Peter and the Shadow Thieves

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Peter and the Shadow Theives

Author	Dave Barry, Ridley Pearson
Illustrator	Greg Call
Language	English
Publisher	Hyperion Books for Children
Released	July 2009
Pages	556(hardcover edition)
ISBN	ISBN 078683787X

Peter and the Shadow Thieves is a children's novel that was published by Hyperion Books, a subsidiary of Disney, in 2006. Written by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, the book continues the story of the orphan Peter, and outlines his latest adventures with the Starcatchers. This book also serves as a prequel to J.M. Barrie's novel Peter Pan and Wendy. It was illustrated by artist Greg Call.

This novel was preceded by Peter and the Starcatchers, a best-seller that was released in late 2004. The authors also say they plan a series of five Neverland-themed chapter books, two of which, Escape from the Carnivale and Cave of the Dark Wind, will be released by the end of 2006.

[edit] Plot

The book begins where we last left the orphan Peter - on the magical Mollusk Island, where he is just getting used to his new home, friends, and flying abilities. Adding to the trouble, Peter is pursued daily by Captain Hook, formerly Black Stache, who harbors great hatred toward the boy for cutting off his hand. When Peter sets off to hurl mangoes at Hook, he does not know his friend James has followed. James is soon captured by Hook for ransom, and Peter must shamefacedly seek the help of the Mollusk Tribe to regain James. Luckily, Black Stache is outsmarted, but Peter is only facing the beginnings of a greater evil - a slithering creature, half-man, half-shadow, has arrived on the island, and he too is seeking the covetous starstuff.

This creature is known as Lord Ombra, and is high up in the ranks of the Others who want to steal the starstuff. He is aided by Slank, who returns from the first book, and nose-less Captain Nerezza of the ship Le Fantome. Lord Ombra is a terrifying creature - he is able to render anybody into a useless state simply by taking their shadow, and he can also temporarily possess a person to read his thoughts. After causing great danger on Mollusk Island, Lord Ombra learns that the starstuff has been taken back to England by the great Starcatcher, Leonard Aster, father of Peter's friend Molly. Aster is going to dispose of the starstuff in a mysterious "Return" ceremony, so Ombra sets off on Aster's trail; what he does not know is that the boy Peter has overheard and witnessed Ombra's actions. Peter and the fairy Tinker Bell quickly follow Ombra.

After an arduous journey hidden in the sails of Le Fantome, Peter finally arrives in London. He has no idea where Molly could possibly live, and so he wanders aimlessly, getting into (and barely escaping) several scrapes. The pair finally arrives at Molly's mansion near the Kensington Gardens. But while Peter has been searching, Molly has been facing her own dangers. Her father has left abruptly to look after the great trunk of starstuff, and her house has been invaded by guards. Molly soon learns there are spies all around, even in the form of the maid, Jenna. One night, Jenna tries to murder Molly. Molly escapes only to find herself in the hands of Lord Ombra; Ombra he threatens to kill Molly's mother, Louise Aster, if Molly does not stop her father from "returning" the starstuff. In the most dire of moments, Molly is saved by Peter, who flies her out the window and to the house of her friend George Darling. Recently reunited with Molly, Peter is jealous of George, who seems to share his affections for the girl. But George does prove a great help to Peter and Molly - he hides them in his bedroom and keeps it a secret from his parents, even though Molly will tell him nothing.

Soon, Molly and Peter journey to London Tower, which Molly knows to be rich in Starcatcher secrets. While seeking help from a senior Starcatcher, Lord Ombra appears, once again trying to steal shadows and information, and killing the Starcatcher McGuinn. Molly and Peter search out a place to hide, and in the process they find a centuries-old Starcatcher meeting room. There, Molly finds a train schedule and learns her father has travelled to Salisbury. Accompanied by George, who refuses to help unless he is let in on the secret, Peter and Molly hurry to the Asters' country house in Salisbury. George, an avid astronomer, realizes that the Return is to take place on the night of the lunar eclipse, and the starstuff will be released at Stonehenge. But in trying to save her mother, Molly only endangers her father and threatens the Return of the starstuff. In a climactic struggle, with Peter coming out as the hero, Lord Ombra is destroyed by a flash of light, Leonard is healed, Louise Aster's shadow is saved, and the starstuff is successfully returned. Unfortunately, Peter is still an outcast, and cannot stay in England, even though he knows Molly is growing up. Peter returns to Never Land, the only place he truly fits in, and Molly and George stay in London.

