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The RAUCOUS and RIOTOUS 2025 Rochester 90-Second Newbery Film Festival! 7 Apr 2:05 PM (yesterday, 2:05 pm)

Please keep the 90-Second Newbery going by making your tax-deductible donation here! Donations are handled through our fiscal sponsor Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization.

This past Saturday, April 5, we screened the 14th annual 90-Second Newbery Film Festival in Rochester, New York! It was co-hosted by me and legendary kids’ author Bruce Coville, and we filled up the Dryden Theater at the George Eastman Museum with an enthusiastic audience of about 260 people. Here’s our opening skit, in which Bruce and I sing our own 90-Second Newbery Newbery-damaged version “The Phantom of the Opera.” And then I run out into the audience and harass some families. Fun! I always love getting on stage with Bruce!

Thanks to our sponsors, The Friends and Foundation of the Rochester Public Library, Genesee Valley BOCES, the Rochester Institute of Technology, the Irondequoit Public Library, Cheshire Audio Visual, and Animatus Studio! Thanks also to Eliza Kozlowski and Suzanne Kolodziej at the George Eastman Museum for letting us use the beautiful Dryden Theater and to Nicole Diroff and Winna Carrasco for handling projection. And special thanks to Carol White Llewellyn at CommuniVision Studio for her work promoting 90-Second Newbery, and to Deb Ross for bringing the film festival to Rochester in the first place, and to our media sponsor KidsOutAndAbout.com!

Here are all the young filmmakers onstage at the end of the show:

One of those young filmmakers was Eian-Gabriel Sinclair. I first received a 90-Second Newbery from Eian-Gabriel in 2016. Year after year since, he has consistently been making stop-motion movies for the 90-Second Newbery, with greater and greater skill and sophistication. When he was 14 he applied to the Rochester Institute of Technology, and I wrote him a letter of recommendation. Now he’s 18 years old, and has graduated from RIT summa cum laude! What an amazing achievement! Here I am with Eian-Gabriel and his family:

Let’s check out Eian-Gabriel’s movie for this year: an adaptation of Russell Freedman’s 1988 Newbery Medal Winner Lincoln: A Photobiography, but with a twist. It ably makes the case that Rochester’s own Frederick Douglass deserves his own place next to Lincoln on Mount Rushmore! And it’s done entirely in elaborate Claymation. Check it out:

Astonishing, right? As the judges said in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “This one is possibly his best movie yet . . . I loved the painstaking, ingenious way that this movie makes the Presidents squabble and interact—Eian-Gabriel’s clay faces are better actors than some professionals I could name! (At times they remind me of Statler and Waldorf, the two old hecklers in the balcony on The Muppet Show.) Great voiceover performances really seal the deal.”

Last year Opal and her family did an impressive stop-motion version of The Girl Who Drank the Moon. This year Opal is back with Edna and friends to do a mixed live-action / stop-motion adaptation of Kate DiCamillo’s 2004 Newbery Medal Winner The Tale of Despereaux:

A triumph! As the judges said in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “This movie worked so well because its admirable attention to detail, like the fussy little furnished rooms where the mice had their meetings, and the occasional well-chosen soundtrack music, and the resourceful costumes and props such as crown, food, guitar, etc.. But the best thing about this movie were the bombastic and enthusiastic performances.”

The Penfield Public Library in Penfield, NY turned in this satisfyingly clever adaptation of E.L. Konigsburg’s 1968 Newbery Medal Winner From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, in which Claudia and Jamie run away not to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, but rather to a “Villains School” run by the sinister “Headmistress Frankweiler”:

As the judges wrote in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “From the very beginning I knew this would be good, with a snappy title card and tense spy-movie music. The voiceover did an effective job of making everything clear—the important characters, their situation, and the twist—so that the movie can concentrate on the truly fun stuff, like watching Claudia and Jamie sneak around the Villains School and foil Headmistress Frankweiler’s dastardly plans . . . A wonderfully entertaining and impressive adaptation of the book!”

I received four adaptations of Katherine Paterson’s 1978 Medal Winner Bridge to Terabithia from Rochester this year. This first one is by Hayley, Everette, Eliana, Mason, Emma, Kayden, Braxton, Zoe, Sydney, and Elijah of Bernabi Elementary School in Spencerport:

As the judges wrote in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “Jesse and Leslie had a believable chemistry, and I appreciated watching Jesse’s arc from skeptic to believer in Terabithia . . . The script was tight and told the story elegantly . . . I especially liked the montage when Jesse and Leslie are fighting the Terabithian monsters while rock music plays—brilliant! This movie told the story straightforwardly, clearly, and entertainingly.”

Here’s another version of Bridge to Terabithia, but this one is by Coleman, Sean, Olivia, Jackson, and Harper of Taylor Elementary School in Spencerport:

As the judges wrote in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “A fun and original twist: instead of Jesse and Leslie going to an imaginary realm in the woods they call ‘Terabithia,’ they go to the moon! . . . I was amused by the inclusion of the 1980s song ‘Jesse’s Girl’ (I can’t believe it, but this is the first 90-Second Newbery I’ve received that uses that iconic and appropriate song!) . . . I loved the PSA-style ending (‘Just don’t forget your space helmet, kids!’) and I’m glad that Bess the cow got her cameo at the end (complete with an assertive MOO!).”

Here’s yet another movie based on Bridge to Terabithia, also from Taylor Elementary School, this time by Marco, Chad, Todd, Ethan, and Xander:

As the judges wrote in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “This one had a concept and a title so funny I can’t believe nobody’s thought of it before: The Witch Under the Bridge to Terror-Bithia! There was a clever use of green screen throughout, especially how it seemed like they were walking ‘across’ the bridge while in fact only walking up the stairs where the green screen was . . . Entertaining and satisfyingly weird!”

This final version of Bridge to Terabithia is also by Taylor Elementary School, and it’s by Zoey, Joey, Nessa, Hunter, and Eli:

As the judges wrote in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “Funny and inventive . . . Terabithia is in fact inhabited by malicious rock-throwing ninjas, and by building a ‘bridge to Terabithia,’ Jesse has given those ninjas the ability to take over the world, eventually causing the entire planet to explode! Insane and creative . . . The best parts by far were the ebullient and hilarious performances, which made this movie particularly fun to watch!”

