The Bridge to Never Land

The Bridge to Never Land by Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson

I've enjoyed all four of Dave Barry's and Ridley Pearson's previous books in their "Starcatchers" series. They began it with Peter and the Starcatcher (now a Broadway play), which was a prequel to J. M. Barrie's classic Peter Pan, and explains how Peter became the boy who could fly, how Tinkerbell came to be, and how they and the Lost Boys came to Never Land. Each of the books is a fun read and I'd recommend them to anyone older than 11 or 12, adults included.

The Bridge to Never Land is a contemporary sequel to the series. It takes place in modern times as opposed to the early 20th century, years after the events of the previous four books. Sarah Cooper and her brother Aidan are playing around one day when they inadvertently discover a secret compartment in an old English desk their father bought at an auction. Inside the compartment is a document which is written in some sort of a code. A name mentioned in the document seems to ring a bell in Sarah's memory and she spends the night trying to figure out why it seems so familiar to her. Finally she remembers, it's the name of a character from a series of books she once read--the "Starcatchers" series.

As she and Aidan continue to study the document, they become more and more convinced that the events of the books were real; that Peter was real, that Hook was real, and that starstuff, the magical substance that periodically falls to earth and was collected and guarded by the Starcatchers was, and is real.

That conclusion is the beginning of an adventure, and to the discovery of the last remaining starstuff on earth. But as soon as they find the starstuff, they begin to be chased by the evil force that Peter and his allies had fought throughout the series--Lord Ombra. Their only chance is to find a way to get to Never Land and enlist the help once again of the boy who could fly.

This book is another great addition to the series and a fun continuation to Barry's and Pearson's take on the classic story.

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