Straight on till Morning

Re-inventing the story of Peter Pan, this story tells the tale of Wendy Darling, years later, as she makes a deal with Captain Hook to secure passage to Neverland and learns that both Neverland and her world have more darkness than she realized—but she has the power to overcome it. In this version of the classic story about never growing up, Wendy plays a more powerful and self-determining role, allowing students to engage with a well-known story but with a stronger female role model. Secondary-level students may be invited to think creatively and critically while comparing the two versions, examining the roles of the female characters. It lends itself well for independent reading or as a literature circle novel with themes of identity, the role of children’s tales in socializing youth, or the modernization of fairytales.