Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing

Blume, Judy. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. Puffin, 2007 (c. 1972). Paperback $ 5.99, ISBN-13 978-0142408810 

What’s it about? Peter Hatcher is sick and tired of being a Fourth Grade Nothing, overshadowed by his adorable,  havoc-wreaking, toddler brother Fudge. 

Find out more: Peter Hatcher is fourth grader with a cute younger brother, who goes by the nickname Fudge. Peter likes Fudge the best when he is asleep and puts his fingers in his mouth and makes a content slurping noise. When Fudge is awake, however, he is trouble. Like many toddlers, Fudge is in constant motion, exploring his environment (with the side effects of destructiveness and racket).  Peter is frustrated by the way adults treat Fudge and how Fudge gets away with awful behavior.  He feels like a fourth grade nothing, with his accomplishments and needs overshadowed by his little brother.

The title of the book is slightly misleading—the tales are Fudge-centric, which highlights how Peter feels—like a backdrop in his own life. Toddlers are egoists, and everything centers around them, which is tiresome when you yourself are still a child.  Peter comes across as more mature than his age, and his accounts of Fudge’s behavior are hilariously deadpan. The reader will feel sympathy for Peter, especially when he bears the blame for and the brunt of the misbehavior. There are some funny moments when Fudge’s idolization of his older brother Pee-tah comes in handy for handling Fudge’s difficult behavior, such as the ruse when Peter pretended to be getting the same type of shoes as Fudge. Any kid with a younger sibling will identify with Peter, and kids who are the babies of the family will enjoy the humor of these anecdotes. The target audience of this book is kids who are in upper elementary school. Both boys and girls will enjoy Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, which is still in print nearly 40 years later.

 I recall reading this book when I was in third grade and had a sister Fudge’s age. My sister was no Fudge—she was much better behaved (although she did swallow rocks and loose change).  I do remember feeling secondary to her, however, and I think most older siblings feel like Peter does when there is a sizeable age difference, especially in smaller families.  I loved every moment of the book, except for the fate of poor Dribble. I thought the turtle eating was impossible, and a literary device, but according to Blume, the inspiration came from an article published in the late 60s about a toddler who swallowed a pet turtle.

Genre label: Humor, Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Reading level: 3^rd grade

Interest level: Grades 3-6

Read-alikes:

Cleary’s Beezus and Ramona and Ramona the Pest

Subjects: Siblings, sibling relationships, family relationships, toddlers

Series information:

Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great (Judy Blume thinks of this as the second “Fudge” book)

Superfudge

Fudge-a-Mania

Double Fudge

Character name/descriptions:

Peter Hatcher—narrator & older brother to the mischevious toddler Fudge. Proud owner of an ill-fated turtle named Dribble

Jimmy Fargo—Peter’s friend and neighbor

Fudge—Peter’s younger brother, who ruins everything!

Sheila Tubman—Peter’s know-it-all classmate