Book of the Mouse Club

The Most Magical Place on Earth is sometimes more than meets the eye…so let’s meet our magical private eye! When mischievous magical mysteries arise, that is when Miles Mitchell, private eye, takes the case. Courtney and Emily are joined by Aaron Forringer to discuss his collection of short stories, “The Miles Mitchell Mysteries: A Private Eye At A Magical Place”. As a private investigator and now a Walt Disney World Cast Member, Aaron’s unique experiences help him combine his passions to write modern noir mysteries set in Mickey’s backyard. 

Follow Our Reading Journey On Social Media!
Official Instagram: @BookoftheMouse
Courtney: Instagram @greatguthsby and Goodreads
Emily: Instagram @emily_mickde and Goodreads

Aaron Forringer: Instagram @aaforringer
Website: https://aaforringer.com/

You can purchase the Miles Mitchell Stories at:
Dorrance Publishing
Amazon.com
Audiobooks 

The Walt Disney Company has been wishing on stars since 1923 and Disney’s Wish is a tribute to the 100 years of animation from the studio. Courtney and Emily kick off season 7 with “The Art of Wish” celebrating Disney Animation Studios’ 62nd film. Its unique “moving painting” animation pays tribute to the golden age of Disney animation and there are dozens of easter eggs to make you nostalgic for your favorite films.  

Follow Our Reading Journey On Social Media!

Official Instagram: @BookoftheMouse

Courtney: Instagram @greatguthsby and Goodreads

Emily: Instagram @emily_mickde and Goodreads

The Villains are trying to ruin Christmas! Classic Disney villains are up to their usual dastardly deeds, but the spirit of Christmas cannot be defeated. Courtney and Emily discuss Serna Valentino’s picture book “Disney Villains: How the Villains ruined Christmas” in their concluding episode of season 6. Picture books and reading are synonymous with the holiday season and make great gifts for the kids and kids at heart in your lives. The book features beautiful rhyming storytelling from Valentino and vibrant, joyful illustrations from Joey Chou. So gather around for story time and have a merry Christmas, a happy Hanukkah, a joyous Kwanzaa, and a happy new year!

Follow Our Reading Journey On Social Media!

Official Twitter and Instagram: @BookoftheMouse

Courtney: Instagram @greatguthsby, Twitter @Courtney_Guth, and Goodreads

Emily: Instagram and Twitter @emily_mickde, and Goodreads

Serena Valentino Instagram @serena_valentino_author and Disney Books Author Page https://books.disney.com/book-author/serena-valentino/ 

Joey Chou Instagram @choochoojoey and website https://www.joeyart.com/ 

Those zany Szalinskis are at it again! Back on episode #54, your hosts talked with Jeff DiPaoli about the junior novelization of Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and now they are back to discuss the sequel, Honey, I Blew Up the Kid. Junior novelizations are a great way to engage young readers with their favorite films. Released in 1992, the novelization was released by Scholastic 7 months before the film to get readers excited for the sequel. Three years after the success of the shrink ray, Dr. Wayne Szalinski is hired to develop a growth machine. In the process of testing the ray, baby Adam is enlarged to 112 feet tall. So get ready for this larger than life episode and don’t let the baby out of the play pen!

Review Book of the Mouse Club on iTunes and Google Play and send any questions, comments, or suggestions to the hosts at bookofthemouseclub@gmail.com

Follow Our Reading Journey On Social Media!

Official Twitter and Instagram: @BookoftheMouse

Courtney: Instagram @greatguthsby, Twitter @Courtney_Guth, and Goodreads

Emily: Instagram and Twitter @emily_mickde, and Goodreads

Jeff DePaoli: Instagram and Twitter @JeffDePaoli

Disney Coast to Coast: Instagram and Twitter @DizneyCTC

Dizney Coast to Coast Podcast iTunes and Spotify

Website: https://www.dizneycoasttocoast.com/ 

During the Disney100 centennial celebration of the Walt Disney Company, Disney’s animated films and theme parks have been getting a lot of attention. But what about its live action legacy? Many may associate Disney live action with recent remakes or Marvel and Star Wars, but with over 300 films, Disney has 70+ years producing live action films. To celebrate this medium, hosts Courtney and Emily welcome back author Spencer Wright to talk about his new book, “The Enchanted Disney: Stories of Walt, Hollywood, and Live-Action Film.” Wright wanted to celebrate actors of the Hollywood era in which Walt created the Walt Disney Studios. Actors such as Suzanne Pleshette, Debbie Reynolds, Maurice Chevalier, and Peter Lorre may be best known for films from other cinema studios, but they also shared their talents with Disney and helped shape the contemporary live action Disney studio we know today. 

