AN INTERVIEW BY ABI CUSHMAN WITH VICKY FANG, AUTHOR OF THE BOO CREW NEEDS YOU! (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky; $12.99,  Ages 3-8)       PUBLISHER'S SUMMARY: Trouble's come to Monster Town, and emergencies abound! There's no time to wait around... get the Boo Crew! Get ready for a spooky interactive story experience with Lula, Bones, and Fang—a ghost, skeleton, and vampire team who need YOUR help fixing all the messes and frights of a Halloween night gone wrong! Whether it's tapping the page to mend a broken pumpkin or turning the book to set a toppling haunted house back…

  DETECTIVE GORDON: A Case with a Bang Written by Ulf Nilsson Illustrated by Gitte Spee Translated by Julia Marshall (Gecko Press; $18.99, Ages 5-11)         Originally written in Swedish, A Case with a Bang is the final installment in late author Ulf Nilsson’s Detective Gordon series. The story centers on the mouse and toad duo of Chief Detective Buffy and retired police Chief Detective Gordon. This time around they are joined by their young squirrel friend Helmer who wishes to learn all there is about being a police officer. And they certainly do have a case…

WHAT’S YOUR NAME? Written and illustrated by Bethanie Deeney Murguia (Candlewick Press; $18.99; Ages 3-7)       ★Starred Reviews - Kirkus, Publishers Weekly When author-illustrator Bethanie Deeney Murguia discovered her parents almost chose another name for her it got her thinking about the importance of names and what they do, and the idea for What’s Your Name? was created.     This relatable and diverse picture book takes young readers on a reflective journey through the meaning behind their own names. The book opens with two pages of orange talking bubbles listing names from Alina to Xavier and Ana…

    THE HOUSE THAT RUTH BUILT Written by Kelly Bennett Illustrated by Susanna Covelli (Familius; $17.99, Ages 3-7)       I may be a little late to the game, but since baseball season is in full swing, it's still a great time to review The House That Ruth Built written by Kelly Bennett and illustrated by Susanna Covelli. Did you know that this past April 18 marked the 100-year anniversary of the inaugural game at New York's brand-new Yankee Stadium? I'm a former New Yorker and I didn't so I'm glad I had the opportunity to read and…

JUST LIKE GRANDMA Written by Kim Rogers Illustrated by Julie Flett (Heartdrum; $19.99; Ages 4-8)         Written by Kim Rogers and illustrated by Julie Flett, Just Like Grandma invites readers to Becca and her grandparents’ home where Native American family traditions and cultural knowledge are lovingly strengthened and celebrated.      Grandma creates beautiful things, and Becca is right behind her wanting to give each one a try. Whether Grandma is beading buckskin moccasins, dancing barefoot outside like a beautiful butterfly, painting “a colorful sunrise” inside her art studio, or dancing at the weekend powwow, Becca wants…

  KELLY RICE SCHMITT INTERVIEWS SHANNON ANDERSON, AUTHOR OF HEROES DON’T HAVE TO FLY ILLUSTRATED BY  OLGA DEMIDOVA (Clever Publishing; $13.99, Ages 3-7)     PUBLISHER DESCRIPTION: Scooter the bird has always wanted to fly around and use words to help others just like his favorite author, Wendell. The only problem is that he can’t fly, so he uses a scooter. Bully bird Squawk teases him and the other birds. “Are you even a bird?” Squawk says meanly to Scooter. And Scooter knows how much words can hurt, so he takes some advice from Wendell’s book and decides to stand up to Squawk and help his friends—by using positive words! One day when Scooter…

  MIDNIGHT STRIKES by Zeba Shahnaz (Delacorte Press; $19.99, Ages 14+)         I’m a sucker for Cinderella books, but Zeba Shahnaz’s YA, Midnight Strikes, is so much more than that. Seventeen-year-old Anaïs relives her night at the royal Anniversary Ball again and again but it’s not her glass slipper she loses, it’s her life! At the stroke of midnight, the palace explodes killing the royals and most everyone at the party. Anaïs wasn’t happy to be there in the first place, teased for being a provincial outsider, brought to Ivarea to fulfill her parents’ dream and marry…

SINCE THE BABY CAME: A Sibling's Learning-to-Love Story in 16 Poems Written by Kathleen Long Bostrom Illustrated by Janet Samuel (WaterBrook; $12.99, Ages 3-7)     The variety of the 16 thoughtfully crafted poems in Since the Baby Came written by Kathleen Long Bostrom coupled with the adorable, soft-focus illustrations by Janet Samuel merits multiple reads. If a new sibling is coming into your life, or maybe a relative or friend's life, this book delivers! It begins with "Surprise," a seemingly simple, yet emotionally-packed three-line Haiku poem called a Senryu - "Surprise!" Mama says./"We are having a baby!"/Nobody asked me.…