Escape from the Carnivale: A Never Land Book

Although this short story does not contain either of the two great main characters Peter and Molly from the masterpieces Peter and the Starcatchers or the sequel to that prequel Peter and the Shadow Thieves and its length is only a fifth at most of either of those two books, it's still a great read. Escape from the Carnivale allows a couple of the minor characters from the other adventures to have a bit of limelight and ultimately save the day. Teacher and the other mermaids, Fighting Prawn and the mollusk tribe, the Lost Boys and Black Moustache (now known as Hook) and other island residents do make appearances but this novel's pages belong mainly to youngest daughter of the Mollusk tribe, Little Scallop and James from the Lost Boys. The adventure begins with a bored Little Scallop, envious of her older siblings who get to go on adventures spying on Hook and the other pirates disappointed her father spends his time worried about them and not giving her attention. When mermaid friends her age decide to break the rules and swim out in the open ocean to a cave so they can get some pearls to make necklaces, Little Scallop decides to go along. It is not long before their lost and one of the mermaids (Surf) trapped in a net is hauled onboard a ship called The Carnivale and thrown in a tank with a number of other "freak" prisoner marine animals. The captain of the ship Crookshank is determined to capture more mermaids and other exotic creatures to perform in his show and sees the island as a great place to acquire new slaves. With all the Mollusk tribe up in the mountains at a Sun ceremony it is up to Little Scallop and James to come up with a plan to rescue their friend with the help of some dolphins and the other mermaids. Hook however wants the ship for himself. Escape for the Carnivale is aimed at a younger market than the Starcatcher Peter Pan prequel books but that doesn't mean it's not as good.

My daughter says Escape from the Carnivale is very exciting. She didn't want to put it down! She recommends highly! She loved getting to know the mermaids and Little Scallop. The Lost Boys are funny! She has moved on to Cave of the Dark Wind. It sounds exciting too!

My grandchildren and I are enjoying listening to this series together. Jim Dale is the best reader. He brings all the characters to life for even a grandmother! Yolanda Edmond, Ok Please Help Fight Breast Cancer: http://cms.komen.org/komen/index.htm Yesterday is the past Tomorrow is the future Today is a "Gift" That is why it is called the "Present"

If you're expecting the same caliber of book as 'Peter and the StarCatchers' or 'Peter and the Shadow Thieves' both by Dave Barry, this book is only a 2-3 hour read and not the continuation of those two books. From the cover you get the impression that it's another FULL NOVEL, but it's not. It's just a short read. The story is nice, but nothing like the EXCELLENT two books listed above.

Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson have done it again! With an extension of their Peter Pan series this book tells of an extraordinary adventure about a Mollusk Indian princess who goes on a curious journey with her two mermaid friends. As with the two other books in the series, Peter and the Starcatchers and Peter and the Shadow Thieves, this book flowed well and kept the problems at the forefront of the story. In the story Little Scallop and her friends, despite the warnings of their elders, decide to travel out of the lagoon in search of pearls. When a storm approaches, trouble strikes and it's up to our heroin to save the day! The characters have to face their wrong doings and figure out how to solve their problem. Barry and Pearson also include subplots of dangerous pirates and a mysterious ship which keeps the book moving quickly and helps the reader stay interested. I enjoyed discovering new characters in Neverland and being able to get to know them. Little Scallop adds a female heroin to the series making this an excellent tale for young female readers. When informed she couldn't go on an escapade because she was a young girl, it did not stop her motivation to have an adventure of her own. The authors' use of clever imagery will transport the reader into the story and take them on a grand journey with lots of action. This is a book that I will definitely include in my classroom library and would make an excellent read aloud for intermediate grades!