Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing
Judy Blume
 The novel is a first person account of a nine-year-old boy, Peter, and his relationship with his brother, Farley who is nicknamed 'Fudge.' 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 mom – although the mother's first name is 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 focus on Jimmy Fargo and Sheila Tubman, Peter's classmates. Peter and Jimmy are best friends, while Peter has great disdain for Sheila (who happens to reside with her family in the same apartment building as the Hatchers). Peter finds Sheila annoying. He also thinks that she likes to show off. 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, 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 saddle shoes) 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 Boston to visit her sister Linda, who just had a baby girl. 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. During the final chapter, Peter tells the reader how Fudge swallows Peter's beloved pet turtle, Dribble. 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. 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's parents give him a pet dog, which he names Turtle to remind him of his first pet. His parents also tell Peter that the dog is much too big for his brother to swallow.