Can a loser like Charlie Brown actually win the national
spelling bee? Maybe...with a little help from his dog Snoopy, Linus,
Lucy, and other friends from the beloved comic strip created by Charles Schulz.
Can you spell "F - A - I - L - U - R - E" ?
After his baseball team loses another game, Charlie Brown is convinced that he is a born loser. Linus suggests he enter the class
spelling bee to boost his self-esteem. Before he knows it, Charlie Brown has outspelled everyone in the room! To help Charlie Brown study for the school spelling bee, Linus and Snoopy make up songs to help him remember all those spelling rules, like "I Before E Except After C."
Lucy thinks Charlie Brown's first win was a fluke. "He doesn't have a chance," she says to Violet. "He's doomed!" But Snoopy sits outside the window and plays their song to help Charlie Brown spell "perceive" correctly. And Charlie Brown wins again! It's off to New York City for the finals.
Good Grief!
Before Charlie Brown boards the bus for New York, Linus generously gives him his beloved blue
blanket for good luck. Big mistake. As soon as the bus leaves, Linus gets physically ill. He must get his precious blanket back! Linus drags Snoopy to New York to find Charlie Brown. The reunion in Manhattan is a happy one - until the blanket is discovered missing. All night Linus and Snoopy search the city streets, only to discover the blanket was in the hotel room all the time.
That Blockhead! At the Annual Spelling Bee, everyone watches as Charlie Brown sweats through the early rounds. Then Charlie Brown is given an easy word. Snoopy dances wildly in his front row seat. His friends at home watching on TV think this should be a no-brainer. How can Charlie Brown, who actually owns this breed of dog, spell it wrong? But he does...
"B - E - A - G - E - L. Beagle."
Charlie Brown is so down on himself after blowing the spelling bee. But he gets renewed hope from the most unlikely person - Lucy! One day, as she sets up a football, Charlie Brown decides to try one more time to kick it. Of course, Lucy pulls the ball away just in time. She leans over him and says, "Welcome home, Charlie Brown." Who can help but cheer for this round-headed kid who never, ever gives up?
About the Author
Charles M. Schulz (1922 - 2000) has entertained generations of readers with his cartoon strip, Peanuts, since it was first published in 1950. It has appeared in 21 languages and 2600 newspapers and is the most widely read comic. Note that this book is not written in comic strip format, but as a traditional storybook in which the pictures appear separate from the text.