We’re coming to the end of the fifteenth season of the 90-Second Newbery Film Festival! And on May 29, we had our Tacoma screening at Grant Center for the Expressive Arts. Thanks to Mr. Johnson at Grant Center for setting up the GoFundMe for this screening, and to all the wonderful folks who donated to it, with a special thanks to the Friedman family for their generous matching contribution! And thanks most of all to the young filmmakers who created the movies, and the teachers, librarians, and family who helped them.

And thanks to my lovely and talented co-host, Tacoma’s own Doug Mackey! As usual, he and I sang a ridiculous song to open the show . . . this time, based on “Be Our Guest” from Beauty and the Beast, with lyrics rewritten to be about the Newbery.

Doug is a true showman, and I love that I get to perform a goofy song with him every year!

Every screening features a mix of locally-made movies and the best of what we’ve received nationally throughout the year. Let’s look at some of the local movies that were featured!

ActorCraft Page, Stage, and Screen of Gig Harbor, WA has been participating lately with some really snappy movies. Their 32 Hour Film Frenzy Workshop made this adaptation of Lois Lowry’s 1994 Newbery Medal Winner The Giver, and the script, performances, and cinematography were all top-notch:

As the judges said on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “The script did a fantastic job of telling the story quickly and with humorous verve—and I particularly liked that the Giver himself is pretty funny (‘I’m known for my motivational speeches’ and ‘I’ll finally get some rest, maybe take interpretative dance’ were my favorite lines of his) . . . But the strongest thing about this movie is the performances: anchored by a realistic Jonas and a wry Giver, and supported by often amusing performances from the friends and family and other characters.”

The good folks at ActorCraft also did this adaptation of Donna Barba Higuera’s 2022 Newbery Medal Winner The Last Cuentista:

As the judges said on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “Strong, compelling, believable performances—some incredible acting and directing here! I was particularly impressed at the scenes of the secret meetings in which everyone is sharing recollections, and at the end when everyone is standing up to announce their specific memories. In a canny move, this movie dispenses with many of the picky details of the story (the visits to the planet, the subplot about the poison, etc.) and chose instead to concentrate on the book’s more general themes of memory, cultural inheritance, and meaning-making.”

We got five movies from Bryan Johnson’s fifth grade class at Grant Center for the Expressive Arts! The first one is based on Kwame Alexander’s 2015 Newbery Medal Winner The Crossover, and it’s by Mila, Akira, Ma’liya, Emmett, and Michael:

As the judges said on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “Fantastic! From the very beginning I knew this would be good, with the music’s opening flourish and all the cast popping their heads into the frame from offscreen—brilliant! There was an ingenious use of green screen throughout, with extra touches like an animated CGI tiger, or the way the dad’s corpse hilariously flies up into the sky during his funeral. The lyrics to the theme song for ‘Sofia the First’ were cleverly written into ‘Filthy the First’ and effectively got across the main plot points of the story. The singing was enthusiastic and fun to listen to, as well!”

This next movie from Grant Center is based on Rebecca Stead’s 2010 Newbery Medal Winner When You Reach Me, and it’s by Isaiah, Claire, Wren, Cora, and Elizabeth:

As the judges said on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “It was a fun idea to adapt the story in the style of K-Pop Demon Hunters, complete with flashy outfits (I especially liked that pseudo-militaristic one with the elaborate epaulettes) and a reference to the ‘Soda Pop’ song at the end . . . The story was grounded by a believable and compelling performance of Rumi . . . Fun to watch!”

M.T. Anderson’s 2024 Newbery Honor Book Elf Dog and Owl Head was adapted by Mimi, Katja, Janessa, Simon, and Bennett:

As the judges said on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “This was a fun sprint through the story, made especially entertaining by the committed performances of the dogs crawling around, making dog noises, and even dogfighting . . . Hit many of the plot points compellingly and with style!”

Maxine, Teddy, Frances, Janaee, and Adam did this adaptation of Beverly Cleary’s 1982 Honor Book Ramona Quimby, Age 8:

As the judges said on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “I love it when filmmakers adapt the books in a musical style! The singing and performances were fun to listen to, and the subtitles helped keep the cleverly written lyrics clear so I could understand every word. There was a cool use of green screen for backgrounds, and also for the occasional surprising foreground detail like the raw egg on Ramona’s face and the vomit! The enthusiasm and committed spirit of all the performers really made this movie work, and the movie hit most of the plot points in a way that was both swift and entertaining.”

