Just One Gift: A Thoughtful Classroom Story told through Poetry, for Kids

by Linda Sue Park, Robert Sae-Heng (Illustrator)

Exploring themes of community and gratitude, Newbery Medalist Linda Sue Park captures the diverse voices of a lively classroom discussion in a thought-provoking story told through linked Love that Dog meets Seedfolks !

The assignment: If you could give someone special in your life a present—just one gift—who would you choose, and what would it be? Discuss. Certain students know their answers right away. A few find their answers more slowly. And while some responses spark lively conversation, others are revealed only in the privacy of journal pages. But all of the choices are as heartfelt as they are unexpected.

In accessible verse that highlights transformative moments of connection, Linda Sue Park celebrates the ways—big and small, obvious and unanticipated—our lives are enriched by the people we encounter. Robert Sae-Heng contributes black-and-white art to this eloquent stand-alone story that is also a welcomed companion to the popular The One Thing You’d Save.

Genres: Middle Grade, Poetry, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Novel In Verse, Childrens, Friendship

80 pages, Hardcover

Published April 7, 2026

About the author

Linda Sue Park is a Korean American author of children's fiction. Park published her first novel, Seesaw Girl, in 1999. To date, she has written six children’s novels and five picture books for younger readers. Park’s work achieved prominence when she received the prestigious 2002 Newbery Medal for her novel A Single Shard.

Reviews

[Diana (diana_reads_and_reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did I open and read this within an hour of getting the approval? I did. Linda Sue Park is one of my all time favorite authors, and she did not disappoint here. When I review middle grade, if it’s not for me, I try to think about it from the perspective of a middle grader. But I think truly great middle grade literature is for everyone, and that’s why Park is one of my favorite authors. She gets the voice of middle graders just right and this is thought provoking without being schmaltzy or talking down to students.

My only disappointment with this book is that it doesn’t come out until April, because I was already lesson planning with it in my head. If you liked Love That Dog by Sharon Creech, Just One Gift should be on your list.

[Vicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a touching and memorable book told through linked poems. The teacher has asked her class to think about a gift they would give a friend or family member. It should be something they’ve never asked for but something you think they would like or need. It is not something you are actually giving them she tells them. The teacher says we will discuss what you chose to give them what and why did you choose that. The students come up with some amazing ideas. The teacher loves their responses. One student has an idea and says let’s see about gifting some of the things we talked about. Loved seeing the gratitude these students showed.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Kara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just like it's companion, The One Thing You'd Save, this story in verse is inspired by Korean sijo style poetry. It is another beautiful classroom conversation that is started by a teacher giving a real "thinker" question. The teacher forces the kids to think deeply about the people around them by choosing just one gift to give to someone. Some choose family, some choose friend, and some choose ?, which are those people you see every day who don't fit one of the other two categories.

The classroom was very diverse with a lot of different voices represented.

I will definitely consider getting this for my own classroom use. I used The One Thing You'd Save a few years ago, and it made for a great writing prompt and good conversations with my students. This one will definitely inspire your students to focus on others and their needs. On the heels of a teacher's conference where the speaker encouraged us to be on the lookout for ways to bless our colleagues, this was a perfect read this week!

I will use this as a read aloud because there are a couple of pages that I will pass over to keep in line with our Christian beliefs at my school.

This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Elizabeth Jorgensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you'd read The One Thing You'd Save, this book will feel familiar. I love how Linda used the same characters and drew on the same set up. Brilliant and innovative.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is cute, perfect for middle grade readers!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

[Ashley Scow · Rating 4 out of 5]

(3.5 rounded up) A really sweet snapshot of a classroom discussion surrounding empathy and gift-giving to show appreciation. Inspired by sijo (a traditional Korean verse form) this was a lyrical and cozy read. I’d love to see the artwork in the final product!

Thank you to Clarion Books and HarperCollins for a physical ARC!

[Michelle Ardillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

See my full review at http://michelleardillo.com/2025/08/28...

[Richie Partington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Richie’s Picks: JUST ONE GIFT by Linda Sue Park and Robert Sae-Heng, ill., April 2026, 80p., ISBN: 978-0-06-332463-3

“If I had the world to give, I'd give it to you
Long as you live, would you let it fall, or hold it all in your arms?
If I had a song to sing, I'd sing it to you
as long as you live, lullaby or maybe a plain serenade
wouldn't you laugh, dance, and cry or be afraid at the change you made?”
– Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia (1978)

“Did you ever get a gift that you hadn’t asked for but was exactly what you wanted?”

