1. Ask each family to bring a new book that's wrapped.

2. So you don't wind up with 10 copies of The Cat in the Hat, it's worth encouraging parents to choose favorite books that they don't think other kids will already have.

3. Supply at least three or four wrapped books yourself. Better to have a few too many than not enough.

4. Don't give out the books until the end of the party, when your guests are leaving. If kids open the books in front of each other, some of them will want each others' books. If you shoo them out to the car while the books are still wrapped, you can head off the coveting.