45 Magic Peter Pan Retellings That Will Make You Never Want to Grow Up

As somebody who swore never to grow up (spoiler alert: that didn’t work out for me), the magic of Peter Pan and Peter Pan retellings has always enthralled me.

Middle Grade, YA, Adult—it doesn’t matter what book genre the retelling is.

As long as it’s got Tinkerbell, Captain Hook, Wendy Darling, and the Lost Boys, then you can bet your pixie dust that I’ll read it.

So if you’re…

• a child at heart
• a J. M. Barrie purist
• a superfan of the animated Disney film
• guilty of having a childhood crush on ‎Jeremy Sumpter in the 2003 live-action remake (don’t worry—you weren’t the only one!)

…then this comprehensive list of the best Peter Pan fairy tale retellings, reimaginings, and modern twists is definitely for you!

Here we go! Off to Neverland!

45 Magical Books to Read if You Like Peter Pan Retellings

This page may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read my full disclosure for more information.

Middle Grade Peter Pan Retellings for Preteens

1. Sisters of the Neversea by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Native American Lily Roberts and English-born Wendy Darling are more than best friends, they’re stepsisters.

But when their feuding parents plan to go on separate vacations over the summer, Lily and Wendy worry about what will become of their family.

Little do they know that Peter Pan has been watching them, and he has some mischievous plans of his own.

FOR FANS OF: #OwnVoices books, Cynthia Leitich Smith, middle grade books by Indigenous authors

2. Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

Peter lives an unhappy and uneventful life at St. Norbert’s Orphanage for Lost Boys.

But all of that changes when he and four other orphans are sold to the evil King of Rundoon as slaves.

As Peter and his friends sail across the ocean to their impending doom, they make an unlikely discovery. There’s a mysterious trunk stowed aboard their ship and it’s filled with an unknown magical treasure.

Is it gold, jewels, or something far more dangerous?

Peter will risk it all to find out.

FOR FANS OF: Peter Pan prequels, middle grade books about pirates

3. Peter Pan in Scarlet by Geraldine McCaughrean

The authorized sequel to J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan!

It’s been twenty years since Wendy, John, and Michael first traveled to Neverland and had their swashbuckling adventures with Peter Pan. Now they—along with The Lost Boys—have done the one thing that Peter can’t.

They’ve grown up.

But when all of them start having mysterious nightmares, one thing becomes clear.

Peter is in danger.

To save him, they must return to Neverland one last time.

FOR FANS OF: Peter Pan sequels, the animated Disney movie Peter Pan: Return to Never Land

4. Capt. Hook: The Adventures of a Notorious Youth by J.V. Hart

When James Matthew arrives at Eton College, it doesn’t take long for his peers to brand him as an outcast.

Despite their cruelty, James Matthew (mockingly called King Jas.) is determined to become the most renowned underclassman in Eton College history.

But when his thirst for notoriety leads him to set sail on a deadly mission, his dream of discovering a magical island quickly turns into an inescapable nightmare.

FOR FANS OF: Captain Hook, villain origin stories, Peter Pan prequels

5. Always Neverland by Zoe Barton

It’s Summer Vacation and eleven-year-old Ashley is bored out of her mind. Her parents are always busy with work, and her friends are out of town.

Ashley has nothing to do and no one to play with.

But all of that changes one night when she accidentally catches Peter Pan fighting with his shadow.

Maybe Ashley’s summer might not be so boring after all!

FOR FANS OF: Middle grade books with strong female protagonists

6. Hook’s Revenge by Heidi Schulz

Twelve-year-old Jocelyn dreams about becoming a daring pirate just like her father, Captain Hook.

But it’s hard to be a pirate when she’s stuck at Miss Eliza Crumb-Biddlecomb’s Finishing School for Young Ladies.

So when she gets a mysterious letter from her father challenging her to avenge his death at the jaws of the Neverland crocodile, Jocelyn doesn’t hesitate. She immediately sets sail for Neverland.

But being a pirate is a bit more difficult than Jocelyn bargained for.

FOR FANS OF: Middle grade books about pirates, Captain Hook, strong female protagonists.

