Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing Jealousy

Sibling rivalry is rampant in Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. Peter's resentful of Fudge, who seems to get special treatment because he's the baby of the family even though he's busy terrorizing his brother and parents. When Fudge goes to visit their father at work, he gets to be the star in a commercial. And Fudge is always the one who gets presents and attention, while Peter's expected to suck it up and be a big boy. No wonder he's a little jealous.

Fudge is a little jealous of Peter, too. He's always wanting to be able to do the things Peter does even though he's too little. But Fudge has what Peter wants most: his parents' attention. Sure, it's often negative attention, but Fudge sure gets a lot of Mom time. Peter doesn't want to be two years old again, but it sure seems to have its advantages.

Questions About Jealousy

1. Why do you think Fudge gets more attention?
2. Why isn't Peter chosen for the Toddle-Bike commercial?
3. Do you think Peter knows that Fudge is a little jealous of him, too?

Chew on This

Peter often says that he doesn't like Fudge because he's annoying and gets in the way, but a lot of his resentment has to do with how much attention Fudge gets.

If Peter did get as much attention as Fudge, he probably wouldn't even like it.