I can answer that one in a heartbeat. For Christmas, sixty-one years ago (in the middle of fourth grade) my parents gave me a portable record player and copies of The Beatles’ Help! soundtrack album, along with The Beatles’ brand-new Rubber Soul album, which had been released just days prior.

(It was not long after that, that they fixed me a bedroom in the basement where I could begin the lifelong process of destroying my hearing with loud music.)

The students in Ms. Chang’s first-period Language Arts class have begun their Monday morning by drawing slips from a hat. Some slips say “Family;” some say “Friends;” and the remainder contain just a question mark. The students are prompted to compile a list of family members or friends in their lives, based on which slip they’ve drawn. The question mark slips denote the people who are in the student’s life, but who don’t fit into either the Family or Friends categories (and excluding Ms. Chang.) The students then receive a week-long assignment: Choose one person from their respective lists and…

“‘If you could give that person just one gift, what would it be? Something really special–chosen by you just for them.’”

The students are advised that the gift cannot be fantastical, and it cannot be money or a gift card. But it can be “unrealistic,” in that it can be something real that the student could not realistically afford to buy for their recipient.

And, because it is more of a challenge for the students who ended up with the question mark slips…

“To balance things out, there’s an added requirement for those of you giving to a family member or friend:
Your gift to them has to be something they’ve never asked for.”

To complete the assignment, students must discuss WHO they’ve chosen; WHY they’ve chosen that particular recipient; WHAT they’ve chosen to give that person; and WHY they’ve chosen that particular gift. The students have the option to either present their work orally in class or submit it privately, in their journals.

“May
Question Mark

‘There’s a little shop on the ground floor of my building. Mom sends me down there to get milk or bread or juice, whatever else we need.
Mr. and Mrs. Lee are the owners. When I was little and my mom had to go out for a while, she’d leave me with them. They never seemed to mind, and when I was in third grade, they started letting me count the cash in the till and put it in an envelope for Mr. Lee to take to the bank. They trusted me to do it right, even though I was just a kid.
The Lees live in a studio on the second floor. It’s tiny. And the store is open from six in the morning till midnight every single day of the week. THEY’RE NEVER NOT THERE.
So I’d give them a vacation. Even if they don’t leave town,
they could sleep in. Or, I don’t know, go for a walk somewhere.
Together, without one of them having to stay at the store.
I want to share something else, too. When I got Question Mark,
I was mad at first–I wanted Family or Friend.
I couldn’t decide who to give to, but finally
I picked the Lees because I realized that I’ve seen them
almost every day of my life. I can’t say the same
about anyone else in the world except my own family.
Then I started to think about the Lees–really think about them.
I knew all along that they never got a break from the store–
I knew it, but I hadn’t thought about it with my whole brain.
Like, how it must feel to never ever have a day off.
And the way they always helped out by looking after me,
but all that time, nobody was looking after them.
So now I’m wondering about a bunch of other people
who I know but haven’t thought about deep down enough.
in ways that might help me…um, RESPECT and AFFECT them more.’”

On one level, JUST ONE GIFT is a quick, easy, and enjoyable eighty-page read. The broad variety of student responses delivered at the end of the week are bound to inspire introspection, empathy (and possibly gratitude) amongst young readers. For teachers of tweens who can round up funding for a class set of this book, it will provide a ready-made assignment that–as is the case with May (above)–can hopefully lead students to think deep down about the people in their lives and inspire positive caring thoughts and actions, if only a “Thank you” at an appropriate point.

Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
richiepartington@gmail.com

[Brice Montgomery · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley & HarperCollins for the ARC!

Linda Sue Park’s Just One Gift is a delightful introduction to verse and a stirring reflection on generosity.

I’ve found that many attempts to write poetry for children are marred by compromise. They are either too simplistic or too gross, desperate to make the form palatable to readers that the author clearly doesn’t respect. Just One Gift is a remarkable counterargument, as Linda Sue Park adheres to her sijo-inspired form to tell a story that treats children as real people.

If you’ve somehow missed reading about the premise, it’s pretty simple—a class assignment in which students need to think about the gifts they might give to someone. Some are straightforward, such as the latest Nike drop or gaming console, whereas others are more ambitious, like a cure for diabetes. Within each of these gifts, Park plucks at the threads that form every relationship, finding just as much meaning in the unspoken daily interactions with a bus driver as there is in sisterhood.