The idea of the Shadow Thieves comes from the famous Peter Pan and Wendy scene, where Peter returns to the Darling house after losing his shadow. However, in Shadow Thieves, when one loses his shadow, he also loses all self-control. In Peter Pan and Wendy, Peter is able to function normally and even to fly without his shadow, which is more like a piece of cloth than a living thing.

[edit] Characters

Many of the characters from Peter and the Starcatchers are back for this sequel. However, a few characters are also mentioned in Peter Pan and Wendy, and some were created exclusively for Peter and the Shadow Thieves.

• Peter - Peter, because of exposure to starstuff, has gained the permanent ability to fly. Growing cocky from his new abilities, he torments Captain Hook. When Hook captures one of Peter's friends, Peter vows to become more mature. So, when he learns his friend Molly is in trouble back in London, he immediately sets out to save her. He is more than a little disturbed that she has a male friend named George Darling. Peter is accompanied in his adventures by his guardian Tinker Bell, a small fairy or "birdgirl", who is very protective of Peter.

• Molly - Molly Aster, daughter to the great Starcatcher Leonard Aster, returns for this book. When her father leaves to look after a great amount of starstuff, she is left behind as company for her mother. Soon Molly learns that her house is invaded by spies, and that the creature Lord Ombra wants to steal her family's shadows. Molly sets off with Peter to continue protecting the starstuff, even at the cost of her mother's life. Molly lives in a mansion near Kensington Gardens, and she is friends with George Darling.

• The Lost Boys - The Lost Boys (first called Lost Boys in Peter and the Shadow Thieves) were originally orphans from St. Norbert's Home for Wayward Boys. James is leader to Thomas, Prentice, and Tubby Ted when Peter is not around. The Lost Boys discover their undeground home in this book - they are also captured and nearly killed by Captain Hook, but manage to escape.

• Captain Hook - Captain Hook, formerly Black Stache, is a disgusting, filthy pirate, captain of the ship the Jolly Roger. As his left hand was cut off by Peter, he replaced it with a hook-shaped dagger, earning his nickname from Peter. Annoyed by Peter's constant teasing, Hook tries unsuccessfully to use the Lost Boys as a ransom. He can not bear to leave his newly-built fortress, for fear of being eaten by the crocodile, Mr. Grin.

• Slank - Mr. Slank is the evil sailor from the Never Land, returning from the first book. Slank is one of the "Others" who use starstuff corruptly, and he has joined forces with the creature Lord Ombra to avenge his humiliation by Peter. In Starcatchers, Slank had a sidekick named Little Richard. Slank had to kill Richard and eat him in order to survive for months in an adrift rowboat.

• Lord Ombra - Lord Ombra is the new villain in this novel. He is part man, part shadow, and he moves like liquid. He causes a chill to come over anyone he nears, because he is able to steal their shadow or possess them to read their thoughts. Ombra is afraid of the light, but it aids him in capturing shadows. He is one of the greater "Others". Lord Ombra is destroyed by a brilliant flash of light that breaks him into millions of tiny shadows. The name Ombra is derived from the French word for "shadow".

• Captain Nerezza - Nerezza is captain of the ship Le Fantome, and he is one of the "Others" who uses starstuff for evil. Nerezza takes Lord Ombra and Slank from England and back again in search of starstuff. One important feature of Nerezza is he has no nose - it was cut off in Africa, but replaced by a wooden nose carved from blackwood and held on with a leather strap. Nerezza is able to smell by lifting the false nose and breathing through a hole in his face. The name Nerezza is derived from the French word for "nose".

• George Darling - George Darling is Molly Aster's London friend, and he grows up to become the father of Wendy, John, and Michael. George apparently has feelings for Molly, but he finds her changed since she returned from her voyage at sea. He is very loyal, and allows even Peter to stay in his room without his parents' knowledge. George is most likely featured in this novel because in Disney's 1953 film, Mr. Darling mentions meeting Peter Pan "a long time ago, when I was very young".

