Last month I asked readers to tell me their favorite books that fall into specific categories. The response was wonderful, and as promised, below you’ll find Part One of the titles and authors of the books that received the most votes.
Readers have spoken. Put these titles on your must-read list, and watch next week for Part Two of the most recommended books from readers across the country.
Compassion, Empathy, Kindness: “The Tenth Good Thing About Barney” by Judith Viorst; “The Year of Miss Agnes” by Kirkpatrick Hill; “Sadako” by Eleanor Coer; “Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge” by Mem Fox.
Friendship: “Weslandia” by Paul Fleischman; “The Liberation of Gabriel King” by K.L. Going; “Frog and Toad are Friends” by Arnold Lobel; “Charlotte’s Web” by E.B. White.
Books to borrow
The following book is available at many public libraries.
“Little Red Cowboy Hat” by Susan Lowell, illustrated by Randy Cecil, 28 pages
Read aloud: age 3 to 4 and older.
Read yourself: age 7 to 8 and older.
Once upon a ranch, far out in the wilds of the West, lived a girl with very red hair who wore a very red cowboy hat. The combination of the hair and hat resulted in her nickname, Little Red Cowboy Hat, or Little Red for short.
One day Little Red’s mother asked her to ride her pony over to Grandmother’s ranch and take her a loaf of homemade bread and a jar of cactus jelly. As Little Red set out across the mesa, she found some beautiful wildflowers that she knew Grandmother would love. Even though her mother had told her not to dilly-dally along the way, Little Red stopped to pick the flowers and came face-to-face with a mean old wolf!
Story sound familiar? You bet, but this time the classic fairy tale has a refreshing Southwestern spin. Bright, fun illustrations accompany this comical rendition of one very spunky girl, her feisty grandmother and a not-so-clever wolf.
Librarian’s choice
Library: Snohomish Library, 311 Maple Ave., Snohomish
Managing librarian: Rebecca Loney
Children’s librarian: Jennifer Sullivan
Choices this week: “The Hundred Dresses” by Eleanor Estes; “Goodnight Moon” by Margaret Wise Brown; “Library Lil” by Suzanne Williams
Books to buy
The following books are available at favorite bookstores.
“Good Enough to Eat,” written and illustrated by Brock Cole, Farrar, 32 pages
Read aloud: age 4 to 5 and older.
Read yourself: age 8 and older.
She was a poor girl with no family, not even a name. Some of the townsfolk called her Scraps-and-Smells, some called her Skin-and-Bones, and some called her Sweets-and-Treats. When a horrible ogre threatens to ravage the town unless he is given a fair maiden as his bride, the townspeople voted Scraps-and-Smells to be the chosen one.
But an ogre isn’t easy to please, and the girl turns out to be far more clever and brave than anyone had thought.
Loaded with imagination and fun, “Good Enough to Eat” will command repeat readings.
“100 Cupboards” by N.D. Wilson, 289 pages
Read aloud: age 8 and older.
Read yourself: age 9 and older.
Twelve-year-old Henry had “led a life that taught him not to look forward to anything.” But when Henry comes to stay with his aunt, uncle and three cousins in a small town in Kansas, his life takes a different turn. No longer sheltered, Henry is free to roam and explore.
One night Henry hears thumping in the wall of his attic bedroom, then a bit of the plaster falls away, revealing a tiny cupboard door. With the help of his cousin, Henrietta, they peel away more and more of the plaster, ultimately discovering 100 little cupboard doors of all shapes and sizes. What’s more, they soon discover these cupboards are portals to other worlds where there is an ancient evil trying to find its way back through those portals and into our world.
Fantasy that feels like reality, the imagined that becomes believable — these are hallmarks of a great writer and precisely what you’ll find in the extraordinary offering of “100 Cupboards.”
Nationally syndicated, Kendal Rautzhan writes and lectures on children’s literature. She can be reached by e-mail at kendal@sunlink.net.
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