bad thing.
Rated by buyers 
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After watching "Finding Neverland" I decided to pick up a copy of the original story of Peter Pan. Simply put: its not the Disney version...its way better. Although much more gruesome than one would expect for a supposed "children's" book, the story of Peter Pan is exciting and fantastic, a journey on level with today's Harry Potter. What other story would you get an insanely jealous fairy named Tinkerbell (who knew?), a charmingly irritating boy who never grew up, and some brats named Wendy, John, and Michael who decided to embark on a journey other kids would drool over while leaving their parents worried sick? Throw in a couple of lost boys, a tick-tocking crodile, and the occassional pirate and "redskin" and you've got yourself one the best fantasies that your imagination has ever seen. I especially love the way the story is written, with Barrie writing as if he's telling it right subsequent to you, infusing the occassional thought or rant in the midst of describing Peter's adventures. Its beautifully done, with sophistication adults would appreciate and some plain 'ole fun kids would love. Parents may object to all the talk of killing and so forth but past all that, you've simply got yourself a great book. I definitely recommmend it and wish there was a sequel.
Rated by buyers -
Like "Tarzan of the Apes", I picked this up on a whim. It was only a dollar in a discount bin, so what the heck, right? Turns out to be a wonderful book, magical in a way that no movie can ever truly touch. And I generally prefer movies to books.
So what makes it so terrific? It's hard to explain unless you read it. Sufficient to say that it's much darker, much more fantastic, and just plain better than any version you've seen before though I've never seen the play so I can't say anything bad about that. Disney's animated film is a pale, pale immitation, and the recent live action version, while much better, still doesn't stand up against the book.
I think the narration is what won me over. The writer actually addressed the reader directly quite often, giving the sense of hearing a story, not just reading it. And every so often, the writer even whispers a thing or two to the characters in the story that should be silly but comes across as charming and whimsical.
But be warned. This is a dark story too. Not too dark, but more than the uninformed would expect from Peter Pan. But this is a classic for a reason, and if you're looking for a good story told well, you should definitely give it a look.
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