'Best Foot Forward and Other Stories' Summary

The five stories in this collection are: * **Best Foot Forward:** A young boy named Ned must overcome his fear of running in order to win a footrace and save his family from financial ruin. * **The Golden Shoe:** A poor boy named Jimmy finds a magical shoe that grants him the ability to run faster than anyone else. He uses his new power to help others, but he soon learns that there is more to life than just being fast. * **The Boy Who Saved the Town:** A young boy named Billy stands up to a group of bullies who are terrorizing his town. With the help of his friends and family, Billy shows the bullies that they cannot defeat him. * **The Lost Dog:** A young boy named Timmy loses his beloved dog. He searches high and low for his furry friend, and eventually finds him with the help of a friendly stranger. * **The Christmas Gift:** A poor family receives a mysterious gift on Christmas Eve. The gift turns out to be a beautiful doll that the family cherishes. The doll teaches the family the true meaning of Christmas.