Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing
1st edition
Author(s)	Judy Blume
Illustrator	Roy Doty
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre(s)	Children's novel
Publisher	Dutton
Publication date	1972
Media type	Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages	120 pp
ISBN	0-525-40720-0
OCLC Number	340266
LC Classification	PZ7.B6265 Tal
Preceded by	Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great
Followed by	Superfudge

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing is a children's novel written by Judy Blume in 1972. It is the first of the "Fudge books". It was followed by Superfudge, Fudge-A-Mania and, most recently, Double Fudge. Although Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great features many of the same characters as Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, it does not fit exactly in the continuity of the Fudge books because it only focuses on Peter's classmate, Sheila.

Originally, the book featured illustrations by Roy Doty, but all post 2002 reprints of the book have omitted the pictures.

The story focuses on a 9-year-old boy named Peter Warren Hatcher and his relationship with his 2-year-old brother Farley Drexel. Farley hates the sound of his legal name, and prefers Fudge for any and all occasions.

Plot summary

The novel is a first person account of how Peter believes that Fudge makes his life difficult for him and his family. Peter often becomes frustrated with Fudge getting in his way and trying to always be involved in his activities, and perceives that his parents (Warren, an advertising executive; and Anne, a stay-at-home mother - although the parents' first names are not revealed in this book) will allow Fudge to get away with anything (although this is not always true). As Peter puts it: "Fudge is always in my way. He messes up everything he sees. And when he gets mad, he throws himself flat onto the floor and he screams. And he kicks. And he bangs his fists."

Chapters 4 and 7 also focus on Jimmy Fargo and Sheila Tubman, Peter's classmates; Peter and Jimmy are best friends, while Peter has great disdain for Sheila (who happened to live with her family in the same apartment building as the Hatchers).

Throughout the book, Peter recounts the times Fudge -- either by being himself or trying to bond with his brother -- caused trouble, including:

• When a client of his father's stayed in their apartment and Fudge caused a ruckus several times. A week later, Warren announces that his firm had lost the account due to poor product sales. (Peter speculates in the next chapter that he believes his parents' inability to control Fudge created a poor impression on Warren's client, although he admits nobody ever said as much.)
• Fudge going through a "refusal to eat" stage. Warren eventually loses patience with Fudge and dumps a bowl of cereal on him in the shower. This is the first time Peter sees that his parents will not let Fudge get away with everything.
• While at the park, when Peter and Jimmy were bickering with Sheila when all three were supposed to be watching Fudge, he sneaks away and climbs atop a set of monkey bars. When they realize where he is, it is too late: Fudge (believing he is a bird) jumps off, thinking he will land safely, but lands hard and loses his two front teeth. When he gets home, Peter faces the wrath of his mother, who fully and solely blames him for the incident; Anne later apologizes for her hasty judgment.
• The time he is asked to help supervise Fudge's third birthday party. The three guests who are invited all exhibit various behavioral traits typical of 3-year-olds: Jennie bites other children and adults; Ralph is obese for his age and always eating; and Sam has a social phobia (which he gets over after seeing Peter's turtle Dribble). The party ends up being rambunctious.
• Fudge stubbornly refuses to open his mouth for an orthodontist, throws a tantrum at a shoe store (when he is asked to try on a pair of loafers) and misbehaves at a diner (smearing mashed potatoes on a wall and dumping a dish of peas over his head).
• Fudge scribbles on a poster Peter, Jimmy, and Sheila were working on for a class project on transportation. Peter is reduced to tears when he sees his hard work apparently ruined and complains to his mother. (Anne later tells Peter that she punished Fudge for his actions, reinforcing that she and Warren have their limits with Fudge.) The chapter also recounts Peter and Jimmy's frustration with Sheila while working on the project; each of them had handwritten a portion of the report booklet, but Sheila (without their consent) replaced their handiwork with her own, believing her handwriting to be more legible, and also wrote "Handwritten by Miss Sheila Tubman" on the report cover.
• Two chapters where Warren is left home alone with the boys, when Anne makes a trip to upstate New York to visit her sister who just had a baby. First, Fudge is hired for a television commercial for Toddle Bike, and only when threatened with being replaced does he perform as directed. Later, on a rainy day, Warren takes his sons to watch a G-rated movie, and Fudge misbehaves.

