Read Aloud Suggestion: Peter and the Sword of Mercy

Peter and the Sword of Mercy (Starcatchers)

It’s been some time since I wrote about things I am reading, but if you are on the search for a good read-aloud for young and slightly older kids (mine are 5,9 and 11), the I would recommend any of the books in the Peter and the Starcatchers series. This collection is written by Dave Barry (yep, that Dave Barry) and Ridley Pearson and retells the story of Peter Pan in an incredibly rich and exciting way.

Basically, the book centers on magical Starstuff that falls from the sky and the battle between the good people (Starcatchers) and the bad (the Others) as they try to either keep the magic safe or use it for nefarious means. There are plenty of spooky scenes and characters. Although the books are published by Disney, the stories are not saccharine sweet. There is a menacing undercurrent through the stories.

What my own kids love is the multiple storylines that weave in and out of the books and the cliffhangers that end every chapter. They are always begging me to keep reading, which is good news when you have boys, right?

The latest book in the series — Peter and the Sword of Mercy — is just as good as the previous batch (which includes two shorter novels that center only on the Lost Boys and Captain Hook on Neverland Island). In this novel, the plot revolves around the broken tip of sword by Charlemagne, which can be used to open up a treasure trove of starstuff. Oh, and the new king of England is being controlled by the others. Plus, Molly — who helped Peter in the earlier books but is now a mother to three kids — has been kidnapped, and her daughter — Wendy — needs to help her.

The female characters here are just as strongly formed as the male ones, and in the earlier books, it was Molly who was the brains, smarts and courage of the adventures, while Peter was a flying boy (too much Starstuff ingested, in case you are wondering) with big ideas.

Peace (in Neverland),
Kevin

One Comment
  1. I absolutely love this series! A fourth grade teacher got me hooked on these awhile back and I had no idea another one had been published. Thank you for posting this! Off I go to get this book!

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