Peter and the Secret of Rundoon

October 1, 2007
Gr 4 Up-Hang on to your hats, because the conclusion to this trilogy is a fast-moving roller-coaster ride. Once again, Lord Ombra surfaces as leader of the Others, but this time readers are dragged into the hot desert land of Rundoon. Orphan boys work as slaves for villainous King Zarboff, and if they don't obey, his enormous pet snake makes a snack of them. The fate of the world is left not only to Peter; all of the characters from the series play major roles in the final outcome as well. Tinker Bell plays a pivotal role, and, through her actions, readers see what this little dynamo is really made of. The end of the book reads like an action-packed movie, switching scenes back and forth as the story crosses paths between Rundoon and the island where the Mollusks have been captured by a vicious, warring tribe known as the Scorpions. One of the most intellectually engaging scenes is Lord Ombra's explanation of how the world came into existence. Two questions remain unanswered. Why was Hook taken by the Others in the first place, and what happened to Peter's parents? The story line fizzles out regarding their existence or demise. Kids who haven't read the first two books might have trouble following this one, but for fans of the series, this is a fun, intense, and totally worthwhile adventure."Robyn Gioia, Bolles School, Ponte Vedra, FL"

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2007
Peter discovers his identity and saves the universe from being taken over by a villain in this sweeping conclusion to the Starcatchers trilogy, the imagined backstory for James Barries Peter Pan. With cinematic action, short chapters, and a breathless pace, this suspenseful adventure stands on its own, but it will be more rewarding for those who recognize the ingredients of Barries tale. Peter, Molly Aster and her Starcatcher father, Tinker Bell, Captain Hook, and the boys from Peters orphanage end up together in the imaginary kingdom of Rundoon, where a mad scientist is attempting to use starstuff to return the universe to its primordial darkness. The authors heighten suspense by alternately focusing ona desert adventure and events on Peters island, where the Mollusk tribe has been conquered by dark humanforces. The magical starstuff allows carpets, camels, the ship, and even the orphan lost boys to fly, and theres somesatisfying middle-school humor involving camel turds and an indiscriminately greedy snake. A clever, melodramatic, and enjoyable finale.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2008
This conclusion to the Starcatchers trilogy, which features Peter Pan and other characters from the familiar Barrie tale, is packed with action as Peter engages in the ultimate battle between light and darkness to protect the human race. Despite 400-plus pages of adventure, none of the characters except the sassy Tinkerbell is more than two-dimensional, leaving the story feeling hollow.

(Copyright 2008 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)