Review Book of the Mouse Club on iTunes and Google Play and send any questions, comments, or suggestions to the hosts at bookofthemouseclub@gmail.com

Follow Our Reading Journey On Social Media!

Official Twitter and Instagram: @BookoftheMouse

Courtney: Instagram @greatguthsby, Twitter @Courtney_Guth, and Goodreads

Emily: Instagram and Twitter @emily_mickde, and Goodreads

Spencer: Instagram @spencerwtight1989 and @waltoasis (podcast page)

Amazon Link to Voices Behind the Magic

Amazon Link to The Enchanted Disney: Stories of Walt, Hollywood, and Live-Action Film

You can also buy directly from the publisher at bearmannermedia.com

What’s better than one podcast episode? Two podcast episodes! It's a Disney Leadership Duo crossover between Book of the Mouse Club and Notably Disney.

Courtney and Emily welcome Brett Nachman of the Notably Disney podcast back to the show to talk about Disney Legend Jim Cora’s memoir, “Not Just a Walk in the Park: My Worldwide Disney Resorts Career.” Cora started his career as a park operations trainer and went on to lead Disneyland International which was responsible for bringing the magic of Disney parks to Tokyo and Paris. From his grandmother yogurt starter to his encounter with Walt Disney to opening Disneyland Paris, Jim Cora’s story teaches us to grow roots wherever life plants you.

In tandem with this discussion, your hosts join Brett on a new episode of Notably Disney to talk about Dick Nunis’ memoir “Walt's Apprentice: Keeping the Disney Dream Alive.” Both Nunis and Cora worked in park operations and helped transition and grow the Walt Disney Company and theme parks after Walt’s passing and have many lessons in leadership to share from their combined 87 years of experience in the company. 

Review Book of the Mouse Club on iTunes and Google Play and send any questions, comments, or suggestions to the hosts at bookofthemouseclub@gmail.com

Follow Our Reading Journey On Social Media!

Official Twitter and Instagram: @BookoftheMouse

Courtney: Instagram @greatguthsby, Twitter @Courtney_Guth, and Goodreads

Emily: Instagram and Twitter @emily_mickde, and Goodreads

Brett Nachman: Check out Notably Disney wherever you listen to podcasts and follow on Twitter @bnachmanreports and Instagram @drnachman

Consider yourself at home with this final installment of the British Invasion Summer Series. Hosts Courtney and Emily welcome back Dr. Doug Kern and Dr. Paul Cote as guest readers to compare Charles Dickens’ 1838 novel, Oliver Twist, to Disney’s 1988 animated film Oliver and Company. Drastically different, you will not recognize Billy Joel’s beloved portrayal of Dodger from the Artful Dodger in Dickens’ original story, but both the film and the novel have their own merits that make each a classic. You do not have to worry, the conclusion of this summer series has plenty of street savoir faire which might encourage you to revisit this pre Disney Renaissance film. 

Review Book of the Mouse Club on iTunes and Google Play and send any questions, comments, or suggestions to the hosts at bookofthemouseclub@gmail.com

Follow Our Reading Journey On Social Media!

Official Twitter and Instagram: @BookoftheMouse

Courtney: Instagram @greatguthsby, Twitter @Courtney_Guth, and Goodreads

Emily: Instagram and Twitter @emily_mickde, and Goodreads

Paul: Twitter @paul_the_cote and @paul-the-cote@bsky.social and Instagram @bigpjamas 

Video: Oliver & Company - Segment from 1988 Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade

Curiouser and Curiouser! Caroline from the Poor Unfortunate Podcast joins Courtney and Emily’s unbirthday  party in this next installment of the Book of the Mouse Club’s British Invasion Summer Series. Follow your hosts down the rabbit hole to compare Disney’s 1951 film Alice in Wonderland to Lewis Carrol’s original work. And if you lose your head over our hot takes about Alice, it's okay - we are all a little mad here. 

