Peter and the Shadow Thieves facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Dave Barry Ridley Pearson |
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| Illustrator | Greg Call |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Hyperion Books for Children |
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Publication date
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July 2006 |
| Pages | 592 |
| ISBN | 0-7868-3787-X |
| OCLC | 62895834 |
| LC Class | PZ7.B278 Pdh 2006 |
| Preceded by | Peter and the Starcatchers |
| Followed by | Peter and the Secret of Rundoon |
Peter and the Shadow Thieves is an exciting adventure novel for young readers. It was published in 2006 by Hyperion Books, which is part of The Walt Disney Company. The book was written by humorist Dave Barry and novelist Ridley Pearson.
This book is a sequel to Peter and the Starcatchers. It continues the thrilling story of Peter, an orphan boy, and his adventures with the Starcatchers. The "Starcatchers" series tells an epic tale of good versus evil. It uses characters and ideas from J. M. Barrie's classic story Peter and Wendy, but with a new twist. The book features amazing drawings by artist Greg Call.
The series continues with Peter and the Secret of Rundoon, Peter and the Sword of Mercy, and The Bridge to Never Land. Hyperion also released shorter chapter books by the same authors. These books share fun daily stories about the Lost Boys.
Contents
The Story of Peter and the Shadow Thieves
This book starts three months after the first one, Peter and the Starcatchers. Peter, James, Thomas, Prentiss, and Tubby Ted now live on an island. Tinker Bell, a small fairy, watches over Peter. The pirates, led by Black Stache (now called "Captain Hook"), have built a fort.
New Dangers Arrive
Around this time, a ship called Le Fantome arrives at Mollusk Island. Its captain is Nerezza, and he is joined by the angry Slank. A dark, mysterious being named Lord Ombra is also with them. During a fight between Hook and Peter, Ombra's group confronts the Mollusk tribe. They want to find the special Starstuff that was once on the island. Ombra figures out that the Starstuff was taken by Lord Aster and the Starcatchers. So, the group leaves the island and sails for England. Peter sees this and decides he must warn Molly Aster. He secretly gets on their ship with Tinker Bell.
Peter's Journey to London
In London, the Asters get a warning from dolphins about Ombra. Leonard Aster, Molly's father, quickly moves the Starstuff to a secret place. He leaves new guards for Molly and her mother, Louise. Meanwhile, Ombra finds Peter on the ship. Peter pretends to fall overboard to escape, then flies back on. When they reach London, Peter and Tinker Bell try to find the Aster mansion. They get lost in the big city. A police officer captures Peter, and a bird seller catches Tink. But Tink escapes and saves Peter from a court hearing. They keep looking for the Aster mansion.
The Attack on the Aster Home
Slank, Nerezza, and Ombra plan to attack the Aster house. Ombra takes control of the new guards. Slank realizes Peter is in London and thinks he will cause trouble. Later, the bad guys break into the Aster home. Jenna, a housemaid working with them, makes the staff sleep. She threatens Molly with a knife. Slank and others kidnap Louise, Molly's mother. Ombra heads for Molly's room.
With help from J. M. Barrie, Peter finds Molly. Molly realizes Ombra can possess people by touching their shadows. She blows out the candles to make it dark. They barely escape Ombra. They hide in the room of Molly's friend, George Darling. They decide to find Leonard Aster.
Secrets and Stonehenge
Peter and Molly visit the Tower of London at night. This is where the Keep, a secret Starcatcher hideout, is located. They talk to Mr. McGuinn, another Starcatcher. But Ombra, Slank, and others break in. McGuinn is killed, but Molly and Peter escape. George helps them figure out that Aster went to Salisbury. The three take a train and find him there. Aster is not happy they came, but he learns about the situation. He also hears about a ransom for Louise. Aster tells them the Starstuff "Return" (sending it back to the heavens) will happen that night. He makes them stay in the house.
Molly then remembers that Ombra touched McGuinn's shadow. She realizes Ombra might know about the Return and that it's in danger. George learns about the Starcatchers. He remembers there's a lunar eclipse that night. He realizes the Return site is Stonehenge. The three escape the house and fly to Stonehenge.
The Final Battle
At Stonehenge, Aster and another Starcatcher, Magill, are attacked by Ombra, Slank, and Nerezza. Aster is shot while protecting a possessed Louise. Slank almost kills Peter. Molly and George pull the Asters to safety. Tink, Magill, and Magill's bear, Karl, fight off the bad guys. Peter stays behind to reopen the Starstuff box before time runs out. Ombra touches Peter's shadow, and they have a fierce mental battle. Peter manages to open the box, sending the Starstuff back to the heavens. The bright light seems to destroy Ombra. It also frees Louise and others from his control. Slank and the others are forced to run away. A few days later, Peter says goodbye to the Asters and George. He then flies back to Mollusk Island.
Captain Hook's Revenge
While Peter was in London, Captain Hook and his pirates captured James, Thomas, Prentiss, and Tubby Ted. Hook wanted to get revenge on Peter. With some help from first mate Smee and island monkeys, the boys escape their cage. Peter arrives and opens the fort gates for them. He then hits Hook in the face with a mango, ending the book.
Main Characters
Many characters from Peter and the Starcatchers return in this book. Some characters are also from Peter Pan and Wendy, while others were created just for Peter and the Shadow Thieves.
- Peter can now fly forever and never gets older because of the Starstuff. He has red hair. Peter becomes a bit too confident and teases Captain Hook. But when Hook captures his friend James, Peter decides to become more responsible. When he learns Molly is in danger, he immediately goes to save her. He is a little bothered that Molly has a male friend named George Darling. Peter is always with his guardian, Tinker Bell, a small fairy. She is very protective of him.