Also from Taylor Elementary is this version of Katherine Applegate’s 2013 Newbery Medal Winner The One and Only Ivan, by Otto, Luka, Takoda, Paulina, Sean, Olivia, Amelia, and Kennedy:

As the judges wrote in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “This was an ingenious twist on the original story: instead of humans keeping animals in a shoddy zoo, this is about animal jailers keeping humans in an abusive prison! And in the most significant twist, instead of Ivan being a noble, big-hearted silverback gorilla who figures out how to free his friends, he’s a petty tyrant who relishes being the merciless warden of the prison! . . . The acting was often very good, in particular the way Julia breaks down crying, or Ivan’s cruel pronouncements (‘I don’t care! They’re prisoners and they deserve to be punished for it!’).”

Canal View Elementary made this version of Tae Keller’s 2021 Newbery Medal Winner When You Trap a Tiger:

As the judges wrote in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “I was on board right from the start when I realized the goofy twist—instead of catching a tiger, it’s catching a cow! . . . The acting and performances were outstanding: Lily’s querulous and jumpy nature, Sam’s dismissive, screen-ager vibe, the mother’s soft-spoken kindness, Ricky’s sweet enthusiasm, the tiger’s gruff mysteriousness, and of course Halmoni, with her fun wardrobe choices: old-lady glasses, cane, and loud flowery clothes . . . Great work!”

Canal View Elementary also made an adaptation of Erin Entrada Kelly’s 2018 Newbery Medal Winner Hello Universe:

As the judges wrote in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “Speedy, true to the book, and heartfelt! The acting in this movie was great, and everyone had a chance to shine: Virgil’s character growth from the meek pushover at the beginning to the resolute escapee, the convincingly sadistic bully Chet, Kai’s calm confidence, Valencia’s sympathetic nature, and more . . . I was impressed by the split-screen scene, in which Virgil and Valencia, filling out the same questionnaire in different rooms, trade lines in a way that artfully demonstrates the connection between the characters.”

Jalyssa, Allison, Lily, Ryan, and Addisyn of Munn Elementary School did this movie of Kevin Henkes’s 2014 Honor Book The Year of Billy Miller:

As the judges wrote in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “This realistic and authentic-feeling movie worked well because of the strength of the performances . . . Billy’s performance grounded the movie and made the emotions of this story really come alive, in particular during subtle moments like the way Billy’s face changes after he says ‘the glitter in the cave is supposed to be minerals’ to his teacher . . . Fun to watch, hewed pretty close to the book, and had admirably restrained and realistic acting!”

And finally, here’s Jerry Spinelli’s 1991 Newbery Medal Winner Maniac Magee by Jack, Samson, and Blake of Honeoye Falls-Lima School:

As the judges wrote in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “This fast, earnest retelling of the story did a solid job of zipping through the book’s basic plot points through a combination of live action and onscreen text . . . A nimble, entertaining movie!”

And that was the Rochester 2025 90-Second Newbery! If you’re looking for the other movies we featured that day, here they are:

• Millions of Cats in the style of Jaws by the Leland Street Players
• Holes at an all-girls finishing school by the Treehouse Museum
• 26 Fairmount Avenue as a musical by Grant Center for Expressive Arts
• Doctor Desoto with a vampire by Grant Center for Expressive Arts
• Charlotte’s Web with a vengeful Charlotte by North Bergen S.T.E.A.M. Academy
• The Old Tobacco Shop with puppets and stop-motion by Portland Community Media

Thanks to all to the young filmmakers who created the movies, and the teachers, librarians, and families who helped them . . . and thanks to everyone in the great crowd who came out for the show! Here’s to next year. Remember, you can get started on your movies right now, and turn them in anytime. Deadline is January 2026!

Oh and one last thing: the 90-Second Newbery relies entirely on private donations and grants to keep going. It’s only through your generosity that we can continue bringing our free public screenings and book-to-movie workshops to libraries and schools nationwide. You can make your (tax-deductible!) donation here. Donations are handled through our fiscal sponsor Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization.

I write about Malört for the Wall Street Journal… and go to Indianapolis Comic Con! 20 Mar 1:26 AM (19 days ago)

It’s a prank Chicagoans pull on out-of-towners. They’ll take you to an old-school dive and order something called “Malört,” boasting “You can only get this in Chicago.” The stone-faced bartender pours you a yellow-green shot. Your friend watches you expectantly. You raise the glass and taste—

“Pepper, then basement,” some report. “A baby aspirin wrapped in grapefruit, bound with rubber bands and soaked in cheap gin,” say others. Or even the flavor of “tonight’s the night you fight your dad.” Its terrible taste is kind of the point. Comedian John Hodgman would pass around a bottle of Malört at his live shows, inviting/daring audience members to take a swig (I was at one of those shows!). Malört suits Chicago’s reputation for cussedness—a perverse badge of civic pride.

Why do I bring this up? Well, I occasionally review books for the Wall Street Journal, and they assigned me to write a review of journalist Josh Noel’s history Malört: The Redemption of a Revered and Reviled Spirit. I really enjoyed it, concluding that “this quirky, enlightening, unexpectedly poignant book isn’t only for aficionados of the offbeat Chicago liquor, but fans of stubborn underdogs everywhere.” You can read the complete review here.

(By the way, I drank some Malört again when I was writing that review, and it’s not as godawful as it used to be. Had I grown hardier with age? No, Malört is just made by a different distiller nowadays, and apparently they’ve tweaked it so that it’s more tolerable. Too bad, in a way.)

In other news, last weekend I spoke on a bunch of panels about Bride of the Tornado and my other books at Indiana Comic Con in Indianapolis. I figured it was time for me to haul my old tornado costume out of the basement! Here I am with Elphaba from Wicked, which seemed appropriate:

I was on a bunch of fun panels, including a fun raucous debate-style smackdown thing called “Battle Of The Tropes.” It’s the brainchild of Literary Hypewoman, aka Stephanie Carr. She moderated the debate; Alana Kay and I were on one team, and Lexi Ryan and Jade Young were on the other team. It was a hoot!

I actually met Literary Hypewoman at the Chicago Entertainment and Comics Expo (C2E2) last year, and she and I did an interview. I had forgotten to post about it! Stephanie writes, “This might be the weirdest interview I’ve ever done, but considering the author wrote the weirdest book I’ve read, it fits.” You be the judge!

I had been invited to do a presentation about David Lynch at the Indianapolis Comic Con, too, but when I arrived in the room, there was no screen! This was too bad, because naturally my presentation involved a lot of clips from his movies and of course Twin Peaks. There were only about fifteen people in the room anyway, so it wasn’t such a big deal, and anyway there’s lots of other things to do at a Comic Con. If you’re curious, I wrote up some of my thoughts of David Lynch here.

