Double Fudge

The pleasure is doubled in Judy Blume's DOUBLE FUDGE. Not only do the escapades of Farley Hatcher, the incorrigible youngster of several previous Blume novels, continue, but the author herself is the narrator. The Hatcher parents, seventh-grader Peter, young Tootsie, Uncle Feather, Turtle, Grandma, and friend Jimmy continue to have their outlook on the world challenged by Fudge, who is now a kindergartener. Fudge's current obsession is money: Where does it come from, how do you get it, and what can it buy? A trip to the mint in Washington, D.C., ever after known as Fudgington, provides the family with the discovery of the long lost Honolulu Hatchers, doubling their numbers. Who better to bring voice to her own characters than the author herself? Judy Blume knows this family intimately and adds meaning, nuance, and humor to each scene with every elongated syllable, inflected word, and pregnant pause. Her delight in this family is evident and infectious. Laugh aloud as this thoroughly modern family mirrors one's own. A.R. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine

September 9, 2002
Fudge, arguably the most irrepressible little brother on Earth, is back, and is causing all sorts of comic trouble in this adaptation of Blume's latest book about the Hatcher family. When Fudge develops an obsession with money, his parents plan a family trip to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. While in Washington, D.C., the Hatchers run into some long-lost cousins, the Howie Hatchers of Honolulu. The Howie Hatchers invite themselves to New York City for a get-reacquainted visit with their relatives, and the wackiness for which Blume's tales are known ensues. All the while, Blume accurately captures seventh-grader Peter Hatcher's exasperation and embarrassment over his family with both humor and good-heartedness. Though she occasionally sounds too babyish in her portrayal of Fudge, Blume generally breezes through the Hatchers' antics with unflagging energy and a knowing sense of fun. The author has included a brief introduction describing her inspiration for the story. Simultaneous release with the Dutton hardcover.
Ages 6-up.