Peter Pan sequel sends Wendy back to Neverland

According to the news agency Reuters, London's Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital and children's author Geraldine McCaughrean are to release an official sequel to the classic children's book "Peter Pan", called "Peter Pan in Scarlet".

"Something is wrong in Neverland, gentlemen," Wendy said. "And that is why we must go back."

So ends the opening chapter of the official sequel to the children's classic "Peter Pan", kicking off a whole new set of adventures for Wendy and friends as they meet the mischievous Pan as well as pirates, animals, witches and fairies.

Children's author Geraldine McCaughrean won a competition to write the follow-up to J.M. Barrie's work, and with the weight of expectation building ever since she knows how J.K. Rowling must feel with each new Harry Potter release.

"If I'd known it would be this big I would have cared about it much more in the first place, but luckily I didn't," McCaughrean said in an interview, when asked about the publicity surrounding the publication of "Peter Pan in Scarlet".

As with the hugely successful Potter series, details of the book have been shrouded in secrecy ahead of publication on Thursday, and journalists had to sign a letter agreeing not to disclose its contents before they could receive a review copy.

But London's Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, which has owned the copyright to Barrie's original "Peter Pan" story since 1929, has given a few hints.

The sequel is set in 1926, and Michael, one of the children in the original, died in World War One. The others are grown up and troublesome dreams are leaking out of Neverland.

Wendy, now a sensible wife and mother, returns to Neverland where she bumps into Tinker Bell, among others.

Tootles is a judge and Slightly is now titled "The Honourable". Along with John and the Twins they meet in a smoke-filled gentlemen's club off Piccadilly to discuss the strange dreams invading their sleep.

As for the villainous Captain Hook, the publisher is remaining tight-lipped.

"Well, what can we say but his spirit is still stalking Neverland?"

Geraldine McCaughrean also plans a version of "Peter Pan" the play, as well as a younger version of "Peter Pan in Scarlet".

You can read the whole article at http://uk.news.yahoo.com/05102006/325/peter-pan-sequel-sends-wendy-neverland.html.