The final chapter is devoted to Fudge somehow swallowing Peter's beloved pet turtle, Dribble, whole. Peter has difficulty accepting the loss of his turtle (which died after Fudge ate it), but later shows he cares for and loves his brother when he learns that Fudge may need surgery to remove the turtle from his stomach. All turns out well. Medicine that Fudge had been given (to vomit up Dribble's remains) works, and he makes a quick recovery. At the end of the book, Peter gets a pet dog, which he names Turtle to remind him of his first pet.

Characters

Main article: List of Fudge series characters

Fudge — Peter's younger brother, whom he often resents. At the beginning of the book, Fudge (a nickname for his legal name, Farley) is 2 years old, and is aged to 3 in Chapter 5. Fudge has a very active imagination, and others -- including Sheila Tubman and the wife of one of his father's clients -- often adore him. Peter believes that Fudge causes trouble for him and believes that his parents show him preferential treatment; he also is frequently frustrated when Fudge gets into his things and tries to become involved in his activities. However, Peter does love his little brother very much and shows concern when he is hospitalized (after swallowing Peter's turtle whole) and the doctors speculate that they may need to operate on him.

Peter — The protagonist of the story, and a smart, assertive, but seemingly naive 9-year-old. Most of the novel focuses upon his relationship with Fudge, the fact that he is the perceived source of his troubles and that his parents seem to let Fudge get away with anything and everything ... something that Peter would later realize was not always true. Peter's relationships with his classmates -- Jimmy Fargo (his best friend) and Sheila Tubman (a classmate who antagonizes Peter and vice versa) -- are also explored in the novel.

Anne Hatcher — The mother of Peter and Fudge, and wife of Warren. A caring mother, Anne shows love and devotion to her family, and is very protective of Fudge. Her sometimes over-protective ways with Fudge sometimes causes problems for Peter; for example, when Fudge jumps off a set of monkey bars at the playground (believing he is a bird that will land safely), Anne yells at Peter, holding him solely responsible. However, Anne is quick to apologize for her snap judgments.

Warren Hatcher — The father of Peter and Fudge, and husband of Anne. Warren works at an unnamed advertising agency, whose major clients in Tales are with Juicy-O (a fruit and vegetable drink) and Toddle Bike (a manufacturer of plastic kiddie cars); Fudge is hired for a commercial for the latter product. Although most of Warren's clients are happy with his work and company, he has also had his share of failures, such as losing the Juicy-O account. A loving father who wants what's best for his family, he is more conservative in rearing his sons than Anne, particularly with Fudge; at one point, when Fudge was going through a stage where he refused to eat at the table, he dumped a bowl of cereal over his head.

Jimmy Fargo — Peter's best friend, and the book's only regular African-American character. Jimmy and Peter hang around together, but share an equal dislike for classmate Sheila Tubman. Jimmy, at times, seems to resent Fudge and is glad that he is an only child.

Sheila Tubman — Classmate of Peter and Jimmy, who lives with her family in the same apartment building as the Hatchers. Peter is annoyed at the very thought of Sheila, considering her to be a bossy know-it-all who still has cooties (a sort of imaginary lice). At times, Sheila does assert herself by trying to control a school project she, Peter and Jimmy were assigned to work on together (although their efforts are rewarded with an "A"). Sheila is sometimes allowed to help babysit Fudge. She has an older sister named Libby. It is hinted at, however briefly, that Sheila may have a slight crush on Peter, although because of their bickering it is not evident.

External links

• Judy Blume's website