Editing User:ProfessorTofty/Sandbox

{{Book
| image   = Manners Matter.jpg
| author   = *[[Marc Brown]] (cover credit)
*[[K. Emily Hutta]]
| illustrator = *[[Marc Brown]] (cover credit)
*[[Judy Nelson]]
| date      = 2001
| publisher = [[Advance Publishers, L.C.]]
| isbn  = 1579731082
| previous = ''[[Arthur's Promise]]''
| next = ''[[Queen for a Day]]''
}}
'''''Manners Matter''''' is the first book in ''[[Arthur's Family Values]]'', a series of ''[[Arthur (TV series)|Arthur]]'' book titles aimed specifically at teaching morals. The moral of the book is "Keeping a Promise." The book was written by [[K. Emily Hutta]] and illustrated by [[Judy Nelson]].

==Synopsis==
[[Arthur Read|Arthur]] and his friends are out playing basketball when suddenly [[Binky Barnes|Binky]] steals [[Buster Baxter|Buster]]'s turn and shoots a basket. [[Muffy Crosswire|Muffy]], [[Prunella Deegan|Prunella]] and [[Francine Frensky|Francine]] all call him out for being rude and having no manners, but Binky replies that he gets what he wants without them and walks away whistling.

Francine says that they can't let Binky get away with that and Muffy suggests signing him up for a manners class. None of the group can really imagine Binky in a manners class, but Brain does think that Muffy might be on to something in that Binky needs to learn how to act more polite. Arthur suggests that they could all try acting rude around him so he can see how it feels. They all agree, [[Alan Powers|Brain]] calling it an  "interesting behavior study" and Muffy saying that it won't be easy for her to act rude, but she'll try.

Later that day, Arthur and Buster encounter Binky watching a street performer and stand in front of him, blocking his view. Binky complains that he can't see, but the two just tell him that he'll need to move. They then gush about the street performer doing a fire-eating act, which Binky still can't see. He begins to threaten them, only to see [[Nigel Ratburn|Mr. Ratburn]] and walk back what he was about to say. He stalks away in a huff and soon encounters Muffy and Francine, who are fixing Francine's bike. Hearing Francine ask where the air pump is, he hands it to her, but after she blows up the tire, she and Muffy don't thank him, instead simply telling him to move and riding away.

Binky is shocked at their behavior, wondering if this is what he gets for being nice to someone. Then Brain rides by right past him, splattering mud on him. Brains stops, says that it was "unfortunate," calls the mud on Binky's shirt and pants a "fascinating abstract pattern" and rides away. Binky heads home to change his clothes and on the way encounters [[Prunella Deegan|Prunella]], who asks him to hold a bag of groceries for her. Surprised, Binky doesn't think to refuse, but after closing the car door, Prunella simply takes the bag and walks away, leaving Binky to wonder whatever happened to "please" or "thank you."

==External links==
*''[https://openlibrary.org/books/OL22859503M/Manners_matter Manners Matter]'' on OpenLibrary (read free with registration)