Book #4 - A Singular Blog

Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Peterson is a treasure! In a time when young adult fiction features angsty teenagers falling in love with "vegetarian" vampires and other selections go for the shock value of dropping f-bombs and other "realistic" teen situations, This novel (part one of a series) is a refreshing escape.
Granted, the novel is written for a target audience younger than the audience intended for the vampires and potty mouths...but it can be an enjoyable read for any age. (And I know for a fact that many kids entirely too young for some of the previous mentioned novels are reading them. I had an eleven year old ask me to explain to them why Edward bit the pillow in book 4...my response? "Go ask your mother.")
As of October 2009, the Starcatchers series has four titles, of which this is the first chronicling the events that lead us to the familiar and charming story of Peter Pan and his Lost Boys' Adventures in Neverland. Peter and the Starcatchers is an excellent beginning and does honor to the original works inspiring it.
This book has it all - swashbuckling adventure, fantastical magic, good guys, bad guys, wild animals, pirates, mermaids and even a little romance...and it's all kid-friendly. Parents, this is one worth reading with or to your children without fear of inappropriate content. (The most scandalous thing is probably that Black Stache (the pirate who will eventually become Captain Hook - I have no doubt) has a set of sails made by a women's undergarment manufacturer - and they look like a giant corset/brassiere. (Illustrations included.)
Overall - A great fun read for kids of all ages...for the Peter Pan in us all.