7. Forever Neverland by Susan Adrian

Clover and Fergus are the great-great-grandchildren of Wendy Darling (yes, that Wendy).

And now Peter Pan wants to take them to Neverland for the adventure of their lives!

But Clover is a little nervous—she’s supposed to look after her brother. Fergus is autistic, and not everyone makes him feel welcome. What will happen to him in this magical world?

FOR FANS OF: Middle grade books with autistic representation, contemporary Peter Pan sequels, The Land of Stories series

YA Peter Pan Retellings for Teens

8. The Neverland Wars by Audrey Greathouse

Sixteen-year-old Gwen wants nothing to do with magic. She just wants to win her next debate tournament and go to the Homecoming dance with her long-time crush.

But when her little sister runs away to Neverland, it’s up to Gwen to bring her back.

Little does Gwen know that soon she’ll be dragged into a raging war between Neverland and reality.

Will she stay and fight with The Lost Boys or go crawling back to her life back home?

FOR FANS OF: YA portal fantasy books, modern fairy tale retellings

9. Never Never by Brianna Shrum

All James Hook wants to do is grow up.

But when he meets Peter Pan, he decides he could try being a child. At least for a little while.

Together, Peter and James travel to Neverland—a magical world full of children’s fantasies that is much more dangerous than meets the eye.

Soon, James is ready to return home and become a man. But Peter refuses to take him back, leaving James trapped in a world just beyond the one he loves.

FOR FANS OF: Captain Hook, dark Peter Pan retellings, YA books with a villain protagonist

10. Unhooked by Lisa Maxwell

For as long as she can remember, Gwendolyn Allister has been on the run. Her mother believes they are being hunted by dangerous monsters, and it turns out she was right.

When Gwen is kidnapped by shadowy creatures and taken to a world full of sea hags and fey, she isn’t sure whom she can trust.

Should she follow the charming fairy-tale hero or the roguish young pirate?

With time running out and her enemies closing in, Gwen will do anything to save Neverland and go back home.

FOR FANS OF: YA books with love triangles, Peter Pan romance books

11. Second Star by Alyssa B. Sheinmel

Seventeen-year-old Wendy Darling is on a mission to find her missing twin brothers.

When her search leads her to Pete, a charismatic runaway surfer, it’s hard not to feel drawn to him.

But even as she’s falling hard for Pete, Wendy can’t deny that she also has feelings for Pete’s nemesis, the drug-dealing Jas.

Will Pete and Jas be able to help Wendy find her brothers? Or will they tear her heart in two instead?

FOR FANS OF: YA summer romance books, Peter Pan romance books, YA books set at the beach.

12. Never Ever by Sara Saedi

Wylie, Josh, and Micah Dalton are teens living in New York City, but their life is far from ideal. Their parents are getting a divorce, and Josh is going to jail for driving under the influence.

On their last day together as a family, Wylie meets the confident and mysterious Phinn at a party.

When Phinn offers to take Wylie and her brothers to a magical place where nobody ages and life is a constant party, she wholeheartedly accepts.

But soon she discovers that living forever isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

FOR FANS OF: contemporary fairy tale retellings, Peter Pan romance books.

13. Pan by K.R. Thompson

Neverland is dying and Tink is the only pixie brave enough to do anything about it.

Desperate for a way to save her home, Tink travels to the human world looking for someone who will believe her.

There, she finds a lost boy flying through the night, searching for a life he’s long forgotten.

Can she convince him to abandon his quest and help her save Neverland?

FOR FANS OF: Tinkerbell, Peter Pan prequels

14. Everland by Wendy Spinale

Sixteen-year-old Gwen Darling and her younger siblings, Joanna and Mike, live in a world decimated by the Horologia virus.

They spend their nights searching for food and their days avoiding Captain Hanz Otto Oswald Kretschmer— an evil German scientist who experiments on children to find a cure to the virus.

But when Captain Hanz snatches little Joanna, Gwen must team up with the daring Pete and the sharpshooter Bella to get her back.

