10 Best J.M. Barrie Books Leading You from Peter Pan to Neverland!
Prepare to be whisked away to a dazzling world, where an ageless boy in green tights challenges the rules of reality and tick-tocking crocodiles rule the sea! If the name J.M. Barrie rings a bell, it's probably due to a certain 'never-aging' boy and his eccentric exploits. However, this literary genius is not just a one-trick pony. The Scottish author's repertoire extends far beyond the enchanting labyrinths of Neverland, into corners as diverse as stirring dramas, poignant love stories, and remarkable fairy tales.
Arranging J.M. Barrie's stories into a 'Top 10' list is no easy feat – how does one rank magic against magic? But rest assured, each volume on this list encapsulates Barrie's unique ability to blend the everyday with the extraordinary, conjuring realms where pet dogs become nurses, islands float in star-lit skies, and children converse with fairies. These are stories that promise unlimited adventure, but also tug at your heartstrings with their raw exploration of love, loss, and longing for eternal youth.
So whether you're utterly smitten by the timeless allure of Peter Pan's adventures, or you're eager to unearth the lesser-known gems in Barrie's treasure trove, tighten your seatbelts. We're about to leap from Pan's London into the enchanting world of Neverland. Let the journey begin!
『Peter Pan』
Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythical island of Neverland as the leader of the Lost Boys, interacting with fairies, pirates, mermaids, Native Americans, and occasionally ordinary children from the world outside Neverland.Peter Pan has become a cultural icon symbolizing youthful innocence and escapism. In addition to two distinct works by Barrie, the character has been featured in a variety of media and merchandise, both adapting and expanding on Barrie's works. These include a 1953 animated film, a 2003 dramatic/live-action film, a television series and many other works. J. M. Barrie first used Peter Pan as a character in a section of The Little White Bird (1902), an adult novel where he appears as a seven-day-old baby in the chapter entitled Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens.
Author | J. Barrie |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Lulu.com |
Release Date | Feb 15, 2020 |
Source | Google Books |
『Peter and Wendy』
Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up or Peter and Wendy is J. M. Barrie's most famous work, in the form of a 1904 play and a 1911 novel. Both versions tell the story of Peter Pan, a mischievous yet innocent little boy who can fly, and has many adventures on the island of Neverland that is inhabited by mermaids, fairies, Native Americans and pirates. Peter has many stories involving Wendy Darling and her two brothers, his fairy Tinker Bell, the Lost Boys, and the pirate Captain Hook. The play and novel were inspired by Barrie's friendship with the Llewelyn Davies family. Barrie continued to revise the play for years after its debut until publication of the play script in 1928.
Author | J. M. Barrie |
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Price | $0.99 |
Publisher | anboco |
Release Date | Apr 09, 2016 |
Source | Google Books |
『Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens (1906), by J. M. Barrie (Children's Classics)』
In Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, J.M. Barrie first created Peter Pan as a baby, living a wild and secret life with birds and fairies in the middle of London. Later Barrie let this remarkable child grow a little older and he became the boy-hero of Neverland, making his first appearance, with Wendy, Captain Hook, and the Lost Boys, in Peter and Wendy. The Peter Pan stories were Barrie's only works for children but, as their persistent popularity shows, their themes of imaginative escape continue to charm even those who long ago left Neverland. This is the first edition to include both texts in one volume and the first to a present an extensively annotated text for Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens.
Author | J. M. Barrie |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Createspace Independent Publishing Platform |
Release Date | Mar 27, 2016 |
Source | Google Books |
『Darling Girl』
A Book of The Month Club pick In this beautiful dive into the world of J. M. Barrie’s classic, one woman must take on the infamous Peter Pan—who is not the innocent adventurer the fairy tales make him out to be—to save her daughter’s life. . . . Life is looking up for Holly Darling, granddaughter of Wendy—yes, that Wendy. That is, until she gets a call that her daughter, Eden, who has been in a coma for nearly a decade, has gone missing from the estate where she’s been long tucked away. And, worst of all, Holly knows who must be responsible: Peter Pan, who is not only very real, but very dangerous. Holly is desperate to find Eden and protect her son, Jack, from a terrible web of family secrets before she loses both her children. And yet she has no one to turn to—her mother, Jane, is the only other person in the world who knows that Peter is more than a story, but she refuses to accept that he is not the hero she’s always imagined. Darling Girl brings all the magic of the classic Peter Pan story to the present, while also exploring the dark underpinnings of fairy tales, grief, aging, sacrifice, motherhood, and just how far we will go to protect those we love.
