Classic Starts®: Peter Pan

By J.M. Barrie, Dan Andreasen and Arthur Pober

“All children grow up. All except one.” That special child is Peter Pan, and since making his debut on the stage in 1904, this eternal youth has carried boys and girls off to magical, marvelous Neverland. It’s a trip that all kids want to make, and with this easy-to-read version of the classic, everyone can fly “second to the right, and straight on till morning” with Peter. Along with Wendy, John, and Michael Darling, they’ll meet the fairy Tinkerbell, the Lost Boys, and the menacing Captain Hook.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Union Square Kids
• Release date: Sep 18, 2009
• ISBN: 9781402772399

J.M. Barrie

J. M. (James Matthew) Barrie (1860--1937) was a novelist and playwright born and educated in Scotland. After moving to London, he authored several successful novels and plays. While there, Barrie befriended the Llewelyn Davies family and its five boys, and it was this friendship that inspired him to write about a boy with magical abilities, first in his adult novel The Little White Bird and then later in Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up, a 1904 play. Now an iconic character of children's literature, Peter Pan first appeared in book form in the 1911 novel Peter and Wendy, about the whimsical adventures of the eternal boy who could fly and his ordinary friend Wendy Darling.

Reviews for Classic Starts®

[schmerguls · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

23 (re-read) Peter Pan or The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up, by J. M. Barrie. This was on Starrett's 1955 list of "books which will live", and I forgot to check my list of books read and so read it. It seemed so familiar, but I did not think I had actually read it. But I did--tho probably not in play form, as this was. It is so saccharine, I really cannot say as an adult it is worth reading. (read Aug. 8, 1998)

[cbl_tn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Although the story was very familiar to me, I don’t recall ever reading the book before. I saw the Mary Martin version on TV as a child. It struck me this time around how odd the plot is, with everyone expecting Wendy to assume the role of mother to Peter and the Lost Boys. Things have changed in the century since this book was written. Infant and child mortality was a lot higher in the early 20th century than it is now. Women’s mortality from childbirth (or other causes) was also a lot higher then. Children who had lost their mothers, or who had friends or relations who had lost their mothers, might see themselves among the motherless children of Neverland. The story may not resonate with 21st century children in the same way, and that’s a good thing.

[vykic37 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Find this review and more at On The Shelf!I absolutely LOVE Tinkerbell, and I am ashamed to say I had never readPeter Panonly seen the Disney version, so I decided to change that and grabbed the audiobook from the library. I thought it was so good and I am glad I finally decided to read it. The language is much different from nowadays of course, but it was still really great. Well-written and very fun, Barrie created a marvelous story for kids and adults. The Neverland world is so creative and must have been such a pleasure for Barrie to write. A little bit of the humor slipped by me since it was written so long ago, but not much. I really enjoyed the reader as well, especially when he did the classic nasally Captain Hook voice we all know so well! The characters were really great as well. The lost boys were adorable and Peter was so stubborn. The only character I really didn’t care much for was the father because he was so incredibly whiny and at one point argued with the youngest child just like a little kid. I liked the way the story ended and I even saw a bunch of references from the movie Hook that I never knew were from the book. If you like classics, this is a must read book! Fun, well-written, wonderful classic, fast read, one for my library!

[rachellwin · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In this reading of the classic novel, Jim Dale does a great job of embodying the lively playfulness of Barrie's original novel. Wendy Darling, and her two brothers, John and Michael, are left alone with their nanny, a newfoundland named Nana, one night while their parents go to an important business dinner. While they are away, the Darling children receive a visit from Peter Pan, the boy who never grew up. Peter takes them to his home, Never Never Land, so that they never have to grow up either, and so that Wendy can be a mother to Peter and tell him stories. While there, the Darling children are involved in all sorts of adventures with Peter and his Lost Boys, culminating in a final battle with the terrible pirate Captain Hook before their return to their London home. But the Peter saga does not end there, with a promise of visits to Wendy and her children and grandchildren for the rest of time. Dale does all of the voices in the story, and has the range to capture the bossy caring of Wendy, the innocent wonder of Michael, the pompousness of John, and the sweet arrogance of Peter himself. The length of the audiobook (five hours), and the somewhat dense writing of Barrie makes this an ongoing project for many young listeners. However, the classic genius of the story, combined with the excellent reading by Dale make this audiobook a great addition to a library collection.