FOR FANS OF: Steampunk, books about pandemics, YA dystopian novels

15. Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

When fifteen-year-old Tiger Lily meets Peter Pan, there’s no denying the spark between them.

But when Wendy Darling shows up in Neverland, Tiger Lily must soon decide how far she’s willing to go to keep Peter by her side.

FOR FANS OF: Tiger Lily, Jodi Lynn Anderson, books with bittersweet endings

16. Dust by Kara Swanson

All Claire Kenton wants is to find her missing twin brother who was kidnapped as a child. But when her desperate search leads her to London, she uncovers an unimaginable truth.

Peter Pan is real.

And he needs her help.

Stranded in London and hunted by his own Lost Boys, Peter is desperate to get back to Neverland.

He will to do anything to get back home, even if that means trusting Claire with his biggest secret.

FOR FANS OF: Peter Pan sequels, YA fairy tale retellings with a twist, indie books

17. Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas

Five years ago, Wendy and her two younger brothers disappeared into the woods.

Only Wendy came back.

Wendy has tried to put the trauma behind her, but then children start to vanish from her hometown. Now she can’t help but question what really happened in the woods all those years ago.

To make matters worse, a boy she thought only existed in her dreams has fallen from the sky. (Literally!)

Together, they must team up to find the lost kids and rescue them from a terrible fate.

FOR FANS OF: YA mystery novels, 2021 Peter Pan retellings, Cemetery Boys

18. Wendy Darling: Stars by Colleen Oakes

Wendy is perfectly happy living with her family in a wealthy London neighborhood, daydreaming about Booth, the bookseller’s handsome son.

However, Wendy quickly forgets all of that when Peter Pan pays her a visit.

Charmed by Peter’s god-like powers, Wendy and her brothers eagerly fly away to Neverland. But what awaits them there is anything but dreamlike.

Can Wendy escape from the boy who desires her, or will she be stuck in an everlasting nightmare?

FOR FANS OF: YA fantasy romance, Peter Pan romance books

19. The Wendy by Erin Michelle Sky and Steven Brown

More than anything, Wendy Darling wants to captain her own ship. But in 1789, the Royal Navy doesn’t allow women.

Desperate to prove herself, she joins the British Home Office and Clandestine Services as a Diviner.

Her mission?

To help England fight an impossible new foe: magic.

But life in the secret service isn’t what she thought it would be. And the only person on her side just so happens to be public enemy number one—Peter Pan.

FOR FANS OF: YA historical fantasy books, indie books

20. Straight On Till Morning by Liz Braswell

All sixteen-year-old Wendy Darling has ever dreamed of is visiting Never Land and meeting her childhood hero, Peter Pan.

But her family grows tired of her foolish imagination.

In a last-ditch effort to make her grow up, Wendy’s parents plan to send her away to Ireland as a governess—a fate she is desperate to escape.

So when Captain Hook arrives at her window with a dangerous proposition, Wendy makes a deal with the devil.

At last, Wendy is on her way to Never Land, but unexpected danger lurks on the horizon.

FOR FANS OF: Disney’s original animated movie, the A Twisted Tale series

21. All Darling Children by Katrina Monroe

When her overbearing Grandma Wendy suffers a heart attack, fourteen-year-old Madge Darling seizes the chance to run away and find her real mother.

But along the way, Madge is kidnapped by the savage Peter Pan and carried off to a dangerous island called Neverland.

Can Madge survive Pan’s twisted games and discover the disturbing price of his eternal youth?

FOR FANS OF: YA horror books, Peter Pan horror retellings

22. Lost Girl by Chanda Hahn

Wendy remembers nothing about Neverland—or the experiments conducted on her there as a child.

Seven years later, all Wendy wants is to leave her unknown past behind her. But when strange shadows start to haunt her, Wendy’s dream of a normal life turns into a waking nightmare.

Just when everything seems lost, a mysterious boy named Peter appears and tells Wendy about a magical place called the Neverwood Academy.

Can Wendy trust Peter, or will the shadows drag her back to the Neverland of her childhood?

FOR FANS OF: YA paranormal romance

23. Darling by K. Ancrum

When Wendy Darling first arrives in Chicago, she’s not sure what to expect.

