THE KINGDOM KEEPERS: Disney After Dark
by Ridley Pearson
Disney Editions/Hyperion Paperbacks for Children
ISBN-10: 1423105451
ISBN-13: 9781423105459
Ages 10-up
336 pages

• Read an Excerpt

Thousands of families have visited the famous Walt Disney World since its opening in 1971. One of the most beloved areas of the park is the Magic Kingdom and the numerous characters and attractions that have helped create it. Children of all ages have explored the Kingdom, but no one has seen it after dark when the park is closed --- that is, until now.

When Finn Whitman's mother tells him of a cool new job as a park guide at Walt Disney World, Finn reluctantly agrees to audition. He is chosen along with four other young teens --- Charlene, Willa, Maybeck and Philby --- to be DHIs. Using DHI --- a new technology that stands for both "Disney Host Interactive" and "Daylight Hologram Images" --- the Disney Imagineers at Disney-MGM Studios create hologram projections of the teens that are then used to guide guests throughout various areas of the park. The only drawback there seems to be is having to wear a disguise while visiting the Magic Kingdom. Though the teens find the whole experience a bit weird, they begin to enjoy the benefits of being a part of Walt Disney World.

Things begin to change, however, when Finn makes an unexpected visit to the Magic Kingdom one night when the park is closed. Upon seeing some Disney characters walking through the Kingdom, Finn initially thinks he's just having a bizarre dream. Then he meets a strange grandfatherly Imagineer named Wayne and discovers that he and the other teens actually become their DHI form at night when they sleep! Wayne tells the perplexed teens that the park is in danger of being destroyed by the Overtakers, a renegade group of Disney characters led by the evil witch Maleficent. Due to their unusual new abilities, it's up to the DHIs to defeat the Overtakers in a thrilling race to save the future of Walt Disney World --- and each other.

With its vivid imagery and fast-paced writing, readers will enjoy the numerous references --- from Cinderella's Castle and the Haunted Mansion to the characters Mickey Mouse and Tom Sawyer --- and want to be DHIs themselves. THE KINGDOM KEEPERS is a very cool book and a must-read for everyone, regardless of whether or not you've had the opportunity to visit the famous theme park.

   --- Reviewed by Sarah Sawtelle (SdarksideG@aol.com)

Click here now to buy this book from Amazon.com.

Back to top.