Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing

Are you there Judy Blume? It’s me, Adrienne. I hope you’re listening, because I want to thank you (oh, it was so long ago) for giving me and all my tweeny-bopper buddies worlds in which to escape, to be enlightened, and to experience the confusing journey through pre-adulthood. We lived in your books. We were Margaret, new at school, praying to fit in and not just to her training bra, to get her period, to be accepted. We were Deenie, named for a movie character, strapped neck to hips into a scoliosis brace and wishing the boy she had a crush on would notice what was inside the prison instead of the wall surrounding it. We were Katherine and Michael in Forever, exploring love and sex for the first time, and all too aware of the pain that separation can cause.

Judy Blume’s writing helped me know I was not alone in my pre-teen angst. I would grow breasts, kiss boys and survive the torture of female bullies. I would have love in my life. The books taught me to cope through the adventures of adolescence, the wisdom and heartbreaks of which many of our mothers were too embarrassed or possibly too ashamed to impart. My own mother gave good information, but she was a little slow on the uptake. She waited until the night before sixth grade sex ed to pull out the pamphlets. Even at that young age, I could sense the moment’s sweetness – it was clearly uncomfortable for her. But it was okay. I had already learned most of what I thought I needed to know from a Judy Blume book.

Earlier this summer, my five year old twins started showing an interest in more complex chapter books. This was encouraging – what better author to introduce than Judy Blume? I felt her books that are now categorized as “Middle Grade” or “Young Adult” were best saved until the upper elementary grades. I could envision my first graders pumping their arms singing, “We must, we must, we must increase out bust!” or huddled over Forever on the playground, flipping through pages for the “good” parts. (Only die-hard Judy Blume fans will understand why after the book’s publication was there a decrease in people naming their boys Ralph.) But the kids were ready for Fudge. They could relate.

So I started with the first of The Fudge Books: Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, and it is the last great book I read. A quick reminder of my rating system should help you choose what is appropriate for your own children.

On a scale of 1-5 bookmarks:

1 Bookmark = FLEAMARKET: The books offered on the “Free” table at your local street fair.

2 Bookmarks = NIGHTSTAND: A book that stays by the bedside.

3 Bookmarks = BACKPACK: This book leaves the house with you in whatever you carry.

4 Bookmarks = ALL-NIGHTER: You will witness the dawn with this one, because you have to find out what happens.

5 Bookmarks = BEYOND: The book you wish you wrote.

Tales receives two bookmarks, not at all because of the quality, but because it is a story to be savored…chapter by chapter. The narrator is Peter Hatcher, a fourth grader with a lot on his mind. The action is understandable, wild – it kept the kids in suspense. It gave them something to look forward to, to dream of what would happen next. It taught them the irreplaceable value of a good book before bed.

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing is about a lot of things. It is about teeth, turtles and tricycles, but mostly it is about Peter’s two and a half year old problem: his little brother Farley, or Fudge, as he is nicknamed. Peter’s voice is that of the revered yet ignored older sibling. He struggles to grasp his place within his Manhattan family while Fudge’s antics – knocking out his front teeth under Peter’s care and swallowing Peter’s pet turtle, Dribble – suck up all of their parents’ attentions. Anyone with brothers and sisters will appreciate Peter’s woes and Judy Blume, through Peter’s words, lets her readers know that they are not alone.

I recommend perusing www.judyblume.com. This comprehensive website lists all of Judy Blume’s books, the inspiration for each, and is full of advice on writing and her thoughts regarding censorship; you can sign her guestbook. Read about how times and trends have changed (a recent edition of Are You There God? It’s me, Margaret contains updated references to adhesive sanitary napkins). But the books are still relevant, although maybe Peter’s folks should hone their parenting skills – Peter’s father tells Fudge at the supper table that he will eat his food or wear it!

Judy Blume was and is a trailblazer of the taboo, the voice for topics that no one else wants to talk about. She is still writing and I am still assured that it is okay to feel the way I do.

Judy Blume - still the girl

Related topics: Are You There God? It's me, Judy Blume, Margaret, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Young Adult Novels