I’ve arranged my schedule this year so that I get to take a little bit of a breather from the 90-Second Newbery Film Festival screenings, but I’m looking forward to the next one in Rochester on April 5. See you there!

The MAJESTY and MAYHEM of the 2025 Chicago 90-Second Newbery Film Festival! 10 Mar 10:15 PM (29 days ago)

On Sunday—my birthday, as it happens!—we had the Chicago screening of the 14th annual 90-Second Newbery Film Festival. My co-host was my usual partner-in-crime Keir Graff, author of The Tiny Mansion and many other great books for kids and adults. Check out the opening song above, with our own debased version of “The Phantom of the Opera,” in which Keir and I leap off the stage and harass the audience!

We did the screening at the Harold Washington Public Library Center, and we had a great crowd—about 180 in all! We called all the filmmakers onstage after the show for a picture. What a talented group!

So let’s look at the movies! The first movie is based on Wanda Gag’s 1929 Newbery Honor Book Millions of Cats, a picture book about an old man and an old woman who want a cat. The old man travels all over the countryside to find a cat, and comes back home with “millions on billions of trillions of cats.” The old couple can’t keep all of the cats, so the cats have a competition to see who is the prettiest, which turns into a giant fight, and they all devour each other until only one cat is left!

The Leland Street Players of Chicago tell the story in the style of the movie Jaws—specifically, as a shot-by-shot remake of the scene in which all the crew members are having a good time comparing their scars and tattoos, which leads to the crusty sea captain Quint’s legendary speech about the shark attack after the sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis. Come for the dead-on Robert Shaw impression, stay for the crazy cat attack at the end:

Okay, full disclosure, that’s my daughter Lucy as Quint, and her friends Ella and Lucy D. as Brody and Hooper, respectively, with Joy and my other daughter Ingrid as the marauding cats. C’mon, you’ve got to let me make my own 90-Second Newbery movies while my kids are still kids! Splendid performances from everyone.

Ms. Stenger’s 3rd Grade Class from Washington Irving Elementary School in Oak Park, working with Joseph Lewis (aka “Captain Famous”), submitted this splendid adaptation of Kate DiCamillo’s 2004 Medal Winner The Tale of Despereaux:

As the judges said in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “I loved all the kid-drawn background illustrations that set the scenes so well: at the castle, in the dungeons, in the kitchen, and more . . . I liked how there were three Princesses Pea, which not only gave more actors a chance to shine, but also made her character more interesting to watch . . . all of the performances were strong and charismatic and full of life, from Despereaux starting meek and developing into a heroic character, to Roscuro’s finger-twiddling malevolence, to Miggery Sow’s goofy energy, to all the other rodents and royalty.”

Play In A Book worked with the The 5th, 6th, and 7th grade students from the South Shore Fine Arts Academy in this electrifying adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s 2009 Medal Winner The Graveyard Book, featuring a fantastic choreographed dance number:

As the judges said in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “This impressive movie really nailed the mood of the book, with a combination of spooky costumes and makeup, occasional creepy computer graphics, and scary music—from the ominous background music to the amazing choreographed dance scene of ‘Thriller,’ complete with amazing flips and cartwheels by the young dancers! . . . A stone-cold classic, well done!”

Play In A Book also worked with the fifth graders of Harold Washington Elementary to make their own adaptation of Tale of Despereaux—done in the style of YouTube!

As the judges said in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “Engaging, charismatic performances! . . . The various types of YouTube shows worked well to tell the story: for instance, in ‘Top Chef’ style when Roscuro the rat falls in the soup (with the king deadpanning in a YouTube-influencer way ‘Hello subscribers, as you know the queen is dead’), a ‘Get Ready With Me’ makeup video with Princess Pea, Furlough as a Tiktok gamer streamer, and a fight commentary show when Despereaux combats the cat . . . But the best thing about this movie was the acting: Despereaux’s earnest chivalry, Furlough’s amusing swagger, Princess Pea’s and Miggory Sow’s totally committed and charismatic performances, and more.”

90-Second Newbery veterans Laurel, Frances, and Thuan are back again with this glorious adaptation of Maia Wojciechowska 1964 Medal Winner Shadow of a Bull:

As the judges said in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “Brilliant! . . . I really enjoyed the comically over-the-top acting, such as Manolo’s reaction when his father dies. The running joke about there being two ‘Juans’ was snarky fun, as well as when Manolo’s wig comes off in his enthusiastic speech about wanting to be a doctor . . . The highlights were the ludicrous bullfighting scenes, especially since the ‘bull’ was just a red stuffed pig hilariously much smaller than any of the actors, so it is casually tossed around, punched, kicked, stomped on, and flung across the room!”

The next movie is an adaptation of Kate DiCamillo’s 2001 Honor Book Because of Winn-Dixie, but this one is done as a musical, using the songs from Wicked! It’s by Joy, Lola, Zola, Maliya, Livy, and Jimmy Moon (the dog), and it’s a doozy:

As the judges wrote in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “There was fantastic singing and acting throughout this movie, and a star turn by ‘Jimmy Moon’ as the dog! The lyrics to the various songs were cleverly rewritten to match the plot of the book, and there was even fun dance choreography during the party scene.”

Mack and Archie of Elk Grove are back again with another movie, this time of Marguerite Henry’s 1949 Medal Winner King of the Wind:

As the judges wrote in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “The performances were full of energy and charisma, with fun broad acting, like when Agba cries after the French king says ‘pee-yew!’ and sends him away, or the way the ‘King of England’ struts around after putting the medal on Sham (with some amusing difficulty, I might add) . . . This movie was made with so much elaborate artistry, clever camera trickery, and charismatic performances—fantastic work!”

The Science and Arts Academy in Des Plaines had four movies featured at the screening. This first one, by Stella and Aliya, is another adaptation of Kate DiCamillo’s Because of Winn-Dixie:

As the judges wrote in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “It was the sincere performances of Opal and her various friends that made this movie so entertaining. I was also impressed by the adroit cinematography and editing, which framed the shots well and kept the story moving at an efficient clip . . . Heartfelt, skillfully made, and entertaining.”

Also from the Science and Arts Academy, Ellie, Clara, Grace, Greta, Naomi, Priyanka, Sophie and friends did this impressive version of The Tale of Despereaux:

As the judges wrote in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “What a stylish, rapid, and well-made movie this is! . . . All the performances were engaging and charismatic, from Despereaux’s open-hearted chivalry to Roscuro’s satisfyingly evil leer. I also loved how you really went for it with the tail-getting-cut-off scene, with the cook holding up the severed tail in victory! . . . This movie told the story efficiently and accurately, with entertaining performances and lots of ingenious filmmaking, set design, and costumes!”

