In the early 1960s, 12-year-old songwriter Livy Two Weems dreams of the world beyond the North Carolina holler where she lives in poverty with her parents and eight brothers and sisters, but she understands that she must put family first.

Set in the Appalachia in 1963, Livy Two has come to terms with the fact that her father is a changed man after being in a coma for so long and so now, along with her eleven-year-old sister, Louisiana, she must find a way to take care of their father and the needs of their large mountain family the best way they can.

This volume recommends some 500 positive, heart-warming stories for young readers—stories of the human spirit and what it can accomplish; stories of loving families surviving crises in positive ways; historical tales full of quick-witted people (especially girls); fairy tales with strong women; true stories of survival; and more. These gentle and uplifting reads span every genre—from science fiction and fantasy, to mysteries, realistic fiction, biographies, and nonfiction. They are Accelerated Reader titles, Reading Counts titles, and Junior Library Guild selections. Primarily intended for grades 5 to 9, this is a list of reading suggestions for the young adult who wants a great read but does not want to be offended. Grades 5-9.

In late 1963, with her family in financial straits, twelve-year-old Olivia runs away to Nashville to sell some of her songs.

An empowering picture book set in the 1940s about a determined five-year-old girl who embarks on a journey to deliver milk to her neighbors in the holler. Every morning, Ernestine shouts out her window to the Great Smoky Mountains, "I'm five years old and a big girl!" When Mama asks Ernestine--who helps with chores around the farm while Papa is away at war--to carry two mason jars filled with milk to their neighbor, Ernestine isn't sure she can do it. After all, she'd need to walk through thickets of crabapple and blackberry by the creek, not to mention past vines of climbing bittersweet. But Ernestine is five years old and a big girl, so off she sets. Along the way, one mason jar slips from her arms and rolls down the mountainside into the river, and Ernestine is sure it's lost forever . . . until her neighbor's son shows up with a muddy jar--and there's a surprise inside! With tons of flavor and a can-do spirit, here is a celebration of American history and a plucky girl who knows that helping a family in need is worth the trouble.

A girl tells what it's like to be the daughter of a college football coach. Always on the move, always changing friends. About the only constant part is her religion. Eight moves later she is finally around long enough to have a romance with a boyfriend.

A Coretta Scott King Honor Book Paris has just moved in with the Lincoln family, and she isn't thrilled to be in yet another foster home. She has a tough time trusting people, and she misses her brother, who's been sent to a boys' home. Over time, the Lincolns grow on Paris. But no matter how hard she tries to fit in, she can't ignore the feeling that she never will, especially in a town that's mostly white while she is half black. It isn't long before Paris has a big decision to make about where she truly belongs.

Mandy's life changes forever when her ten-year-old twin sister eats a hamburger tainted with E coli and dies.

Four friends--Keith, who is searching for the perfect man; Tommie, who is in love with a college basketball player; Marco Antonio, whose perfect relationship is threatened by the demands of Hollywood; and Rafael, who must always be the center of attention--search for true love in L.A. Original.