- fantasy story about the inevitability of growing up
- learning how to fly, visiting a fantasy island, adventure and humor
- convo: deaths & murders mentioned throughout, a child calls his father a cowardly custard, kisses (friend to friend), the term “redskins” used throughout, scalping mentioned, some “unsteady fairies” come home late from an “orgy”*, mentions smoking, a fairy is described seductively**
- language: silly ass x5, stupid x1, shut up x2, mild name calling (brats, scoundrel, noodles, dunderheaded little jay, etc.)
Type: chapter book
Ages: 8-12 as reader, 6+ as listener
Author: J.M. Barrie
*The term “orgy” can apply to secret ceremonial rites honoring a god, with singing and dancing. It does not always indicate sexual encounters, of which there is no implication in this story. It sounded like the fairies simply partied too hard. See the end of chapter 6 for context.
**Tinker Bell was “exquisitely gowned in a skeleton leaf, cut low and square, through which her figure could be seen to the best advantage.”
As far as the violence goes, each group on the island is always trying to hurt or kill another. There is regular talk (and occasionally an actual moment) of killing, but, remarkably, it’s all kept quite upbeat and brief, often infused with humor. This allows the fantasy component to reign much more strongly than any intensity the scenes might otherwise produce.
There is lots of fun pretending–eating imaginary meals, Peter and Wendy being the parents to the rest, etc. (The real father, as a side note, has quirky and odd tendencies toward a temper. He is overreactive, dramatic and less stable than the mother, but it’s meant to be comical.) And what imaginative child doesn’t like a secret underground treehouse with multiple rooms? Your little dreamers will love many aspects of this story.
I should note that, depending on your edition, there could be some varied word choices. Our new paperback copy replaces “cat-o-nine tails” with “cat,” for one example. I’m unsure of how many changes have been made.
Overall, I think it’s a good family read-aloud if you can handle the above conversation points. Have you read this one? What did you think?