“All children, except one, grow up.”

From J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan.

Siblings Wendy, John, and Michael Darling have spent their childhood enjoying all the magic of childhood, but as Wendy grows older and closer to the responsibilities of adulthood, their play is placed in jeopardy. However, the Darlings’ lives are forever changed by the unexpected arrival of the eternal boy Peter Pan. Searching for his escaped shadow, Peter sneaks into the bedroom that Wendy shares with her younger brothers, and when Wendy wakes up to find the strange boy fighting with his renegade shadow, she offers to help. Soon Wendy, John, and Michael are captivated by Peter’s retelling of his amazing adventures in Neverland, and they decide to go there with Peter. So with the help of Tinker Bell the fairy, Peter teaches the Darlings to fly and takes them to Neverland to meet his loyal band of Lost Boys, the wonders of the magical realm, and the dreaded pirate, Captain Hook. Wendy and the others experience an unexpected adventure that is straight out of their wildest dreams, but constantly nagging at the back of their minds is everything they’ve left behind at home. While Peter Pan refuses to grow up and stay a child forever, everyone else surrounding him must decide how they want to live out the rest of their lives.

While drastically different from the iconic Disney movie, this classic novel still manages to captivate readers in the fantastical world. Barrie’s characters and settings are impressive, though the language used may be a hindrance to younger readers, as well as the outdated and offensive depiction of Neverland’s native people. Peter Pan is an amazing–though definitely tumultuous–story that offers an unforgettable look into childhood fantasy and the imagination required to never grow up.