The Big Winner

Peter Hatcher is the narrator of the story. He is 9 years old and in the 4th grade. Peter wins a turtle at Jimmy Fargos birthday party by guessing the number of jelly beans in a jar. Everyone else got goldfish. He names his pet turtle Dribble. Peter lives in an apartment in New York City. Peters mom was not excited about him having a turtle as a pet. She thinks they smell. Peters father is in the advertising business. He wrote a commercial for the Juicy-O Company and the family got a whole crate of Juicy-O from the president of the company. Peters biggest problem is his two-and-a-half year old brother. His name is Farley Drexel Hatcher, but he goes by the name of Fudge. Fudge is always a pest to Peter. The only time Peter likes him is when Fudge is sleeping. Peter warns Fudge that Dribble is his turtle and he is not to ever touch Dribble.

Chapter 2
Mr. and Mrs. Juicy-O

Peter's dad comes home from work and tells their family that Mr. and Mrs. Yarby are going to stay with them Everybody wants them to stay at a hotel but their dad thought they would be more comfortable. Fudge ate two of his mom's flowers. Mr and Mrs. Yarby arrive. Mrs. Yarby gives Peter a picture dictionary and she gives Fudge a train. Fudge brings in Peter's old picture dictionary. During dinner Fudge brings out dribble.

Fudge comes out with a gorilla mask on during dessert. Fudge puts stamps on the Yarby's suitcase. In the morning the Yarby's leave and Peter's dad loses his Juicy-o account.

Chapter 3
The Family Dog

Peter's dad got fired from the Juicy-O company Peter learns to stand on his head Fudge stopped eating Peter's mom worries about fudge not eating Peter stands on his head and Fudge eats Fudge starts acting like a dog at dinner,he eats under the table and says WOOF Dad got mad at Fudge for not eating Dad put Fudge in the bath tub and said " Eat it or Wear it" and dumped the cereal on Fudge Now Fudge's favorite saying is " Eat it or Wear it"

Chapter 4
My Brother the Bird

Jimmy tells Peter that he had been mugged 3 times. Sheila steals Jimmy and Peter's rock. Sheila says "I'll watch Fudge for you." Fudge chases a bird. Fudge was yelling " Come back birdie." Sheila keeps saying "Peters got the cooties!" Fudge thinks he is a bird and knocks his 2 front teeth when he tries to fly. Peter ,Jimmy, and Sheila try to find Fudges teeth. Peter's mom is mad at Peter.

Mom apologizes to Peter

Chapter 5
The Birthday Bash

Peter calls Fudge "Fang." Fudge has a birthday party. Ralph arrives and is hungry. Jennie arrives Sam comes an is scared. They have cake. Jennie bit grandma. Ralph gets sick from eating to much cake. They open presents. They play with balloons. Mrs. Rudder came up to their apartment. They Jumped on Fudges bed. Ralph falls asleep on the floor. Peter shows them Dribble. Jennie "makes" on the floor. They get picked up. Peter and mom agree that 3 is to young for a party.

Chapter 6
Fang Hits Town

Fudge keeps falling out of his bed. The parents push the bed against the wall and put chairs on the other side. Peter and Fudge go to the dentist, but Fudge won't open his mouth. Peter gets Fudge to open his mouth. They go to the shoe store. Fudge wants brown loafer shoes like Peter's. They trick Fudge to wear saddle shoes. They go to Hamburger Heaven.

Fudge screams "EAT IT OR WEAR IT!" Fudge smears potatoes on the wall and smears peas on his head.

Chapter 7
The Flying Train Committee

Peter, Jimmy, and Sheila are paired up for a school project. They work at Peter's house twice a week. They don't work together well. Jimmy and Peter work on the poster and each 5 pages of written work. Sheila does 10 written pages. They are not done with the poster and Sheila thinks the truck is a flying train. Fudge gets into Peter's room and destroys the poster. Fudge gets spanked. They redo the poster and turned it in and the teacher asks why they drew a flying train.

