Barrie works an indisputable magic on listeners of all ages in this classic tale of the "boy who wouldn't grow up." As a baby, Peter Pan fell out of his carriage and was taken by fairies to Neverland. There, he can fly and is the champion of the Lost Boys and a friend to the fairy Tinker Bell. Revisiting England, Peter becomes involved with Wendy Darling and her younger brothers, all of whom accompany Peter to Neverland. The children have many adventures and vanquish the pirate Captain Hook. The Darlings eventually return home with the Lost Boys, leaving Peter Pan to his perpetual boyhood.

Since Peter Pan first appeared as a play in 1904, the boy hero has achieved mythological status in the English-speaking world. The story's emotional truths about youth, freedom, and responsibility continue to touch the heart and thrill the imagination.

JAMES MATTHEW BARRIE (1860–1937) was born in Scotland, the son of a weaver and the ninth of ten children. His mother saw to it that he was educated, despite the family's low income. He studied at the University of Edinburgh and spent two years on the Nottingham Journal before settling in London as a freelance writer in 1885. His short stories, essays, and novels were well received, and he began to gain a fine reputation as a playwright. His most enduring work is Peter Pan, which is based on stories he made up for children in his neighborhood.