Set in Pittsburgh in the early 1900's, The Leap Year Boy is the story of an extraordinary boy named Alex Miller, born into a working class family on February 29, 1908. What makes Alex so remarkable is that even though he's full term, he weighs just two pounds, one ounce and is nine inches long. Despite his size, Alex is perfectly healthy. However, his body grows at one-fourth the rate of a normal child-so that after one year, he's the size of a three-month-old-but his mind grows much quicker. Eventually, so do certain parts of his body and his ability to do various and unusual things with them. As Alex's special abilities become apparent, those around him see him as both a miracle child and a freak of nature-a freak to exploit. How Alex saves himself from the designs of others is at the heart of the novel.