Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Ridley Pearson’s novel includes numerous Disney characters, including villains. However, what is a “villain,” and how does a character become one? Is it possible to be both a hero and a villain? Why or why not? If you’re familiar with Disney characters, feel free to include examples.

Teaching Suggestion: Reading The Kingdom Keepers does not require prior knowledge of Disney, but it does help, as most of the novel’s events take place within the Disney parks. Discussing Disney in general ensures that all students have a sense of this context. Competitive classrooms may appreciate the opportunity to divide into groups and list as many Disney characters and/or villains as possible under timed conditions prior to exploring the resources below.

• This resource lists Disney’s many different pieces of entertainment in timeline order, including those associated with studios like Marvel or Lucasfilm.
• This article from Reader’s Digest includes a published list of Disney characters by name in alphabetical order.

2. One of the settings in this novel is Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World, a theme park millions of people visit.