KIDS First / Coalition for Quality Children's Media

06/03/2026

Zoe C. interviews Karen Rodriguez about Spider Noir. Karen Rodriguez is known for Spider-Noir (2026), The Hunting Wives (2025) and Shining Girls (2022). Spider-Noir is an American superhero noir series developed by Oren Uziel for MGM+ and Prime Video. Based on Marvel Comics featuring the character Spider-Man Noir, the series follows an aging private investigator and superhero in 1930s New York City who grapples with his past. Uziel and Steve Lightfoot serve as the showrunners of the series, which is produced by Sony Pictures Television in association with Amazon MGM Studios. It is set in an alternate universe within the Sony's Spider-Man Universe (SSU) franchise. Nicolas Cage stars as Ben Reilly / The Spider in his first lead role in a television series, with Lamorne Morris, Li Jun Li, Karen Rodriguez, Abraham Popoola, Jack Huston, and Brendan Gleeson also starring.

Karen Rodriguez portrays the role of Janet - The smart, scrappy, and loyal secretary to Ben Reilly. She wants to help her boss and his small business become successful, and she has zero problem speaking truth to power.

The series is available now on MGM+’s linear broadcast channel and Prime Video. Spider-Noir will be available to stream two ways: in “Authentic Black & White” and “True-Hue Full Color.”

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05/31/2026

This summer, Universal Studios Hollywood turns up the excitement with the return of Mega Movie Summer, a fan-favorite seasonal celebration featuring an exciting lineup of entertainment, food and exclusive merchandise inspired by some of the most iconic and upcoming films from Universal Pictures and Illumination. The limited-time event kicks off on Saturday, June 13 and continues daily through Sunday, August 9, 2026, and is included in the price of theme park admission.

Universal Studios Hollywood is also offering guests a chance to experience two of the best days in L.A. with the Buy A Day, Get A 2nd Day Free General Admission ticket. Guests can purchase this ticket online at the Universal Studios Hollywood website and enjoy their second day free, with all visits completed on or before December 16, 2026. The first visit is valid on the guest’s selected date. Block out dates apply to the second visit. Additional restrictions apply.

This year’s Mega Movie Summer activations leap from silver screen into the theme park through a series of exclusive and immersive activations inspired by the upcoming Minions & Monsters film from Illumination, opening in theatres on July 1, cinematic experiences inspired by Christopher Nolan’s new mythic action epic The Odyssey, opening in theatres on July 17, the momentous 25th anniversary celebration of the Fast & Furious Saga and the return of spellbinding characters, Elphaba and Glinda from Wicked and Wicked: For Good.

Inventive seasonal food and beverage offerings curated by Universal Studios Hollywood’s Executive Chef, Julia Thrash, will complement Mega Movie Summer’s compelling entertainment that will surely offer guests a chance to experience the best summer day in L.A.

At a glance, this is Mega Movie Summer 2026: https://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/web/en/us/things-to-do/events-and-seasonal-activities/mega-movie-summer

05/30/2026

DISCLOSURE DAY - ONLY IN THEATERS JUNE 12

If you found out we weren’t alone, if someone showed you, proved it to you, would that frighten you? This summer, the truth belongs to seven billion people. We are coming close to … Disclosure Day. Universal Pictures is proud to release a new original event film created and directed by Steven Spielberg. The film stars SAG winner and Oscar® nominee Emily Blunt (Oppenheimer, A Quiet Place), Emmy and Golden Globe winner Josh O’Connor (Challengers, The Crown), Oscar® winner Colin Firth (The King’s Speech, Kingsman franchise), Eve Hewson (Bad Sisters, The Perfect Couple) and two-time Oscar® nominee Colman Domingo (Sing Sing, Rustin).

Based on a story by Spielberg, the screenplay is by David Koepp, whose previous work with Spielberg includes the scripts for Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, War of the Worlds and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Combined, those films earned more than $3 billion worldwide. Koepp also wrote the script for this 2025’s Jurassic World Rebirth. Disclosure Day is produced by five-time Academy Award® nominee Kristie Macosko Krieger (The Fabelmans, West Side Story) and by Spielberg for Amblin Entertainment.

Steven Spielberg is one of the industry’s most successful and influential filmmakers. The top-grossing director of all time, Spielberg has helmed such blockbusters as Jaws, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, the Indiana Jones franchise and Jurassic Park. Among his myriad honors, he is a three-time Academy Award® winner, including Oscars® for Best Director and Best Picture for Schindler’s List, which received a total of seven Oscars®, and for Best Director for Saving Private Ryan.

