Arthur's Lost Library Book

Summary
When Arthur can't find his library book, he teams up with Binky to look for it.

Plot
Arthur is at the library and talks to the audience about the great things in the library, such as music to listen to, puppet shows for children, and books for everybody. He sees his friends looking through books they are interested in. Brain is looking at a book about science respectively. Francine is looking at a book on sports, and Buster is reading a joke book. He tries a joke on him which makes them both giggle. Arthur loves being in the library, but remembers one time when he thought they wouldn't let him enter the library again.

---ARTHUR'S LOST LIBRARY BOOK---

A rather ugly looking hand reaches out and takes out a book from a shelf. A mysterious voice narrates the first chapter of the story: 'Arthur goes to the library'. Arthur and his friends arrive at the library to take out some books and Arthur sees various books one after the other and takes them out. Francine suggests he should just take one, but Arthur disagrees. At the front desk, he begins to check out, when Miss Turner tells him he can take out one more and shows him the new Scare Your Pants Off book titled "The Mysterious Hand". At this moment, the other kids see it and run toward it, but Arthur gets the first sprint and grabs it before they can. The kids try to have him give it to them, but he checks it out and prepares to go home. But the others continue to chase him and uses the fact that he has too many books to have him give it. But he disbelieves that he has too many and leaves on his bike, leaving his friends depressed. While riding home, he rides under a low tree branch and it knocks the top book, which was "The Mysterious Hand", off the stack and it lands on the sidewalk, Arthur doesn't notice though. A kid then comes by and picks up the book. The ugly hand appears again and tears off 7 days off a calendar and says the second chapter: 'One Week Later'. Arthur's Mom is putting clothes in the washing machine and finds one of Arthur's misplaced books, and tells Arthur to be more careful. Later in the treehouse Arthur and Buster are trading cards, until Buster notices one of Arthur's books next to the wall, which Arthur forgot ever putting there. Buster asks if he liked "The Mysterious Hand". Arthur completely forgot he had it and Buster reminds him that there is a waiting list for that book once it's returned. At home, he finds many other books that he misplaced, but hasn't found the book he's looking for. Arthur looks around the entire house, but cannot find the book anywhere. His Dad tells him that he didn't have that book when he brought his books home. Arthur believes that one of the kids took it while he was leaving the library and goes to call Buster for help, but stops himself, for Buster's a suspect; everyone is. But Arthur knows that Binky wouldn't take the book since he doesn't like to read. Arthur asks Binky to help him find the book. He accepts and they go off to find the book.

The voice from the horrid hand is heard again, proclaiming the third chapter: 'The Investigation'. Binky and Arthur search their classmates for the book and resort to spying on those who are reading, but find that none of them have it. Later in the Sugar Bowl, Arthur tell Binky that he eliminated all suspects down to Buster, Francine, and Sue Ellen. Binky didn't have any luck, for everyone ran from him. Arthur has Binky focus on his suspects, and himself on his. Arthur continues to figure out the mystery at art class. He draws a picture of "The Mysterious Hand" book and shows it to Sue Ellen. She likes it and shows him the actual book. Arthur accuses her for taking it and tries to take it from her, but Sue Ellen explains that she bought it for the library version was the only copy, so he backs off. Later, Francine tells Arthur that she didn't take the book, for Muffy told her that Arthur thinks she took it. But Francine thinks he just lost it. Binky is still at work and is telling George to give it, but Binky isn't telling him what to hand over. Arthur comes and tells Binky that he should tell the others what he's looking for. But Binky thinks that if they have it, they should know and checks another student. Buster arrives and tells Arthur that Francine told him that Arthur thinks he took the book. Arthur thinks so for he did want it. And, same as Francine, Buster thinks he lost it. Arthur doesn't think so for he looked everywhere. This has Buster believe that Giant Mutant Mole People stole the book, which Arthur finds ridiculous. We zoom down and see that the mole people are real, but they didn't take it.

The hideous hand appears again and pulls back a curtain, informing the audience the fourth chapter: 'It's lost, okay? Face it, you lost it.'. Arthur is having a nightmare in bed. In his nightmare, Arthur is hiding in the house from creepy looking beings that are outside. Just then, the police tell him to give up the lost book. Suddenly, the door swings open and Arthur runs away from an extremely long arm that extends out and grabs him. It pulls him out of the house, across the sky and drops him in front of the library's front desk. Miss Turner is there and informs Arthur that they give special rules to those who lose library books. Arthur then has another nightmare, in which his Mom and Dad are in the hall and see a chain leading to Arthur's room. They follow the trail and see that it's connected to a book Arthur is reading. Arthur tells his parents that he now has to check out books this way. All of a sudden, the chain is pulled, thus having Arthur being pulled with it. It turns out Miss Turner is turning a crank which pulls the chain. Arthur ends up at the front desk again and Miss Turner warns him not to make her use the crank again. This has Arthur wake up screaming. That morning his dad tells him that he'll have to pay for the lost book, fifteen dollars exactly. He returns all the books back to the library and explains to Miss Turner that he lost "The Mysterious Hand" and agrees to pay for it. The librarian lets Arthur know that the book was found and that Binky just returned it. Arthur rushes to Binky and asks him who had it. He answers that it was someone from school, and finally Binky admits that it was himself. This has Arthur laughing, for he thinks he's joking and again asks. But Binky is serious and explains that he found it on the sidewalk and started reading it. He further explains that he didn't know it was the one he lost, but when he knew that everyone else didn't have it, he figured it might be the one he's looking for. Arthur asks why he didn't tell him. Binky claims that he would laugh. Arthur doesn't think so, but Binky knows he just did earlier. Arthur apologizes, but Binky warns him not to tell anybody that he is reading books. Arthur goes back into the library and asks he could check out the book again. But Miss Turner tells him he can't, for there's a long waiting list, which disappoints Arthur. A shadow of the hand appears once again and tells the audience that it's the end of the story, but we see that it was D.W. wearing gloves and speaking into a cardboard tube all along.

Major characters

 * Arthur
 * Binky
 * Miss Turner

Minor characters

 * Buster
 * Francine
 * Sue Ellen
 * D.W.
 * David Read
 * Jane Read
 * Giant Mutant Mole People

Background characters

 * Brain
 * Muffy
 * George
 * Mr. Haney
 * Mr. Ratburn
 * Edwin
 * Jenna
 * Fern
 * Pal
 * Baby Kate

Trivia

 * This is the first appearance of the Scare Your Pants Off Club Books and the inside of the Sugar Bowl.
 * The Sugar Bowl itself was first seen in "Arthur and the Real Mr. Ratburn."

Errors

 * When Arthur's mom is first seen in his second nightmare, her hair is a brighter color.
 * When Arthur has his second nightmare and is dragged through the hallways of his house by a chain, you can see his foot going through one of the walls of his house very briefly.

Cultural references

 * The Scare-Your-Pants-Off Club is a parody of Goosebumps.

Storyline analysis

 * Arthur goes to call Buster, for he is known for his detective skill. Although the first time he is shown as a detective wasn't until the episode "Arthur Accused!"

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