Books Like Peter and Wendy
Few other cultural icons have become as endearing and well-known as Peter Pan, the mischievous young boy from Neverland, created by J. M. Barrie. Peter and Wendy, the 1911 novel by Barrie, is without a doubt his most famous work and the story has been consistently adapted into other media over the years. From both live-action and animated motion pictures, to stage musicals, television and even ballets, the boy who wouldn't grow up continues to captivate audiences of all ages. Over the years, Peter Pan, as well as Neverland and its inhabitants, have appeared in many other works of fiction. Although the original novel is still a favorite for many readers, here are a few more books like Peter and Wendy.
Peter Pan in Scarlet
by Geraldine McCaughrean
Peter Pan in Scarlet by Geraldine McCaughrean is a 2006 novel with the distinction of being the first-ever authorized sequel to the original J. M. Barrie story. In 1929, Barrie gave the copyright to Great Ormond Street Hospital, a children's hospital in Britain to help support the institution. However, the Special Trustees of Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital only launched a worldwide search in 2004 to determine who would have the honor of writing the official sequel. Geraldine McCaughrean, a multi-award-winning author herself, went on to write the book and use the 1930s as the setting. She also used a writing style that is very similar to Barrie's for the book, which meant that the characters remain true to the original story.
Peter Pan and the Only Children
by Gilbert Adair
Peter Pan and the Only Children is an interesting 1987 novel by Gilbert Adair. He wrote it as an unauthorized prequel to the story by J. M. Barrie and it features Peter along with a different group of Lost Boys. In this novel, Peter and the Lost Boys live under the ocean and they get their new recruits from children who jumped overboard from passing ships. Peter Pan and the Only Children features plenty of unique adventures for Peter and the Lost Boys, and even Captain Hook makes an appearance for a duel.
Wendy
by Karen Wallace
Anyone who was puzzled why the Darling children would be so eager to fly away with Peter Pan should check out Wendy by Karen Wallace. The novel was published in 2005 and it is aimed at young adults who want to read more about Wendy's side of the story. In this novel, it is revealed that Wendy is intrepid, outspoken, and willful, which means that she is frequently in trouble, much to the dismay of her parents. However, her parents are not exactly great at their duties either as they often leave their children in the care of their cruel nanny while hosting glamorous parties. It is definitely a darker book than Peter and Wendy, but still an interesting read.
The Lost Girls
by Laurie Fox
The Lost Girls is a 2004 unauthorized sequel novel by Laurie Fox that is aimed at older fans of Peter and Wendy. The novel explores what happened to the descendants of Wendy Darling after her encounter with Peter Pan. It turns out that every one of the girls' descendants from the original Wendy ends up meeting Peter Pan when they reach their early teens. Like the original Wendy, they are whisked off to Neverland and fall in love with Peter Pan but eventually have to deal with growing up and facing reality again. Things change when Wendy Darling Braverman, the great-granddaughter of the original Wendy has to come to terms with the experiences that she had, while also seeing the effect it has on her own daughter, Berry.
Tigerheart
by Peter David
Tigerheart by Peter David was published in 2009 and it is very much a re-imagining of the original tale by J. M. Barrie. David uses a mixture of old and new characters for Tigerheart and, much like the original, it is told as a Victorian bedtime story. It is the story of Paul Dear, who grew up with stories that his father told him about Peter Pan and Neverland, referred to as "The Boy" and "Anyplace" in this novel. Tragedy strikes the Dear family when Paul's baby sister dies, which has a devastating effect on his mother. This prompts Paul to take matters into his own hands and venture to Anyplace in an effort to find a new baby sister.
Alias Hook
by Lisa Jensen
Alias Hook is a 2014 novel by Lisa Jensen that uses Captain James Benjamin Hook as the protagonist. In her version of the story, Hook is trapped in Neverland where he is cursed to forever be the villain. He is seemingly doomed to repeat this cycle forever, but then a grown woman, named Stella Parrish, manages to dream her way to Neverland. However, this is in defiance of the rules enforced by Peter Pan, which means that he and his warrior boys will hunt her down. Hook is hopeful that she might be his only chance for redemption and release from his curse or else he will be forced to continue the never-ending game. With Alias Hook, Lisa Jensen has crafted an adult fairy tale for all Peter Pan fans who think that Captain Hook deserved better.
