Kingdom Keepers: Disney After Dark

I became a big fan of Ridley Pearson after I read Peter and the Starcatchers, which he wrote along with Dave Barry. But what really sold me to this book was the recommendation from my cousin Robin. After I read it, I had to buy the second book. It was very enjoyable!

Finn is an ordinary Disney-loving kid. He is one of five young people chosen to become a DHI--a Disney Host Interactive. They have holograms made of themselves in order to interact with the guests at Disney World. It seems like something innocent and cool. Their families get golden fastpasses. But Finn suddenly finds himself having strange dreams where he is in the park in hologram form. There he meets Wayne. Wayne tells him that he is the leader and he needs to unite with the other kids to fight a terrible threat. While they talk, Finn sees Goofy, Pooh, and Piglet. Wayne gets super excited. He cannot see them.

Finn returns with only two others the next night, all in hologram forms. They talk to Wayne again and learn that as DHIs, they can actually be part of our world, but also part of the animated world. While asleep, they can "cross over" and literally become their DHIs. As proof, Finn and his friends encounter Pirates from Pirates of the Caribbean. They are stealing cars from the Buzz Lightyear ride. When they fire a laser at Finn, it actually burns a hole in his shoulder, and is even there when he wakes up. Suddenly they realize how serious this DHI business really is, especially when Wayne tells them the whole truth.

When Walt Disney was making plans for Disney World, he knew that the power of belief was extraordinary. Things could actually come to life and exist if people believed hard enough. The problem is...so can villains! Finn and his friends soon find themselves battling very real evil forces, fighting to preserve the park and the world. Will they succeed? Do they have what it takes to be the Kingdom Keepers? This book gets FIVE STARS from me!