• Lord Leonard Aster and Lady Louise Aster - Molly's parents are Leonard and Louise Aster, who live in a mansion near Kensington Gardens. Molly's father is an ambassador to King Zarboff III of Rundoon, but he is secretly one of the greatest Starcatchers. Leonard jeopardizes the mission of returning the starstuff at Stonehenge, because his wife and daughter are about to be killed. Leonard himself is shot in Shadow Thieves, but Peter heals him with a bit of starstuff. Louise Aster is Molly's mother, who is left behind with her daughter when her husband leaves to look after the starstuff. Lady Aster's shadow is stolen by Lord Ombra, and her corpse-like body is used to lure Molly out of hiding. Louise Aster's shadow is returned by the end of the novel.

[edit] Differences from Peter Pan and Wendy

Item (sorted by occurrance)	Peter and the Shadow Thieves	Peter Pan and Wendy
Explanation of Peter's parents	Peter is an orphan from St. Norbert's Home for Wayward Boys.	In Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens and Peter Pan and Wendy, Peter flys away when he is a baby and has adventures in Kensington Gardens.
Origin of Peter's surname	Not explained.	Not explained in the novel, but J.M. Barrie was known to have named him after the Greek woodland god Pan.
Peter's appearance	Peter is described as orange-haired and blue-eyed, approximately twelve years old (this was also stated during production of the Disney film), and dressed in rags.	He is said to be a beautiful boy, dressed in leaves and "the juices that flow from trees'. He has a sweet smile that is somewhat bewitching to mothers, because he still has all his baby teeth (which suggests a very young age).
Peter's personality	Peter always tries to be best, but he feels a great sense of responsibility for his friends, and thinks he needs to be more mature. He is also attracted to girls, particularly Molly and the mermaid Teacher. Peter is sad that his friends are growing older and he is not, and wishes he could age along with him.	Peter is very careless. He spends his time on adventures and play, and he never feels guilty for anything. He is somewhat bossy and described as extremely cocky. He never notices that he is adored by Wendy Darling, Tiger Lily, Tinker Bell, and the mermaids, because he views them more as mother figures. Peter has a fierce hatred of growing up, so he decides he never will.
Explanation of the Lost Boys	The Lost Boys (first called the Lost Boys are orphans from St. Norbert's Orphanage who were shipwrecked on Neverland. Their names are James, Thomas, Prentice, and Tubby Ted.	They were the children who fell out of their carriages in Kensington Gardens. If they were not claimed within seven days, they were sent to Neverland to defray expenses. There have been many Lost Boys, but the current ones are named Tootles, Nibs, Slightly, Curly, and First and Second Twin.
Explanation of flight	Starstuff, a greenish powder found from stars, allows people to fly in limited amounts. Peter gained permanent flying ability by over-exposure to starstuff.	To fly, one must think happy thoughts and have access to fairy dust. According to Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, Peter had bird ancestry, which allowed him to fly away from home. Later, the fairies helped him fly.
Lost Boys' ability to fly	They cannot fly on their own, and they do not possess enough starstuff to fly.	The Lost Boys are able to fly, like Peter, without fairy dust. They only lose their ability to fly when the grow up.
Explanation of never aging	Peter was mutated by over-exposure to starstuff.	According to Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, he escaped from growing up at the age of seven days. In Peter Pan and Wendy, Peter simply refused to grow up.
Explanation of Neverland and its magic nature	Neverland is a physical island that can be reached by ship. Starstuff is responsible for all the strange creatures and conflicts in Neverland.	Neverland is a metaphor for a child's make-believe and dreams, which also contribute to the island and its magic.
Peter's arrival in Neverland	Peter is shipwrecked on the island.	Peter flies to Neverland after being "abandoned" by his mother.
Captain Hook's appearance	Described as greasy and dirty, with a pock-marked face, black eyes and terrible breath, rotten brown teeth, and a long stringy mustache and hair.	Captain Hook is a tidy and dandified gentleman, with bright blue eyes, shiny dark curls, and a swarthy complexion. He copies the clothing of king Charles II.
Captain Hook's personality	Black Stache tries to terrorize his crew by yelling, insulting them and calling them "idjits".	Although Captain Hook is often melancholy, he terrifies his crew by simply looking at them. He often thins them out with his hook.
Captain Hook's hand	Left hand was accidentally cut off by Peter, and replaced by a hook fashioned from a sharpened dagger.	Right hand was purposely cut off by Peter, and replaced by an iron claw.