But she definitely wasn’t expecting a mysterious boy named Peter to appear at her window and invite her to a party.

What starts out as a harmless night on the town quickly becomes a race against time as Wendy and Peter hurtle through the city’s underground.

Can Wendy find the courage to survive the night—and make sure everyone else does, too?

FOR FANS OF: The Wicker King, The Weight of the Stars, YA thriller books, 2021 Peter Pan retellings

24. Neverland by Shari Arnold

Ever since seventeen-year-old Livy Cloud lost her little sister to leukemia, she’s spent every free moment at the Seattle Children’s hospital reading to the patients and holding onto memories of her sister.

But when Livy meets a cute boy named Meyer, she finds herself drawn into a world of mischief and adventure.

Can Livy learn to love again, or will she lose herself to Neverland?

FOR FANS OF: YA books about grief, YA contemporary romance

25. Second Star by J. M. Sullivan

Wendy Darling’s first mission as a captain in the Londonierre Brigade is to find the legendary James Hooke, a man lost in uncharted space nearly a hundred years earlier.

Willing to risk it all to prove herself, Wendy races off to a mysterious planet called Neverland.

To fulfill her mission, Wendy must decide whether to trust the dashing Hooke or the roguish mechanic that goes by the name of Pan.

And she needs to decide quickly…

FOR FANS OF: Science Fiction, YA books set in space, The Lunar Chronicles series

26. Tink and Wendy by Kelly Ann Jacobson

When Peter and Wendy’s granddaughter Hope Darling discovers Tinker Bell crying over the graves of her two long-gone friends, she’s got a lot of questions.

As Hope wins the fairy’s trust, Tink begins to share her side of the famous story—and the role she played in Peter and Wendy’s ultimate fate.

FOR FANS OF: Queer YA books, 2021 Peter Pan retellings, books with LGBTQ+ representation

27. Tigerheart by Peter David

When Paul’s one-week-old baby sister dies suddenly, his mother is inconsolable. Desperate to keep his family from falling apart, Paul travels to a magical world called Anyplace.

There, he must team up with a mysterious figure called The Boy to fight pirates alongside Fiddlefix the fairy and a band of young vagabonds

FOR FANS OF: Peter David, coming-of-age novels

28. Neverland by Margot McGovern

Ever since seventeen-year-old Kit Learmonth’s parents drowned in a boating accident, she has refused to live in reality.

She would much rather fill her head with the fantastical stories of pirates and mermaids from her childhood.

But when Kit tries to take her own life, her uncle sends her away to a boarding school for mentally ill teenagers.

Can Kit leave Neverland behind and find her way back to reality?

FOR FANS OF: YA books about mental illness, dark Peter Pan retellings

29. Hook by K. R. Thompson

Archie Jameson has always dreamed of adventure.

But after he is kidnapped and consigned to the crew of the pirate Blackbeard, he starts to think that adventure isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Through a strange twist of fate, Archie finds himself named captain of one of Blackbeard’s many ships—the Jolig Roger.

As he traverses the high seas, Archie makes decisions that will ultimately seal his fate and lead him to become the infamous Captain Hook.

FOR FANS OF: Captain Hook, villain origin stories, self-published books

30. Nevermore by Lani Lenore

Fifteen-year-old Wren and her brothers are orphans. They dream of the day they will be adopted, but no one wants to take all three of them.

Desperate to keep her family together, Wren dreams of escape.

But Wren gets more than she bargained for when she’s kidnapped by a magical boy and taken to an island at the edge of the universe, where all dreams go.

Can Wren find her way back home to her brothers? Or will this strange island, with its deadly games, swallow her whole?

FOR FANS OF: dark YA fantasy, self-published books

31. The Promised Neverland by Kaiu Shirai and illustrated by Posuka Demizu

Emma, Norman, and Ray are the oldest and smartest kids at the Grace Field House orphanage.

Taken care of by a mysterious woman they call, “Mom,” they want for nothing.

But all of that changes when Emma uncovers a horrible and deadly truth. Turns out, their peaceful life at the orphanage isn’t so idyllic after all.

