Disney After Dark (Kingdom Keepers Book 1) by Ridley Pearson

If you're as Disney obsessed as me, you've probably always wondered what goes on after the park closes.  Well, that's what Ridley Pearson tackles (sort of) in this series.  I'll admit, I didn't like this book through the first 50 pages because the action of the story starts abruptly on page 1 without clear background information; however, I don't like not finishing a book, so I stuck it out.  The book redeems itself very quickly, and I ended up reading over 250 pages in one sitting (i.e. I couldn't put it down).  This book is one part Night at the Museum, one part Avatar, and one part Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew.

Title:  Disney After Dark (Kingdom Keepers Book 1)

Author:  Ridley Pearson

Pages: 326

Publisher:  Disney Press

ISBN:  9780786854448

Publication Date:  August 29, 2005
AR Levels:  Interest Level--4th to 8th; Book Level--4.2; Points--9.0

Goodreads Link:  http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/953260.Disney_after_Dark

In a nutshell:  Disney's Magic Kingdom in Orlando has created a new attraction called Disney Host Interactive (or DHI) in which 5 young teens were selected to have their likenesses used as holographic tour guides that can interact with park guests.  These kids instantly become rock stars at their schools, as people can see them in the park everyday without them actually having to be there.  (Sounds kinda confusing, I know)  They quickly learn though that they may have been chosen for a different purpose.  At night, they are transported back into the park--in what turns out not to be a dream--where they interact with one of Disney's Imagineers, as well as characters that seem to have come alive.  On top of that, they learn that Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty may or may not be planning to take over the park and eventually the world, and it's their duty to stop her.

I'd Recommend It For Grades: 6-9+; the characters are middle schoolers and the books are relatively tame.

I'd Recommend It To:  Anyone who's a huge Disney fan and who wants to know what happens in those parks after dark

What I Liked Most About This Book:  It didn't shy away from revealing some of the behind-the-scenes secrets.  Most of the time, Disney won't go near a conversation about the characters in the park not being real, but this book tells you about cast members, the tunnels and secret passages, and other secrets.

Single Favorite Moment (without getting spoiler-y):  If you've ever been to the Magic Kingdom, you're familiar with the It's a Small World ride and how annoying it can be.  My absolute favorite part is when the characters end up on the ride at night.  One of them comments about how annoying the song is, and then something happens on the ride that reminded me of The Shining and Child's Play.  Read it, it's amazing!

Star Rating (where 5 stars is awesome and 0 stars is atrocious):  4 stars; the first 50 pages get 3 stars, but the rest of the book redeems it.