Ridley Pearson (Dave Barry) Books in Order
Part ofDave Barry Books in OrderBrowse the Ridley Pearson titles connected to Dave Barry, including shared series and tie ins, with clear reading order, plot snapshots, and notes on how the collaborations fit together.
Last updated: December 23, 2025
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Publication Order
10 books
Walt Disney's Peter Pan
by Dave Barry
2017
A retelling of the classic Peter Pan story for modern readers, following Wendy, John, and Michael as they fly with Peter and Tinker Bell to Never Land to confront Captain Hook and never growing up.
The Bridge to Never Land
by Dave Barry
2011
Two modern day siblings in Pennsylvania stumble onto clues that the Starcatchers’ history is real, launching them into a chase that links their world to Never Land and revives the long battle over starstuff.
Peter and the Sword of Mercy
by Dave Barry
2009
Set years after the earlier books, this sequel follows Molly’s daughter Wendy as she discovers a plot involving forgotten starstuff, old enemies, and a mysterious sword, drawing Peter back into a dangerous London adventure.
Science Fair
by Dave Barry
2008
When a crooked middle school science fair collides with a harebrained plot from a tiny foreign nation, Toby and his friends must expose cheating classmates and stop an attack on the U.S. electrical grid, all before finals.
Blood Tide
by Dave Barry
2008
In this Never Land adventure, strange changes in the lagoon turn once friendly mermaids violent, sending the Lost Boys and Mollusk girls on a dangerous quest that collides with Captain Hook and a threat to the whole island.
Peter and the Secret of Rundoon
by Dave Barry
2007
This installment sends Peter, Molly, and their friends to the distant kingdom of Rundoon, where a ruthless ruler, a looming war, and a cache of starstuff force them into their most dangerous mission yet.
Cave of the Dark Wind
by Dave Barry
2007
Another Never Land story in which James and the Lost Boys insist on exploring a mysterious cave despite warnings about a creature called the Goat Taker, drawing Mollusk girls, pirates, and treasure rumors into the mix.
Peter and the Shadow Thieves
by Dave Barry
2006
In the second Starcatchers adventure, Peter leaves the island for London to help Molly face a new enemy known as the Others, racing through foggy streets and rooftops to keep dangerous starstuff out of sinister hands.
Escape from the Carnivale
by Dave Barry
2006
A Never Land chapter book in which Little Scallop and her mermaid friends sneak into forbidden waters to hunt for pearls, only to cross paths with a shabby carnival ship eager to display a real live mermaid.
Peter and the Starcatchers
by Dave Barry
2004
The first Peter Pan prequel finds Peter and fellow orphans on the creaky ship Never Land, where they meet Molly Aster, discover a trunk of magical starstuff, and clash with pirates eager to steal it.
Series background & context
The “Ridley Pearson (Dave Barry)” grouping pulls together the projects where these two writers share the byline. It is the place to land if you like what they do together and want to see how those stories connect.
Their best known collaboration is the Peter and the Starcatchers cycle, a sprawling prequel to Peter Pan that begins on the leaky ship Never Land and eventually stretches from Victorian London to desert kingdoms and modern day America. Pearson brings his thriller instincts and love of layered plots. Barry brings rapid fire jokes and a talent for making even a throwaway side character feel alive.
Spinning off from that core are the Never Land chapter books, shorter adventures that shine a light on side characters. Here you spend more time with the Mollusk tribe, mermaids, the Lost Boys, and Captain Hook’s crew. The stakes are a little smaller, the chapters shorter, but the same blend of danger and silliness carries through.
Science Fair shows them stepping away from Never Land and into a very recognizable American middle school. A crooked science competition, cheating rich kids, and a ridiculous plot from a tiny foreign country collide, letting Pearson work his conspiracy muscles while Barry mines school life for every possible joke.
Even their shared credit on Walt Disney’s Peter Pan reflects how seriously they take the Peter universe. It offers a way for younger readers to move from the familiar animated story toward the more intricate prequels without feeling like they have leapt into a completely different world.
Read together, these collaborations have a clear house style. Scenes are tightly constructed but leave room for slapstick. Villains are dangerous but also a little ridiculous. Kids are allowed to be clever, scared, impulsive, and heroic in turn. Adults range from truly sinister to wonderfully useless.
If you want to follow the whole arc, start with Peter and the Starcatchers, move through the sequels in order, detour into the Never Land books once you know the island, and pick up Science Fair when you are ready for a change of scenery. This series tag will help you keep track of which titles came out when and how they fit into the larger Barry and Pearson universe.
Edited by
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