Here’s another one from the Science and Art Academy: the “Cookies” story from Arnold Lobel’s 1973 Honor Book Frog and Toad Together, by Nate and Roarke!

As the judges wrote in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “I loved the sincere and heartfelt performances by Frog and Toad. The cinematography was inventive and thoughtful, especially the overhead shots when they’re dumping cookies into the box, or getting the box open again . . . Gently humorous and ingeniously made!”

Finally from the Science and Art Academy, Anna, Charlotte, Erin, and Kennedy made this movie of Zilpha Keatley Snyder’s 1968 Honor Book The Egypt Game:

As the judges wrote in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “Effective use of posed Playmobil figures, Lego sets, and occasional hand-drawn elements to tell the story! . . . The script zipped through the main plot points quickly and satisfyingly, and the voiceover performances brought a lot of life to the characters (favorite line: ‘You’re not my babysitter! You’re a visitor!’).”

For the past few years, Lily Manning has made amazing stop-motion movies for the 90-Second Newbery movies. This year, she got her family together for a live-action movie adapting Isaac Bashevis Singer’s 1968 Honor Book The Fearsome Inn:

As the judges wrote in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “All of the performances were committed, engaging, and quite funny! The script was tight and told the story in such a way that the audience could understand what was going on even if they hadn’t read the original book, a feat which can be tough to pull off . . . I loved the resourceful green-screen explosion for when the demonic innkeepers vanish, too! This movie was funny, entertaining, and well-made throughout … another Manning triumph!”

We also had some great movies from Lincoln Hall Middle School, but unfortunately none of the filmmakers were able to make it to the screening. However, I highly recommend Sia, Yianni, Eleni, and Hylan’s adaptation of Lois Lowry’s 1994 Medal Winner The Giver, as well as Aaron and Miles’ adaptation of Jason Reynolds’ 2018 Honor Book Long Way Down and Aamir, Noah, and Charles’ adaptation of Kwame Alexander’s 2015 Medal Winner The Crossover. Lots of talent at Lincoln Hall Middle School!

Thanks so much to everyone who came out to the screening on Sunday. Thanks particularly to Keir Graff for being a great co-host, Alexa Hamilton and everyone at the Chicago Public Library for their support and letting us use the beautiful Cindy Pritzker Auditorium, Leland and Dan for their pro work in the tech booth, and of course all to the young filmmakers who created the movies, and the teachers, librarians, and families who helped them! Here’s to next year!

Oh and one last thing: the 90-Second Newbery relies entirely on private donations and grants to keep going. It’s only through your generosity that we can continue bringing our free public screenings and book-to-movie workshops to libraries and schools nationwide. You can make your (tax-deductible!) donation here. Donations are handled through our fiscal sponsor Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization.

The STUNNING and SENSATIONAL 2025 Ogden, UT 90-Newbery Film Festival! 3 Mar 7:23 AM (last month)

This past Saturday was the second show of our fourteenth season of the 90-Second Newbery Film Festival! We did it at the Treehouse Children’s Museum in Ogden, Utah, co-hosted by me and Keir Graff, author of The Tiny Mansion and many other great books for kids and adults. Check out our opening skit above, with our hectoring and demented version of “Phantom of the Opera”!

The locally-made movies that we featured this year were made back in July 2024 at the Treehouse Children’s Museum’s weeklong 90-Second Newbery camp, which you can read about here. Some of the young filmmakers joined Keir on me onstage after the show:

Let’s check out those movies made at the Treehouse! They are always particularly enjoyable not only because of the talent of the young filmmakers, but also because the Treehouse has so many sets and costumes available to make the movies look really good.

The first movie is based on Louis Sachar’s 1999 Newbery Medal Winner Holes. The original book 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, and he is falsely arrested for stealing the shoes. 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 afflicting Stanley’s family, and dig up the treasure the warden had been searching for . . . which rightfully belongs to Stanley!

We always encourage kids to put a twist on their retellings of the story. So in this movie, 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. It’s by the group of Bennett, Crewe, Beatrice, and Hannah, with help from the rest of the campers. I give you: TEACUPS!

As the judges said in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “Another movie with an original twist that is executed with thoroughness and wit . . . and there’s a lot more swordfighting in this movie than in the original book! An original premise, hilarious performances, and masterful fencing all combine to make a winner of a movie!”

The next movie is based on E.B. White’s 1953 Newbery Honor Book Charlotte’s Web. Now, the original story is about a runt pig, Wilbur, who is saved from the ax by kind farmgirl Fern. Wilbur has self-esteem issues, and he is eventually sent to Fern’s uncle’s farm, where he doesn’t fit in with the other animals—and he’s terrified he’s going to be slaughtered and made into bacon. But a kind spider named Charlotte sees the worth in him, and she weaves words into her web above Wilbur’s pigsty, like SOME PIG and RADIANT and TERRIFIC, that convince everyone Wilbur is indeed a special pig. But at the end, Charlotte dies . . . pretty sad and dark for a kids book!

This one is done in the style of a cheesy 90s sitcom like Friends or Seinfeld, and it’s by the group of KateLyn, Kaitlyn, Georgia, Ethan, and Beau, with help from the other campers.

As the judges wrote in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “An original and fun premise! . . . There were very funny performances from everyone. I loved all the classic sitcom touches, like the canned audience reactions, the Seinfeld slap bass for scene transitions, and the opening credits with the Friends theme song . . . with rewritten lyrics! I was also very amused by the meta touch of the shell-shocked studio audience at the end.”

The third 90-Second Newbery movie from the Treehouse this year is based on Richard and Florence Atwater’s 1939 Newbery Honor Book Mr. Popper’s Penguins. The original story is about Mr. Popper, who sends a fan letter to an Antarctic explorer, and unexpectedly receives back a shipment of a male penguin as a surprise gift. This leads to the zoo sending the Popper family a female penguin, which results in lots of baby penguins. To make ends meet, Mr. and Mrs. Popper train the penguins to dance and do tricks, and they take their show on the road.