05/29/2026

Earlier this month, XPRIZE announced the semifinalist teams advancing in the $119 million competition to revolutionize seawater desalination. At a time when 1 in 4 people lack access to safe drinking water – and with climate change increasingly threatening water security – the race for solutions is more important than ever.

XPRIZE awarded $250,000 to 20 teams in Track A: System-Level Innovation for a total of $5,000,000 in milestone awards and 17 teams in Track B Novel Materials and Methods will be awarded up to $300,000 in total. Sponsored by The Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative, this multi-year global competition is the first of its kind, designed to drive widespread access to clean water.

Track A teams gathered at the Track A Team Summit to mark their progression into the semifinals, learn more about prize testing, and engage directly with technical and program leadership. Track A and B Teams were also showcased at the Global Water Summit, a premier event for the water industry held in Madrid, where teams were able to network and connect with investors.

Water scarcity stands among the most defining and urgent challenges of the 21st century. Although water covers more than 70% of Earth’s surface, accessible freshwater remains scarce and unevenly distributed. Today, over four billion people experience severe water scarcity for at least one month ea...

05/28/2026

I really like The Breadwinner for its humorous moments, and funny characters. I like how each character is completely different, each in their own ways. Each one has amusing stories, different from others. I like how the family has different dreams and hopes for the future, and they support each other, even when it’s really hard at times.

The storyline follows Nate Wilcox (Nate Bargatze), a devoted father who has to quickly learn to manage the household on his own. Meanwhile, his wife Katie (Mandy Moore) goes on a business trip after landing a deal on Shark Tank. Nate, struggling at first, learns to handle his girls Sam (Charlotte Ann Tucker), Hadley (Birdie Borria), and Gracie (Stella Grace Fitzgerald). An unorganized person, he doesn’t follow calendars, or planners. He does it his own way, calling it the “Dad Era.”

I really like that there are a lot of kids in this film. This stood out to me as I watched the movie, and it made me pay more attention to the storyline and be more interested in it. All the actors are really great and believable. My favorite part is when the horse, Cinnamon (Ace), destroys the house and runs away, right before Katie’s big interview. After reaching out to a friend, Nate and the girls try their best to make his house look like theirs. It’s a tough situation they have been put in, and they almost pull it off. I like how, at the end of the movie, Nate realizes that spending time with family is important, even though they don’t have a house. That stood out to me the most. Seeing how this family is brought together, it reminded me how family can be brought together over tough challenges and decisions and how even the silliest things can make you smile. Nate Bargatze portrays Nate Wilcox so well; audiences will be wanting more.

The film’s message is about spending time with your family because it is the most important thing, and just a little family time is all you need.

I give The Breadwinner 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 8 to 18, plus adults. It releases in theaters on May 29, 2026.

05/27/2026

Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu is an exciting action packed adventure while combining humor and heart that feels like the perfect summer film. While the plot feels a bit disjointed, its stunning visuals and cinematography combined with the development of the characters was enough to win me over.

The storyline follows Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), otherwise known as the “Mandalorian” and his adoptive son Grogu. Under orders from Colonel Ward (Sigourney Weaver), Mandalorian must track down Rotta The Hutt (Jeremy Allen White) and rescue him. Things aren’t how they seem however, and Grogu must step in to save the day.

Of all the great things about the movie, the visuals and cinematography absolutely have to be mentioned. From the backgrounds and sets when the characters are outdoors to the visuals of the sky when Din and Grogu blast off in their ship, everything is truly breathtaking. I especially enjoyed the beginning scene where the characters are fighting their primary battle in a snowy landscape and the utilization of special effects when the Mandalorian is fighting with his weapons. One negative thing about the film is its broken plot – it doesn’t have one central story and the main plot is split into two parts. The first part of the film focuses on Rotta The Hutt; while the second part focuses on Grogu and his role in saving other characters. It almost feels like two separate stories that don't really intertwine, leading to a sense of isolation for the viewer. My favorite part is the character Grogu due to his adorable visuals, levity and humor.

It is available in cinemas now.

05/27/2026

Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu presents a continuation of the hit Star Wars show, The Mandalorian and takes us on an immersive, action-packed journey across multiple biomes! The film’s breathtaking cinematography, naturalistic color grading and well-executed stunts, create a visual spectacle. Most of all, the father-son dynamic between the Mandalorian and Grogu is explored further. Although the movie is mostly characterized as a fun adventure, there are some areas to the story that lack cinematic scale.

In the film, the Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal), a bounty hunter who works with the New Republic, is tasked to locate Rotta the Hutt (Jeremy Allen-White) and bring him back to his family. He is accompanied by his apprentice, Grogu, as they encounter a crime syndicate leader, and a rival bounty hunter that attempts to derail their mission. Despite this, Mandalorian must navigate the consequences of his decisions he makes during the rescue mission.