Author | Liz Michalski |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Penguin |
Release Date | May 02, 2023 |
Source | Google Books |
『Hooked』
Once upon a time, there was a little boy. His belly full of laughter, his life full of joy. Until one day, something changed; stripped his innocence away. The hole inside making space for the devil to come and play. His dreams gone forever, he grew up way too fast. An endless night of crocodiles, and watches made of glass. He grew into a villain, the taste of vengeance on his tongue. Craving to make his enemies pay for the misdeeds they had done. Instead he found a Darling girl, and refused to let her go. For what better way to make the man pay, than to steal his little shadow.
Author | Emily McIntire |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Bloom Books |
Release Date | Sep 20, 2022 |
Source | Google Books |
『The PAN』
"A sweeping sci-fi romance with a Peter Pan twist." Since her parents were killed, Vivienne has always felt ungrounded, shuffled through the foster care system. Just when liberation finally seems possible-days before her eighteenth birthday-Vivienne is hospitalized with symptoms no one can explain. The doctors may be puzzled, but Deacon, her mysterious new friend, claims she has an active Nevergene. His far-fetched diagnosis comes with a warning: she is about to become an involuntary test subject for Humanitarian Organization for Order and Knowledge-or H.O.O.K. Vivienne can either escape to Neverland's Kensington Academy and learn to fly (Did he really just say fly?) or risk sticking around to become a human lab rat. But accepting a place among The P.A.N. means Vivienne must abandon her life and foster family to safeguard their secrets and hide in Neverland's shadows ... forever. The PAN Trilogy is perfect for fans of Marissa Meyer (The Lunar Chronicles) or fans of the TV show "Once Upon a Time."
Author | Jenny Hickman |
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Price | $2.99 |
Publisher | Midnight Tide Publishing |
Release Date | Oct 14, 2020 |
Source | Google Books |
『The Other Side of Never: Dark Tales from the World of Peter & Wendy』
Dark tales inspired by J. M. Barrie's classic stories of Neverland, Captain Hook, Tinkerbell, and of course Peter Pan, from some the masters of science-fiction, horror and fantasy including A. C. Wise, Claire North, Lavie Tidhar and more. The award-winning Marie O’Regan & Paul Kane bring together the masters of fantasy, science-fiction and horror, to spin stories inspired by J. M. Barrie’s classic tale. A murder investigation leads a detective to a strange place called Neverland; pupils attend a school for Peters; a young boy loses his shadow and goes to desperate lengths to retrieve it. These stories take the original tales of Peter & Wendy, the Lost Boys and Tinkerbell, twisting and turning them. From dystopias to the gritty streets of London, these stories will keep you reading all night and straight on ‘til morning. Featuring stories from: Lavie Tidhar Claire North Premee Mohamed Kirsty Logan Edward Cox Anna Smith Spark Alison Littlewood A. C. Wise Rio Youers Gama Ray Martinez Juliet Marillier Robert Shearman A. K. Benedict Laura Mauro Cavan Scott Guy Adams Paul Finch Muriel Gray
Author | Muriel Gray/A.C. Wise/A. J. Elwood |
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Price | $9.99 |
Publisher | Titan Books (US, CA) |
Release Date | May 09, 2023 |
Source | Google Books |
『Lost in the Never Woods』
When children start to go missing in the local woods, a teen girl must face her fears and a past she can't remember to rescue them in this atmospheric YA novel, Lost in the Never Woods from the author of Cemetery Boys. It’s been five years since Wendy and her two brothers went missing in the woods, but when the town’s children start to disappear, the questions surrounding her brothers’ mysterious circumstances are brought back into the light. Attempting to flee her past, Wendy almost runs over an unconscious boy lying in the middle of the road... Peter, a boy she thought lived only in her stories, asks for Wendy’s help to rescue the missing kids. But, in order to find them, Wendy must confront what’s waiting for her in the woods. Praise for Aiden Thomas and Cemetery Boys: “This stunning debut novel from Thomas is detailed, heart-rending, and immensely romantic.” —Mark Oshiro, author of Anger is a Gift “Aiden Thomas masterfully weaves a tale of family, friendships, and love in a heartwarming adventure full of affirmation and being your best self." — C.B. Lee, author of Not Your Sidekick
