Wendy Darling, Vol. 1: Stars

Gr 8 Up—Wendy Darling is miserable. Her father has just forbidden the 16-year-old from seeing her true love, she is fighting with her brother John, and little brother Michael is sobbing because their parents have gone out for the evening. She is shocked out of her anguish when a young man materializes in their midst—Peter Pan. Initially terrified, the siblings are soon captivated by the flying boy. Wendy finds him attractive, and when Peter offers to take them to Neverland, she agrees, feeling a spot of adventure will be a welcome diversion. This Peter Pan story may sound familiar, but the tale takes a darker turn when the children arrive on Pan Island in Neverland. The longer they stay on the island, the harder they find it to remember their former lives. It soon becomes apparent that Peter, far from a naive boy who won't grow up, is a cunning, manipulative leader. This is Neverland crossed with William Golding's Lord of the Flies; there is jealousy, anger, maliciousness, and death. And this Peter Pan is a young man who has his sinister sights set on Wendy. When she begins to remember her past and expresses a desire to return home, Peter turns cruel and abusive. During the rest of the action-packed novel, she tries to escape him and the dangers of the island with her brothers in tow.