FOR FANS OF: Japanese manga, Peter Pan horror retellings, YA graphic novels

32. Nora & Kettle by Lauren Nicolle Taylor

It’s 1953 and Kettle is a Japanese American boy that grew up in an internment camp. Now homeless, he hides out in abandoned subway tunnels with his gang of lost boys.

On the outside, eighteen-year-old Nora has a perfect life. A high society family, a lovely home, and a father with a successful career.

But looks can be deceiving.

When fate throws Kettle and Nora together, can the two of them find the healing they both so desperately need?

FOR FANS OF: YA books with Japanese American representation, YA historical fiction novels, books about Japanese internment

33. Surviving Tiger Lily by Mandy Nachampassack-Maloney

Neverland…a tropical paradise or an island riddled with terrible monsters? Before her sister was murdered, Tiger Lily would have said the first. Now that Little Tigress is gone, elder sister Tiger Lily is determined to find out if it’s the latter.

Tiger Lily is going to have to face off against fairies, lost boys, and gods before she gets the answers she seeks.

FOR FANS OF: Peter Pan retellings about Tiger Lily, YA books with strong female protagonists, YA books by Indigenous authors

34. The PAN by Jenny Hickman

Ever since her parents died, Vivienne has been shuffled from one foster family to another. But just days before her eighteenth birthday, Vivienne is suddenly hospitalized for mysterious symptoms no one can explain.

The doctors may be puzzled, but Deacon, her mysterious new friend, claims she has an active Nevergene.

His far-fetched diagnosis comes with a warning: she is about to become an involuntary test subject for Humanitarian Organization for Order and Knowledge—or HOOK.

Vivienne can either escape to Neverland’s Kensington Academy and learn to fly (Did he really just say fly?) or risk sticking around to become a human lab rat.

FOR FANS OF: YA Science Fiction books, unique Peter Pan retellings

35. Cheshire Crossing written by Andy Weir and illustrated by Sarah Andersen

When Wendy, Alice, and Dorothy meet at a magical boarding school called Cheshire Crossing, it doesn’t take long for them to stir up trouble. When Alice steals Dorothy’s silver slippers, the three teens find themselves thrown from one magical world to another.

But their inter-dimensional travels have unintended consequences: they accidentally bring the Wicked Witch and Captain Hook together in a deadly supervillain love match!

To stop them, the girls will have to combine all of their powers and team up with a rag-tag group of unlikely allies. But will it be enough?

FOR FANS OF: YA Alice in Wonderland retellings, fairy tale crossovers, YA Wizard of Oz retellings

36. The Wendybird written by WmW and Illustrated by Thabfu

Wendy Darling is a headstrong 17-year-old who dreams of escaping her humdrum life and strict family for a life of adventure, like the heroes in her stories.

But what will she do when adventure actually comes knocking?

Now it’s up to Wendy to save Neverland from Captain Hook and the strange beasts that torment its inhabitants.

FOR FANS OF: Webtoons, gender-reversed Peter Pan retellings, Finding Wonderland

Peter Pan Retellings for Adults

37. Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook by Christina Henry

Before he became the infamous Captain Hook, he was just Peter’s first—and favorite—lost boy.

But when Hook dares to question Peter’s reckless leadership and the dangers of Neverland, the friendship sours and fighting breaks out.

Peter claims Captain Hook is a black-hearted villain. Peter also says that in Neverland, you can be young and happy forever.

Peter lies.

FOR FANS OF: Captain Hook, dark Peter Pan retellings, books with a villain protagonist

38. Peter Darling by Austin Chant

For a time, Peter lived with Wendy Darling in the real world. But ten years later, Peter has grown tired of being an adult. He misses Neverland.

When Peter decides to return to the magical home of his youth, he expects Neverland and the Lost Boys to welcome him back with open arms.

But it doesn’t take long to realize that he’s no longer needed.

The only person who truly missed Peter is his old nemesis, Captain James Hook. As the two rivals pick up where they left off, Peter can’t help but feel drawn to Hook in a way he never was before.

What is this new feeling between them? Peter is determined to find out.