Finally from the Grant Center, we have George Selden’s 1961 Newbery Honor Book The Cricket in Times Square, as adapted by Violet, Brynn, Jerimiah, Lulu, and Tyce. This movie is a creative imagining of what would happen to Chester the cricket after the events of the original book: he visits the countryside, but on his way back to New York City, he makes a wrong turn, and ends up in Seattle! This movie shows off some of Seattle’s notable tourist attractions:

As the judges said on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “The background music kept the energy up, the performances were lively and appealing, and I was intrigued to meet Chester’s new Seattle friends, each with distinct personalities. I agree: the Seattle waterfront park is better than a drainpipe, and ‘New York can wait!'”

And that was the Tacoma 2026 90-Second Newbery Film Festival! Here’s to many more screenings in Tacoma—it’s such a warm, supportive, creative community there!

Did you enjoy the 90-Second Newbery Film Festival? Do you want us to keep doing it? Then please help us out with a tax-deductible donation. Our fiscal sponsor is Fractured Atlas, a nonprofit arts service organization.

Did you enjoy the 90-Second Newbery Film Festival? Do you want us to keep doing it? Then please help us out with a tax-deductible donation. Our fiscal sponsor is Fractured Atlas, a nonprofit arts service organization.

Last Saturday, in Rochester New York, we screened the 15th annual 90-Second Newbery Film Festival at the Dryden Theater at the Eastman Museum! And we packed the place, with over 260 people in attendance!

With my co-host, the legendary kids author Bruce Coville, we showed off the best kid-made movies from the Rochester area and around the country that tell the entire stories of Newbery-winning books in just a few minutes. Here we are, right before the show began (and before we did our opening song based on “Be Our Guest” from Beauty and the Beast—sadly, or mercifully, the video I have of it doesn’t quite capture the experience, so I’m not sharing it):

Thank you to Eliza Bennington and everyone at the Eastman Museum for their support and for letting us use their beautiful space, and to Winna Carrasco who helped out in the tech booth. Thanks to Deb Ross of KidsOutAndAbout.com and Carol White Llewelyn of CommuniVision Studio for their essential support. And thank you to our many local sponsors, including the Rochester Teen Book Festival, the Friends and Foundation of the Rochester Public Library, Genesee Valley BOCES, the Irondequoit Public Library, Animatus Studio, and RIT MAGIC, RIT College of Art & Design and RIT K-12 University Center.

Thanks most of all to the young filmmakers who created the movies, and the teachers, librarians, family, and other adults who helped them! Let’s look at the local movies that we featured at the screening!

Christopher, Cora, Emma, Adeline, Nathaniel, Clare, Eve, and Kiryn of the Penfield Public Library made this version of E.L. Konigsburg’s 1968 Newbery Medal winner From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. In this version, instead of running away to the museum, Claudia and Jamie run away to the jungle because their parents have turned evil. But when bulldozers start destroying the jungle, can Claudia and Jamie solve the mystery of the statue that contains a crystal that turns people bad?

As the judges said in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “What an ingenious, creative, and fun transformation of the story . . . it was the performances that really made this work, from Claudia and Jamie’s realistic acting to the animals to the mysterious Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler herself, especially when she’s rampaging through the forest in her bulldozer!”

The Harley School of Rochester submitted four videos for the 90-Second Newbery this year. This first one, by Eloise, Brody, Henry, Beth, Padma, Anne, Addy, and “the_ok_artist,” retells the story of Matt de la Pena’s 2016 Newbery Medal Winner Last Stop on Market Street—in the style of a zombie apocalypse:

As the judges said in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “Fantastic acting from Nana (no-nonsense and crusty), C.J. (wide-eyed and idealistic), and of course all the ravenous zombies, who turn out to be complicated characters who have their own dreams.”

