Literature For Kids

Reading & writing books for children & teens

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Al Capone Does My Shirts, by Gennifer Choldenko – Linda Book Lady’s Review :: Spoiler Free

August 8, 2020 By Linda Jo Martin 2 Comments

Alcatraz

An island prison, a warden, a guard’s family, and a young boy growing up with an autistic sister.[Read more…]

A Few Honest Opinions :: Reviews of Children’s Books

August 6, 2020 By Linda Jo Martin 2 Comments

I’m feeling inspired to give a few honest opinions of the many children’s books I’ve read, including books written for teens, middle grade novels, picture books – the whole spectrum of children’s literature. Here’s a listing of the book reviews I already have on the site. More to come soon.

Adam of the Road, by Elizabeth Janet Gray – I read that because it won the Newbery Medal many years ago.

Enchanted Air, by Margarita Engle – a poetic book… can’t even remember why I read it – but very interesting about a girl’s relatives in Cuba.

One Crazy Summer, by Rita Williams-Garcia – This one was a Newbery Honor Book, but my main reason for wanting to read it was because it is set in the city I was born in: Oakland, California.

The White Darkness, by Geraldine McCaughrean – I’d call this YA, not middle grade. Pretty phenomenal as it takes place mainly on Antartica. Can’t remember why I read it but I’m so glad I did.

I, Juan de Pareja, by Elizabeth Borton de Trevino – The biography of an artist’s slave. What a great book! This is also a Newbery Medal winning novel. Definitely YA.

Al Capone Does My Shirts, by Gennifer Choldenko – a middle grade novel about a boy growing up on Alcatraz where his father works as a prison guard. His older sister is autistic.

It’s Like This, Cat, by Emily Neville – a 14-year-old boy living in New York City adopts a stray cat.

A Visit to William Blake’s Inn, by Nancy Willard – imaginative poetry and amazing illustrations in a picture book intended for ages 4 to 7.

Charlotte’s Web, by E.B. White – a precious, much loved book about a pig, his friend a precocious spider, and her web.

Other Words For Home, by Jasmine Warga – a Syrian girl immigrates to America for safety as her brother remains behind to fight in the war.

The Last Stop on Market Street, by Matt de la Peña, – a beautiful picture book illustrated by Christian Robinson – a boy and his grandmother ride a city bus together.

So, there’s a start… I’ll add to this page as I get more book reviews published here.

Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Janet Gray – Linda Book Lady’s Review :: Spoiler Free

July 11, 2020 By Linda Jo Martin 2 Comments

Adam of the Road, by Elizabeth Janet Gray Vining

A young boy’s travels through 13th century England in search of his father and his dog.
[Read more…]

Enchanted Air by Margarita Engle – Linda Book Lady’s Review :: Spoiler Free

June 27, 2020 By Linda Jo Martin 2 Comments

Goat-Ears of Emperor Trojan

Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings is a lovely, lively, bi-cultural poetic memoir about a girl growing up in Los Angeles. Her mother is Cuban and her father’s family came from the Ukraine.
[Read more…]

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia – Linda Book Lady’s Review :: Spoiler Free

June 20, 2020 By Linda Jo Martin 1 Comment

One Crazy Summer

In One Crazy Summer, three young girls travel by plane from New York City to Oakland, California to visit their mother for a month.
[Read more…]

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I’m Reading Newbery Books

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About Me

I'm Linda Jo Martin, known as the Book Lady on YouTube. I'm the author of River Girl, a historical novel about a girl living in the Klamath River Valley in the 1920's. I'm also the author of the yet-to-be-published Antediluvian Adventures Series.

I tend to focus on the Newbery Medal list of middle grade and young adult novels, but may also review picture books and other children's literature.


This is my novel, available at Amazon only. It is for ages 8 to 15. It is a historical novel about a girl living in the Klamath River Valley of Northern California, c. 1920.

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