Author: Judy Blume
Armchair Squid: So, Purple Penguin, could you please tell us what book you read?
Purple Penguin: I read Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume.
Squid: Great! Could you tell us what the book is about?
Penguin: It is about this ten-year-old fourth grade boy named Peter and his little brother named Fudge. Fudge does a lot of silly and messed up things like knock out his two front teeth and snip his hair and when the hair falls down, it falls into Peter's turtle's bowl. It's a really funny and good book.
Squid: Could you tell us what you thought of the book? Did you like the book?
Penguin: I really liked the book because it was funny and I thought it was just a good book to read because I was just getting out of fourth grade. I would rate it 4 out of 5 stars.
Squid: And would you be interested in reading more books by the same author?
Penguin: Yes.
Squid: Thank you, Purple Penguin, for joining us.
Penguin: You're welcome.
I enjoyed reading this interview. Thank you, Purple Penguin, for your thoughts. Judy Blume has written a lot of great books. My favorite was Otherwise Known as Shelia the Great. I think Sheila is eight in that book but you might still like it (even though you're older.) I read that one to my daughter a few summers ago before bedtime and we had lots of fun. She was learning to swim that summer so it was perfect (in it, Sheila is deathly afraid of swimming--and dogs--but all she wants is for people to know her as the fearless Sheila the Great.) That was the summer my daughter and I also read The Phantom Toll Booth together. Now, she reads by herself like you. She also just finished fourth grade (and loved Tales of the Fourth Grade Nothing and Superfudge.)
ReplyDeleteI have written a book for ten and eleven and twelve year olds and I hope that someday you will want to read it, too. It is also (I hope) funny. :)
Incidentally, Squid, you have a new pen name, too. Check out the comment at the end of the Songs of Summer post by Britta (Brigitta Huegel.)
Squid are the detectives of the sea.
DeleteThat is such a great idea to do with you kids.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing the interview. It was fun.
My pleasure.
DeleteThank You Purple Penguin for the wonderful review. How great that your father shared one of his childhood favorites.
ReplyDeleteAll my children are now grown up but I can remember reading with them and trips to the bookstore.
I like the book exchange your family is doing this summer.
cheers, parsnip
Thanks, parsnip!
DeleteDear Purple Penguin,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your thoughts on this excellent book by Judy Blume. I read it after my son, Favorite Young Man, read it many years ago (he is now 34). I recall that Judy Blume wrote one or two other books about Peter and Fudge.
Love,
Janie Junebug, who is not a purple penguin but sometimes dies her hair purple
Oh, dear. "Dyes her hair purple"
DeleteMy hair did not die -- yet.
Love again,
Janie Junebug, who sometimes dyes her hair pink along with the purple
The only other Fudge book - in fact, the only other Judy Blume book I've read - was Superfudge.
DeleteMy daughter just finished reading that last night. She loved it and wants more of the Fudge books, even though that one wasn't a Fudge book.
ReplyDelete... Okay, I'll bite...
DeleteHow is Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing not a Fudge book?
Such a great idea to do with you kids.Thank you for sharing the interview. It was fun. All the best!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kelly!
DeleteGreat review, Purple Penguin! I had forgotten all about Judy Blume books which is a crime as they were some of my favorites too. I just checked with our boy and he says he read this one and Superfudge last year. He shares the Purple Penguin's view on 'Tales'. Thanks guys!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Nan!
DeleteBecause 4th Grade Nothing is about Peter, not Fudge. Fudge is a side character. He's like the side character that a spin-off series. One that proved more popular than the original.
ReplyDeleteTotally disagree. At least the next two "Fudge" books are told from Peter's perspective as well. Peter may be the narrator but Fudge is the driving force of the story. Perhaps the series should more accurately be called Peter & Fudge books but if any of them are Fudge books, this one is.
DeleteI never thought of this one as being about Fudge, not when I read it when I was in 4th grade or when I re-read it as an adult. I haven't read the other ones, though, so I just assumed they were actually about Fudge since they are named for him.
DeleteWhatever you want to call them, they're funny books. I'm hoping my daughter will be genuinely inspired to read more of them.
DeleteI'm supposed to take mine to look for Superfudge this weekend.
DeleteAnother win for Ms. Blume!
DeleteGreat feedback from the target audience on this book!! :) Thanks to the Purple Penguin for sharing her insight.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Trisha!
DeleteGreat choice! Makes me feel like rereading the book.
ReplyDeleteThis project has me rereading a lot of old favorites so I can discuss them with her.
Delete