Review Book of the Mouse Club on iTunes and Google Play and send any questions, comments, or suggestions to the hosts at bookofthemouseclub@gmail.com

Follow Our Reading Journey On Social Media!

Official Twitter and Instagram: @BookoftheMouse

Courtney: Instagram @greatguthsby, Twitter @Courtney_Guth, and Goodreads

Emily: Instagram and Twitter @emily_mickde, and Goodreads

Caroline: Instagram/Threads @carolaim, and CarolineAimetti.com 

Poor Unfortunate Podcast:

Podcast available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

Instagram @poorunfortunatepodcast / Twitter @unfortunatepod / Threads @unfortunatepod

Facebook Page Poor Unfortunate Podcast  and Facebook Group Poor Unfortunate Fam

Tally Ho! Courtney and Emily are merrily merrily on their way to discuss their second selection for the British Invasion Summer Series, The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. Your hosts welcome back Conor Perkins, one half of the The Poor Unfortunate Podcast, to compare this children’s classic novel to Walt Disney’s 1949 adaptation of The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad and the classic Disney theme park attraction, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. 

Review Book of the Mouse Club on iTunes and Google Play and send any questions, comments, or suggestions to the hosts at bookofthemouseclub@gmail.com

Follow Our Reading Journey On Social Media!

Official Twitter and Instagram: @BookoftheMouse

Courtney: Instagram @greatguthsby, Twitter @Courtney_Guth, and Goodreads

Emily: Instagram and Twitter @emily_mickde, and Goodreads

Conor: Instagram and Twitter @ConorPerkins

Poor Unfortunate Podcast:
Podcast available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify
Instagram @poorunfortunatepodcast and Twitter @unfortunatepod
Facebook Page Poor Unfortunate Podcast  and Facebook Group Poor Unfortunate Fam

Save Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride website: https://www.math.miami.edu/~jam/toad/
History of Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride Attraction: Yesterland, AllEars.net
Original letters from Kenneth Grahme to his son Alistar: Bodleian Libraries Exhibit
The Wind in the Willows (1995) Animated Film

It's time for another summer reading series! The start of the British Invasion Summer Series has Courtney and Emily traveling across the pond to the second star to the right and straight on ‘til morning! Your hosts welcome back guest reader, Leeann, to discuss J.M. Barrie’s “Peter Pan”. The Boy Who Never Grew Up was the source material for the 1953 Disney animated film by the same name and the inspiration for the 2023 live action remake, “Peter Pan and Wendy”. So with a little faith, trust, and pixie dust, come fly with Courtney, Emily, and Leeann to compare the two Disney films to the original story and discuss what makes Peter Pan a literary classic. 

Review Book of the Mouse Club on iTunes and Google Play and send any questions, comments, or suggestions to the hosts at bookofthemouseclub@gmail.com

Follow Our Reading Journey On Social Media!

Official Twitter and Instagram: @BookoftheMouse

Courtney: Instagram @greatguthsby, Twitter @Courtney_Guth, and Goodreads

Emily: Instagram and Twitter @emily_mickde, and Goodreads

“You Must Be This Tall” to ride, but there’s no height requirement to listen! Consider this your “Keys to the Kingdom” backstage tour of this fun theme park novel, inspired by the experiences of a former Disney Cast Member. Courtney and Emily interview Natalie Keller Reinert about her book “You Must Be This Tall,” a fictional story set in America the Beautiful theme park featuring a cast of Patriot employees. Natalie’s multiple perspective story takes readers through the Patriot and park guest reactions to the company’s leaked plans to refurbish a beloved opening day attraction. A social media blogger causes further trouble for the frontline working Patriots who are just trying to get through the day with a smile on their face and their initial love of the park intact. The book opens the door to readers to become a Patriot employee for the day and experience what it is like to work in immersive entertainment. Any former front-line worker reading will definitely identify with Tabby, Sonia, and Antonia’s day to day park experiences in retail, attractions, and moving up into leadership positions. Thank you to our favorite magic makers who make the parks a welcoming escape from reality. Like the Reinert’s dedication says “You’re the heroes of this fairytale.”

