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tami_provencher's review against another edition
4.0
Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson have teamed up to create an impressive body of adventure stories for young and middle grade readers. Both of these authors are well known to adult readers: Pearson for his suspense and mystery thrillers and Barry for his creative nonfiction in the Florida press and countless books of his humorous observations of our lives.
While I enjoy both these authors in their adult work, I find that where I get really excited about their stories is in their books for younger readers. Pearson’s fast-paced, electric narratives are exciting and interesting while Barry’s sense of humor and psychological insights offer extraordinarily entertaining and accessible characters.
I will refer, today, just to their adventure series surrounding the story and characters in J.M. Barrie’s original story Peter Pan.
THE NEVERLAND SERIES: Escape from Carnivale, Cave of the Dark Wind and Blood Tide are written to be accessible to a slightly younger audience than Peter and the Starcatchers. These books are shorter and have slightly less difficult vocabulary. The main characters in this series are both the lost boys (stranded on Mollusk Island in the Peter and the Starcatchers series) and the children of Fighting Prawn, the leader of the Mollusk tribe on the island. Captain Hook and his pirates are also present, stranded on the opposite side of the island from the Mollusk people. Although the lost boys’ and the pirates’ existence on the island is due to the events in the other series of books, it is not necessary to know that to fully enjoy these adventures.
BLOOD TIDE is a GREAT adventure for both boys AND girls. Definitely kid-driven and fast-paced.
Mermaids are driven crazy when lagoon ceases to receive fresh water and they turn dangerous.
Heart-pounding excitement and danger move to satisfactory resolution. Pirates in a secondary storyline are a perfect complement.
I have read all the books in this particular series–and am hungry for more. I enjoyed each one more than the one before it! I also like the fact that the main characters in each story vary. Sometimes the girl characters take the lead, and sometimes the boy characters do so. The encounters between the children and the pirates are action-packed, but with a slapstick flair. I think these could be read as early as 2nd grade. I would consider using these stories as read-alouds in 3rd or 4th grade, but as yet I have not so.
If you enjoy adventure these are fantastic choices for early middle readers. In my opinion they offer the advanced adventure narrative many children begin to seek in 2nd & 3rd grade, without age-inappropriate language or violence.
While I enjoy both these authors in their adult work, I find that where I get really excited about their stories is in their books for younger readers. Pearson’s fast-paced, electric narratives are exciting and interesting while Barry’s sense of humor and psychological insights offer extraordinarily entertaining and accessible characters.
I will refer, today, just to their adventure series surrounding the story and characters in J.M. Barrie’s original story Peter Pan.
THE NEVERLAND SERIES: Escape from Carnivale, Cave of the Dark Wind and Blood Tide are written to be accessible to a slightly younger audience than Peter and the Starcatchers. These books are shorter and have slightly less difficult vocabulary. The main characters in this series are both the lost boys (stranded on Mollusk Island in the Peter and the Starcatchers series) and the children of Fighting Prawn, the leader of the Mollusk tribe on the island. Captain Hook and his pirates are also present, stranded on the opposite side of the island from the Mollusk people. Although the lost boys’ and the pirates’ existence on the island is due to the events in the other series of books, it is not necessary to know that to fully enjoy these adventures.
BLOOD TIDE is a GREAT adventure for both boys AND girls. Definitely kid-driven and fast-paced.
Mermaids are driven crazy when lagoon ceases to receive fresh water and they turn dangerous.
Heart-pounding excitement and danger move to satisfactory resolution. Pirates in a secondary storyline are a perfect complement.
I have read all the books in this particular series–and am hungry for more. I enjoyed each one more than the one before it! I also like the fact that the main characters in each story vary. Sometimes the girl characters take the lead, and sometimes the boy characters do so. The encounters between the children and the pirates are action-packed, but with a slapstick flair. I think these could be read as early as 2nd grade. I would consider using these stories as read-alouds in 3rd or 4th grade, but as yet I have not so.
If you enjoy adventure these are fantastic choices for early middle readers. In my opinion they offer the advanced adventure narrative many children begin to seek in 2nd & 3rd grade, without age-inappropriate language or violence.
mobats's review
3.0
Like the other ones in this series if you have not read at least the first book (Peter and the Starcatchers or something like that) you have no idea what is going on. Also an author note that this is for younger childern but I oddly did not see how the language was for younger children in any manner.
leighryks's review against another edition
4.0
Hubby was the one who read most of this to the Falcon (age 6.5). F gives is good marks for story and Hubby gives it good marks for readability. Hubby says the content was very assessable.
We've also read [b:Escape from the Carnivale: A Never Land Book|126018|Escape from the Carnivale A Never Land Book (Never Land Adventure, #1)|Dave Barry|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171908554s/126018.jpg|121373] which F did not enjoy as much and somewhere around here with have a 3rd book in the series (which is actually the second in the trilogy). F and H are interested in reading it as well and sometime in the future we're planning the try the Peter and the Starcatcher's series.
We've also read [b:Escape from the Carnivale: A Never Land Book|126018|Escape from the Carnivale A Never Land Book (Never Land Adventure, #1)|Dave Barry|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171908554s/126018.jpg|121373] which F did not enjoy as much and somewhere around here with have a 3rd book in the series (which is actually the second in the trilogy). F and H are interested in reading it as well and sometime in the future we're planning the try the Peter and the Starcatcher's series.
luann's review
3.0
This is the third Never Land Book written by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. The Never Land books are quick yet action-packed adventure stories about those left on the island while Peter and Molly are off having their adventures in the Peter and the Starcatchers books. In this one, the Lost Boys, Shining Pearl, and Little Scallop have to deal with a Blood Tide which causes the water in their lagoon to be contaminated, poisoning the mermaids and causing them to turn violent. At the same time, Captain Hook has found a barrel containing something that threatens the entire island, particularly the Mollusk village. I enjoy these stories, but not nearly as much as the Peter books.
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