The main cast are Mandalorian, Grogu, Rotta the Hutt, Colonel Ward (Sigourney Weaver), Janu Coin (Jonny Coyne) and Hugo (Martin Scorsese). Grogu shines in every scene through his expressive mannerisms. Although he is not played by an actor, the team of five puppeteers that controls his movements along with animatronic technology, create a very convincing performance. His presence not only adds moments of lighthearted humour, but complements Pedro Pascal’s performance as Mandalorian. The contrast between Grogu’s softness and Mandalorian’s stoic nature is effectively balanced. Martin Scorsese’s voice acting performance as Hugo, an Ardennian fry cook, also adds humour. Despite being in very few scenes, he delivers a memorable performance through his distinctive voice and natural interactions with Mandalorian. Moreso, the newer environments featured, such as the dark crime cities, swamp marshes and the tundra, display depth due to the natural color-grading and cinematography — which avoids heavy reliance on green screens.

The film is in cinemas now.

05/27/2026

What an exciting return to the Star Wars universe! Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu was such a fun watch because it balances suspense and humor really well. Right when a scene starts feeling especially intense, the movie throws in a quick joke or funny interaction that makes it feel lighter again, which I especially enjoyed.

The storyline follows Din Djarin, the Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal), and Grogu as they travel across the galaxy and face a series of new dangers along the way. Throughout the story, they meet both allies and enemies while navigating difficult situations that constantly test their judgement and survival skills. The fast-moving pace keeps the movie engaging, while still leaving enough quieter moments between the characters to make the audience feel connected to their journey.

One of the strongest parts is definitely the production quality. The visuals and color palette feels very true to the classic Star Wars style, and the movie also uses weather in clever ways to reflect emotional moments in the story. While the overall storyline is somewhat predictable at times, the characters are so lovable that it honestly did not bother me very much. I found myself getting extremely invested in their relationships and wanting things to work out for them. That emotional connection makes the movie much more immersive and enjoyable to watch. Even if someone is not super familiar with Star Wars, they could follow the storyline pretty easily. At the same time, fans of the franchise will certainly appreciate references to earlier films, including the appearance of R2-D2 near the beginning of the movie.

It is in cinemas now.

05/27/2026

We have 11 different bundles of vintage Choose Your Own Adventure books up for grabs to support our youth media literacy programs—perfect for nostalgia-loving parents looking for summer reading!

You can view the specific listing and the rest of the KIDS FIRST! charity auction here: https://givebutter.com/c/kids-first-silent-auction-mhoskr/auction

05/22/2026

Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu is an extremely entertaining story with amazing acting, CGI, and music. Every part of the film works perfectly to create a fun and breathtaking movie. It is never boring and it easy to get immersed in the story.

The storyline follows a bounty hunter, The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal), and Grogu (David Acord) as, against their own morals; they are forced to help the Hut family find their kidnapped nephew, Rotta the Hut (Jeremy Allen White), in an attempt to find a new elusive target. However, they soon discover more secrets as they search for Rotta, encountering much more than they set out for.
The CGI in this movie is phenomenal; everything looks so realistic and adds a lot of suspense and sadness. It’s easy to forget that the CGI creatures aren’t actually there; making it easy to become immersed in the worlds the Mandalorian and Grogu visit. Rotta the Hut is extremely impressive and moves fluidly throughout the film. This is helped by the outstanding cast; everyone shows extreme talent but especially Pedro Pascal as The Mandalorian. He’s tasked with interacting with the CGI creatures, yet, thanks to his acting, it seems like he’s truly there with them. Another aspect of the film I really enjoyed is the sets -- they are all unbelievably beautiful and unique. Every location has its own style, leading to each being memorable in its own way. The sets are so stunning, especially when they’re shown flying through the Outer Rim -- it looks gorgeous. The film is also incredibly funny – there were multiple times when I laughed out loud. Every joke lands perfectly, both physical and verbal, thanks to the cast and the writers. I especially like Grogu -- his physical comedy always got me to laugh. Another aspect of the film that I especially love is the music; it is gorgeous and enhances the tone of the various scenes. On the other hand, when the film is hopeful or the characters are winning a fight it’s very upbeat and adds to the feeling of relief. I found myself entertained the entire way through the film and even got invested in characters such as Rotta, and I wanted the best for them thanks to every aspect of the film.

I give Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu 5 out of 5 stars and recommend for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. It releases in theaters on May 22, 2026.