of "flying boys" and talking mice
The last Peter Pan paraliterature I read was Peter Pan in Scarlet sometime ago, which was good, but not great in my opinion. Last month, somehow, somewhere on the web I stumbled over Another Pan by Daniel and Dina Nayeri. It is a peculiar fantasy blending original Egyptian mythology with the story of Peter Pan set in comtempory Manhattan.
"Sixteen-year-old Wendy Darling and her insecure freshman brother, John, are hitting the books at the Marlowe School. But one tome consumes their attention: THE BOOK OF GATES, a coveted Egyptian artifact that their professor father believes has magical powers. Soon Wendy and John discover that the legend is real-when they recite from its pages and descend into a snaking realm beneath the Manhattan school. As the hallways darken, and dead moths cake the floor, a charismatic new R.A. named Peter reveals that their actions have unleashed a terrible consequence: the underworld and all its evil is now seeping into Marlowe." (Goodreads)
I got about two thirds through the book before calling it quits. While the plot was what had originally caused me to check out Another Pan, the demon-nurse and myth/spiritual parts were not my cup of tea, and I was never completely drawn in. I liked Wendy for the first 100 pages or so, and then I didn't. She wanted to be with Peter one moment, yet no she shouldn't; and having her popular boyfriend be the cause for her indecision instead of her family and home like in Barrie's story didn't cut it for me. John was just plain annoying. There were some moments when I liked Peter, such when I caught glimpses of the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up, but overall he disappointed me. While there was a spark between him and Wendy, I couldn't understand what they saw in each other. The best thing about the book was how cleverly the concepts of "happy thoughts" and the Lost Boys were handled.
On the other hand, I completely fell in love with several of the books from the series of The Rescuers by Margery Sharp (written in the late 50s to 70s). These are what the Disney films is based on. And what marvelous stories they are! Unlike Another Pan, there is heart and substance in Sharp's books. Miss Bianca is as charming, kind, and adventurous as in the films, yet she always enjoys returning to her comfortable, high social life after each mission. Sharp's Bernard is not as clumsy or afraid as in the films -- rather he is brave, determined, and devoted; his fear comes from worrying about Miss Bianca's safety. In one book when she claims she will accept an assignment, he leaps to his feet with a shout of, "Not without me you won't!" A far cry from the stuttering little mouse who reluctantly sets off with Miss Bianca to rescue Penny and Cody. His devotion to Miss Bianca is precious, and the reader's heart goes out to him upon learning she has claimed to be able to give him only friendship seventeen times. *SQUEE* The adventures they embark upon are very interesting, with them traveling from a Black Castle to free a poet, to the salt mines to rescue a little boy. The illustrations, writing, plots, characters are all fantastic. *sigh* There are not books like this written anymore, sadly. Track the series down if you can. They are a treat. :D
"Sixteen-year-old Wendy Darling and her insecure freshman brother, John, are hitting the books at the Marlowe School. But one tome consumes their attention: THE BOOK OF GATES, a coveted Egyptian artifact that their professor father believes has magical powers. Soon Wendy and John discover that the legend is real-when they recite from its pages and descend into a snaking realm beneath the Manhattan school. As the hallways darken, and dead moths cake the floor, a charismatic new R.A. named Peter reveals that their actions have unleashed a terrible consequence: the underworld and all its evil is now seeping into Marlowe." (Goodreads)
I got about two thirds through the book before calling it quits. While the plot was what had originally caused me to check out Another Pan, the demon-nurse and myth/spiritual parts were not my cup of tea, and I was never completely drawn in. I liked Wendy for the first 100 pages or so, and then I didn't. She wanted to be with Peter one moment, yet no she shouldn't; and having her popular boyfriend be the cause for her indecision instead of her family and home like in Barrie's story didn't cut it for me. John was just plain annoying. There were some moments when I liked Peter, such when I caught glimpses of the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up, but overall he disappointed me. While there was a spark between him and Wendy, I couldn't understand what they saw in each other. The best thing about the book was how cleverly the concepts of "happy thoughts" and the Lost Boys were handled.
On the other hand, I completely fell in love with several of the books from the series of The Rescuers by Margery Sharp (written in the late 50s to 70s). These are what the Disney films is based on. And what marvelous stories they are! Unlike Another Pan, there is heart and substance in Sharp's books. Miss Bianca is as charming, kind, and adventurous as in the films, yet she always enjoys returning to her comfortable, high social life after each mission. Sharp's Bernard is not as clumsy or afraid as in the films -- rather he is brave, determined, and devoted; his fear comes from worrying about Miss Bianca's safety. In one book when she claims she will accept an assignment, he leaps to his feet with a shout of, "Not without me you won't!" A far cry from the stuttering little mouse who reluctantly sets off with Miss Bianca to rescue Penny and Cody. His devotion to Miss Bianca is precious, and the reader's heart goes out to him upon learning she has claimed to be able to give him only friendship seventeen times. *SQUEE* The adventures they embark upon are very interesting, with them traveling from a Black Castle to free a poet, to the salt mines to rescue a little boy. The illustrations, writing, plots, characters are all fantastic. *sigh* There are not books like this written anymore, sadly. Track the series down if you can. They are a treat. :D