Author | Aiden Thomas |
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Price | $11.99 |
Publisher | Swoon Reads |
Release Date | Mar 23, 2021 |
Source | Google Books |
『The Changeling』
“Mesmerizing . . . a dark fairy tale of New York, full of magic and loss, myth and mystery, love and madness.”—Marlon James, author of the Dark Star trilogy SOON TO BE AN APPLE TV+ SERIES STARRING LAKEITH STANFIELD • ONE OF TIME’S 100 BEST FANTASY BOOKS OF ALL TIME Winner of an American Book Award, a Locus Award for Best Horror Novel, a British Fantasy Award for Best Horror Novel, a World Fantasy Award for Best Novel • Nominated for a Shirley Jackson Award, an International Dublin Literary Award, a Mythopoeic Award for Literature When Apollo Kagwa’s father disappeared, he left his son a box of books and strange recurring dreams. Now Apollo is a father himself—and as he and his wife, Emma, settle into their new lives as parents, exhaustion and anxiety start to take their toll. Apollo’s old dreams return and Emma begins acting odd. At first Emma seems to be exhibiting signs of postpartum depression. But before Apollo can do anything to help, Emma commits a horrific act and vanishes. Thus begins Apollo’s quest to find a wife and child who are nothing like he’d imagined. His odyssey takes him to a forgotten island, a graveyard full of secrets, a forest where immigrant legends still live, and finally back to a place he thought he had lost forever. NAMED ONE OF PASTE’S BEST HORROR BOOKS OF THE DECADE • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times • USA Today • The New York Public Library • NPR • BuzzFeed • Kirkus Reviews • Book Riot “The thriller you won’t be able to put down.”—O: The Oprah Magazine “Intense, riveting . . . The story is a long, slow burn with a lingering sizzle.”—Los Angeles Review of Books “A modern-day tale of terror rooted in ancient myth and folklore, brimming with magical revelation and emotional truth.”—San Francisco Chronicle
Author | Victor LaValle |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | One World |
Release Date | Mar 06, 2018 |
Source | Google Books |
『Lost Boy』
From the national bestselling author of Alice comes a familiar story with a dark hook—a tale about Peter Pan and the friend who became his nemesis, a nemesis who may not be the blackhearted villain Peter says he is… There is one version of my story that everyone knows. And then there is the truth. This is how it happened. How I went from being Peter Pan’s first—and favorite—lost boy to his greatest enemy. Peter brought me to his island because there were no rules and no grownups to make us mind. He brought boys from the Other Place to join in the fun, but Peter's idea of fun is sharper than a pirate’s sword. Because it’s never been all fun and games on the island. Our neighbors are pirates and monsters. Our toys are knife and stick and rock—the kinds of playthings that bite. Peter promised we would all be young and happy forever. Peter lies.
Author | Christina Henry |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Penguin |
Release Date | Jul 04, 2017 |
Source | Google Books |
After the fantastical and riveting journey through the literature of J.M. Barrie, it's hard not to feel like you've personally frolicked around Neverland and learned a thing or two from the boy who never grew up. The imaginative worlds, vivid characters, and profound wisdom wrapped in his seemingly whimsical tales speak volumes about human nature, love, courage, and the magic of childhood. It's Barrie's knack for balancing the fairy tale element with deep introspective ideas that truly sets his work apart from the norm. His plea for us to stay forever imaginative and curious, regardless of our age or circumstances, resonates in every page. So, whether you're a seasoned literature enthusiast or a curious beginner looking for captivating reads, take it from me, this Scottish master storyteller's collection is worth adding to your bucket list. The Lost Boys are waiting for your visit! Fly away and explore the realms that lie beyond the second star to the right and straight on 'til morning!
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