This movie tells the story from a different angle: as a 1940s detective noir movie in which a private eye is trying to figure out where all the penguins are coming from . . . complete with black-and-white camerawork, hardboiled voiceover, a plot with lots of double-crossing, and one of the weirdest covers of Michael Jackson’s “Billy Jean” that I’ve ever heard. It’s by the group of Parker, Jacob, Delphine, and Wren:

As the judges wrote in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “A crackerjack premise, tight script, brilliant and funny performances, and great camerawork and editing made this one shine. It really nailed the noir tone, and those CGI penguins dancing are both goofy and strangely ominous to me!”

If you want to check out the other movies we featured that day, here are links to all of them:

1. In The Beginning: Creation Stories From Around the World (Virginia Hamilton, 1989 Honor Book) by Tristan Stephan

2. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (Robert C. O’Brien, 1972 Medal Winner) by Elephant and Worm

3. Bridge to Terabithia (Katherine Paterson, 1973 Newbery Honor) by Alannah, Gretchen, Isabella, and Catherine of Saint Mary Magdalen School

4. Holes (Louis Sachar, 1999 Medal Winner) by Bennett, Crewe, Beatrice, Hannah, and Friends at the Treehouse Children’s Museum

5. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White, 1953 Honor Book) by Emily Bonilla, Emily Berry, Alithea G., Aylin C., and Michelle P. of North Bergen S.T.E.A.M. Academy

6. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White, 1953 Honor Book) by KateLyn, Georgia, Ethan, Beau, and the other Kaitlyn, and Friends of the Treehouse Museum

7. The Old Tobacco Shop: A True Account of What Befell a Little Boy in Search of Adventure (William Bowen, 1922 Honor Book) by Portland Community Media

8. Millions of Cats (Wanda Gag, 1929 Honor Book) by Leland Street Players

9. Mr. Popper’s Penguins (Richard and Florence Atwater, 1939 Honor Book) by Parker, Jacob Delphine, and Wren of the Treehouse Museum

10. An American Plague (Jim Murphy, 2004 Honor Book) by Max Lau and Jennings Mergenthal

11. Island of the Blue Dolphins (Scott O’Dell, 1961 Medal Winner) by Adalynn, Crewe, Cy, and Friends of the Treehouse Museum

12. Frog and Toad Together (Arnold Lobel, 1973 Honor Book) by Fletch and Otto

Thanks so much to the Treehouse for putting this on and supporting the film festival. Thanks especially to the support and energy of Lynne Goodwin, Wes Whitby, and Rob Goodwin, and everyone at the Treehouse Children’s Museum. Thanks particularly to Caden and Will for helping make all these movies at the Treehouse 90-Second Newbery workshop this past summer.

And thanks most of all to the young filmmakers who created the movies! I hope you’re inspired to make a movie for next year. Anyone can do it. The movies are due in January 2026, 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 the 90-Second Newbery website.

And by the way, the 90-Second Newbery relies entirely on private donations and grants to keep going. It’s only through your generosity that we can continue bringing our free public screenings and book-to-movie workshops to libraries and schools nationwide. You can make your (tax-deductible!) donation here. Donations are handled through our fiscal sponsor Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization.

The GLAMOR and GLORY of the 2025 Brooklyn 90-Second Newbery Film Festival! 25 Feb 9:30 AM (last month)

This past Saturday, we kicked off our fourteenth season of the 90-Second Newbery Film Festival at the Brooklyn Public Library! It’s the first of our EIGHT screenings all around the country in the next few months, in which we show off the best kid-made movies we received this year that tell the entire stories of Newbery-winning books quickly and amusingly. Full schedule here.

And as always in Brooklyn, I was joined by my fabulous co-host Rita Williams-Garcia, author of the Newbery Honor winner One Crazy Summer and many other great books! We kicked off the show with a rousing version of “Phantom of the Opera”:

Let’s take a look at the local movies we showed at the Brooklyn screening! (And if you’re wondering about some of the other non-local movies, you can find the Twin Peaks version of Knee-Knock Rise here, the all-girls finishing school version of Holes here, and the Jaws version of Millions of Cats here.)

I visited North Bergen S.T.E.A.M. Academy in the fall of 2024 to give tips on how to make great 90-Second Newbery videos, and it paid off with some really amazing entries! For instance, Emily Bonilla, Emily Berry, Alithea, Aylin, and Michelle did this hilarious twist on E.B. White’s 1953 Honor Book Charlotte’s Web:

As the judges said on the 90-Second Newbery website (full post here), “A hilarious, well-acted, skillfully-made movie with a subversive twist! . . . The best thing is the twist: Charlotte feels unappreciated, so she writes ‘DELICIOUS’ in the web, and Wilbur promptly gets butchered for bacon . . . and eaten onscreen, with his dead eyes looking on! . . . A very funny and goofy re-imagining of the original story.”

Here’s another one from North Bergen S.T.E.A.M. Academy. Mikel, Angel, and Matthew made this version of the short story “The Garden” from Arnold Lobel’s 1973 Newbery Honor Book Frog and Toad Together:

As the judges said on the 90-Second Newbery website (full post here), “My favorite thing about this movie when Toad muses snarkily ‘maybe the real story is about identity and real friends and accepting who you are within’ . . . and then we see his garden truly has grown into a MONSTROUS TOAD EATING-PLANT! (Which looks kind of similar to “Audrey II” from Little Shop of Horrors!). A hilarious twist, perfectly done.”

Here’s another version of Frog and Toad Together from North Bergen S.T.E.A.M. Academy. It’s based on “The List”—but it’s done with a horror twist, by Giselle, Amelia, and Zaryah:

As the judges said on the 90-Second Newbery website (full post here), “The frightening faceless figures in all black made for truly creepy monsters. I appreciated the use of subtitles throughout, not only to make it clear what Frog and Toad are saying, but also to explain some of the action that might be unclear. (Also, it was a weird and interesting wrinkle how Toad bullied and scared Frog a bit, even deploying her own scary voice at one point!) . . . And the performances of Frog and Toad and their faceless antagonists were all engaging, convincing, and super fun to watch!”

Hansika and Daniela of North Bergen S.T.E.A.M. Academy turned in this inventive hand-drawn version of Katherine Paterson’s 1978 Newbery Medal Winner Bridge to Terabithia:

As the judges said on the 90-Second Newbery website (full post here), “I admired the elaborate and plentiful artwork in this all-illustrated retelling of the story . . . and the creative twist that tranformed it from a realistic tragedy to an adventurous quest! . . . We get to meet the actual Terabithians: Pipsqueak, Tinyclaws, Rob the Frog, and in a shocking twist, Jess’s cow Miss Bessie! I loved all of their different squabbling personalities, especially the grumpy Rob. And then we had an additional fun twist: Leslie isn’t dead, but rather captured by a nefarious Mist (which is drawn in a delightfully creepy way!) . . . Brisk, artistic, and with a fun twist.”

