Akron Public Library

Six-year-old Ramona tries to cope with an unsympathetic first-grade teacher. In this touching and funny story, the ebullient Ramona, feeling brave and grown-up, enters first grade. Quickly she finds that her new teacher, Mrs. Griggs, appears perplexed by pupils who like to be different. Since Ramona cannot help being different, clearly the two are incompatible. Nevertheless, Ramona can be counted on to keep things lively. Enraged when Susan copies...

In the summer of 1987 in Venice, California, ten-year-old Bug and her new friend Frankie learn important lessons about life, family, being your true self, and how to navigate in a world that is not always just or fair.

Shares humorous poems about such subjects as disco baths, sneaky sisters, nose hairs, and wanting a dog.

When a cyberbully posts embarrassing rumors about other students at school, Drew, to protect her own secret, puts her sleuthing skills to good use to find the culprit, who just might be one of her closest friends.

When Flat Stanley and his friends accidentally disturb a beehive, Flat Stanley tries to figure out how he can save everyone before the bees get them.

Fourteen-year-old Marigold's family owns Flexx Unlimited, a hip-hop lifestyle company, and she attends the elite school Flowered Arms Academy, but she has never felt entirely comfortable in the mostly White school, and she prefers to hang out with Justice, relatively new to the school, but a star basketball player; so enrolling in Style High with him, a trainee program funded by Mari's family, seems like a good way to spend the summer--until she meets...

"With two all-star college football players for brothers and a former Atlanta Falcons defensive lineman for a father, it is only natural for sixth-grade quarterback Benjamin Redd to follow in their footsteps. However, after his dad receives a heartbreaking ALS diagnosis--connected to all those hard hits and tackles he took on the field--Ben's mom becomes more determined than ever to get Ben to quit football. Ben isn't playing just for himself though....

With lyricism, whimsy, and heartfelt emotion, Matthew Paul Turner reveals the tender emotions connected with watching a beloved child grow up and experience the world. Paired with Kimberley Barnes's vivid and playful illustrations, When I Pray for You is a beautifully affirming book, in which children and parents will see their own stories come to life. When I Pray for You celebrates the dreams, hopes, and longings parents pray over their children,...

"Twelve-year-old Ariel Goldberg’s life feels like the moment after the final guest leaves the party. It's the summer of 1967, and her big sister has eloped with a young man from India following Loving v. Virginia, the U.S. Supreme Court decision that says banning interracial marriage is unconstitutional in all 50 states. Ariel's Jewish parents don't approve, and soon, her sister disappears into the bohemian New York City of the 1960s. Back home...

"A child gets ready for a wonderful day. They gleefully get dressed, hug their parents, go to school, and play with friends. All the while, unapologetically reminding themselves that they are and can only be themselves. The non-binary experience is brightly illustrated as we follow our main character through their typical day. The story's bouncy and fun refrain reminds all readers of gender neutral pronouns and affirms the identities of non-binary...