Quinn, Jaliyah, Henry, Mabel, and Liv of The Harley School made this version of Louis Sachar’s 1999 Newbery Medal winner Holes in the style of a reality show: “The Secret Lives of the Green Lake Wives.” Instead of boys at a prison camp, it’s women contestants who are contending for the hand of an eligible bachelor:

As the judges said in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “The pitch-perfect acting is what made this movie shine, with everyone doing a great job of imitating the peculiar vocal mannerisms of ‘Real Housewives’ contestants and hosts. The overly dramatic reality-show music was a brilliant touch, and I loved the costumes . . . So much fun to watch!”

Leo, Lila, Maddy, and Brody of The Harley School made this version of Lois Lowry’s 1994 Newbery Medal Winner The Giver. I particularly like the contemporary twist this movie puts on the original book—in this one, everyone is addicted to their phones, even the babies!

As the judges said in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “A dramatic, serious, skillfully-made retelling of the story! The acting was particularly good, from the toneless dialogue between Jonas and his family at the beginning (indicating the deadened emotions of the ‘community’) to the Giver’s heartfelt monologue about Rosemary to Jonas’ breakthrough into true emotion when he goes outside and makes a joyful snow angel . . . The dramatic soundtrack music throughout was expertly chosen and deployed, and the cinematography and editing were pro level.”

And finally from The Harley School, Addy, Tommy, Anne, Jonathan, and Trish made this version of Tae Keller’s 2021 Newbery Medal winner When You Trap a Tiger:

As the judges said in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “This was a clever way to retell the story: in the style of a 1980s sitcom (complete with colorful period-appropriate opening credits, in which each cast member mugs for the camera as their character’s name flashes on the screen and sitcom-ish music plays) . . . It was fun to reimagine Ricky as a fourth-wall-breaking commenter (“this movie was made by a bunch of teenagers with no budget” or “are you another main character or side character?” were funny lines) . . . This story was satisfyingly and entertainingly told, with some real filmmaking know-how!”

Bernabi Elementary of Spencerport made this paranoid sci-fi reimagining of Kate DiCamillo’s 2014 Newbery Medal Winner Flora and Ulysses. In this version, instead of being run over by a vacuum cleaner, Ulysses is sucked up into a UFO and spit out as a human-animal Ulysses hybrid. But why do these aliens want to make animals form into humans, and humans into animals? And can Flora and her parents stop the aliens’ plan?

As the judges said in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “A clever re-imagining of the original story, transforming its various plot points so that it becomes a paranoid sci-fi mystery about an alien takeover of Earth . . . From the very beginning this movie set the appropriate expectations, with the ominous sci-fi music and starry cosmic visuals. The cinematography and editing were refreshingly crisp and assured, and I loved the various kooky sci-fi sound effects . . . All the performances were spirited, energetic, and often funny, making this a very entertaining movie!”

Amelia, Gelina, and Makayla of Munn Elementary School in Spencerport made this movie based on Cece Bell’s 2015 Newbery Honor Book El Deafo:

As the judges said in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “The cinematography and editing in this movie were top-notch, with a nimble use of green screen to put us in the various locations . . . I appreciated how the scenes were punctuated by the repeated appearances of Cece as an anime-style superhero, interpreting Cece’s good actions in each scene and offering various pieces of advice.”

Canal View Elementary in Spencerport did this great adaptation of Jennifer L. Holm’s 2011 Newbery Honor Book Turtle in Paradise:

As the judges said in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “Tight script, proficient cinematography, and enthusiastic performances . . . There were many inventive little touches, such as the animation of Turtle on a plane flying down to Florida, the fast-forward montage with music depicting the Diaper Gang searching for treasure, or Aunt Minnie’s costume of wig, cardigan, and cane—which she uses to bop Archie over the head at the climax!”

We got four movies from Taylor Elementary in Spencerport! The first is by Loki, Eloise, Sydney, David, and Teagan, and it’s based on Neil Gaiman’s 2009 Newbery Medal Winner The Graveyard Book:

As the judges said in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “There were lots of stylish touches, like the man in the red cloak growling ‘Finally the boy has been found,’ or the monster in the mask, or the dramatic swishing sound effect when Silas the vampire leaves the graveyard . . . This was a fast, creatively-shot, resourcefully-made movie that hit an impressive number of plot points from the story!”

We also received three—count ’em, three—movies based on Richard and Florence Atwater’s 1939 Newbery Honor Book Mr. Popper’s Penguins. This first one, by Everleigh, Eyvi, Evie, Maggie, Alivia, Isra, Josh, and Josiah, is told in the style of The Wizard of Oz. Instead of Mr. Popper managing a bunch of penguins, it’s Dorothy taking care of a troop of munchkins!

