Tales+of+a+Fourth+Grade+Nothing



Book Review by: Ali Julian

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing Author: Judy Blume Illustrator: Roy Doty Publisher: Puffin, 1972 Format: Softcover &5.99 (amazon.com) ISBN: 978-0142408810 Reading level: Ages 7 and up Pages: 128 Language: English Theme: Brotherly love, humor

Summary:

The book chronicles nine-year-old Peter Hatcher's infuriation with the horrendous behavior demonstrated by his bratty little brother Fudge, which frequently goes unpunished. Peter becomes frustrated with Fudge because he often disturbs Dribble, Peter's pet [|turtle] which Peter won at his friend's birthday party. Furthermore, his little brother throws nonstop temper tantrums, conducts an unexplained abstinence from eating, and emulates his brother's behavior, throwing tantrums if it is prohibited. Nonetheless, their parents dote on Fudge, to Peter's anger.

For months, Fudge's antics continue; vandalizing Peter's group assignment, knocking out his front teeth after catapulting himself from the jungle gym at the local playground, and taking off on his family at a movie theater. However, one day, to Peter's absolute misery, he returns home to discover Dribble's disappearance from his bowl, Fudge claiming to have swallowed him. These proclamations prove to be correct, and they rush him to the hospital, where Dribble is safely extracted, to Mrs. Hatcher's relief. However, Peter is incredibly devastated over the loss of his beloved pet, albeit his parents sympathetically compensate by adopting a dog, which Peter appropriately names "Turtle" in memory of Dribble.

Book Review: Once again, this is a book I loved as a child. I enjoyed the Judy Blume series' as well, and thought they all gave a very important message to the children. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Blume's humor and ability to speak to children about their problems, keep her firmly planted at the pinnacle of authors writing for young readers. When the mood strikes me and if there's a copy handy I'll read just the last page of this book. I walk away understanding that loss and gain are intertwined and that no matter how messed up life gets, what matters is how one handles life's adversities

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Online Review: <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The first in Judy Blume's Fudge series, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing serves as an addictive introduction to chapter books for young readers. All kids will relate to Peter Hatcher and the misery of annoying younger children. Laced with references to popular culture and plenty of family humor, Fudge lives on with the rest of Blume's offerings as one of the most popular series for beginning independent readers. (www.readkiddoread.com)

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Literary Elements: Character development-Main Characters <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Fudge — Peter's younger brother, whom he often resents. At the beginning of the book, Fudge (a nickname for his much-despised legal name, Farley) is 2 years old, and turns 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. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">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. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Anne Hatcher — The mother of Peter and Fudge, and wife of Warren. A caring mother, she 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 jungle gym at the playground (believing he is a bird that will land safely), she yells at Peter, holding him solely responsible. However, she is quick to apologize for her snap judgments. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Warren Hatcher — The father of Peter and Fudge, and husband of Anne. He works at an unnamed advertising agency, whose major clients in Tales are with Juicy-O (a [|fruit] [|beverage] that the Hatchers find rather noxious-tasting) and Toddle Bike (a manufacturer of plastic toy tricycles a la the [|Big Wheel] and Green Machine); Fudge is hired for a commercial for the latter product. Although most of Warren's clients are happy with his work and company, he also had his share of failures, such as losing the Juicy-O account. A loving father who wants what is best for his family, he is more conservative in rearing his sons than Anne, particularly with Fudge. For example at one point in the novel, when Fudge was going through a stage where he refused to eat at the table, he dumped a bowl of [|Corn Flakes] over his head. Fudge commences eating, once again, after the cereal incident. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Jimmy Fargo — Peter's best friend, and the book's only regular African-American character. He 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. The novel does not state that he is of African-American origin. In the TV series, however, he is portrayed by a black actor. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">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.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(Source: www.puffinbooks.com)

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">About the Author: <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Judy Blume spent her childhood in Elizabeth, New Jersey, making up stories inside her head. She has spent her adult years in many places doing the same thing, only now she writes her stories down on paper. Adults as well as children will recognize such Blume titles as: Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret; Blubber; Just as Long as We're Together; and the five book series about the irrepressible Fudge. She has also written three novels for adults, Summer Sisters; Smart Women; and Wifey, all of them New York Times bestsellers. More than 82 million copies of her books have been sold, and her work has been translated into thirty-two languages. She receives thousands of letters a year from readers of all ages who share their feelings and concerns with her. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Judy received a B.S. in education from New York University in 1961, which named her a Distinguished Alumna in 1996, the same year the American Library Association honored her with the Margaret A. Edwards Award for Lifetime Achievement. Other recognitions include the Library of Congress Living Legends Award and the 2004 National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">She is the founder and trustee of The Kids Fund, a charitable and educational foundation. She serves on the boards of the Author's Guild; the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators; the Key West Literary Seminar; and the National Coalition Against Censorship. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Judy is a longtime advocate of intellectual freedom. Finding herself at the center of an organized book banning campaign in the 1980's she began to reach out to other writers, as well as teachers and librarians, who were under fire. Since then, she has worked tirelessly with the National Coalition Against Censorship to protect the freedom to read. She is the editor of Places I Never Meant To Be, Original Stories by Censored Writers. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Judy has completed a series of four chapter books -- The Pain & the Great One -- illustrated by New Yorker cartoonist James Stevenson. She has co-written and produced a film adaptation of her book Tiger Eyes, and is currently writing a new novel. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Judy and her husband George Cooper live on islands up and down the east coast. They have three grown children and one grandchild.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Related Links: Lessons for book

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Judy Blume's website <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[]