Akron Public Library

In a future where the Population Police enforce the law limiting a family to only two children, Luke has lived all his twelve years in isolation and fear on his family's farm, until another "third" convinces him that the government is wrong.

Overview: The first ten lies they tell you in high school. "Speak up for yourself--we want to know what you have to say." From the first moment of her freshman year at Merryweather High, Melinda knows this is a big fat lie, part of the nonsense of high school. She is friendless, outcast, because she busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops, so now nobody will talk to her, let alone listen to her. As time passes, she becomes increasingly isolated...

Eighth-grader Jewel has all the usual middle school problems (crush on an unattainable boy, ex-BFF), but the thing that is making life a torment at school is the horn growing out of her forehead, which cannot be removed simply; she has two friends she can depend on and an invisible unicorn companion, but she would really like to be normal in time to read her essay in regional French speaking competition--and maybe she has found a doctor who can do...

"Twelve-year-old Arlo is afraid of fire, creepy TV shows, and even his own shadow—but most of all, he’s afraid of losing his mother to the disease that nearly claimed her life a year ago. During a Thanksgiving road trip, a sudden collision with a strange beast in the middle of the road totals the family’s car, and Arlo, his mom, and his sister end up stranded in a small town. There’s something off about Livermore. No one has a phone or a...

Ellie Sokoloff is attending Ventana Ranch School in Big Sur, because she hopes that the wide-open setting will cure her claustrophobia and she was delighted to find Eliza Hart her childhood friend also in attendance; but Eliza has changed and for no apparent reason starts spreading rumors about Ellie, until one day she is found dead--now Ellie must find out what happened to her one-time best friend, and who killed her, not least because she herself...

"Like everyone else, twelve-year-old Cleo and her parents are sealed in an apartment without windows or doors. They never leave. They never get visitors. Their food is dropped off by drones. So they're safe. Safe from the disease that nearly wiped humans from the earth. The trade-off? They're alone. Thus, when they receive a package clearly meant for someone else--a package containing a substance critical for a stranger's survival--Cleo is stuck"--...

"Twelve-year-old Ben is a shy, quiet kid. His life isn't perfect, but he feels at home in his New York City apartment. Then his dad takes a job in London, and everything changes. His parents separate, and Ben's mom moves them back to her hometown of Austin, Texas. Ben's simple life is suddenly complicated. He misses his apartment, his best friend, Jake, and his dad. Then he meets Mabley, who becomes a bright spot to Ben's day. But when his mom starts...

"Violet used to love birthday parties, but now that she has celiac disease, she’s not allowed to eat pizza, cake, or anything else with gluten. Violet feels alone until she discovers that some animals have dietary restrictions as well. While standing up for her animal friends, she realizes she can do the same for herself. And when it’s time to celebrate Violet’s birthday, there isn’t a single gluten-containing crumb in sight!" --publisher's...