Chapter 8
The T.V. Star

Peter's Mom leaves to go to Boston to see her sister's new baby. So Peter and Fudge are left with their Dad. Peter's Father brings the kids (Peter and Fudge) to his work. Peter and Fudge meet their Father's secretariat, Janet. Janet gives them fish crackers and a tour of the agency. While getting a tour of the agency they pass by tryouts for the toddle bike commercial, and the boss of the commercial said he wanted Fudge to be in his commercial. Peter's Father didn't want Fudge to be in the commercial but his boss talked him into it. Fudge wouldn't ride the toddle bike where they wanted him to so Peter had to trick him by riding the bike and saying he does it better than Fudge. After Peter rides the bike he gets a cookie.Fudge says he can do it as good as Peter so he rides the bike where he's supposed to. Fudge got a cookie and was happy.

Janet thanked Peter by kissing him on the cheek, but when Janet wasn't looking Peter wiped it off. (It was too juicy.)

Chapter 9
Another Rainy Day

Peter, Warren, and Fudge go to see the movie A Bear's Life. Fudge gets lost. They find Fudge. Dad makes a "Super Duper Omelet". It's awful, but Fudge seems to love the omelet. Fudge throws his spoon, and it breaks his mother's favorite plant. Fudge, Peter, and Warren agree to keep everything a secret

Chapter 10
Dribble!

Peter goes home and checks on Dribble and Dribble is missing. Peter and Mom look for Dribble. They find out Fudge had eaten Dribble. Mom doesn't believe them. They take Fudge to the hospital. No body cares about Dribble or Peter. They give him medicine to get Dribble out. Dribble won't make it but Fudge will. Dribble comes out other end. Dribble is dead. :( Fudge gets tons of presents but Peter doesn't. Peter gets a dog and names him Turtle. :)

Characters:
Peter - a fourth grader who doesn't like his little brother Fudge - Peter's little brother who messes up everything Sheila - a fourth grader who thinks she knows everything

What was the story about?

Things are going fine for Peter, right up until his mom has a baby boy. Now that Fudge is older, he messes up just about everything. If you were Peter, you'd think it was a nightmare come true! First, Peter's dad is trying to sell some juice to a businessman and Fudge decorates not only the man's briefcase with stamps, but himself as well. The businessman doesn't buy the juice, and thinks badly of Peter's family. Next Peter has to do a project for school and Fudge writes all over it and messes it up when the project is almost done. Pretty soon, Peter regrets wanting to have a little brother. Then Fudge is asked to be in a commercial, but when he gets to the studio he just sits down, not wanting to take part in it. A couple weeks later, Peter gets invited to a birthday party where he wins a pet turtle. One day, Peter can't find the turtle, so he asks Fudge " Where did you put my turtle?" Fudge gives a strange reply back and gets into a lot more trouble.

Did you enjoy the book?

Yes, I did enjoy this book because it was full of humorous things and Fudge made me laugh a lot from the things he did.

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

Plot summary[edit]
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.

Characters[edit]
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 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. 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, she shows love and devotion to her family, and is very protective of Fudge. Her sometimes overprotective 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. 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. Jimmy Fargo Peter's best friend, and the book's only regular African-American character.[citation needed] 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. 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.

What You Need to Know:

Judy Blumes classic story of family life and growing up, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing was written more than 30 years ago and is still relevant today. The reader will get some insight into apartment life and what it was like to grow up in New York City. Most of the stories are a family affair, involving Peter, his challenging little brother, Fudge and their parents and most will have you laughing. Mild concerns were noted due to the mention of muggings and drug pushers (remember it was the 1970s) although these are mentioned briefly. Peter does say that taking dope is dumb so there is a good message here as long as your reader understands what all that means. It is told in the first person, allowing the reader to get to know Peter and how he feels. A perfect selection for anyone entering fourth grade, this book is often used by teachers as part of the curriculum. If falls on the higher end of the Reader Senior level as there are no illustrations, there is less white space on the page and it addresses some more sophisticated topics.

