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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 1 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, Henry Holt, 28 pages

Read aloud: ages 3-4 and older.

Read yourself: ages 7-8 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 wild flowers 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.

Books to Buy

The following books are available at favorite bookstores.

• “Good Enough to Eat” written and illustrated by Brock Cole, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2007, 32 pages, $16 hardcover

Read aloud: ages 4-5 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, Random House, 2007, 289 pages, $16.99 hardcover

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.”   

Here are more thought-provoking books to consider

Humans are not always kind to one another. Unfortunately, I think a small part of that may be inherent to our species. The much greater part, however, I believe is learned behavior.

If humans learn incorrect behavior, we certainly are capable of learning correct behavior. In that spirit, the books reviewed today touches on important life lessons. Take a look for yourself. I think you’ll agree these selections are worthy of sharing with the children in your charge.

Books to Borrow

The following book is available at many public libraries.

“Chicken Sunday” written and illustrated by Patricia Polacco, Philomel, 32 pages

Read aloud: age 4 and older.

Read yourself: ages 7-8 and older.

Stewart and Winston were Patricia Polacco’s neighbors when she was a girl. Her own grandmother had died, and so the boys shared their gramma with her — Eula Mae Walker. Sometimes on Sunday they would go to church together, and on the way home they would walk past Mr. Kodinski’s hat shop so Miss Eula could admire the beautiful hats in the window. Then they’d all go back to Miss Eula’s house for fried chicken dinner.

One particular Sunday Miss Eula remarked that the Easter bonnet in Mr. Kodinski’s window was the most beautiful she’d ever seen. Immediately the children decided they must get that hat for Miss Eula. Unforeseen obstacles added to the mission of earning enough money to buy Miss Eula the hat, and through it all, the children learned valuable lessons in love, trust, and acceptance.

A true story full of richness and strength, “Chicken Sunday” is a first-rate treasure on many levels.

Books to Buy

The following books are available at favorite bookstores.

• “The Orange Shoes” by Trinka Hakes Noble, illustrated by Doris Ettlinger, Sleeping Bear Press, 2007, 40 pages, $16.95 hardcover

Read aloud: age 6 and older.

Read yourself: age 8-9 and older.

Delly Porter has a happy life. Delly doesn’t mind that her family is poor, for Delly’s family is full of love. But Delly needs a new pair of shoes. Soon it will be winter, and Delly won’t be able to go barefoot anymore.

One day Delly’s classmate, Prudy Winfield, makes fun of Delly’s dirty, bare feet. Delly tries to ignore her, but she is hurt. Later, when Delly finally gets her new pair of shoes, Prudy and the other girls stomp on her feet, making her new shoes filthy.

Delly takes her shoes home and comes up with an idea to fix them, and at the Shoebox Social, Delly and her family shine above everyone.

Seamlessly written and beautifully illustrated, this powerful story brims with important life lessons. The prejudice and cruelty suffered by Delly is handled with love by this young heroine who makes it clear that the most precious things in life are not measured in dollars and cents.

• “The Short and Incredibly Happy Life of Riley” by Colin Thompson, illustrated by Amy Lissiat, Kane/Miller, 2007, 32 pages, $15.95 hardcover

Read aloud: ages 7-8 and older.

Read yourself: ages 8-9 and older.

Riley the rat is extraordinarily happy. He’s always been that way. He has everything he needs, which isn’t much. Humans, on the other hand, are rarely happy and are always looking for more, or to be someone else, or to have what they don’t have. People ought to think and behave more like Riley, “because realizing that rats have a better life than you do, is really, really sad.”

At once humorous and thought-provoking, Riley offers life lessons all people, young and old, should take to heart.

(Nationally syndicated, Kendal Rautzhan writes and lectures on children’s literature. She can be reached via e-mail: kendal@sunlink.net.)