In 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.
Sea or Islands