What Are You Reading?

I had every intention of posting this morning to let readers in the Orlando area know that author Ridley Pearson was signing his Kingdom Keepers series--particularly the fourth and latest in the series--at Downtown Disney this afternoon. Yep, that was my intention...but the day got away from me and it didn't happen. (I have excuses, really...but I won't bore you with those.) Aren't familiar with the Kingdom Keepers books?  You can read all about them here. My oldest (7) especially enjoys them, although the action is sometimes a little intense for our four-year-old (we listen to the audio versions on long trips!). They both love hearing mention of their favorite attractions and characters, and it's easy for them to picture the setting of most scenes, since they've been there!

In addition to these fiction titles, I've read quite a few Disney-related books in recent years. Here's a quick run-down of a few that stand out--both good and bad:

• Disney War by James B. Stewart. This is quite a lengthy tome at 572 pages, but I found it intriguing. It delves pretty deeply into the business of Disney, with the most intense scrutiny of Michael Eisner. This book confirmed my suspicion that Eisner was/is a complete egomaniac.


• The Gospel According to Disney by Mark I. Pinsky. I was attracted to this book because of the parallels it draws between Disney films and religion--particularly the Bible. The author is a Jewish religion writer for the Orlando Sentinel (I mention this merely as a point of reference for his own religious perspective). Chapters are essentially brief synopsises of Disney movies, highlighting anything that can be constrewed as religious in any way. There's also a final section that focuses on the theme parks, as well as discussing the 1997 boycott by the Southern Baptist Convention. (I actually worked in the Seminary Extension of the SBC while the boycott was going on--kinda funny considering my love of all things Disney, right?) While I enjoyed the book, I do feel the author was definitely reaching to make the connection in many instances.


• Disney: The Mouse Betrayed by Peter & Rochelle Schweizer. This book was downright disturbing to me. It definitely focused on the dark side of Disney. It features reports of Cast Member crimes (everything from peeping Toms to sexual assaults) and focuses on ways that Disney is failing to put guest safety first. While I do believe there is factual information here, I feel that the authors' intent is to sensationalize and terrorize. I don't recommend reading it unless you actually enjoy looking on the dark side.


• Cast Member Confidential by Chris Mitchell. This is a memoir from a former Cast Member. Again, it's disturbing on some level, and he would have us believe that most of the people who play a role in delighting our children in the Parks are--how should I say this?--slightly off balance. This is a look at the sordid underbelly of Cast Member behavior. The author admittedly has a Peter Pan complex, and his whole purpose for working at Disney was to run away from an uncomfortable family situation. Here's my take on it: people are drawn to like-minded people. Yes, the CMs the author was acquainted with were not people I would choose to have entertaining my children. But for every nutty CM, there is one with a pure heart who love to make people--especially children--happy. I personally know two lovely CMs of that variety!

Those are just a few...there are so many others. How 'bout you? Have any great Disney reads to recommend?