Picture Book #7 -- Arthur Meets the President

TITLE: Arthur Meets the President

  AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATOR: Marc Brown

  GENRE: Comedy

   THEME: Civics and Government

  AWARDS: This book has no awards.

CHARACTERS: Arthur, D.W., Arthur's parents, Arthur's classmates, Mr. Ratburn, and the President.

PUBLISHING DATE AND COMPANY: This book was published 1991 by the Little, Brown & Company.

 SUMMARY: This book is about Arthur who writes an essay to try and be able to read to the president. His class gets the assignment to write a paper on how they can improve our country. Arthur wrote his paper about how he could make America better, and out of all the papers in his class, his was chosen. Everyone in the school was shocked when they found out that Arthur won the contest. Arthur becomes very nervous about having to give his speech to the president and all of America through the televised event. D.W (Arthur's sister) gives him the idea to put note cards in his pocket with his paper on it, because then he can read off his note cards and not be embarrassed about not remembering his speech. All of the students in Arthur's class get to go with him to Washington D.C. and they get excited about not having any homework while they are gone. Then their teacher Mr. Ratburn tells them that they are going to have to write a paper about everything they see in Washington D.C. Then comes the time for Arthur to give the president his speech and he ends up loosing his note cards. The president arrives in a helicopter and all of Arthur's note cards go flying. Then he gets really nervous, especially when he hears all of his classmates and the president laughing at him. That is when he realizes they aren't laughing at him but at his sister D.W. for trying to help him.

I would use this book in my classroom to show a couple of different things. This book is good to teach students that they can have great rewards come to them if they work hard (like Arthur getting to give a speech to the president and a nationally televised audience). It is also good to show the kids that when you think you are going to be embarrassed sometimes your friends and family will help you out (like D.W. did).