D.W.’S LIBRARY CARD

D.W. has to learn to write her full name before she can check out library books with her very own card. She begs her big brother, Arthur, to check out a book for her, but he refuses, saying that it is a “baby book.” So she practices writing “Dora Winifred Read” constantly, even spelling out the letters in her mashed potatoes, until she gets it right. When she is finally allowed to check something out, she discovers that the book she wants has been borrowed and she has to wait a whole week before it is returned. When she finally does get her hands on it, the previous borrowers convince her that if she damages it, she might lose her library privileges forever. Arthur to the rescue and she learns that she’ll be able to enjoy it over and over; “it’s called ‘renewing.’ ” D.W.’s precocious antics and the familiar cast of characters introduce the responsibility of a library card to a whole new generation of readers. A great one for class visits. (Picture book. 3-6)