Peter and the Secret of Rundoon by Dave Berry and Ridley Pearson (4/5 stars)

This is the final book in the Starcatchers trilogy by Berry and Pearson. It was a satisfying and very complete conclusion. It was also a fast-paced, fun read.

Peter is back on Mollusk island and trying to get settled in after his adventures in London. Unfortunately he doesn't have long before things start to go awry. The Mollusks are attacked by a vicious band of tribesmen called the Scorpions. Back in London, the Aster family is having their own issues. The mysterious contact that used to tip off the Starcatchers of imminent Starstuff falls has gone missing and the Starcatchers need to figure out why the Others are making it to the starstuff falls before they do. As Lord Aster leaves to meet with the other Starcatchers, Molly and George find out some interesting facts about Peter's past.

This book was very well written, a fun read, fast-paced and creative. I would have rated it higher, but despite it's perfection the characters never really drew me in. Towards the end of the book I was finding myself wanting it to wrap up and be done. It did wrap up nicely leaving everything just the way you would expect from the classic Peter Pan story. Maybe that was part of the issue; I already knew where the characters would end up at the beginning of the story. While the journey to the ending was interesting, sometimes the story was written with maybe a little too much perfection. It was a very Disney-like story, not surprising since this trilogy was backed by Disney.

Still, it was an enjoyable read. I am glad the trilogy is wrapped up though. I am not sure we need a whole bunch more books about Peter Pan; this trilogy was perfect in setting up his past. It was a fun creative ride and I am happy to have read the series. I will enjoy reading it to my son when he is a few years older (only 20 months right now). A very good book for kids.

Peter and the Shadow Theives by Dave Berry and Ridley Pearson (4/5 stars)

This is the second book about Peter and what happened to him before he met Wendy. It was very enjoyable, very well-written, and followed very much in the style and story type of the first book. If you liked the first one, you'll like this one.

A strange group of pirates lands on Mollusk island looking for the chest of starstuff that Peter and Molly had brought there. Of course, we know the starstuff has been returned to Londan. The pirates quickly find out and head off to London. Peter is concerned about one of the pirate crew Lord Ombra who appears to take over people through their shadows. He decides to accompany the pirates back to London in an effort to warn Molly about their intentions. But things aren't always that simple.

This was a fast-paced book, it was very well-written and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I look forward to reading the third and final book of the series. I was a little disappointed that the rest of the Lost Boys played such a small role in this book; but I guess these books are about Peter after all. This book also has a somewhat open ending that will hopefully be resolved in the third book.

Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Berry and Ridley Pearson (5/5 stars)

What happened before Peter Pan met Wendy? That's what Berry and Pearson try to address in this book. And it's a lot of fun to read about. This book is the first in a trilogy about the orphan Peter and the Starcatchers.

Peter and his orphan buddies are shipped off on a rickety old boat called the Neverland. They are going to be slaves to the king of far off country. Peter befriends a girl on the boat named Molly, who is a starcatcher. When Peter bumps into Molly near a mysterious trunk on the Neverland, things start to get crazy.

This book had lots of things that young children will love. Lots of action, pirates, falling stars, magic, and danger. It was a great book and a fun read. Some parts might be a bit scary for little kids. There is some walking the plank and people held at gunpoint; but it's all part of the wild adventure to obtain the magic trunk.

I look forward to reading the next book in this series!