- Tinker Bell was once a green-and-yellow bird. She became Peter's guardian after being in a bag of Starstuff. Molly's father, Lord Leonard Aster, made her Peter's guardian. She dislikes being called a fairy and prefers "birdwoman" because it honors her past. She is very protective of Peter. She gets very jealous if Peter pays attention to other girls. She calls the mermaid, Teacher, "a big fat grouper" and hopes she gets eaten by an octopus. She calls Molly Aster "a stupid fat cow". Tinker Bell can make a very bright light. This helps Peter many times against Lord Ombra, but it often makes her very tired or even faint.
- Molly Aster is the daughter of the great Starcatcher Leonard Aster. She looks like her mother, with long brown hair, but has her father's bright green eyes. People in London think she is beautiful but also unusual. She is not interested in what other girls her age like. Her mind seems to always be thinking of something else. When her father leaves to move Starstuff to a safe place, Molly stays with her mother. Soon, Molly learns that spies have invaded her house. She finds out that Lord Ombra wants to steal her family's shadows. Molly sets off with Peter to keep protecting the Starstuff, even if it means risking her mother's life. Molly lives in a large house near Kensington Gardens. She is a childhood friend of George Darling. They both seem to have feelings for each other, but they don't know how to show them. It is also hinted that she has feelings for Peter.
- The Lost Boys were originally orphans from St. Norbert's Home for Wayward Boys. James leads Thomas, Prentiss, and Tubby Ted when Peter is not around. In this book, the Lost Boys find their underground home. They are also captured and almost killed by Captain Hook, but they manage to escape.
- Captain Hook, who used to be Black Stache, is a dirty pirate. He is the captain of the ship, the Jolly Roger. Peter cut off his left hand, so he replaced it with a hook-shaped dagger. This is how he got his new nickname from Peter. Hook is annoyed by Peter's constant teasing. He tries to use the Lost Boys to get revenge on Peter, but he fails. He is afraid to leave his new fort because of the huge crocodile, Mr. Grin.
- Mr. Slank is an evil sailor from the Never Land. He returns from the first book. Slank is one of the "Others" who use Starstuff for bad purposes. He has joined forces with Lord Ombra to get revenge on Peter. In Starcatchers, Slank had a helper named Little Richard. Slank had to kill Richard and eat him to survive for months in a small boat. What happens to Slank after the fight with the Starcatchers is not known.
- Lord Ombra is the new main villain in this novel. He is Peter's biggest enemy. He is part man and part shadow, and he moves like liquid. Anyone near him feels a chill. He can steal shadows or take control of people to read their thoughts and make them his slaves. Ombra is afraid of light, but light also helps him capture shadows. He is one of the more powerful "Others". Lord Ombra is destroyed by a bright flash of light that breaks him into millions of tiny shadows. The name Ombra comes from the Italian word for "shadow".
- Captain Nerezza is the captain of the ship Le Fantome. He is one of the "Others" who use Starstuff for evil. Nerezza takes Lord Ombra and Slank from England and back again to find Starstuff. Nerezza has no nose; it was cut off in Africa. He has a wooden nose carved from blackwood, held on with a leather strap. Nerezza can smell by lifting his false nose and breathing through a hole in his face. The name Nerezza comes from the Italian word for "blackness".
- George Darling is Molly Aster's friend in London. He grows up to be the father of Wendy, John, and Michael. George seems to have feelings for Molly. He finds her changed since she returned from her sea voyage. He is very loyal. He even lets Peter stay in his room without his parents knowing. George is likely in this book because at the end of Disney's 1953 film, Mr. Darling hints that he met Peter Pan "a long time ago, when I was very young".
- Lord Leonard Aster and Lady Louise Aster are Molly's parents. They live in a large house near Kensington Gardens. Molly's father is an ambassador to King Zarboff III of Rundoon. But he is secretly one of the greatest Starcatchers. Leonard almost puts the Starstuff mission at Stonehenge in danger because his wife and daughter are about to be killed. Leonard is shot in Shadow Thieves, but Peter heals him with a bit of Starstuff. Louise Aster is Molly's mother. She stays with her daughter when her husband leaves to protect the Starstuff. Lord Ombra steals Lady Aster's shadow. Her body is then used to trick Molly out of hiding. Lady Louise Aster's shadow is returned by the end of the book.
- Mr Magill is a Starcatcher who owns tame wolves and a tame bear. He can talk to them and uses them to protect a home owned by the Starcatchers. He also helps keep the "Others" away while Peter finishes the Return. He also appears in Sword of Mercy and is mentioned in Bridge to Never Land.
- J.M. Barrie is a kind young man who saves Peter from a group of bullies in London. In Bridge to Never Land, it is revealed that Barrie wrote his Peter Pan stories within the world of the series. This suggests he somehow met the Starcatchers and learned a somewhat true version of their story. The book does not explain how this happened.
- Mr. McGuinn is an older Starcatcher. He is a friend and teacher to Leonard.
At one point in the book, the authors introduce J.M. Barrie. He gives Peter directions to Molly's house. He says, “You want the second path to the right, then straight on ‘till you see a row of fine mansions." This is a fun nod to the directions to Neverland in Peter and Wendy: "Second to the right and straight on till morning."
Differences from the Stories by J.M. Barrie
For more information, see Peter and the Starcatchers#Differences from the works of Barrie.
Images for kids
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First edition cover of Peter and the Shadow Thieves