[librisissimo · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Substance: Peter Pan is not so charming in this book, with a disturbing psychological neurosis driving his refusal to grow up. Barrie's cynical interpolations in the novel version of his play give it a much darker and meaner aspect. Not a book I would give to children. A subversive fairy tale in the sense used by Jack Zipes about the 17th-18thc. French literary tales.Style: Deceptively borrows the style of Victorian children's literature, with snide asides to keep adults sniggering. See Hilaire Beloc's "Matilda Who Told LIes and Was Burned to Death" and P.L. Travers' "Mary Poppins" series.

[ctorstens · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Loved this as a child! I wanted to fly so much I was afraid to look over high bridges for fear I would jump off.

[girlwithafacee · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The sentences were not always clear in meaning, but given the age of the story it is understandable. Much to my surprise, I knew the story very well before reading. Disney (where I knew the story from) did not detour completely from the original story as usual. A very nice, quick read.

[fothpaul · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An odd little book. Short and sweet, but with some quite dark images. The character of Peter is very well imagined.

[angelarenea-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've always loved the story of Peter Pan and finally got around to reading the book. I think that it brought out the character of Peter more than I was used to and I really enjoyed that.

[bettesbooks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was so fun to read, my introduction to Peter Pan was in 1955 when Mary Martin did the TV presentation. This follows what I remember of the TV performance as I remember it. It brought back so many nice memories.

[danielstj · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

3.5

This was better than I expected. The ending brought it all full circle. A nice little touching piece with the theme of childhood intertwining with the yarn.

[crieder95 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Peter Pan is every child's dream world written onto paper. Barrie perfectly captures the "innocent and heartless" mind of a child in the book. I think for young readers they embrace the belief in Neverland and for young adults they will to believe it all to be true. The descriptive nature of Peter Pan causes students to visual Neverland and the world that it is in the books and in their minds. To weave together subjects in a class room I think Peter Pan is a great book to do so. In a reading class the students will be challenged to read this book but also hopefully enjoy it. Using the "second to the right and straight on till morning" directions students could apply this to geography and practicing directions with landmarks. For a science lessons students can be directed to look to the sky and find the constellations Peter Pan and the children's flight went through. Since Peter Pan is such a fun tale for students I think they would enjoy lessons shaped around the book.

[bzedan_2 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Man, I do not remember Barrie/Narrator being as angry and hateful during the end when I first read it. Issues.Way more fun than any version based on it, pretty much. More violent, more histrionic, more like children in general. We are simply beasts when we're young and I swear only folks from the that whole UK area are spiteful enough to capture that.

[kendrarenee · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A good old-fashioned fairy tale, perfect to help one "get away" from real life. And since Barrie's writing is so much more fanciful and creative than any movie could imitate, too, reading the book is more than worth it even if you know the story through and through. I'd like to have this on my shelf once I have kids...

[millsslave · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Peter Pan is a childhood favorite. I used to watch the movie so many times my dad had to make about five copies so I wouldn't ruin the original tape. I love the idea of Neverland and the Lost Boys. I think a part of everyone never truly wishes to grow up and take on adult responsibilites and Peter Pan represents this desire. One difference between the Disney animation and the book is the part involving the thimble and the kiss. Peter Pan misnames the two and believes a kiss is a thimble and visa versa.I think Peter Pan is a childhood favorite and classic for all.

[zohrab_5 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This copy is really beautifully done, the pictures are really beautiful. As far as the story, does it really need a review?

[mialro_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another strange story I list among my favorites and keep coming back to. I don't really think children can fully appreciate the story.

[ben_a_11 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I stopped reading after 50 pages -- a bit twee for me. Although I like that Tinker Bell (like all true fairies) is a rotter.

[nmhale_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A children's classic, much beloved by thousands of kids who have never even read the book (thanks to Disney and Tinkerbell). I finally got around to reading it and discovered that, unsurprisingly, the story was much more complex than the cartoon movie version might lead you to believe. We learn a lot more about the Darling family, including the mother and father who are just caricatures in the Disney version, and the theme of not wanting to grow up is fleshed out as Barrie examines the pros and cons of staying forever young. Peter Pan is at once the light-hearted and mischievous imp we all love, but he is also tragic in his eternal youth. Did you ever wonder what happened to the Lost Boys? Or what the family reunion was like when Wendy and her brothers finally return home? Or what became of Wendy as she inevitably grew older? Read the original to find out.The illustrations in this particular edition are gorgeous, one reason I sprang the extra money for a hardcover book. They capture the charm and wonder of Neverland, the whimsy of the story. A wonderful story on both fronts, and well deserving of being called a classic. *On a side note, I believe that the recent live action film version does a much better job of capturing the original spirit of the story.

