Hello, readers! Welcome to the first official entry in my blog, Behind the Books! Since this is the blog’s kickoff, I wanted to write about the perfect topic. (Zooey tried to claim this slot, but I told him that it’s not time for Zooey’s Corner yet.) Once I convinced Zooey that his adoring public could wait, the choice was obvious. When it comes to my interests and inspirations, one subject jumps to the top of the list: it’s… *drumroll*… Disney!

Disney encompasses everything that I love about magic, creativity, and the power of imagination. 

I’m certainly not the only Disney fan around – I’m 99% sure that most of you are Disney fans, too – but I can confidently say that you’d be hard-pressed to find a more dedicated one. I’ve literally been a Disney fan since before I was born, because my parents bought a full set of Disney VHS tapes (look it up, kids) when my mom was pregnant with me. My family brought me to Walt Disney World for the first time when I was three years old, and it’s been our go-to vacation spot ever since: our annual ten-day trip is a highlight of the year, right up there with birthdays and Christmas! I’ve seen every Disney movie so many times that I have most of them memorized; the same is true of the songs. And I’ve read every Disney history book and Walt Disney biography that I can get my hands on. There’s no doubt about it: I’m a diehard Disneyphile! Few things make me happier than watching Disney movies, visiting Disney theme parks, or reading Disney books.

And speaking of Disney books…

When I was really young, I taught myself to read by reading, re-reading, and re-re-reading Disney picture books and noisy books. My tastes haven’t changed much, because, even now, my favorite book series—Ridley Pearson’s Kingdom Keepers—is all about Disney. (If you want to hear about the incredible way that I got to contribute to that series, check back for my next blog post.) So, it’s hardly a surprise that Disney plays an important role in my writing, too. For as long as I can remember, it’s been my ultimate dream to write a book that gets published by Disney – and if it’s about Disney, even better! I can still hardly believe that my dream came true.

But enough about me! Whenever a Disney fan meets a fellow Disney fan, you always ask the same question: who’s your favorite Disney character? Mine is definitely Peter Pan! He flies, he never grows up, he hangs out with a fairy, and he has fantastic adventures… what could be better? A close second is Belle, because we have so much in common: both of us are intelligent, thoughtful girls who love to read and aren’t afraid to stand out from a crowd; we’re both very close with our families; and we both have brown hair and like to wear blue. Marie is another favorite (as Zooey would remind you, I’m partial to cats), as is Stitch. Judy Hopps, Sorcerer Mickey, Chip and Dale, Pluto, Mary Poppins and Bert, Flynn Rider, Fawn, Tinkerbell, Simba, Robin Hood, Oliver and Dodger, Jessie, Captain Jack Sparrow, Winnie the Pooh, and Jaq and Gus round out the list.

What about you? Who’s your favorite Disney character, and why? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading!

~Alexandra