Pirates & Privateers: Dave Barry's and Ridley Pearson's Books

Once upon a time there was a boy who could fly, and his adventures with pirates gained such fame that everyone knew Peter Pan. Alas, J. M. Barrie, who wrote Peter’s tale, failed to answer such questions as to why Peter Pan could fly, how did the pirate captain acquire a hook for a hand, and from where did Tinkerbell come? Dave Barry, a writer of humor, and Ridley Pearson, who writes suspense, took on the task of answering those questions after Pearson’s daughter asked how Peter Pan met Captain Hook.

Peter and the Starcatchers opens in England where Peter and four other orphans find themselves bound for the docks to board Never Land, an “old and poorly kept” ship headed for Rundoon. Also aboard are Molly (daughter of an ambassador sailing on another vessel), Slank (who runs the ship because the captain is inept), and a mysterious chest. Unbeknownst to anyone on Never Land, someone else knows about that chest – Black Stache, the most feared pirate on the High Seas. He will do whatever is necessary to secure the treasure, no matter who gets in his way. But he isn’t the only one interested in the chest’s secrets, and Peter teams with Molly to protect its treasure.

If you read only one book this year, it should be this one. It is a rousing adventure filled with awesome magic and riveting twists and turns that keep you spellbound. Although 451 pages, the chapters average two to four pages in length, making it an excellent bedtime story or one parents and children can read aloud together instead of watching television. Greg Call’s drawings provide intricate glimpses of the story, and the black-&-white renderings provide the appropriate spice for whimsical intrigue, stormy seas, and vengeful pirate attacks. Peter and the Starcatchers is a memorable journey for all ages, and it answers all those questions J. M. Barrie left us to ponder in his classic tale of a boy who can fly and never ages.

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