Superfudge

Literary fiction · Comedy

Print length: 166 pagesDutton, 1980

Description

Eleven-year-old Peter Hatcher faces two upheavals at once: his family temporarily leaves New York City for Princeton, and his parents announce the arrival of a baby daughter. Peter’s five-year-old brother, Fudge, is furious about losing his place as the youngest child. His jealousy erupts in tantrums, attempts to intrude on Peter’s activities, and even schemes to get rid of the baby, leaving Peter to absorb much of the resulting chaos. Both boys resist the idea of a sister, but their parents make clear that the new child is permanent. Told through Peter’s exasperated perspective, the family comedy explores sibling rivalry, change, and the indignities of having no control over one’s household.

Reading profile

About this profile

Collected’s assessment, not reader ratings. Complexity runs from 1 (least demanding) to 5 (most demanding).

Writing: How much attention the sentences and language require.
Ideas: How much interpretation or abstract reasoning the book asks of you.
Structure: How much you need to keep track of speakers, timelines and connections.
Background knowledge: Prior knowledge needed to follow the book, beyond what it explains.
Emotional intensity: Emotional pressure, from gentle (1) to intense (5). Separate from difficulty.

Writing style

Conversational · Direct · Witty

Pace

Brisk

Tone

Humorous · Playful · Warm

Structure

Episodic · Linear

Focus

Character · Relationships

Emotional intensity

2 / 5

Reading complexity

1–5 · higher means more demanding

Writing: 1 / 5
Ideas: 1 / 5
Structure: 2 / 5
Background knowledge: 1 / 5

Themes

BelongingComing of ageFamilyParenthoodTransformation

About Judy Blume

Judy Blume writes fiction for children, adolescents, and adults, with a sustained interest in the private worries that accompany growing up. Her prose is direct and conversational, and she typically stays close to a young person’s partial understanding of family, friendship, sex, belief, and the body. Embarrassment and uncertainty emerge through ordinary exchanges and accumulating domestic incidents rather than elaborate plots. In Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, questions about menstruation, social belonging, and religion share the same scale because each bears directly on Margaret’s sense of herself. Forever... follows a teenage relationship through physical intimacy and separation, treating sex as an emotional and practical matter while allowing Katherine’s understanding of love to change. Blume also works in a brisk comic register. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing builds its sibling rivalry from Peter Hatcher’s exasperated narration and Fudge’s escalating disruptions, while keeping Peter’s resentment and attachment in view. Her characteristic method is to respect childhood concerns by rendering them at full size, in language that remains clear, specific, and alert to awkwardness.