Review Book of the Mouse Club on iTunes and Google Play and send any questions, comments, or suggestions to the hosts at bookofthemouseclub@gmail.com

Follow Our Reading Journey On Social Media!

Official Twitter and Instagram: @BookoftheMouse

Courtney: Instagram @greatguthsby, Twitter @Courtney_Guth, and Goodreads

Emily: Instagram and Twitter @emily_mickde, and Goodreads

Purchase “You Must Be This Tall” by 4/30/23 and receive 30% off with code BOOKOFTHEMOUSE https://nataliekreinert.shop/products/you-must-be-this-tall-theme-park-adventures-book-one 

N.K. Reinert: Instagram and Twitter @AtBLiftstlyer 

Website: www.nataliekreinert.com 

Additional stories available via Imaginarymemories.substack.com  

Drama, romance, runaway teenagers, and…Walt Disney World? Believe it or not, Walt Disney World was featured as a setting in a Harlequin Romance novel in 1986. Courtney and Emily finally got their hands on this out of print novel by Clare Richmond and are spilling the tea on the book that fascinates Disney Twitter. Detective Daniel McGuinn and Barbara Emerson are searching for Barbara’s step-daughter who runs away from Baltimore to Walt Disney World. In true Harlequin fashion, Daniel and Barbara fall fast for one another and are looking for love as much as they are looking for Jacqui in Epcot’s World Showcase. And before you play this episode in the car, check who is in the back seat. This episode is rated T for teen. 

Review Book of the Mouse Club on iTunes and Google Play and send any questions, comments, or suggestions to the hosts at bookofthemouseclub@gmail.com

Follow Our Reading Journey On Social Media!

Official Twitter and Instagram: @BookoftheMouse

Courtney: Instagram @greatguthsby, Twitter @Courtney_Guth, and Goodreads

Emily: Instagram and Twitter @emily_mickde, and Goodreads

Read Runaway Heart by Clare Richmond on Internet Archive Library HERE

Look for other titles by Louise Titchner and Carolyn Males:

• Louise Titchener: Amazon and GoodReads

• Carolyn Males: Website, Amazon, and GoodReads

• *Don’t forget to search their pseudonyms for more titles!

Get a 30% discount on our next book, “You Must Be This Tall: A Novel by N.K. Reinert”

https://bit.ly/themeparkbook

Promocode: bookofthemouse

Courney and Emily are joined in this episode by guest reader, Eric, the host of Synergy Loves Company Podcast. What if you had the chance to live forever? Would you take it? That is the dilemma facing young Winnie Foster when she meets the Tuck family while wandering lost in the woods. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt is considered part of children’s classic literature selling millions of copies worldwide teaching children about the natural cycle of life and death. Courtney, Emily, and Eric discuss the story’s themes and compare the original source material to Disney’s 2002 live action film adaptation. 

Review Book of the Mouse Club on iTunes and Google Play and send any questions, comments, or suggestions to the hosts at bookofthemouseclub@gmail.com

Follow Our Reading Journey On Social Media!

Official Twitter and Instagram: @BookoftheMouse

Courtney: Instagram @greatguthsby, Twitter @Courtney_Guth, and Goodreads

Emily: Instagram and Twitter @emily_mickde, and Goodreads

Eric: Instagram @synergylovescompany, and Twitter @EricHSynergy

Find the Synergy Loves Company podcast at www.synergylovescompany.com and wherever you listen to your podcasts!

Courtney and Emily are joined by journalist, podcaster, and now author, Michael Lyons, to discuss his book “Drawn to Greatness: Disney’s Animation Renaissance”. The Disney Renaissance contains several film favorites including The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and the Lion King. In this discussion Michael explains why these fan favorites stand out from their animated predecessors that made their decade of films so unique. Join us as we learn more about the 30+ years of interviews Michael conducted with renaissance animation icons to seamlessly shape this fascinating and informative book. 

