The book rides a wave of intrigue and action from the opening sentence ("The boy appeared out of nowhere.") to the final page. Along the way, the author introduces concepts begging for discussion: family, friendship, honesty, cleverness, problem-solving, and more. Young fans of mystery and action will have difficulty putting the book down as its march toward the protagonist-antagonist showdown is ...

Anna and Grandma are planning a surprise for Dad's birthday. Dad thinks he has received all his presents, but Grandma stands up and gives him the best one of all: she reads aloud the stories that Anna has taught her.

Gil the ant thinks all of his friends have forgotten his special day! Have they, or are they planning a special surprise?

Before Wilma was five years old, polio had paralyzed her left leg and doctors said she'd never walk. But Wilma refused to believe that, and eventually won Olympic titles and became the first American woman to earn three gold medals.

In a sequel to THE GIFT-GIVER, Doris reluctantly starts helping Yellow Bird, the class clown, with his reading problem. To her surprise, Doris finds that in caring for and helping Bird, she develops a new friend.