Peter Pan

About

Barrie's Peter Pan (the novel version, 1911, based on his 1904 play) is one of the defining children's stories: the boy who refuses to grow up takes the Darling children to Neverland, where they encounter pirates, mermaids, and the ticking crocodile. Beneath the adventure surface is a meditation on the cost of remaining a child — Peter cannot experience love or memory — that gives the story an unusual sadness. As group reading, the ensemble of Neverland characters gives natural roles; Hook and Peter are the great antagonistic center.