Sisters of the Neversea

April 15, 2021
Grades 3-6 *Starred Review* This fresh take on Peter & Wendy revolves around best-friend stepsisters Wendy and Lily, respectively white and Muscogee Creek, whose relationship strains as their parents contemplate divorce. The adventure begins in familiar fashion, with Peter and Belle the Fairy visiting the sisters' Tulsa home to reclaim his shadow and take Wendy (and four-year-old Mikey) to Neverland. But as the journey unfolds, Pan's dark side is revealed. A century's worth of Fairy dust has turned him into a self-absorbed tyrant who lures children to Neverland to partake in violent wargames, leading Lily to give chase to rescue her siblings. Smith has brilliantly reshaped the Pan story with a modern, inclusive sensibility. The usual elements are there--Merfolk, Fairies, pirates, lost boys--but all reimagined for the better, especially the Native characters. The island itself feels like that of TV's Lost, full of danger and mystery, with a will of its own. And while Smith wields J. M. Barrie's storyteller voice, writing from a head-hopping omniscient point of view that addresses readers directly, this is less a retelling and more a rebuttal, critiquing the problematic aspects of the classic--often quite overtly--and the consequences of such harmful influences are explored over the course of much action, adventure, and magical island exploration. An exciting journey in its own right and a necessary "recommend-along" for patrons seeking Barrie's original.

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Starred review from April 26, 2021
Centering a mixed Creek and British family in this Peter Pan reboot, Muscogee (Creek) author Smith’s (Hearts Unbroken) smart novel follows two stepsisters on an adventure to Neverland. Twelve-year-old stepsisters Lily and Wendy have lived in Oklahoma since Lily’s mother, a Creek citizen, married Wendy’s British widower father. But Wendy’s father has taken a job in New York, the girls’ friendship is in disrepair over Lily’s unwillingness to tackle her fear of flying and make the trip, and it seems that the family will break apart. Enter Peter Pan, looking for his shadow and enticing Wendy and her four-year-old brother Michael to fly to Neverland. Lily follows shortly after, soon learning that Peter has changed from a boy who didn’t want to grow up into a brutal monster—one who kidnaps children, slays animals and humans alike, and mistreats his fairy companion, Belle. Lily and Wendy plan their escape, try to reconcile, and wonder if Peter might be redeemable after all. A sharp, contemporary retelling of a classic that puts the focus on the Indigenous kids this round. Ages 8–12. Agent: Ginger Knowlton, Curtis Brown.

May 1, 2021
This girl-centered reclamation of Peter Pan introduces readers to a beloved--and transformed--Neverland. In this retelling, the Roberts-Darlings are a blended family living in present-day Tulsa, Oklahoma. Twelve-year-old stepsisters Lily and Wendy share a half brother, 4-year-old Michael; recent high school graduate John is Lily's brother and Wendy's stepbrother; the Roberts side of the family is Muscogee Creek; and the Darlings are White immigrants from England. Shortly before Wendy and Mr. Darling are to relocate--amid growing marital tension--to New York for his new job, the three youngest children are visited by Peter Pan and Belle the fairy. Wendy and Michael are deceived into flying away with them to Neverland; skeptical Lily follows in hopes of saving her siblings. Wendy and Michael are taken in by the Lost, who are White boys kidnapped by Peter. Lily, meanwhile, is rescued by a group of Native youth--derided by Peter as Injuns--who are diverse in tribal citizenship, race, and other identities (one, for example, is two-spirit). Neverland, populated with Merfolk, fairies, and pirates, is richly described. Short chapters, plenty of action, and the wry voice of the omniscient narrator help make this title, with its themes of gender equity, Native pride, and environmentalism, accessible. The poignant dislocation of the Lost and the fierce familial love of the stepsisters illustrate the importance of remembering where you come from and to whom you belong. A refreshing adventure that breathes new life into a classic text. (author's note) (Fantasy. 8-12)

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