Fans of J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan book know that after Wendy grew up, Peter returned to bring her daughter Jane to Neverland… and then Jane’s daughter… and then all of Wendy’s descendants so that all these children would know the wonder of Neverland.
However, few readers know of the adventures these next generation “Wendy Girls” experienced – until now.
Fairies and the Quest for Never Land
Ella Enchanted author Gail Carson Levine takes readers back to Never Land in this third book in her “Disney Fairies” series.
For as long as she can remember, Gwendolyn Carlisle has been obsessed with fairies. But where other girls can only draw and dream about their favorite pixies, Gwendolyn has a special secret – she’s the descendant of the original Wendy Darling and next in line to be taken to Never Land by Peter Pan.
When Gwendolyn receives the gift of the original acorn “kiss” that Wendy gave Peter almost a century ago, she begins having vivid dreams about Never Land fairies, including Tinkerbell. Soon, she receives a visit from Peter himself who flies her to Never Land to be the Lost Boys’ new mother.
But when Gwendolyn finally meets the fairies of Never Land, she is told that her excessive love of fairies may inadvertently cause them harm. Despite this, Gwendolyn manages to find a place with the fairies – and decides to help them when the evil dragon Kyto escapes from his prison and threatens Never Land. But will Gwendolyn’s actions ultimately help the fairies – or bring about their destruction?
Where the previous “Disney Fairies” books focus primarily on Tinkerbell and the other Never Land fairies, this book reads a bit more like the traditional Peter Pan story, with a girl from the “real world” exploring the wonders of Never Land. Peter also shows up more in this story than in the other books (although he is still limited to cameo appearances). As a result, newcomers to the “Disney Fairies” series might find this book easier to jump into since it does not require readers to be intimately familiar with the fairy world Levine and Disney created in previous volumes and films.
Always Neverland
Eleven-year-old Ashley is about to resign herself to a boring winter break when her workaholic parents leave her home alone with nothing to do. But that all changes when she wakes up in the middle of the night and gets a visit from Peter Pan. Seems Peter has been taking new “Wendy Girls” to Neverland to help with “spring cleaning” (which ends up being a lot more dangerous and exciting than Ashley ever imagined) and to be the Lost Boys’ new mother.
But for Ashley, being in Neverland should mean more than taking care of the Lost Boys. She’d rather battle Captain Hook, hang out with Tinkerbell, and befriend the mermaids. Soon, Ashley is turning Neverland upside down with her offbeat approach to being a “Wendy Girl” – something that earns her the ire of one well-known Neverland figure…
With all the new Peter Pan stories being published lately, it’s not easy to create an original Neverland tale, but first-time author Zoe Barton does her best in this breezy fantasy. Always Neverland offers some inspired twists on old Peter Pan favorites, including the giant Crocodile (that swallows Ashley’s iPod and ends up playing Christmas carols when he approaches his victims) and a forest full of trees that grow cheeseburgers and cupcakes.
Character-wise, Ashley proves to be a likeable if undeveloped heroine whose adventures are exciting but lack the dramatic tension that permeates most modern fantasy novels. Few readers will believe Peter or Ashley are in any real danger despite all the perilous situations they get into. Still, given the lighthearted nature of Barton’s Neverland, perhaps these more whimsical exploits are appropriate for this modern-day fairy tale.
Barton, Zoe. Always Neverland. New York: Harper Collins, 2011. ISBN: 0061963259
Levine, Gail Carson and David Christiana. Fairies and the Quest for Never Land. New York: Disney Press, 2010. ISBN: 978-142310935-8
Michael Jung - Michael Jung is a professional writer, children’s literature specialist, and online book dealer whose articles, reviews, interviews, ...
Join the Conversation