MEASURING A YEAR: A ROSH HASHANAH STORY Written by Linda Elovitz Marshall Illustrated by Zara González Hoang (Abrams Appleseed; $16.99, Ages 3-5)         When I celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, I reflect on the year gone by, and now author Linda Elovitz Marshall and illustrator Zara González Hoang have created an inviting way for children to do the same with Measuring a Year: A Rosh Hashanah Story. What struck me the most about this rhyming picture book was what a terrific conversation starter it is for families and how, per the back matter, other opportunities are…

IF YOUR BABYSITTER IS A BRUJA Written by Ana Siqueira Illustrated by Irena Freitas (Simon & Schuster BYR; $18.99, Ages: 4-8)         REVIEW: If Your Babysitter Is a Bruja starts as a spooky Halloween tale and then develops layers as it goes on. Written in second person, If Your Babysitter Is a Brujachronicles how a child is scared of her babysitter. Clever illustrations by Irena Freitas show how a terrifying "bubbling cauldron" is actually a bathtub, a magic broomstick is a bicycle, and a slide is a magic castle. A clever scene showing the babysitter's hat in…

  THE GARDEN WE SHARE Written by Zoë Tucker Illustrated by Julianna Swaney (NorthSouth Books; $18.95; Ages 4-8)     Seasons bring change–in the garden and in life–in author Zoë Tucker and illustrator Julianna Swaney's tender, intergenerational story, The Garden We Share, about love, loss, and hope.     Walking into a community garden on a crisp spring morning, a little girl and her elderly friend plant seeds, “each little dot full of hope and promise.” Elderly friends join in to help and share each other’s company as they pass the time together, waiting patiently until the plants finally “burst into…

  LITTLE RED AND THE BIG BAD EDITOR Written by Rebecca Kraft Rector Illustrated by Shanda McCloskey (Aladdin BYR; $18.99, Ages 4-8)     NOTE FROM RONNA: As a grammar fanatic, I'm thrilled to be able to share this fun and informative interview by Moni Ritchie Hadley with Rebecca Kraft Rector and Shanda McCloseky, author and illustrator respectively of the new picture book LITTLE RED AND THE BIG BAD EDITOR. Celebrate its book birthday with us by reading on because I know you're going to devour this chat!    INTERVIEW Moni Ritchie Hadley: Welcome, Rebecca Kraft Rector and Shanda McCloskey!…

  MY PET FEET Written by Josh Funk Illustrated by Billy Yong (Simon and Schuster BYR; $18.99, Ages 4-8)           INTRO: GoodReadsWithRonna.com has the pleasure of participating in the blog tour for My Pet Feet. I made sure not to read any advance buzz about the book (easy 'coz I've been on vacation) so that I'd come to it with no expectations which, to be honest, is a hard feat (ha!) knowing how terrific all Josh's previous picture books are. REVIEW: When the letter R disappears from the main character's alphabet wall covering, chaos and hilarity…

  IT'S VACATION TIME! We're taking some time off to read, relax, and re-energize so we can bring you more GoodReadsWithRonna.com this fall. In the meantime, wherever your plans take you, we wish you a ...      

  THE BEATRYCE PROPHECY Written by Kate DiCamillo Illustrated by Sophie Blackall (Candlewick Press; $19.99, Ages 8-12)         ★Starred Reviews - Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, and Publishers Weekly   NOTE #1: I meant to write about The Beatryce Prophecy almost a year ago when I first read it. However,  being in dire need of a feel-good story, I just reread it so I'm happy to finally share my review of this fairy tale. NOTE #2: You definitely do not need to be between the ages of 8-12 to enjoy every last word of this wonderful novel. Written by…