Review Book of the Mouse Club on iTunes and Google Play and send any questions, comments, or suggestions to the hosts at bookofthemouseclub@gmail.com

Follow Our Reading Journey On Social Media!

Official Twitter and Instagram: @BookoftheMouse

Courtney: Instagram @greatguthsby, Twitter @Courtney_Guth, and Goodreads

Emily: Instagram and Twitter @emily_mickde, and Goodreads

Michael Lyons: Twitter @mlyonsfl and Instagram @WordsFromLyons

Websites:  https://www.wordsfromlyons.com/  and http://screensaverblog.blogspot.com/ 

Dis-Order Podcast and From Pencils to Pixels The Animation Celebration Podcast can be found wherever you get your podcasts!

Signed copies of “Drawn to Greatness: Disney’s Animation Renaissance” are available on https://www.wordsfromlyons.com/ or you can also purchase the book on Amazon.

Michael’s Recommended Reads 

• Of Mice and Magic by Lenoard Maltin
• Walt Disney an American Original by Bob Thomas
• Walt Disney's Nine Old Men and the Art of Animation by John Canemaker  
• Paper Dreams: The Art And Artists Of Disney Storyboards by John Canemaker  
• Before the Animation Begins: The Art and Lives of Disney Inspirational Sketch Artists by John Canemaker  

It’s the last show of 2022! Courtney and Emily discuss Walt Disney Animation Studios’ latest release, Strange World, with the book The Art of Disney Strange World by Juan Pablo Reyes Lancaster Jones and Kalikolehua Hurley. The concept art and design commentary provides a deeper look into the film’s design and character development. Did you know that the Windy Jungle was inspired by bronchial trees in your lungs and the character Splat was inspired by dendritic cells? The Art of Strange World has many more fun facts to help you get a closer look at this stunning film. 

Review Book of the Mouse Club on iTunes and Google Play and send any questions, comments, or suggestions to the hosts at bookofthemouseclub@gmail.com

Follow Our Reading Journey On Social Media!

Official Twitter and Instagram: @BookoftheMouse 

Courtney: Instagram @greatguthsby, Twitter @Courtney_Guth, and Goodreads

Emily: Instagram and Twitter @emily_mickde, and Goodreads

Ghouls and ghosts of every age wouldn’t you like to see something strange? Come with Courtney and Emily and you will meet Sally Skellington the Pumpkin Queen of Halloween. In the episode, your hosts discuss the Disney Press fiction release “Long Live the Pumpkin Queen” by Shea Ernshaw. The story begins right where the Nightmare Before Christmas left off, with Jack and Sally pursuing their relationship. As a newlywed, Sally is trying to find her place in Halloween town as she quickly rose in status from being a common ragdoll town resident to the Pumpkin Queen. While searching the woods, Sally comes across a door separate from the grove of doors leading to other holiday realms. When Sally accidentally opens the door to Dreamland and unleashes the Sandman, she will once again have to save Halloween town and all of the realms to reawaken from their dreamless sleep. Courtney and Emily discuss Sally’s character development in this sequel and debate if Nightmare before Christmas is a Halloween or Christmas movie. 

Review Book of the Mouse Club on iTunes and Google Play and send any questions, comments, or suggestions to the hosts at bookofthemouseclub@gmail.com

Follow Our Reading Journey On Social Media!

Official Twitter and Instagram: @BookoftheMouse

Courtney: Instagram @greatguthsby, Twitter @Courtney_Guth, and Goodreads

Emily: Instagram and Twitter @emily_mickde, and Goodreads

Magic mirror on the wall, summon Ridley Pearson to the Book of the Mouse Club we call! The much awaited interview with the award-winning author of suspense and young adult adventure novels is finally here. Courtney and Emily are joined by Ridley to discuss his new book “Cautionary Tales: A Collection of Scary Stories Starring Favorite Disney Villains.” Just in time for the spooky season, readers follow main characters Billie and Tim through the Evil Queen’s Magic Mirror into several Disney stories featuring infamous villains like Gaston, Ursula, the Headless Horseman, and Chernabog. In this story within a story, Billie and Tim quickly learn things are not always what they seem. In the interview, Ridley shares how he was inspired to write this short story compilation, his advice for aspiring authors, and why he loves to write about villains and Disney characters. 

