The Hobbit was JRR Tolkien's first book that deals with the importance of the hobbits in the history of Middle Earth.  It begins the saga of the Baggins family, Bilbo and Frodo.                 The book starts off with Bilbo getting a special visitor, Gandalf the wizard.  They have a conversation in front of Bilbo's hobbit hole, that leads to a meeting for tea the next day.  Bilbo, being the absent minded hobbit, forgets about their meeting.  Around tea time next day, Bilbo sits down by himself for some tea and cake.  After a few minutes a knock on his door interrupts and two dwarves come in and introduce themselves.  They said that Gandalf the wizard had sent them.  As soon as he got the two dwarves food and drink, the door is knocked on again.  Bilbo busied himself while twelve dwarves total came through the door to his hobbit hole.  Then Gandalf comes in.  He just sits down and enjoys the merriment, giving Bilbo almost no explanation about the dwarves.  Bilbo later serves them dinner as well.  Then Gandalf starts to talk.  He tells Bilbo about an adventure the dwarves are going on to reclaim their mountain kingdom once owned by their forefathers.  The mountain is very far away, and was stolen by a greedy dragon named Smaug.  They need Bilbo's help because they don't want to set out with a company number of 13.              Bilbo ends up being the hero of the story, but you must read the book for the actual adventure.