While Park’s work is excellent as a whole, there are several moments where the children’s voices slip into something more artificial. It’s difficult to say whether this will matter for the target audience, but I’m inclined to think that it won’t. The kids I know who are “into poetry” are often inspired by its pretense—its “artsiness.” More importantly, even when the language doesn’t quite sound like actual kids, Park still seems attuned to the natural generosity that children have before the cynicism of the world saps it out of them, and I think this will resonate with readers.

All In all, Linda Sue Park’s Just One Gift is a wonderful introduction to poetry, and it’s a book I would love to share with my kids one day.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The message is as important as the delivery and I can't wait to see the final format- I received the book as an ARC from a local bookstore who knows I read ahead and threw this one into a box for me. It will have artwork in the final version that I very much look forward to. The words and message are powerful enough-- a teacher giving her students an opportunity to think and theoretically "act" by having them pick out of a hat- either "family", "friend", or "question mark". The person will either be a family member, a friend, or someone the kid knows but isn't a family or friend and they must journal or share out with the class after giving it thought, a gift. A tangible, non-money gift that isn't fantastical in nature that the person wants/needs but wouldn't ever say they want/need. The kids mine their lived experiences and interactions with said family, friend, or other and then identify the thing and what emerges are thoughtful opportunities to be kind and gracious to one another.

It's the kind of book that is warm and cozy and provides perspective to ANY reader. This is the kind of book that can be given to ANYONE to remember the importance of being and feeling seen and understood.

[Cassey · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Received ARC copy through Instagram giveaway from publisher*

I have only read one other Linda Sue Park book, Gracie Under the Waves, that I really enjoyed! I was so glad to receive another one of her books to read! Just One Gift is a wonderful book dedicated to Park's father and his penchant for gifting the perfect gift. The premise of this book is a group of students are assigned to find a perfect gift, but there are stipulations. They are assigned a Family, Friend, or Question Mark person. It has to be a realistic gift. It can't be something that the person has asked for. This creates some really interesting dialogue and thoughtfulness for many students. I really like the writing style. It is based on a poetry from of sijo and I just love a book in verse. This is a book that has impact, delivered in a small package. I can't wait to order a finished copy for my school library (and to see the finished artwork!).

[WKPL Children's/YA Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Miss Lori just read this book and now have a warm and happy heart! What a fantastic premise! Choosing just one person in your life (family member, friend, or someone you just "know") to give a gift. Can't be money; has to be real.
Story is written as an assignment in a classroom. Each student then gives their response to "Who was chosen, Why that person was chosen, What the gift is, and Why was that item chosen".
Given the chance, kids can be so deep and thoughtful and the responses show that.

I think this book is a perfect opportunity to start a discussion with middle school kids. It's an easy, quick read which then turns into a "What would I give and how would I choose just 1 person?"

[Devin Redmond]

Linda Sue Park’s 𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘎𝘪𝘧𝘵 is a short and beautiful book about a writing assignment given to a group of students. Their teacher asks them to pick a friend, a family member, or an acquaintance and write about one gift they would give that person. I think this would make a fantastic real-life assignment that might get kids thinking about other people.

I didn’t really think about the book being in verse until the Author’s Note at the end where Park explained the different entries of the kids are inspired by the Korean sijo style of poetry.

I really liked 𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘎𝘪𝘧𝘵, but it really isn’t a book to rate. It’s just a good one to read. You could pair it with Park’s book 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘠𝘰𝘶'𝘥 𝘚𝘢𝘷𝘦 which is similar but asks kids to think about saving one thing in a house fire.

[Christie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Linda Sue Park writes with such beauty and grace! She makes readers feel emotional and she writes thought provoking stories. I loved The One Thing You’d Save and I love this one just as much! Linda gives such insight into the worlds of each of the characters (even in such a short format) and insights into humanity on the whole. This book reminds the reader that everyone has their own things going on outside of the parts of their lives that we see most. There is such hope in seeing how the characters think about helping those around them with just one gift.

* I received a digital ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Similar to The One Thing You’d Save, and maybe even with the same class, although I don't remember much about the 2021 title.

An intriguing premise that will make many readers think about paying more attention to what people around them might like as gifts. GIft giving is a real skill that takes a lot of observation.

This did seem like it was aimed at younger readers. My middle school students don't tend to pick up stories set in classrooms unless they involve a lot of tween drama.

I can see elementary classrooms making good use of this short book.

[Nicole J · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a beautiful book on generosity, teaching people that it’s not about what you give but about the story behind why you’re giving it.

Thank you to the author, Harper Collins’ Children’s Books (Clarion), and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of the book. As a reminder, this review is voluntary and all ratings/opinions are my own.

