by Carey Corp
This book contains a discussion guide for classrooms and book clubs.
Acknowledgements
Thank you to Elaine English and Naomi Hackenberg who loved this project enough to want to represent it. To my amazing agent Nicole Resciniti for letting it go.
And to my project muse, Mr. J.M. Barrie. Whose voice narrated softly in my ear to guide me on this amazing journey.
Other books by Carey Corp
THE HALO CHRONICLES: THE GUARDIAN
High school sophomore Alex Grabovski is cursed with a gift: the ability to see the goodness and evil in her fellow human beings in the form of halos—rings of light or darkness—that surround the body. Her goals in life are to keep moving, find her best friend, and to remain invisible. A new foster family and new school offer her a real chance at a normal life. But in order to stay, she must accept that her gift, The Gift of the Saints, has been bestowed for a purpose and confront the overwhelming darkness she fears.
Then he appears.
Gabriel is a Seraph, a guardian angel sent in the mortal body of a sixteen-year-old boy to protect Alex at the time in her life when she needs it most. Although he is as old as time, Gabriel’s teenage form reacts to Alex in an unexpected, unprecedented way. He falls hopelessly in love with her.
Purchase: Amazon Barnes & Noble
DOON (co-written with Lorie Langdon)
In the first book of the new Doon Novel series, Veronica and her best friend, Mackenna, travel to Scotland for the summer in hopes of finding some peace. But the Scottish countryside holds a host of secrets—including a passageway to a mysterious land that appears to be a living fairy tale. In the land of Doon, the girls could have everything they’ve ever longed for … or end up breaking an enchantment and find themselves trapped in a world that could soon become a nightmare.
eBook: Amazon Barnes & Noble
About the Author
Carey Corp wrote her first book, a brilliant retelling of Star Wars, at the prodigious age of seven. Since then, her love affair of reinvention has continued to run amuck. She harbors a voracious passion (in no consistent order) for mohawks, Italy, musical theater, chocolate, and Jane Austen. Her debut novel for teens, The Halo Chronicles: The Guardian, earned her national recognition as 2010 Golden Heart finalist for best young adult fiction. Coming from BLINK/HarperCollins August 20, 2013: DOON, a YA based (loosely) of the concept of the musical Brigadoon used with permission from the Alan Jay Lerner Estate & the Frederick Loewe Foundation, and co-written with Lorie Langdon. Carey tweets, pins, and “friends.” For more information, visit www.DoonSeries.com or check out her books on Goodreads.
SHADES OF NEVERLAND - Discussion Guide
(Let your inner child guide you as you customize for your unique group)
1. What does the title: Shades of Neverland mean to you?
2. The book opens with a quote from J.M. Barrie’s original work, Peter Pan. How do you feel this set the tone for the book?
3. Different types of romantic love are portrayed through the relationships Peter and Wendy experience, such as: Peter and the Tiger Lily; Wendy and James; Mr. and Mrs. Darling; Maimie and Viscount Withington; Peter and Wendy. Which relationship resonated the most with you and why? Which one resonated the least?
4. The author often takes a familiar phrase or concept from Barrie’s original and weaves it into something new, for example the juxtaposition of thimbles and kisses. Can you think of an example in the story to share with the group?
5. What role does the theatre play in the lives of Wendy and Peter? Share with the group a hobby you are passionate about.
6. In the exploration of what it means to grow up, the author often contrasts childhood with adulthood. Which qualities are attributed to childhood? Which qualities are attributed to adulthood?
7. Most of the secondary characters in Peter encounters in the London and New York theatre world and in Hollywood are historical. Choose one of particular interest to you and discuss.
8. The author frequently uses authorial intrusion to speak directly to the reader. Share an example of this. How does this enhance the overall effect of the story?
9. The Neverlands are written as a character of its own. What role do the Neverlands play in this book?
10. Discuss Peter’s and Wendy’s main strengths and weaknesses. How do their weaknesses contribute to their unhappiness?
11. Were there any scenes in Echoes of Neverland that made you want to cheer? Cry? Reflect on your own life? What was your favorite scene?
12. Identify a trait from childhood that either Peter or Wendy sacrificed in order to grow up. Do you think that trait would have been beneficial to them in adulthood? Describe one of your best qualities from childhood. Do you still possess that quality? How much of a role does this quality play in your everyday adult life?
13. As Wendy grows up, more and more of her life becomes focused on her obligations. Are those obligations to herself or to others? Give some examples. If you could be free of all obligations, how would your life be different?
14. Through Peter Pan, J.M. Barrie says, “To die will be an awfully big adventure.” What does this mean to you? How does this relate to the final chapter?
15. In the Author’s note, Carey Corp writes, “This is a story about lost selves.” Describe a time that you felt lost or disconnected from the person you used to be.
16. “When you fearlessly follow your inner child with hope, trust and a dash of pixie dust, all things are possible.” What does this mean to you in the context of the story? What does this mean in the context of your own life?
17. What advice would you share with a young person about growing up?