Review Book of the Mouse Club on iTunes and Google Play and send any questions, comments, or suggestions to the hosts at bookofthemouseclub@gmail.com

Follow Our Reading Journey On Social Media!

Official Twitter and Instagram: @BookoftheMouse

Courtney: Instagram @greatguthsby, Twitter @Courtney_Guth, and Goodreads

Emily: Instagram and Twitter @emily_mickde, and Goodreads

Ridley Pearson: Instagram and Twitter @RidleyPearson

Website:https://ridleypearson.com/ 

You can find all of his books at your favorite book retailer!

Courtney and Emily are excited to welcome author and Disney historian, Marcy Carriker Smothers, back to the podcast to discuss her new book “100 Disney Adventures of a Lifetime: Magical Experiences from Around the World.” In this first collaboration between Disney Editions and National Geographic, readers will find one hundred adventures from all over the world inspired by Disney theme parks, animation, history, and food that fit any budget and interest. An adventure is an adventure, big or small, as long as you try something new. So celebrate The Walt Disney Company’s upcoming 100th anniversary with a new adventure!

Review Book of the Mouse Club on iTunes and Google Play and send any questions, comments, or suggestions to the hosts at bookofthemouseclub@gmail.com

Follow Our Reading Journey On Social Media!

Official Twitter and Instagram: @BookoftheMouse

Courtney: Instagram @greatguthsby, Twitter @Courtney_Guth, and Goodreads

Emily: Instagram and Twitter @emily_mickde, and Goodreads

Marcy Carriker Smothers: Instagram @marcycarrikersmothers and Twitter @MarcySmothers 

Website: https://www.marcycarrikersmothers.com/ 

Books are available at your favorite local retailer - and if not, they’d be happy to place the order for you! 

It’s been 29 years, right down to the day but the witches are back and there’s so much to say. Courtney and Emily celebrate the new release of Hocus Pocus 2 on Disney+ with a review of the 2018 book Hocus Pocus and the All New Sequel. Released four years apart, the book and the film take different paths to tell the ongoing story of the Sanderson sisters' haunting of Salem. Courtney and Emily compare the two stories and discuss which sequel was liked best and which is more cannon to the original story. 

Review Book of the Mouse Club on iTunes and Google Play and send any questions, comments, or suggestions to the hosts at bookofthemouseclub@gmail.com

Follow Our Reading Journey On Social Media!

Official Twitter and Instagram: @BookoftheMouse

Courtney: Instagram @greatguthsby, Twitter @Courtney_Guth, and Goodreads

Emily: Instagram and Twitter @emily_mickde, and Goodreads

Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair! Courtney and Emily return to their ongoing series, Fairytale Favorites, with a comparison of Grimm’s Fairytales “Rapunzel” and Disney Animated Studios’ 50th animated feature, “Tangled.” Like most fairytales, the original source material left Disney a lot of room for interpretation but did you know that the story actually moved from Italy, to France, then to Germany? Rapunzel’s history is as long as her hair and changes more times than Pascal during a game of hide and seek. If you’ve got a dream, you do not want to miss the discussion around this fairytale favorite. 

Review Book of the Mouse Club on iTunes and Google Play and send any questions, comments, or suggestions to the hosts at bookofthemouseclub@gmail.com

Follow Our Reading Journey On Social Media!

Official Twitter and Instagram: @BookoftheMouse

Courtney: Instagram @greatguthsby, Twitter @Courtney_Guth, and Goodreads

Emily: Instagram and Twitter @emily_mickde, and Goodreads

Sources: 

https://thefairytalecentral.com/the-origins-of-rapunzel/

https://www.tor.com/2020/07/17/forbidden-desire-and-locked-doors-the-origins-of-rapunzel/ 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapunzel