Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing
by Judy Blume
Don’t ask me how it happened, but somehow I managed to get through childhood without reading a single Judy Blume book. Seriously. It wasn’t until last year when I was getting ready to start library school that I finally got around to reading Are You There God, It’s Me, Margaret. I’d like to attribute this strange occurrence to the fact that I would always read above my grade level. I was the kid who read The Pelican Brief in sixth grade.
Whatever the case may be, I’ve decided to start making my way through Blume’s works, because she is lovely. Superfudge has always caught my eye (awesome title, how can you not be curious?), so I decided I had better start with its predecessor, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing.
Summary
Peter Hatcher seems to have a pretty good life. He lives in New York City, has his own room, and has a pet turtle named Dribble. The only thing not-so-great about Peter’s life is his little brother, Fudge. Fudge thinks he’s just the greatest thing ever, and a lot of the time, other people think so, too. No matter how much trouble he makes, how stubbornly he behaves, or goofy he looks (we’re talking self-inflicted haircuts and missing teeth here!), Fudge just always seems to get the attention.
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing captures a series of events in Peter’s life, all of which involve some sort of mishap with Fudge. However, despite the frustration that he often feels with his younger brother, Peter is wise enough to realize that Fudge will not always be this way, and that even though he may be a magnet for attention and affection right now, there are things he doesn’t know that Peter himself has already figured out.
Worth staying up past bedtime?
Anyone with a younger sibling who has caused trouble in his or her life will definitely want to stay up for this book. I enjoyed reading about Peter’s daily struggles with Fudge, and I appreciated his realizations and decisions that helped him deal with his frustrations. Fudge’s behavior is hilarious, and I laughed out loud at several of the situations he got himself into. Blume is a great writer - she can really bring characters to life and paint a relatable scene for her reader. A great read for any youngster (or 20-something who might have missed out on it the first time around!).
