Akron Public Library

"The Middle Grade Memoir of a Girl Boxer and Future Olympian. In this Lean-In style inspirational memoir, twelve-year-old Jesselyn Silva offers a ringside seat to girl power and what it takes to win in the ring and in life: punch by punch. Girl Boxer shows kids what it means to be true to yourself and stick with your dreams even when facing adversity and ridicule. Supported by her single dad, Jesselyn (JessZilla in the ring) first donned her boxing...

"Isaac and Marco already know sixth grade is going to change their lives. But it won't change things at home--not without each other's help. This year, star basketball player Isaac plans on finally keeping up with his schoolwork. Better grades will surely stop Isaac's parents from arguing all the time. Meanwhile, straight-A Marco vows on finally winning his father's approval by earning a spot on the school's basketball team. But will their friendship...

Inspired by Peirce's "Big Nate" comic strip, this first book in a six-part series introduces Nate Wright: sixth grader, class clown, self-described genius, and the all-time record holder for school detentions. Illustrations.

"Friends. Frenemies. Middle school... The last day of seventh grade has Jaime and Maya wondering who their real friends are. Jaime knows something is off with her friend group. They've started to exclude her and make fun of the way she dresses and the things she likes. At least she can count on her BFF, Maya, to have her back . . . right? Maya feels more and more annoyed with Jaime, who seems babyish compared to the other girls in their popular group....

"Third-grader Lauren, who has Autism Spectrum Disorder, is practising the skill of 'going with the flow,' but finds that difficult when she learns that her best friend Irma has made another friend, Jonas. Meanwhile, Lauren is dreading a looming mountain bike day at school. Her classmate Ravi teases anyone with training wheels like hers. Lauren feels better about Jonas when he tells her how important she is to Irma, and he helps her face the mountain...

Middle-school drama queen Nikki Maxwell worries about asking a boy to her school's "sweetheart dance."

Jake and his family have moved to a new state and now Jake must start at the bottom of the social ladder, but he is determined to make friends and get back on top with his box of "kid cards."

Twelve-and-a-half year old Emelyn Ethrige lives with her widowed father in South Carolina, dreams of wheelchair motocross, and makes custom chair bags trying to earn enough money to buy a serious set of wheels; she has been in a wheelchair all her life, and is just fine getting around without help, but it seems that since her mother was killed in an accident everyone (father, grandparents, teachers, and classmates) have started treating her differently:...

Nicknamed "Pottymouth" and "Stoopid" in preschool, David and Michael turn their misery into a hit television show.

Seventh-grader Ben, always an outsider, is led into a deep friendship with Halley, who is being treated for cancer, by the special dog he and his adoptive mother take in. A boys chance encounter with a scruffy dog leads to an unforgettable friendship in this deeply moving story about life, loss, and the meaning of familyBen Coffin has never felt like he fits in. A former foster kid, he keeps his head down at school to avoid bullies and spends his...