Smee's appearance and status	He is described as a bare-footed, fat, squat little man with very tan skin. He wears a striped wool shirt and blue pants, the outfit worn in Disney's 1953 film. He is Black Stache's first mate of one year. Captain Hook generally calls him a "supreme idjit".	Appearance not described, apart from wearing spectacles. He is Irish, and Captain Hook's bo'sun. (Captain Hook's first mate was Gentleman Starkey.)
Captain Hook's island hideout	Hook lives on the island in a palm tree/bamboo fortress, complete with an opening gate. He uses his fortress to live in and to hide from the crocodile.	No land dwelling is named; Hook lives in the cabin of his ship, the Jolly Roger.
Name and nature of Indian tribe	It is named the Mollusk tribe, after the abundance of seafood available on the island. They are extremely opposed to Englishmen, due to their leader's previous bad experiences.	The tribe is named the Piccaninny Tribe, after a nickname for Australian natives. They are a primitive, warlike people, who are very experienced warriors.
Appearance of Indians	They appear and are dressed like Pacific Islanders. They have seafood names (e.g. Fighting Prawn).	They are usually called redskins, and resemble American Indians - they have "naked bodies that gleam with paint and oil". They have parodied names (e.g. Great Big Little Panther).
Ruler of Indian Tribe	The unofficial ruler is Fighting Prawn, because he knows how to speak English and has experience with the outer world. Fighting Prawn has a daughter named Shining Pearl, who is kidnapped by Lord Ombra.	No chief is named, but Tiger Lily is the Indian princess.
Birth and appearance of Tinker Bell	A small green bird is immersed in a bag of starstuff, mutating into a fairy the crew names Tinker Bell. Tinker Bell can speak bird and certain dialects of monkey. She prefers being called a "birdgirl", out of respect to her heritage. Tinker Bell is fiercely loyal to Peter, and hates when he is upset, although she dislikes any attention he pays to other girls, especially the "big fat grouper" mermaids and the "fat cow" Molly. Tinker Bell is sometimes able to emit a bright flash of light that helps Peter get away from villains, but it usually exhausts her and sometimes renders her unconscious.	Tinker Bell, like all other fairies, was born either from the shattered laugh of the first baby, or from the first laugh of a new baby. She wears a dress made from a leaf, and glows white. Tink does not have any mentioned talents, apart from being able to mend pots and kettles. Tinker Bell is very vain, and particularly snobbish to everyone but Peter. Tink also apparently delights in Peter's tears.
Peter's home on the island	He is told by the Mollusks how to create a natural house made of twisted branches and trees. Later, the orphan Tubby Ted discovers an underground cave made of hardened lava.	how trees. Peter later moves to a treehouse.
Nature of shadows	Shadows are somehow attached to a person's soul - Lord Ombra is able to read a person's thoughts and feel their pain if he steals their shadow. Without a shadow, humans are reduced to a corpse-like, mind-controlled state. Shadows are able to struggle and move on their own, and by the end of the book they find their way back to their owners.	A shadow is inanimate, and similar to a piece of fabric - Mrs. Darling hangs it out the window at first, but she says it looks "so like the washing". Wendy attaches Peter's lost shadow by sewing it on to his foot. Peter is completely active without his shadow, possessing all his thoughts and even retaining the ability to fly. Peter's shadow was not stolen in this book, but snapped off in the Darlings' window.
Appearance of George Darling	George Darling is a fourteen-year-old friend of Molly who lives near Kensington Gardens. George is tall and lanky, with sandy blond hair, brown eyes, and huge ears. George went to Harrow boarding school when he was younger, where he played rugby, learned Old English, and studied astronomy. George is a great help to Molly, and is in turn let in on the secrets of the Starcatchers and Shadow Thieves.	George is the father of the three Darling children. He instantly fell in love with and married his wife, Mary. Nothing is mentioned about George Darling's childhood - he was never mentioned to have attended boarding school, and it is never hinted that he knew anything about Peter Pan or starstuff. He may or may not know about stolen shadows, because he at first ridicules the idea, but becomes more thoughtful when his wife shows him Pan's shadow. As for his appearance, he is usually depicted with dark hair, because he is generally played by the same actor who plays Captain Hook.
Origin of "Second to the right, and straight on till morning"	Referenced in the directions to Molly's house - Peter is told that Molly's house is on the "second path to the right".	Peter makes up this address for Neverland to impress Wendy Darling.