Double Fudge

Double Fudge (2002) is the fifth and final book in the popular children’s series by bestselling American author Judy Blume. The Fudge series begins with Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing and includes Superfudge, Fudge-a-Mania, and Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great. The Fudge series was published across three decades and follows the lives of the Hatcher family, and most of the novels feature Peter Hatcher and his younger brother Fudge, who is always getting into trouble. In Double Fudge, Fudge is back with a newfound love of money that consumes the lives of him and his family.

As Peter tries to teach his little brother and avoid embarrassment along the way, he must deal with the unexpected arrival of his father’s bizarre relatives and their youngest son, who shares Fudge’s name and talent for mischief. Like the previous novels in the series, Double Fudge deals with topics such as growing up and accepting change, navigating family dynamics, becoming an individual, love and sacrifice, patience, and embracing the dysfunction of chaotic families. The version used for this guide is the ebook of the Puffin Books imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group.

Plot Summary

Five-year-old Farley Drexel “Fudge” Hatcher is obsessed with money, much to his family’s disbelief. Ever since Fudge “discovered” money, he can’t stop talking about getting enough money to buy the entire city of New York, every toy in the world, and a bigger apartment so he can have two rooms. His older brother, Peter, is no stranger to Fudge’s wild antics, and Peter lives in a permanent state of exasperation regarding Fudge’s ideas. Fudge’s parents are patient, but even they reach their breaking point when Fudge’s school raises concerns about his unhealthy obsession with money.

As the school year approaches, Peter learns that his best friend, Jimmy, is moving to another neighborhood in New York City. Peter is upset and doesn’t want to see his friend leave, but he knows that the last few years have been rough for Jimmy and his father since Jimmy’s mother left. Jimmy’s father is an artist, and their family has never had much money or space in their cramped apartment. Peter worries about the upcoming school year, and even though Jimmy will continue attending the same school as him, Peter worries about being teased by his classmates for his shoes or his little brother’s tantrum in the shoe store.

To cure Fudge of his intense love of money, the Hatchers take a family trip to Washington, DC, to the Bureau of Printing and Engraving so Fudge can see the “green stuff” being printed. While the trip seems to have the opposite of the intended effect—Fudge is more enamored with money than ever after walking into a gift shop and seeing dollar signs printed on everything—the Hatchers happen to run into their long-lost relatives from Hawaii: Howie, Eudora, Flora, Fauna, and Farley Drexel Hatcher, who is soon to be nicknamed Mini. As it turns out, “Farley Drexel” is an old family name, which is why Fudge shares the same name as his younger cousin.

Cousin Howie is boisterous and calls Peter’s father by his embarrassing childhood nickname, while Flora and Fauna embarrass Peter by bursting into song in crowded public areas. Fudge immediately dislikes Mini, who behaves like a wild animal and attacks Fudge by biting his pants leg, and when Flora and Fauna start talking about copying Fudge’s nickname for their little brother, Fudge objects. Despite the friction between the two families, the Hawaii Hatchers decide to visit the New York Hatchers soon.

Back in New York City, Fudge’s pet myna bird Uncle Feather has suddenly stopped talking. No one knows why, but Fudge begins to worry, and he even pretends to be the voice of Uncle Feather for a while. However, Uncle Feather’s silence stretches on, and no one—including the veterinarian—knows why. Fudge wishes that he had a million trillion dollars to cure Uncle Feather, but this is one thing that money can’t fix. Meanwhile, the Hatchers are invited to Mr. Fargo’s art show, and Jimmy tells Peter his father is getting married again. Jimmy and Peter are unsure whether this is good or bad, but the change makes Jimmy nervous.

The Hawaii Hatchers show up unannounced and stay with the New York Hatchers for a week. They sleep on the living room floor, take up space in the tiny apartment with their stuff, and Flora and Fauna take a break from their homeschooling and start attending Peter’s school, which horrifies and embarrasses him. The girls perform at a school assembly and become very popular. One day, Mini lets Uncle Feather out of his cage, and the bird runs into a window and breaks his wing. However, after the accident, Uncle Feather starts talking again. Howie’s family moves into an apartment of their own in the same building, and on Halloween night, Fudge and Mini get stuck in the building elevator with an elderly woman named Mrs. Osterman. They are rescued by the fire department, and the Hawaii Hatchers prepare to leave for Florida. On the evening before their departure, Fudge loses his first tooth, but Mini swallows it. Fudge is distraught, and Peter tells his little brother about the time he swallowed Peter’s pet turtle. Fudge shows Peter a box of baby teeth he found in his mother’s room, and he explains his plan to trick the tooth fairy by using one of Peter’s old baby teeth.