The Neverending Story is a novel written by Michael Ende, a German author.
It is a fantasy novel, aimed primarily at children. However, its appeal is to the young at heart of all ages.
The book centres around a young boy, Bastian Balthazar Bux, who steals a book from a small antique bookstore containing a story which never ends. The novel is about Bastian's adventures with this magic book, and in the world of Fantastica, the realm in which all human fantasies and stories are played out.
The novel was filmed twice: the first half starring Barret Oliver, Noah Hathaway and Tami Stronach, leading up to chapter 13 of the novel. The remaining half was filmed under the name The Neverending Story II, starring the late Jonathan Brandis.
A third film, The Neverending Story III, was made starring Jason James Richter, but this film was not as successful as the first two.