BOOK REVIEW

by Papa

Title: The Cave of the Dark Wind (A Never Land Book)

Authors: Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

Recommended Age: 8-12

Pages: 166

Read-Aloud Time: 5 days

Rating: 7/10

Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson wrote Peter and the Starcatchers and then the sequel, Peter and the Shadow Thieves. Then, they went back and wrote some episodes that happen on Mollusk Island while Peter is away. The Cave of the Dark Wind is, I think the first of these, but it's hard to tell what the order is that you should read them. Escape from the Carnivale is also just called "A Never Land Book" while Blood Tide is called "Never Land - Book 3". Anyway, maybe it doesn't matter so much. In Cave of the Dark Wind, the Lost Boys and a couple of girls from the Mollusk tribe set out to discover the secret of a mysterious cave. When they stumble upon some treasure, and Captain Hook finds out, the pirates jump on board to follow them.

The story flip-flops between the children and the pirates and does a good job with suspense, just like with Peter and the Starcatchers. It's quite a fast-read, so if you're looking for a short one after a long book, then this might be the book you're looking for.

Favorite Thing: I really liked the multiple stories interwoven with this book. They were well-told and they made you want to find out more.

Least Favorite Thing: It's not really that bad, but I got a little tired of the boys vs. girls thing going on with the children. The boys are always made out to be more reckless and the girls are always made out to be smarter.

Questionable Material for Kids: There are some scenes with human bones and goat blood, but it's not really gory at all.