As the judges said in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “It was clever how this movie imitated the style of The Wizard of Oz, for example by starting in black and white and transitioning to color. And Dorothy’s blue gingham dress and the witch’s black cloak were perfect references . . . I was also intrigued by the bizarre little ‘commercial’ in there that says ‘get lost to find yourself’—appropriate!)”

Christian, Patrick, Oliver, Tylor, Madison, Cooper, Camden, and Mason made their own version of Mr. Popper’s Penguins, but instead of Mr. Popper collecting penguins, it’s capybaras!

As the judges said in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “Excellent and resourceful use of green screen throughout this movie, putting us in many different locations, from Mr. Christian futzing in his workshop, to Mr. Christian zooming along in his car, to whooping it up on Broadway and even visiting a tropical island . . . The performances were all engaging and fun to watch, from Mr. Christian’s unflappable chill to the capybaras’ goofy enthusiasm.”

Finally, Madison, Cooper, Camden, Sydney, Olivia, Ella, and David made their own Mr. Popper’s Penguins, set in the wizarding world . . . and instead of penguins, it’s another kind of bird. We give you Mr. Potter’s Pigeons:

As the judges said in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “The green screen work effectively put us in the wizarding world, and was especially impressive when Harry was riding on his broomstick. I also was amused at how the pigeons multiplied, and later flew around the screen during the ‘show,’ obeying Harry’s magical commands . . . A super fun-to-watch movie!”

And that was the Rochester 90-Second Newbery Film Festival! I hope these movies inspire you to make your own for next year. Anyone can do it, and adult help is okay. The movies are due in January 2027, but you can turn them in any time. You can find complete details about the film festival, including tips on how to make your own movies, at www.90secondnewbery.com.

Did you enjoy the 90-Second Newbery Film Festival? Do you want us to keep doing it? Then please help us out with a tax-deductible donation. Our fiscal sponsor is Fractured Atlas, a nonprofit arts service organization.

On Saturday I did a 90-Second Newbery Film Festival screening at the Rockridge branch of the Oakland Public Library in Oakland, California. In it, I featured highlights of some great movies we’ve received over the past 15 years.

I figured folks might want to see what such a “best-of” screening would be like, so below are the movies I featured! Although they’re all great movies, I chose this particular batch not only for their high quality but to highlight the variety of approaches kids take towards making these movies. Hopefully these videos will inspire people to make their own 90-Second Newberys for future screenings. Adult help is okay, and I’ve put together lots of helpful hints and tips for beginner filmmakers at the 90-Second Newbery website.

Okay, let’s get in to it! Our first movie is based on Robert C. O’Brien’s 1972 Medal Winner Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. It’s about a widowed mouse, Mrs. Frisby, who is raising her mouse children in an old cinder block in a farmer’s field. The field is about to be plowed, so they must move out, but her son Timothy is too sick to be moved!

Mrs. Frisby asks an owl to help her, but the only animals who can do it are the reclusive, superintelligent genetically engineered lab rats who live in the rosebush—who happened to be friends with Mrs. Frisby’s dead husband.

Can the rats help Mrs. Frisby in time? Will Mrs. Frisby learn what happened to the rats in the lab that made them so smart? And most importantly, can Chicago’s Leland Street Players do the book in the musical style of the opening scene of the 2016 movie La La Land?

As you can see, we encourage the filmmakers to put their own distinctive twist on the material. This next movie is one that kicked off the whole film festival—an adaptation of Madeleine L’Engle’s 1963 Newbery winning book A Wrinkle in Time.

The book is about an awkward teenaged girl Meg who has a five-year-old brother Charles Wallace who is a genius but a little creepy. Their father is being held prisoner on another planet. Three witches show up at Meg’s house. Using a string and an insect, they teach Meg and Charles Wallace how to travel through hyperspace, a process they call a “tesseract.”

Meg, Charles, and Meg’s boyfriend Calvin go to the alien planet, where they find other children bouncing basketballs like zombies because they are controlled by a disembodied brain, and our heroes somehow defeat the brain using . . . the power of love? (I never quite understood the ending of A Wrinkle in Time.) Here it is, packed into 90 seconds—not counting a fun post-credits sequence—by Freya & Friends of Oak Park, IL!

