The Kingdom Keepers: Disney After Dark

The Kingdom Keepers: Disney After Dark

• Genre: Middle-grade fiction; fantasy
• Originally Published: 2005
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 640L; middle grade (ages 8-12)
• Structure/Length: Divided into 34 chapters; approx. 324 pages; approx. 6 hours and 21 minutes on audiobook
• Protagonist/Central Conflict: The Kingdom Keepers: Disney After Dark is the first book in a middle-grade fantasy series by Ridley Pearson. The central conflict revolves around a group of teenagers who find themselves drawn into a strange and magical world at Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Finn Whitman and his friends are chosen to be the “DHI” (Disney Host Interactive) guides, a role that allows them to “cross over” into the Disney theme parks at night using a new technology. Soon they discover that the Disney villains are not as fictional as they seem, and they must work together to protect the parks from a dark threat.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Themes of fantasy and adventure

Ridley Pearson, Author

• Bio: Born 1953; American author who writes in a multiple genres for a wide range of audiences; writes thrillers, adventure novels, and young adult fiction in addition to children’s literature
• Other Works: Peter and the Starcatchers series (co-authored with Dave Barry); The Adventure Series (including The Risk Agent and The Red Room)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• The Magic of Belief
• A Change of Perspective
• The Importance of Teamwork

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Teaching Guide, students will:

• Gain understanding of the cultural and historical contexts regarding Walt Disney that drive the protagonists’ conflict with the Overtakers in the novel.
• Read paired texts and other brief resources to make connections via the text’s themes of The Magic of Belief, A Change of Perspective, and The Importance of Teamwork.
• Plan and design an “after dark” event for a theme park that connects to the interest people have in visiting parks in the evening as well as the theme of A Change of Perspective.
• Analyze symbolism, plot, and character details to draw conclusions in structured essay responses regarding the novel’s messages and themes.