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Book Reviews:
 TALES OF A FOURTH GRADE NOTHING
by Judy Blume
Dutton Books
ISBN: 0525469311
Ages 8-12
120 Pages
Peter Warren Hatcher lives in New York in a small apartment. He and his best friend, Jimmy Fargo, live in the same building and ride their bikes in Central Park. Life for this fourth grader would be practically perfect if it weren't for one small problem --- his little brother, Fudge. Although Fudge is only 2 1/2, he's a real handful. He is constantly getting into Peter's stuff and throwing temper tantrums that embarrass the whole family. He even swallowed Peter's pet turtle. And now one of Mr. Hatcher's advertising clients wants to use Fudge in his Toddle-Bike commercial! There's no end to Peter's misery, or the laughable predicaments, that take place in this first comical tale about life with Fudge.
 OTHERWISE KNOWN AS SHEILA THE GREAT
by Judy Blume
Dutton Books
ISBN: 0525469281
Ages 8-12
138 Pages
When Sheila Tubman's parents decide to spend the summer away from New York in a rental house in Tarrytown, Sheila isn't happy. She hates having to sleep in a boy's room and is terrified of the owner's dog. What's worse, her mother insists she take swimming lessons and Sheila is afraid of the water. Even the fun activities at summer camp don't make up for all the scary things she has to face. Her new friend, Mouse, tries to be patient with her, but Sheila soon realizes that pretending she's the greatest at everything isn't fooling anyone. Will she find a way to conquer her fears and pass the dreaded swim test?
 SUPERFUDGE
by Judy Blume
Dutton Books
ISBN: 0525469303
Ages 8-12
178 Pages
Life for 12-year-old Peter is hard enough just living with his younger brother, Fudge. Now his parent's are having another baby and have decided to move out of the city so Peter's father can become a writer. Peter can't imagine living in Princeton, New Jersey, without his best friend Jimmy Fargo. And what if the new baby turns out to be another Fudge? Summer doesn't go too badly after he makes friends with a boy named Alex. But when it's time for school to start, Peter has a much bigger problem --- Fudge is starting kindergarten in the very same school! As you can imagine, Peter's first day in his new school is about to become another Fudge-sized disaster!
 FUDGE-A-MANIA
by Judy Blume
Dutton Books
ISBN: 0525469273
Ages 8-12
Peter thinks a vacation in Maine isn't sounding good at all when he finds out they're sharing a house with Sheila Tubman's family. Even having his best friend Jimmy come to visit won't make up for living under the same roof with "The Cootie Queen." And, naturally, there's the Fudge factor to add to the chaos. In addition to his usual antics, Fudge has declared he plans to marry Sheila. Add a pretty librarian, a wild ride in a sailboat, and a myna bird on the loose and you have another hilarious tale in the continuing saga of the Hatcher family.
 DOUBLE FUDGE
by Judy Blume
Dutton Books
ISBN: 0525469265
Ages 8-12
If you thought Peter's life was difficult before, just wait until you read the new Hatcher family adventure! First of all, Fudge has entered a brand "new phase." He's totally obsessed with money! His outrageous fixation causes plenty of embarrassment for Peter when he starts asking rude questions and demanding his parents buy him everything he wants. He talks about money, sings about money, he even tries to pay for things with his own homemade Fudge Bucks. In an attempt to teach Fudge the value of money, the family takes a trip to the Bureau of Printing and Engraving in Washington, DC. But as Peter feared, Fudge misses the whole point of the trip when he discovers a gift shop loaded with all kinds of money-like souvenirs.
While the family is in Washington they run into Mr. Hatcher's long-lost cousin, Howard Hatcher of Honolulu, Hawaii. Howie and his wife have twin daughters, Flora and Fauna, and a son named, of all things, Farley. Before you can blink an eye the "Howies" invite themselves to spend a few days with Peter's family and Peter is shocked when he hears his parents reluctantly agree. All those strangers staying in their small apartment? Where will they sleep?
Peter's misery grows when he learns that Jimmy is moving to Soho. Jimmy's father is an artist and wants a loft to do his painting in, but that means Jimmy will have to take the subway to school and to visit Peter on weekends. And now that there's a vacant apartment in the building, guess who decides to rent it for the winter? The Howies! And the twins want to go to school with Peter? NO WAY!
From the "Heavenly Hatchers" to a Halloween catastrophe, DOUBLE FUDGE is a double dose of misadventure that will have fans of Fudge rolling with laughter!
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