Thursday 8 January 2009

Judy Blume - The Fudge Series

I was somewhere between ten and eleven when I bought this book. I wasn't a big reader back then and only remember having read a few books before that. Mainly famous five books (I received off some well meaning aunty who never heard of a megadrive), there the only ones I can remember at any rate. I haven't actually thought about this book in years. I have a vague memory of seeing a tv show called Fudge that was based on the five books in my teens. I am pretty sure it was a show on the Den but I was in secondary school at this stage and probably thought it was for kids.

Anyway, a book fair came to our school and each class was given sometime to go and have a gawk and buy something. I was in fifth class at the time if I remember correctly. My da had given me a few quid to get some books so when I came home with the Gladiators annual and Ryan Giggs soccer skills book he wasn't too impressed to say the least. I remember my mother telling him off for telling me off and he gave me another few quid but I knew I was expected to actually buy a real book this time.

I wandered around all the tempoary shelves they had erected in the hall and I really didn't know what I wanted to buy. I remember the teacher telling me in his big bogger voice "if your getting something get something". He could have done with a bit of a reading himself to broaden his vocabulary. I could see Harro (teachers name, there was two of them teaching in the school, brothers, scary bastards) about to lose the rag with me and probably hit me a whallop so I grabbed Joesph Mohan. Fuck knows how I still remember his name. "What's a good book to buy?" He pointed me to good old Judy Blume and he said she was funny.

The story is about a family, the Hatchers. The Hatchers consisted of Peter, his little brother Fudge and his parents. Peter receives his first pet during the story and the story ends with Fudge eating his turtle which dies in his stomach. Peter is obviously very upset so his parents buy him a dog which he calls Turtle in memory of his beloved turtle Dribble. It doesn't sound like much of a storyline does it but its definately the first book I loved. I probably had it read in a day or two because I remember I made my mother buy me part two very shortly after. Right now im on Judy Blumes website and I think I have read three out of the five fudge books. The series started in 1972 and the last one was published in 2002.

Its quite a remarkable achievement. She has sold over 80 million books worldwide and she wrote the last Fudge book due to pressure from her only grandson who loved the series but wanted another book and for it be dedicated to him. I think its amazing a woman at 70 can still have such a connection with kids and make them laugh out loud and be able to imagine the world she has created in her work. Ive just looked on Amazon and I think next payday I will be splashing out on the Fudge Box Set(Hardcover).

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh man I loved Judy Blume books when I was a kid, I read the entire fudge book series. I used to be bing into Beverly Cleary books as well I think I read a Mouse and a Motorcycle some 50 times... I was an odd kid.

B said...

f*cking hell, I was just thinking about this show.

Why did his brother talk in a weird hoarse voice?

PaddyInEngland said...

@Abby - Yeah she's funny as hell and the only female writer Ive ever really liked. I just noticed that recently actually, I have very few books by females. Not sure why that is, answers on a postit please.

@B - Not sure I barely remember the show, in the books it always appeared to me he spoke with a lisp but its fifteen years since ive read them.