Sweet Book Summary:

Peter Warren Hatcher, or Pee-tah as his brother likes to call him, is a fourth grader with a problem. It isnt his mother or his father, or even school. As the reader learns, it is his brother, Farley Drexel, also known as Fudge who is always causing trouble. When Peter wins a turtle at his friend's birthday party, he is responsible and takes good care of his new pet, Dribble, telling two and a half year old Fudge, with a bit of foreshadowing, not to touch him. As we learn from Peter, Fudge is always in his way and messing things up for him. Peter likes Fudge best when he is sleeping! When a client from Peters dad's advertising firm comes to stay in their apartment, Peter is polite, but Fudge's behavior has the guests running for the door and his dad loses the account. Fudge is a challenging kid and Peter is often called upon to help out with him. At the dentist, he needs to demonstrate opening his mouth, at the shoe store he has to pretend to buy shoes like Fudge wears, at Fudge's birthday party he has to entertain the "biter", the "eater" and the "crier", and when Fudge refuses to eat, Peter must stand on his head to convince him otherwise. It is always Peter to the rescue. The reader is also introduced to two of Peter's friends, Jimmy (his partner in an ongoing game of secret agent) and Sheila (the "know-it-all" that lives in his building) who go to school with him. When the three of them are left in charge of Fudge he attempts to fly, crashes and ends up swallowing his two front teeth. He'll swallow a whole lot more before the book is over! The three friends get together again when they are assigned to a group project on Transportation. They struggle to figure out the best way to work together as a team and how to put the group's success ahead of any of their individual achievements. The relationships are extremely realistic, from Peters feelings to his mothers responses. The reader will sympathize with Peter when Fudge gets all the attention because he is cute and little, making Peter feel like nothing. On page 42, Peter says, Nobody can stop me from thinking. My mind is my own. and the reader will feel inspired as Peter takes steps toward adulthood and independence. Finally, having a male main character in a book that is not about sports or in graphic novel form is always a treat.

Nine-year-old Peter Hatcher's biggest problem is actually quite small. It's his little brother, Fudge. Whether he's throwing a temper tantrum in public or ruining a school project, Fudge seems to find a way to make Peter's life miserable. And when everyone else treats the two-year-old like he's something special, Peter just feels like a fourth grade nothing.

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing Presentation Transcript

1. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing Miss. Lynchs 4th grade class Author: Judy Blume 2. Characters Peter is a main character. He has dark hair and is not too short or tall. His mother is slightly tall and she doesn't have really long hair. She thinks Peter should learn to like Fudge, his brother. Fudge is very young and can get away with almost anything. He hasn't learned to speak well yet. Peter's father is pretty tall, and he can't cook anything. There are two other main characters. Sheila Tubman has dark hair and is about as tall as Peter. She is afraid of dogs. Jimmy Fargo lives with his father, because his parents are divorced. He is Peter's best friend. Peter has a turtle named Dribble. A minor character is Mrs. Rudder, who lives below Peter's apartment. 3. Plot Peter Hatcher feels like a fourth grade nothing. His little brother, Fudge is causing problems for him all the time. Fudge gets away with every temper tantrum and always messes up Peter's things including his homework. The last straw is when Fudge walks off with Peter's pet turtle, Dribble. It is now time for Peter to get his parents to pay attention to him for a change. 4. Theme Family is the main theme in a story because it is about Peter and how he relates to his family members in different ways. 5. Cause & Effect Peter gets mad at his little brother a lot. His brothers name is Fudge. Because Fudge destroyed the transportation poster, Peter got a lock on his door. 6. Genre: Realistic Fiction Realistic fiction is untrue, but it could actually happen in real life. In some books, some events, people, and places may even be real. Realistic fiction seems like real life with characters because they deal with real life problems. The action can happen no matter what, and it usually takes place in the present. The situations are true or could be, but the characters are made up. Realistic Fiction may include "real people" characters who have actually lived. 7. Recommendations This is a book that would be well suited for kids with younger siblings because they can probably relate to Peter's difficulties with Fudge. We really enjoyed reading this book. It was good and fun to read. It was really funny too. We think any fourth grader would like it because it is about a fourth grader like us! We also like how it is written like a fourth grader.