Our next two movies are based on Arnold Lobel’s 1973 Honor Book Frog and Toad Together. It’s five gentle short stories about the mild, low-stakes adventures of best friends Frog and Toad. My favorite is the story “Dragons and Giants,” where Frog and Toad venture out into the forest to see if they’re brave, but they end up running away from the snakes, avalanches, and hawks that threaten them, all while still shouting “I am not afraid!” This next version, by Fuzzy Pizza Productions of Spring Lake, MI, is done entirely with puppets!

That was a straightforward version of Frog and Toad Together, but kids who make 90-Second Newbery movies often like to put a weird twist on the original stories. This next movie is based on the same story from Frog and Toad Together, but in this one, Frog is a marine and Toad is a ninja. The dangers they confront are more intense than gentle woodland inconveniences. Plus, the filmmakers add a whole extra chapter to the original story that is totally bonkers, but in a way, makes sense. Check out this version by Alec and Porter of Hinsdale, IL: Frog and Toad Together as an action movie!

Do you know what the very first Newbery winning book was, way back in 1922? It’s The Story of Mankind by Hendrik Willem Van Loon, a history book that purports to compress the story of all of humanity in about 500 pages. Jennings Mergenthal from Tacoma, WA did Hendrik Willem Van Loon one better, and compressed those 500 pages into 90 seconds . . . and entirely in Claymation!

The next movie is based on Lois Lowry’s 1994 Medal winner The Giver, which is set in a future dystopian community where there is no pain and no conflict—but also no color, no emotion, and your job is chosen for you at age 12. Our hero Jonas is chosen for a special job: to be the “Receiver of Memory.” Jonas must spend time with the Giver, an old man who gives Jonas all the memories from before everything became safe and boring. But when Jonas finds out some dark secrets about this would-be utopia, he takes his baby brother Gabe and escapes.

This one is done as a one-man show by Leo Lion of Brooklyn, NY!

The next movie is based on Florence and Richard Atwater’s 1939 Honor Book Mr. Popper’s Penguins. It’s about Mr. Popper, who sends a fan letter to Antarctic explorer Admiral Drake, who responds with a surprise gift of a male penguin. This leads to the Popper family getting a female penguin from the zoo, which leads to lots of baby penguins. They can’t afford to house and feed so many penguins, so Mr. and Mrs. Popper train the penguins to dance and do tricks, and they take their show on the road!

In this updated version by the kids of Budlong Woods Library in Chicago, Mr. Popper is a terminally online consumer of social media who is obsessed with the TikToks of Admiral Drake. And instead of taking the penguins’ show on the road, Mr. Popper makes the penguins go viral!

The next movie is based on a picture book, William Steig’s 1983 Honor Winner Doctor DeSoto. It’s about a mouse dentist and his wife who treat other animals. They just have one rule: They won’t treat dangerous predators. So when a fox shows up at their offices with a toothache, they have a difficult decision to make: risk their lives by treating the dangerous beast, or let the fox suffer? Dr. Desoto and his wife end up treating the fox, who does intend to eat them, but the mice outwit the fox in the end by temporarily gluing his teeth together.

This next movie is another one ingeniously told with stop-motion paper puppets, and it’s by Ondine, with helpers Alistair and Montserrat of Los Angeles, CA!

As we’ve seen, not all Newbery-winning historical books are fiction. Russell Freedman won the 1988 Newbery Medal for his account of the life of the sixteenth President of the United States, Lincoln: A Photobiography.

Now I hear you: don’t we already know everything about Abraham Lincoln? The stovepipe hat, the beard, the Emancipation Proclamation, defeating the south in the Civil War, getting assassinated during a play at Ford’s Theater—we don’t need another book about Lincoln.

But I bet you’ve never seen it expressed in this way, the Zenz Family of Spring Lake, MI—in the style of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical Hamilton! We give you Abrahamilton:

The next movie is based on Matt de la Pena’s 2016 Newbery Medal winner Last Stop on Market Street. It’s about a boy C.J. and his Nana who are taking a bus ride through San Francisco. C.J. has a lot of questions for his Nana. Why do they have to ride a bus when his friends ride cars? And why does Nana make him volunteer at the soup kitchen when his friends get to play?