Here’s one more movie from North Bergen S.T.E.A.M. Academy that we featured last Saturday. It’s by Vincenzo, Luca, Allesandro, and Lucien, and it’s based on Gary Paulsen’s 1988 Honor Book Hatchet:

As the judges said on the 90-Second Newbery website (full post here), “I was intrigued by this creative twist on the story: instead of one Brian getting in plane crash and surviving in the wilderness, we have two Brians . . . one of whom dies almost immediately! But even better, that ‘dead’ Brian becomes a ghost that starts to haunt the living Brian, chasing him around the island and even clinging onto the rescue helicopter as the living Brian tries to get away at the end . . . Good special effects and a fun twist!”

Here’s another version of Hatchet, but this one is by Dominic and Kellan of Lloyd Harbor School of Huntington, New York!

As the judges said on the 90-Second Newbery website (full post here), “This was a creative and original twist on the story—instead of Brian surviving alone in the wilderness, he makes friends with a moose! . . . A comical subversion of the story, made with skill and creativity!”

Also from Lloyd Harbor School, we got this version of Richard and Florence Atwater’s 1939 Newbery Honor Book Mr. Popper’s Penguins, by Charlie, Christian, Ronin, Tre, and Warner:

As the judges said on the 90-Second Newbery website (full post here), “I loved this action-packed, high-spirited romp through the story! The penguin costumes were resourceful and cute, and really helped to sell the movie (along with their comical squeaking) . . . Ebullient, committed performances, a tight script, and good postproduction all combined to make an entertaining sprint through the plot!”

The third movie from Lloyd Harbor School that we featured is this adaptation of Kate DiCamillo’s 2001 Newbery Honor Book Because of Winn-Dixie, by Eleanor, Ella, and Marla:

As the judges said on the 90-Second Newbery website (full post here), “I appreciated the clarity of the storytelling in this movie, immediately learning the two main characters’ names and exactly what they want: the girl Opal wants a ‘cheap dog,’ and the dog Bob wants ‘beans.’ (Indeed, I was charmed by the quick scene of Bob in front of cans of beans singing ‘I like big beans and I cannot lie.’) . . . This movie was funny and entertaining to watch—great work!”

Phoebe and her dad are back with a brand-new movie, this one of Cynthia Voigt’s 1983 Newbery Medal Winner Dicey’s Song:

As the judges said on the 90-Second Newbery website (full post here), “I always appreciate it when participants make movies based on lesser-known Newbery books, and Dicey’s Song certainly fits the bill . . . This movie has sharp cinematography (I particularly loved the wide shot when Dicey is standing near the fountain, and the color contrast when Phoebe is moving in between the green and red colored plants) and brisk, effective editing. But of course the best thing about the movie is Phoebe’s performance, from her excellent voiceover narration to her comically puzzled reaction to Maybeth’s music to her marvelous song! . . . Sharp production values, a tight script, a strong lead performance, and all kinds of fun little details and touches. Excellent work!”

Last but not least of the local entries featured in Saturday’s Brooklyn screening is this boffo adaptation of Katherine Paterson’s 1979 Newbery Honor Book The Great Gilly Hopkins, by Alexis and Matthew of Mountainside, New Jersey:

As the judges said on the 90-Second Newbery website (full post here), “This was an amazing movie! There is so much to love about it, most importantly that it tells the story in an easy-to-follow way such that even if one hadn’t read the book, one would be able to understand what’s going on (a hard thing to do). This movie was able to achieve that clarity with great acting (the actress manages to portray Gilly’s surliness and rudeness while still being appealing), the resourceful costumes (such as Nonnie’s costume, the police uniform, Mrs. Trotter’s dress etc.), and voiceover narration as well as onscreen text that keep everything on track . . . Smart background music throughout matched the narrative thrust of each scene, helping to make clear the main idea (such as the old-fashioned music when Nonnie shows up). Fun credits too! This movie is a total winner, great work!”

And that was the Brooklyn 2025 90-Second Newbery Film Festival! Thank you to Paquita Campoverde, Jessica Cox, and everyone at the Brooklyn Public Library for supporting the film festival (especially Sam in the tech booth!). Thanks to the wonderful Rita Williams-Garcia for being such a fun and game co-host. And thanks most of all to the young filmmakers who created the movies today, and the teachers, librarians, and families who supported them!

I’m already looking forward to seeing what movies folks will make for next year. Start working on your masterpiece now! The deadline is January 2026, but you can turn in your movies anytime. Complete information, of course, at the 90-Second Newbery website.

And by the way, the 90-Second Newbery relies entirely on private donations and grants to keep going. It’s only through your generosity that we can continue bringing our free public screenings and book-to-movie workshops to libraries and schools nationwide. You can make your (tax-deductible!) donation here. Donations are handled through our fiscal sponsor Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization.

Screening dates for the FOURTEENTH annual 90-Second Newbery Film Festival! 12 Jan 6:21 PM (2 months ago)

I’m super excited for this year’s screenings of the 90-Second Newbery Film Festival! It’s an annual video contest I founded in which young readers make short movies that tell the entire stories of Newbery-winning books in just a few minutes, often with a weird twist . . . like the above movie from Ogden, Utah’s Treehouse Children’s Museum, a retelling of Louis Sachar’s 1999 Newbery Medal Winner Holes. But instead of being set at an all-boys prison camp in the desert, it takes place at an all-girls finishing school! (Check out more all-time best 90-Second Newbery videos here.)

The 90-Second Newbery Film Festival is in its fourteenth year, believe it or not. In 2025 we’ll be doing live screenings in eight cities: Brooklyn, Chicago, Boston, San Antonio, Rochester NY, Ogden UT, Tacoma WA, and Minneapolis. These screenings are lots of fun, co-hosted by me and other children’s authors . . . and always FREE! And we usually pack the house, with audiences of hundreds, so make your reservations now!

Friday, January 17, 2025
General deadline for submissions to the 14th annual 90-Second Newbery Film Festival. (Special extended deadline of March 24 for submissions to the Rochester, Boston, Minneapolis, San Antonio, and Tacoma screenings.)

