> Which book begins with the sentence, "All children, except one, grow up"?And the answer: Peter Pan. Photo courtesy: public domain.Originally published under the name Peter andWendy, Peter Pan is a 1911 novel by Scottish author and playwright J. M. Barrie.A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, PeterPan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythical islandof Neverland.Peter Pan grew, as most great legacies do, out of stories the author told tochildren. Barrie's close friend Sylvia Llewelyn Davies was mother to five sonswith which Barrie forged a close relationship. After Davies' death to cancer,Barrie unofficially adopted the boys, and it was during this time that he beganto craft the fantastical world of Peter's Neverland. What's more, it is believedthat the character for Peter Pan was based off the premature death of Barrie'solder brother – he and his mother continued to think of the boy as youngforever. The story of Peter Pan begins with the title character swooping down ontosidekick Wendy Darling's window. As a young mischievous boy with the power tofly, Peter Pan sweeps Wendy into his world and takes her to the promisedNeverland. It is there that the pair encounters friends and foes alike, rangingfrom the loyal Tinker Bell to the antagonistic Captain Hook.As a narrative underscoring the innocence of childhood and the desire to hold ittight, Peter Pan quickly became a classic across the world. The story and itscharacters have been used as the basis for a number of motion pictures (liveaction and animated), stage musicals, television programs, a ballet, and othermedia and merchandise.To get a taste of the magic, check out the trailer for the 1953 Disneyadaptation below.