[jami_leigh · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Plot: 3 stars
Characters: 3 stars
Style: 3 stars
Pace: 3 stars

Had a review, logging out by mistake ate it. Better than The Little White Bird only because the plot didn't meander quite as far at random, but not what I'd thought it would be. Disney definitely sanitized this, but instead of being shocked, all I could see was how weak Wendy constantly was. She could have been a puppet, for all the difference it made, being nothing more than a "mother" Mary figure. Still, it served the purpose it needed to for the story, so... there's that, at least.

[rosenstern · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Beautifully written. This book was exactly how I imagined it would be. A boy who refuses to grow up technically kidnaps a bunch of children and takes them to a land where they too can never grow up. Also there are pirates, mermaids and Native Americans, because if you can't find Native Americans in Neverland then where can you find them?

[kberryman44 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a timeless classic that will have any reader wishing they could be ten again. I found the major themes of the book to be about what it means to grow up, and the fear of losing your childhood wonder. Moreover, I have a very personal connection to this story as it was the one book I and my great grandmother loved to read together. Lastly, because this was originally a play the book really relies on dialogue and think it would be a wonderful to use it for readers theater within upper elementary.

[suavisvinum · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

still one of my favorite light reads. great book for anyone :D

[svnopa · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I obviously knew the story but never actually read the J.M. Barrie original until recently and was pleasantly surprised by what a great read it was. I think we tend to think of classic stories as known, boring and old-fashioned not realizing that there are reasons they became classics. The writing, as well as the story, of Peter Pan are magical weaving the reader into the story with the narration that is lyrical, witty and engaging. Tim Curry's reading on the audiobook is a treat. He plays the roles of narrator and characters well drawing listeners in to the magical story.

[elizajane_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was a tough one to read aloud. I read the book, to myself, several years ago but didn't really remember it all. If I had, I don't think I would have chosen to read it aloud. The first few chapters were rather boring and very old-fashioned. Once Peter entered the picture, the story picked up and ds became interested. But then once again, the narrative would seem to just go on and on about nothing until something happened in the plot every once and a while. I found the writing very didactic, conceited and smug and just downright difficult to read out loud. I could just imagine the author chuckling at how witty he thought himself. I have to say the 7yo enjoyed this much more than I. I asked him twice (once near the beginning and once at the mid-point) if he'd like me to stop reading this book and he said no. So he, at least, got something out of it. I have always enjoyed reading the classics to my children but have to say this is one that has not stood the test of time very well.

[aaronbaron_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Having been exposed to the adulterated Disney version at a young age, I found the original a wonderful surprise. The story is a meditation on the inevitability of loss and the unearthly, unsustainable price of innocence. Like all great children’s literature, this is hardly written for children at all. It is, in fact, a stern corrective for those adults who tend to wax nostalgic about childhood.

[katielovett · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

When I began reading Peter Pan, I was stunned at how much children's literature has changed since this book was written. I actually felt uncomfortable reading it to my kids. The author seems very much convinced that children should be seen and not heard, and the book says things like, "Children are such naughty creatures; they are selfish and only care for themselves. They should be thankful that adults are willing to love them." Well, that's paraphrasing, but these are the sorts of ideas the book puts forth. However, I don't think this book should be forgotten. It's a treasure of classic literature because it truly is an enchanting and wonderful tale. I recommend it for those who wish to expand their knowledge of classic literature, but not for a parent searching for a read-aloud bedtime tale.

[snapplechick · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In this classic tale of the boy who never grows old Wendy, is whisked away to Neverland to become the mother of aband of lost boys. She faces many adventures and dangers as she tries to take care of this group of rowdy boys. Great book.

[drewandlori · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I re-read this recently, and it was actually much better than I'd remembered from my childhood.

[tullae_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The most beautiful, delicately illustrated, unabridged edition I've ever seen. No need to comment on the content. Everyone knows how wonderful the story is.