FOR FANS OF: MM romance, books with LGBTQ+ representation

39. Wendy, Darling by A. C. Wise

After Wendy returns from Neverland, she is sent away to St. Bernadettes, an asylum for the mentally insane. There, Wendy quickly learns to lock away the truths of her past to survive.

Years later, Wendy has grown up. She’s now a wife, a mother, and a survivor.

But her peaceful life is threatened one night when Peter Pan once again pays a visit to the Darling residence.

And this time, he’s here for Wendy’s daughter, Jane.

FOR FANS OF: feminist re-imaginings, dark Peter Pan sequels, Circe

40. The Lost Girls by Laurie Fox

The women of the Darling family are cursed. Once they start to grow up, they all inevitably get their hearts broken and go mad.

Wendy is determined to break the five-generations-long pattern of lunacy. But when she falls in love with an immature man named Freeman, she starts to worry if she can really escape the curse after all.

FOR FANS OF: Women’s Fiction, Peter Pan sequels

41. Second Star To The Right by Mary Alice Monroe

Recently divorced single mother Faye O’Neill moves to London to begin a new job and a new life.

But when Faye and her two children settle into an old Victorian flat, a strange light starts to appear in the nursery at night.

To make matters worse, Faye’s downstairs neighbor is a worryingly handsome professor named Jack.

And although she’s sworn off men, there’s no denying the spark between them.

FOR FANS OF: Contemporary Romance, magical realism books

42. Girl Lost by Nazarea Andrews

University was supposed to be a new start for Gwendolyn. There, nobody knew about the death of her parents or her hallucinations of a magical island.

But all of that changes when a boy named Peter sits down beside Gwendolyn in one of her lectures.

He looks so much like the mysterious boy from the island of her dreams.

Gwen can’t help but wonder if her childhood fantasies aren’t as fictional as she once thought.

FOR FANS OF: New Adult books, books about mental health, Peter Pan retellings with romance

43. Hook’s Tale: Being the Account of an Unjustly Villainized Pirate Written by Himself by John Leonard Pielmeier

Long before he was the infamous captain of the Jolly Rodger, he was just a fourteen-year-old boy named James Cook.

When his father is lost at sea, James is sent off to boarding school where he struggles to fit in with his peers.

Things go from bad to worse when an unfortunate accident lands him on a pirate ship in the middle of the ocean.

But that is where his story really begins.

FOR FANS OF: Peter Pan retellings about Captain Hook, books told from the villain’s perspective, Gregory Maguire

44. The Child Thief by Gerald Brom

When Peter Pan saves fourteen-year-old Nick from murderous drug dealers, Nick is all too eager to fly away with Peter to a magical paradise.

But paradise isn’t what Nick expected.

To survive, Nick must now fight in a deadly war against monsters called the “Flesh-eaters.”

Will Nick learn to fight among the “Devils,” Peter’s savage tribe of lost and stolen children, or will he die in the attempt?

FOR FANS OF: dark Peter Pan retellings, portal fantasy books

45. Alias Hook by Lisa Jensen

Captain James Benjamin Hook has been stuck in Neverland playing villain to a pack of malicious little boys for as long as he can remember.

But all of that changes when Stella Parrish, a grown woman, breaks Peter’s rules and dreams herself into Neverland.

Stella has always believed in fairy tales. So when the magical forces of Neverland start to open up for her, Hook can’t help but hope that his chance at freedom has finally arrived.

FOR FANS OF: Peter Pan retellings about Captain Hook, Peter Pan romance books

Have You Read Any of These Peter Pan Retellings?

Hot surfer dudes, nuclear fallout, murderous shadows, and body-snatching aliens—these clever Peter Pan retellings have it all.

So if you’re looking for a book that captures the fantastical magic of Neverland, then I hope these 45 book recommendations help you get started.

Now over to you—

In the comments, share one Peter Pan retelling from this list that you’ve already read and one that you just added to your TBR!

---

If You Love Peter Pan Retellings, You May Also Enjoy:

• YA Alice in Wonderland Retellings That Will Make You Lose Your Head

---