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (Fudge #1)

by Judy Blume

4.04 of 5 stars 4.04 rating details 53,710 ratings 1,216 reviews Life with his little brother, Fudge, makes Peter Hatcher feel like a fourth grade nothing. Whether Fudge is throwing a temper tantrum in a shoe store, smearing mashed potatoes on the walls at Hamburger Heaven, or trying to fly, hes never far from trouble. Hes an almost three-year-old terror who gets away with everything, and Peters had it up to here! When Fudge walks off with Dribble, Peters pet turtle, its the last straw. Peter has put up with Fudge for too long. Way too long! How can he get his parents to pay attention to him for a change?(less)

Peter Hatcher lives in New York with his parents, turtle named Dribble, and nightmare little brother named Fudge. Fudge is always getting into trouble, which gets him all the attention. All the attention on Fudge makes Peter feel like a fourth-grade nothing. Fudge ruins Peters school project, he is a riot at restaurants, and he swallows his own teeth! All this havoc gets poor Fudgey all the attention, and gets Peter left in the dark. But when Fudge eats Dribble, Peters turtle, Peter has had enough. Fudge is rushed to the hospital and everyone is so worried about him. When he comes home, he gets presents and special treatment. Peter is furious at this because Fudge is the one that made the mistake! But for being such a good sport, Peters parents bought him a new pet dog, whom he names Turtle in memory of Dribble

This book is mainly about the relationship between a boy, Peter, and his brother, Fudge. Peter think that his parents let fudge get away with anything and everything. Peter feels that Fudge is always in his way. Fudge always seems to cause a ruckus. The book goes on, story by story, telling of all the things Fudge does to cause a stir and how annoyed Peter gets. My favorite part of the story is near the end when Fudge eats Peters put turtle. Peter gets very angry, however, his love for his brother come out when Peter gets really worried about his brother being sick due to his consumption of the turtle. Peters parents get Peter a new pet after Fudge recovers. He names his new pet dog, Turtle. I love this book and think it is a great little silly book for kids to read. I think it really captures the reader and is just an all around fun read. I would read this book aloud to my 4th graders during shared reading time. This is just a fun silly book for kids to relate to. It is also a great book to talk about sibling relationships because the relationship between Peter and Fudge is a very common one for siblings to have

Peter Warren Hatcher is a typical nine year-old boy, growing up in the middle of New York City. Sure, he has his fair share of annoyances with his mother, and has grown extremely tired of drinking Juicy-O everyday...But these are just minor issues compared to his BIGGEST problemhis little brother, Fudge. Each day brings a new challenge and fear of what the two year-old terror will do next. Whether Fudge is throwing a tantrum or meddling into something he shouldnt, chaos seems to surround him wherever he goes. Peter, or Pee-tah as Fudge likes to say, is quite fed up with his brothers antics. Screaming at the shoe store, smearing mashed potatoes on the wall, ruining a school project, and throwing popcorn at the movie theatre are just a few examples of Fudges mischievous incidences. The worst part of it all is that Peter is the one constantly having to fix the problems, and he doesnt receive any credit! He helps the dentist get into Fudges mouth; he plays a key role in tricking his brother into getting new shoes; he even assists Fudge in making a television commercial for Toddle-bikes. Just when it seems things cant get any worse, Fudge swallows Peters beloved pet turtle. Fudge is rushed to the hospital, and all anyone seems to be worrying about is FUDGEnot Peter OR his poor turtle. Had Peters family just stopped loving him? The night Fudge returns home from the hospital, Peter is given a wonderful surprisehis very own puppy, who he names Turtle.