This version, by the kids of The Harley School of Rochester, NY, is different because here, C.J. and Nana are on the run in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, trying to get to their survival bunker. But there’s more to these zombies than they expect.

The next movie is based on Elizabeth George Speare’s 1984 Honor Book Sign of the Beaver. In 18th century Maine, 12-year-old Matt is left alone in his family’s log cabin for four months while his father is forced to be away.

Now you might ask: Are there any beavers in Sign of the Beaver? And the answer is no. Why is it called Sign of the Beaver, then? The father of the next filmmaker wondered the same thing. In fact, he seems to take it personally that there aren’t more beavers in Sign of the Beaver.

The next movie is based on the 1972 Honor Book Annie and the Old One by Miska Miles. It’s about Annie, a young Navajo girl, who wants to stop her mother from finishing weaving a rug. Why? Because Annie heard her beloved grandmother say that she, her grandmother, will die when the rug is finished.

Annie misbehaves in school, lets the family’s sheep escape, and even tries to pull out the strands of yarn from the rug, one by one. But from her grandmother she learns even she cannot change the course of life. This one is done in beautiful stop-motion by Alinne and Brenda of San Antonio, TX.

The next movie is based on Louis Sachar’s 1999 Newbery Medal Winner Holes. The original story is about Stanley Yelnats, a boy with a curse on his family. One day expensive shoes fall out of the sky onto Stanley’s head, he is falsely arrested for stealing the shoes, and he is sentenced to Camp Green Lake, a desert prison camp where the warden makes boys dig holes all day looking for lost treasure.

Stanley makes friends with a boy named Zero. They rebel against digging holes and run away into the desert, where they break the curse that has afflicted Stanley’s family for generations, and dig up the treasure the warden had been searching for, which rightfully belongs to Stanley!

This movie also has a twist. Instead of the boy Stanley Yelnats, it’s a girl, “Starley Yelrats.” Instead of shoes falling on their head, it’s a fancy dress and a teacup. And instead of going to a work prison camp where boys are forced to dig holes, Starley is sent to a young ladies’ finishing school where the girls are forced to drink 50 cups of tea a day. The Treehouse Children’s Museum of Ogden, Utah presents: TEACUPS!

That had a lot more swordfighting than in the original book!

Here’s another Claymation movie, based on 1952 Medal Winner The Apple and the Arrow. It’s about the Swiss folk hero William Tell, who was a legendary archer. But when William Tell and his son are caught rebelling against the unjust government, his archery is given a gruesome test: he is forced to shoot an apple off his son’s head!

This one is done in Claymation by 14-year-old Anya Schooler from Portland. And it’s set to the music of the “William Tell Overture.”

This next one is based on Ruth S. Gannett’s 1949 Newbery Honor Book My Father’s Dragon, adapted by Chicago’s Leland Street Players. It’s about a boy Elmer who wishes he could fly. He meets a stray cat, who tells him he can get his wish if he saves a dragon who is imprisoned on Wild Island. But can Elmer outwit the animals who guard the dragon, problem-solving by using only the random junk in his backpack?

And that brings us to our last movie, based on Dave Eggers’ 2024 Medal Winner The Eyes and the Impossible. It’s the story of Johannes, a dog appointed by three elderly bison to be the “eyes” of the park in which they live, keeping track of everything that’s going on.

Johannes is briefly captured by humans, and when the other animals in the park work together to save him, Johannes has the idea to free the bison and get them off the island. But is it the bison who need freeing, or Johannes? Mr. Johnson’s class from Tacoma, WA’s Grant Center for the Expressive Arts tells the story in the style of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”!

And that was some of the best of the 90-Second Newbery Film Festival! Thanks to all the young filmmakers, and the librarians, teachers, and family who helped them.

Interested in being part of this? Go to www.90secondnewbery.com to find out more about the film festival. Start making your movies now. The deadline for next year is January 2027, but you can turn them in anytime.

Did you enjoy the 90-Second Newbery Film Festival? Do you want us to keep doing it? Then please help us out with a tax-deductible donation. Our fiscal sponsor is Fractured Atlas, a nonprofit arts service organization.