Nine-year-old Peter Hatcher has one enormous problem, and his name is Fudge: a little brother who wrecks everything Peter cares about
Life with Fudge
Peter Hatcher lives in a New York apartment building with his parents, his pet turtle Dribble and his two-year-old brother Farley Drexel, known to everyone as Fudge. Fudge throws tantrums in shoe shops, refuses to eat unless someone stands on their head, scribbles on Peter's school project and somehow never gets into real trouble. Peter is starting to feel like the nothing of the family.
Who will enjoy it
Children with younger siblings, readers moving into chapter books, and families who want a classic read-aloud full of laughs.
What you will get
A hilarious classic about a fourth grader whose toddler brother turns every family outing into chaos, told with sharp humour and real sympathy for the overlooked older child.
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing Facts: Pages, Genre and Setting
Genre
Children’s Books · Sibling trouble · New York City · Funny family
Length
160 pages · ≈ 5 h
More about this book
Each chapter is a self-contained disaster. Fudge disrupts a TV commercial meeting for his father's biggest client, turns a birthday party into a battlefield, takes a dramatic fall at the playground and, in the most famous episode, does something unforgettable to Peter's beloved turtle. Peter narrates it all with weary outrage that children recognise immediately.
Blume's great gift is taking a child's feelings seriously. Peter's sense that his parents care more about the baby than about him is never mocked, and the book's warm ending lets him feel genuinely seen. Adults reading aloud will enjoy the parents too, who are loving, frazzled and very believable. School scenes with Peter's friend Jimmy and the know-it-all Sheila add another layer of comedy.
Some details, such as the old-fashioned TV ads, feel dated, but the sibling dynamics are timeless. It launched a whole series and remains one of the best books for reluctant young readers. Short chapters and plain, lively language make it an ideal first longer book for newly independent readers, and it is just as enjoyable read aloud, with plenty of chances for funny voices. About 160 pages in the Puffin paperback.
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