Saturday, February 22, 2025
The BROOKLYN, NY screening of the 14th annual 90-Second Newbery Film Festival. Hosted by me and Newbery Honor winner Rita Williams-Garcia (One Crazy Summer and more). At the Brooklyn Public Library Central Library (10 Grand Army Plaza) in the Dweck Auditorium. 1 pm. Get your FREE tickets here.

Saturday, March 1, 2025
The OGDEN, UTAH screening of the 14th annual 90-Second Newbery Film Festival. Hosted by me and Keir Graff (author of The Tiny Mansion, Minerva Keen’s Detective Club, and more). At the Treehouse Children’s Museum (347 22nd Street). 6 pm. Get your FREE tickets here.

Sunday, March 9, 2025
The CHICAGO screening of the 14th annual 90-Second Newbery Film Festival. Hosted by me and Keir Graff (author of The Tiny Mansion, Minerva Keen’s Detective Club, and more). At the Harold Washington Library Center (400 S State St.) in the Pritzker Auditorium. 2 pm. Get your FREE tickets here.

Monday, March 24, 2025
Special extended deadline for entries for the Rochester (4/5), Boston (4/12), Minneapolis (4/26), San Antonio (5/3), and Tacoma (5/30) screenings of the 90-Second Newbery Film Festival.

Saturday, April 5, 2025
The ROCHESTER, NY screening of the 14th annual 90-Second Newbery Film Festival. At the George Eastman Museum (900 East Ave) in the Dryden Theater. Hosted by me and the legendary Bruce Coville (author of My Teacher is an Alien and more). 2 pm. Get your FREE tickets here.

Saturday, April 12, 2025
The BOSTON screening of the 14th annual 90-Second Newbery Film Festival. Hosted by me and Rebecca Kim Wells (author of Briar Girls, Shatter the Sky, and Storm the Earth). At the Boston Public Library, in Rabb Hall at the Central Library in Copley Square (700 Boylston Street). 3 pm. Get your FREE tickets here.

Saturday, April 26, 2025
The MINNEAPOLIS screening of the 14th annual 90-Second Newbery Film Festival. Hosted by me and Jacqueline West (author of Long Lost, The Books of Elsewhere, The Collectors, and more). At the Minneapolis Central Library (300 Nicollet Mall) in Pohlad Hall. Get your FREE tickets here.

Saturday, May 3, 2025
The SAN ANTONIO screening of the 14th annual 90-Second Newbery Film Festival. In the H-E-B Performance Hall at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts (100 Auditorium Circle). Made possible by our partners at the Bexar County Digital Library Bibliotech and H-E-B Read 3. 11 am. Get your FREE tickets here.

Friday, May 30, 2025
The TACOMA, WA screening of the 14th annual 90-Second Newbery Film Festival. At Grant Center for the Expressive Arts (2510 N 11th St.). Hosted by me and Tacoma’s own Doug Mackey. 5 pm. Get your FREE tickets here.

Big thanks to my co-hosts Rita Williams-Garcia, Keir Graff, Rebecca Kim Wells, Bruce Coville, and Doug Mackey for being part of this.

And it’s not too late to make your own movie for this year’s 90-Second Newbery! It’s open to young filmmakers up to 18 years old, and adult help is totally allowed. The early deadline for submissions to the Brooklyn, Ogden, Chicago, and Rochester shows is January 17, 2025, but there is a later deadline of March 24, 2025 if you only care about submitting to the shows in Boston, San Antonio, Tacoma, or Minneapolis. Here’s how to submit a movie.

Want technical help and moviemaking advice? We have video resources and how-to guides.

Want to bring the 90-Second Newbery Film Festival to YOUR town? Drop me a line at james@90secondnewbery.com!

We’ve already received lots of fantastic movies for the 2025 season . . . and I’m looking forwqrd to seeing more! As always, complete information is at the 90-Second Newbery Film Festival website.

The 90-Second Newbery relies entirely on private donations and grants to keep going! It’s only through your generosity that we can continue bringing our free public screenings and book-to-movie workshops to libraries and schools nationwide. You can make your (tax-deductible!) donation here. Donations are handled through our fiscal sponsor Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization.

Holiday gift idea: signed, personalized copies of my books! AND TRY TO ESCAPE MY NIGHTMARE LABYRINTH! 6 Dec 2024 5:55 AM (4 months ago)

“Oh no,” you wail, grabbing me by the shoulders. “What am I going to get my friends and loved ones for Christmas?” you beseech me, tears in your eyes. “I want to get them novels that are weird and interesting, in the genres of fantasy and sci-fi and horror,” you weep, grinding your teeth in frustration. “But I also want these books to be non-obvious picks that showcase my good taste,” you fret, and before I can reply, you hold up your hand and interrupt, “No, James, listen! Because I also want these books to have the reputation of being kind of bizarre, so folks don’t think I’ve lost my edge . . . and gosh darn it, I also want to support independent bookstores! What can I do, James Kennedy? What can I do??”

First of all: calm down. You’re making a spectacle of yourself. Secondly: I have all your holiday gift-giving problems SOLVED. Done and dusted, my friend. Ship-shape and Bristol fashion. All wrapped up, in the bag, over and out, sorted.

“HOW??!?” you essentially shriek, having lost all dignity at this point. And after I give you a big hug, and tuck you in for a long nap, and wake you up hours later with some tea and a chaste kiss on your fevered brow—but alarmingly enough, no longer in the bed you fell asleep in, but rather in a featureless concrete room in a mazelike complex fifty miles beneath my hometown of Troy, Michigan—I whisper to you: “You can get all my books from the indie bookseller The Book Cellar in Chicago. Signed by me, and personalized by me. Shipped anywhere you want. All your problems are over.”

And since you were never a very good friend to begin with, you reply, “Oh really? You write books?” or “Actually I never got around to reading your stuff,” or “Could you please untie these straps holding me to this gurney?”, and as I gently apply the chloroform rag to your nose, and you begin to lose consciousness again, you have a vision of the three books that I’ve written that would be perfect holiday gifts for your cool, creative, and good-looking friends, or punishing gifts for your dull, unimaginative enemies:

How about my adult horror novel Bride of the Tornado? You’ve got small-town creepiness, malevolent tornadoes, a love story gone horribly wrong, and a cult that makes Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” feel like an innocent afternoon of wholesome fun. No less than Delilah S. Dawson, New York Times-bestselling author of Bloom and much more, praised it as “a twisty, startling, atmospheric Midwest Gothic with the unstoppable power of a freight train and the moody ambience of a mist-shrouded diner at midnight. I could not put it down, and the ending left me in pieces.” Get your signed, personalized copy from the Book Cellar here.

