When Arturo and his friends buddy up to train for a race that will raise money for their school's literacy drive, Fern seems uninterested in winning or even improving her speed.
Fern dares Arthur and his friends to enter the poetry writing contest at the local library, but writing poems turns out to be harder than they thought.
Arthur's wrong guess about the identity of the secret admirer sending him valentine messages leads to teasing by the other children, but clues in additional messages allow him to get his due.
Arthur's new puppy causes problems when it tears the living room apart, wets on everything, and refuses to wear a leash; and Buster wonders if he has made an archaeological discovery when he finds a very interesting bone.
Unhappy about how much homework they have to do, Arthur and his friends dare each other to skip school, but their plans go wrong, leaving Francine to suffer the consequences.