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				D.W. Gets Her Library Card 
				by Peter Hirsch
				
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				The script tells the actors what to say and what to do. Here's the script for a play called "D.W. Gets Her Library Card." Print it, and use it to put on a show. (After you've done this play, try writing a play of your own!)
  
				Characters: 
				Arthur, Binky, Buster, D.W., Francine, Timmy Tibble, Tommy Tibble, Ms. Turner
  
				
				Costumes: 
				What to wear for each character.
  
				
				Props: 
				Things you'll need for this play.
  
				
				Setting: 
				This play takes place in the Reading Room of a library.
  
				
				(Francine, Binky, and Buster are reading. D.W. walks into the library and goes right to a table on which a Big Book is placed. Arthur follows her.)
  
				
				D.W. 
				Arthur, look! 
				It's my favorite book! 
				It's big and it's pretty and it's all about frogs! 
				Will you read it to me? 
				Please, please, please, please, please?
  
				
				Arthur 
				No, D.W. That's a baby book. 
				I only read books for big kids.
  
				
				D.W. 
				Then will you check it out for me with your library card?
  
				
				Arthur 
				Are you kidding?! 
				Do you know what would happen if my friends found out I checked out a baby book?
  
				
				D.W. 
				What?
  
				
				Arthur 
				This!
  
				
				(He points to Francine, Binky, and Buster, who go to the center of the room.)
  
				
				Francine 
				Hey guys! 
				Arthur checked out a baby book on frogs!
  
				
				Buster 
				I guess that makes him a baby!
  
				
				Binky 
				Yeah. Or maybe even a baby frog! A tadpole!!
  
				
				Buster, Binky, and Francine 
				HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!
  
				
				(Buster, Binky, and Francine freeze.)
  
				
				Arthur 
				That's what would happen! 
				Sorry, D.W., I can't do it. 
				Now let me read in peace.
  
				
				(Arthur picks up a book and starts reading. Buster, Binky, and Francine go back to their seats. D.W. puts the book back on the table.) 
  
				
				D.W. 
				I wish I had my own library card. 
				Then I could take out that book all by myself and have Mom or Dad read it to me at home.
  
				
				(Tommy and Timmy Tibble enter the Reading Room. Each holds a library card.)
  
				
				Timmy Tibble 
				Let's take out a book on snakes with our library cards!
  
				
				Tommy Tibble 
				No! Spiders! 
  
				
				Timmy Tibble 
				Snakes!
  
				
				Tommy Tibble 
				Spiders!
  
				
				D.W. 
				Tommy and Timmy Tibble, you have your own library cards?  
				How did you get them?
  
				
				Tommy Tibble 
				Should we tell her? 
  
				
				Timmy Tibble  
				No way!  
				If she gets her own card, she'll take out every book in the library and then there will be none left for us! 
  
				
				(Tommy and Timmy hide behind a table.)
  
				
				D.W.  
				I'll ask Francine how to get my own library card. 
  
				
				(D.W. goes to Francine, who's now watching a video screen.)
  
				
				Francine  
				Hi, D.W.!  
				I'm watching a video about Babe Ruth! 
  
				
				D.W.  
				You can watch videos in the library? 
  
				
				Francine  
				Sure you can!   
				Look! He just hit a home run!  
				Listen to the fans going wild! 
  
				
				All Kids (except D.W. and Arthur)  
				HOORAY!!! 
  
				
				Arthur  
				Shh! Keep it down!  
				I'm trying to read! 
  
				
				Francine  
				I love baseball!  
				I'm going to practice my batting right now! 
  
				
				(Francine leaves. D.W. goes up to Binky, who is wearing headphones and humming.) 
  
				
				Binky  
				Hi, D.W.!  
				This is a great jazz CD! 
  
				
				D.W.  
				Wow! You can listen to music in the library, too? 
  
				
				Binky  
				What? 
  
				
				D.W. (Louder.) 
				I said, "You can listen to music in the library, too?" 
  
				
				Binky  
				I can't hear you!  
				I'm listening to music! 
  
				
				(D.W. goes over to Buster, who is snoring loudly.) 
  
				
				D.W.  
				Hey, Buster.  
				Buster! 
  
				
				(Buster wakes up and quickly picks up a book.) 
  
				
				Buster  
				I wasn't asleep!  
				I was studying!  
				Oh, it's only you, D.W. 
  
				
				D.W.  
				How do I get my own library card? 
  
				
				Buster  
				Oh, just ask . . . just ask . . . 
  
				
				(Buster falls asleep again before he can finish his sentence.) 
  
				
				D.W.  
				Just ask WHO??? 
  
				
				Buster  
				(LOUD SNORE) 
  
				
				D.W.  
				Will someone please help me get my own library card!!! 
  
				
				(Ms. Turner comes up to D.W.) 
  
				
				Ms. Turner  
				I'll help you, D.W.  
				I'm Ms. Turner and I work at the library.  
				All you have to do is sign your name on this sheet of paper. 
  
				
				D.W.  
				Sign my name?  
				But I can't do that!  
				I've never done it before! 
  
				
				Ms. Turner  
				Try it.  
				I bet you can do it. 
  
				
				(Tommy and Timmy Tibble pop their heads up from behind the desk.) 
  
				
				Tommy and Timmy Tibble 
				We bet she can't do it! 
  
				
				(Ms. Turner hands D.W. the pencil.) 
  
				
				D.W.  
				I'm scared!  
				What if I forget my name?  
				Oh, no!   
				I did forget my name!  
				WHAT'S MY NAME?!
  
				
				All Kids (except D.W. and Arthur)  
				D.W.! 
  
				
				Arthur  
				Shh! Keep it down!  
				I'm trying to read! 
  
				
				(D.W. writes her name on a sheet of paper. Ms. Turner hands her a library card.)
  
				
				Ms. Turner  
				Well done.  
				Here's your library card, D.W. 
  
				
				D.W.  
				My very own library card! 
  
				
				(D.W. picks up the book from the table. She goes to Arthur and shows him her library card.)
  
				
				D.W.  
				Check it out, Arthur.  
				My very own library card.  
				Now I can take this book out without your help! 
  
				
				Arthur  
				Hey, I know that book!  
				It's called Hopalong the Frog!  
				It was the first book I ever took out! 
  
				
				D.W.  
				You took out a baby book? 
  
				
				Arthur  
				It's not a baby book.  
				It's a book for big kids about frogs.  
				Listen . . . 
  
				
				(Arthur opens the book and begins to read.) 
  
				
				Arthur  
				"Hopalong the frog hopped onto a log, 
				and the log started floating away . . ." 
  
				
				D.W.  
				Boy, the things a kid has to do to get her older brother to read to her. Sheesh! 
  
				
				The End.
  
				
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