This book truly touched my heart. Each gift discussed made me smile while reading. There is such a great balance between style and characters for a story that moves quickly. Just One Gift definitely had me slowing down and reflecting which is always a major plus in my book!

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Novel in rhyme
I received an electronic ARC from HarperCollins Children's Books | Clarion Books through NetGalley.
Exactly what you would expect from a Park story. She uses various poetry forms to share about this classroom assignment that blooms into something so much larger. Each student is given the same prompt to figure out one gift to give from a person in the category they drew from a hat. Readers see each student think about and share their gift idea, and more importantly, why they chose the gift. As the story progresses, we see the depth behind the choices and the love, gratitude and compassion shown. A thought provoking book for middle grade readers and for adults.

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a gift of its own! The format is simple and beautiful: a novel told in verse, built around a classroom assignment. If you could give one gift to someone special in your life, what would it be? The rules: it cannot be money or gift cards, and it has to be something the person has never asked for. The conversations the assignment sparks are warm and wonderful, and I think this book would be great in a classroom setting or as a gift for someone special in your life who always knows what to give you! It makes you think in its simplicity. It's all about the joy of giving and connection. A wonderful present of a book.

[Critter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an audio ARC.

Thus was a lovely read. The narrator is relaxing to listen to. The boom itself challenges its readers to think and reflect. I really liked how this book was executed and how thoughtful it is in its own tone and themes. Everybody in this book must think about what they would give to a person that that individual would not voice that they want and it can not be monetary. I overall just really enjoyed this book.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I absolutely love Linda Sue Park’s work, and this book is no exception. It was sweet, touching, and funny, while inspiring in the best way. I can see using this in my lessons with students, and it was a beautiful book to kick off National Poetry Month. She is a master wordsmith who has such a special talent for taking regular characters and regularly moments and pulling out the very best of them. A lovely work that is sure to spur readers to action.

[Dr. Julie Wasmund Hoffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC at NCTE 2025. This is a sweet middle-grade novel-in-verse. It is written in a format inspired by A Korean verse form called Sijo).

The children in a class are asked to think about one gift they would give. There are some conditions around who might receive the gifts and that the gift must be realistic. Just One Gift) is a sweet story that will inspire conversations, writing responses, and possible gift giving.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

A teacher has an assignment for her class. Each student must think about a hypothetical gift for either a friend, family member, or question mark. The kids can write or present aloud. Having just come out of the Christmas season, hearing adults talking about Santa since November, and hearing kids still asking about presents in January, this book about kids thinking of what they would give to another was heartening.

[Christiana Doucette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Those who loved The One Thing You'd Save will love the similar exploration of what gift one would give. I loved reading the end notes where the author explained how the poetic form was inspired by the Korean Sijo. She made sure each child's response included the sort of turn the form is known for, while of course, expanding the syllable count. This was just lovely. And I could see it being a great introductory read before a similar class project, or family project.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book about being generous and empathetic to those around us. This book in verse follows a class tasked with a creative thinking/writing project. Choose one person from your life to give a realistic, theoretical gift. The responses are moving and heartfelt. It's a great way to introduce these kinds of mindfulness or creative writing projects in the classroom.

[Robin Augustine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley & HarperCollins for the audio ARC! Linda Sue Park is an excellent writer and this is an inspiring lyrical novel written like poetry. When a teacher assigns an assignment on one gift to give, the stories behind the reasons they chose who to give their gift are inspiring and give hope the younger generation.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great short read for middle grade classrooms. I think this is on the short side for an independently read book but I also feel it may appeal to struggling readers because of that length. I can definitely see this being used in a classroom setting as part of a unit. I loved the thoughtfulness of the children in the poems and enjoyed some of the friendly banter between the students.

[Dolores · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ms. Chang gives her class an assignment. They each draw from a hat a subject-friend, family or question mark (someone who is neither friend nor family.) And then they must decide on a theoretical gift to give their person. The gift must be real, but not necessarily realistic. What the kids decide on results in a warm hug of a book.

[D'Anne Mosby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Print ARC— in the style of One Thing You’d Save, Ms. Chang’s class explores the idea of what one gift would they give to someone. It must be a real thing, something special and needed, but something the receiver has never asked for. The answers reveal how the students see the world around them.

[Lauren F · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grabbed this not realizing it was a middle school book but loved the message and creative writing, and thoughtful reminders to think about how to give to others and to impact people who touch your life in unexpected ways.

[Elizabeth Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding book that would make a great class read aloud and an assignment. Each gift shows so much thought that is direct and to the point. I have read many books by Linda Sue Park and each is very original. This book would make a great gift for a young person.