“But what if I want to give a gift to my friend is more of a trippy, Philip K. Dick-loving sci-fi fan?” you whimper as your brain dims and you blurrily glimpse me opening my case of exotic surgical instruments. Then you can’t go wrong with . . .

Yes, it’s my adult sci-fi novel Dare to Know! There’s a company that can predict with perfect accuracy the exact time and date that you die. Our washed-up hero is a salesman for the company, where there’s just one rule: you can’t look up your own death-date. At a desperate low point, though, our hero does look himself up, and discovers he had died twenty-three minutes ago. The algorithm is never wrong, but he’s not a ghost, so why does the math fail only for him? This sets him on a quest across America and through his own memories—a phantasmagoria of haunted video games, an occult alternative history of science, the evil side of startup culture, an ancient curse from pre-Columbian America, and dark conspiracy theories about Top 40 music. Get your signed, personalized copy from the Book Cellar here.

“But I want something lighthearted that even children can enjoy—cool children with a healthy sense of the absurd!” you say with your last flicker of consciousness. Buddy, I got ya covered:

It’s my young-adult fantasy The Order of Odd-Fish! Folks, there’s a reason this book is still in print, even though it came out way back in 2008. It’s got a cult following—folks made tons of amazing fan art for it back in the day, and I still get emails every once in a while from people who read it as kids and tracked me down to tell me how much they enjoyed it. But don’t take my word for it, here’s what bestselling author Cory Doctorow had to say: “An extraordinary and delightfully weird romp that’s one part China Mieville, one part Lemony Snicket, with trace amounts of Madeline L’Engle and Roald Dahl . . . Kennedy has filled 400+ pages with a series of strange turn-ups and adventures that grow progressively more outlandish and funny, such that when you think he’s surely run out of runway and must crash, he finds new, unsuspected weirdness to explore.” Yowza! Get your signed, personalized copy from the Book Cellar here.

And that’s it! Your entire holiday shopping list, taken care of! Thank me later! Or thank me when you wake up from your drugged slumber, claw your way out of your leather straps, and somehow escape the nightmarish underground maze beneath my cursed hometown!

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR, AMERICA!

The Day After 7 Nov 2024 10:02 AM (5 months ago)

It’s hard not to feel angry and demoralized at the results of this election. I do. And to once again be reminded that this country isn’t the country I hoped it was. My instinct is to freeze and go numb, so I really appreciate those who are sending out messages of hope and solidarity. And talking to people in real life has helped me too. Reminding each other that we’re not alone.

NORTHSIDE NIGHTMARES at the Sulzer Library with me, Adam Selzer, and Cynthia Pelayo! 11 Oct 2024 8:34 AM (5 months ago)

Last night I did a spooky event at my neighborhood library, the Sulzer Regional Library in Lincoln Square in Chicago. The premise was “Northside Nightmares,” and I was joined by Chicago ghosts-and-grisly lore expert Adam Selzer and Bram Stoker award-winning horror novelist Cynthia Pelayo for readings and talks and fun! Thanks to Kyle Watson of the Sulzer Library for setting this all up.

And thanks to the Chicago Public Library’s very capable publicity for getting the word out. We had a pretty good crowd!

I went first, and did readings from Bride of the Tornado and a tornado trivia contest, and of course I wore my tornado costume while singing the plot of the book to the tune of “Rock You Like A Hurricane”:

We had spooky treats, thanks to Heather’s last-minute baking! Check out these ghost brownies:

After I did my shtick, Adam Selzer regaled us with true scary stories about the north side of Chicago—the haunted tattoo parlor on Irving Park Avenue! the 19th-century murderer Adolph Luetgert who disposed of his wife’s corpse in a vat in his sausage factory! a reputed northside Chicago body dumping-ground of the infamous H.H. Holmes! the St. Valentine’s Day massacre!—and more. Adam is famous for the ghost tours he leads all around Chicago. Learn more about him and what he does at Mysterious Chicago.

Cynthia Pelayo followed up with readings from her books, such as her newest Forgotten Sisters, which is set right around the corner in Ravenswood Gardens!

We got to hang out with friends old and new, and take pictures with the strangely creepy art that’s all around the Sulzer. I really hope they never change it, it’s so bizarre and idiosyncratic . . .

Thanks to everyone who came and made this event such a success!

We sailed around Lake Michigan on the Manitou! 7 Oct 2024 7:54 AM (6 months ago)

It helps to have interesting friends! My high school pal Kathleen is married to a tall ship captain, Jamie. (In both senses: he is the captain of a tall ship, and also literally tall.) He helms the Manitou, a replica of an 1800s schooner sailing out of Traverse City, Michigan. A week ago Heather and I took Lucy and Ingrid for an overnight sail on the Manitou, and I highly recommend it! (You can book your own trip here.)

It was a twenty-four hour trip, sailing out on Friday afternoon and coming back Saturday afternoon. We particularly enjoyed how passengers were invited to participate in some of the physical work on board such as hauling ropes to raise the sails—it makes you feel like you’re part of the crew! In the galley, the chef Lexi made delicious breakfast, lunches, dinner, and snacks, and I was surprised at the elaborate meals she managed to create in such a small space. The cabins were similarly cozy:

It was fun and relaxing to hang out with Jamie and Kathleen and the crew, as well as all the other passengers. There’s plenty of time to chat, and the vibe was very chill. Relaxing under the stars at night was a treat. (Living in the city, I don’t often get to see so many stars and the Milky Way . . . plus four shooting stars!) Captain Jamie gave some talks that helped us understand the history of the boat and the history of the area. We sailed to Power Island, and hiking around there was a great way to break up the trip. Here’s Jamie and Lucy on the island:

Kathleen and I have known each other since we were freshmen in high school. We even went to the Homecoming dance together! Here we are, then and now:

As I wrap this post, I recall that the very first post of this blog mentions Kathleen and Jamie—when they came to Chicago on his then-current ship, The Pride of Baltimore II, and Heather and I took our niece and nephew Freya and Theo onto it. As I read that old post, I’m struck at how much has changed since I started this blog in 2008. Freya and Theo are both adults now. Back then, I was in my band Brilliant Pebbles, and most of the post is about that—being in that band had been such a huge part of my life back then! That was before Lucy was born, and before Ingrid was born, and none of my books had come out yet, and I hadn’t yet even conceived of the 90-Second Newbery Film Festival. And of course so much more.

So much has changed in the first sixteen years of this blog. I wonder what will change in the next sixteen years?