This is a list of all the characters in Judy Blume's Fudge book series. Spoilers are unmarked.
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The Hatchers
Farley Drexel "Fudge" Hatcher
The eponymous character of much of the series.- Annoying Younger Sibling: To Peter.
- Berserk Button: Don't call him by his real name.
- Bratty Half-Pint: Especially when Tootsie comes into the picture.
- Catchphrase: "Eat it or wear it" in Tales Of A Fourth Grade Nothing.
- Character Development: It's subtle, but as the books go on, he becomes a lot less bratty and more imaginative.
- Child Prodigy: Seems like one in Superfudge when he learns where babies come from and words like "unanimous" at the ripe old age of 5. He also already knows that Santa isn't real by then.
- Childish Tooth Gap: Fudge lost his top two front teeth at the age of two when he fell off a jungle gym, pretending that he was a bird. Peter secretly calls him Fang, but never says it out loud because Anne doesn't like the nickname. Peter also remarks that the missing teeth make Fudge look like a very small first grader.
- Do Not Call Me "Paul": Fudge does not want to be called Farley.
- Edible Theme Naming: Theme nicknaming, at least, with Tootsie.
- It's All About Me: Has this viewpoint fairly often starting in Superfudge, mainly in order to try and regain the center of attention once Tootsie is born. He also normally refuses to consider the consequences of his actions or how they affect others, such as in Fudge-a-mania eating a huge amount of blueberries that were for a pie and getting sick, and then mocking Peter about eating Dribble. When Peter has enough and dumps his drink over Fudge's head, Fudge actually has the gall to be upset. Fudge-a-mania also has him throw a huge fit in the library when he can't find a book about himself.
- Karma Houdini: Through most of the first book, though it is kinda justified considering he is really young. As he gets older, this is averted.
- Middle Child Syndrome: He develops this after Tootsie is born, having Infant Sibling Jealousy since he's not the "baby" anymore. It doesn't help that this is also around the same time Warren and Anne start disciplining him more firmly and don't let his bad behaviors and antics slide as easily anymore.
- Only Known by Their Nickname: It's not clear if the parents meant for the nickname to be as universal as it became, or if it was initially meant to be less permanent, but either way, Fudge will not submit to being called anything else. The source of said nickname, incidentally, is never fully revealed; Double Fudge mentions an older relative also named Farley Drexel, who liked hot fudge sundaes, and implies that this is the reason, but it's not outright confirmed.
- Spoiled Brat: Especially as a toddler.
- Theme Naming: He and his sister Tootsie are nicknamed for candies.
Peter Warren Hatcher
Fudge's older brother. He is the character from whose perspective the stories are told.- Big Brother Instinct: However much he's annoyed by Fudge, he loves his brother dearly and even stands up for him when need be. He also gains this for Tootsie after she's born.
- Butt-Monkey: He really can't catch a break, whether it may be from his parents, his brother, or even his friends on occasion.
- Dead Pet Junior: Names his dog Turtle after his first pet.
- Deadpan Snarker: Occasionally lapses into dry comments about the insanity surrounding him.
- Demoted to Extra: In Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great, Peter only appears in one scene. Justified, as Sheila spends most of the book far away from him.
- First-Person Smartass: He's the narrator and can be quite dry for his age.
- No Sympathy: The loss of his pet turtle Dribble by Fudge ingesting him gains him this from his family, though they do get him a dog after Fudge comes home from the hospital.
- Odd Name Out: He's the only one of his siblings without a candy-based nickname.
- Only Sane Man: Usually presented as this. Then again, he's usually the narrator.
- Precocious Crush: In Fudge-a-Mania, Peter (11-12) falls hard for Isobel (16-17).
- The Scapegoat: When Fudge knocks out two of his teeth after falling on the ground jumping off a jungle gym, Anne blames Peter for the accident even though Sheila was the one who was supposed to be watching Fudge. However, once Anne has a chance to cool off, she admits she was wrong to do so and apologizes.
- Supporting Protagonist: He's the protagonist and viewpoint character of most of the series. However, he devotes a lot of attention to talking about his brother's antics.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Well, trademark favorite drink, but in Superfudge, Island Punch is his favorite drink, to the point his mother tells him he's addicted to it. His response?Peter: That's right. If you cut me open, you'll find seven natural fruit flavors running through my veins.
- The Unfavorite: Subverted. He often feels like this, but in truth, much of what Peter perceives as Warren and Anne showing favoritism towards Fudge is really more a case of the age gap between them - as he's a toddler, Warren and Anne generally have to take into account Fudge's level of maturity and understanding (or rather, lack thereof) when dealing with him, whereas nine-year-old Peter is generally expected to know better, and as Fudge grows older, his bad behavior does get taken more seriously.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: With Sheila Tubman. They routinely declare they hate each other, but in their own odd way they get along rather well.
Tamara Roxanne "Tootsie" Hatcher
Peter and Fudge's little sister, who was born in the book Superfudge.- Adapted Out: She does not appear in the television adaptation at all.
- Annoying Younger Sibling: Although to a much lesser extent, since the worst thing she really does is cry like a normal baby. Fudge seems to be annoyed by her more than Peter, most likely out of jealousy for her taking the "baby of the family" title away from him.
- Baby's First Words: "Yuck", said while copying Peter, who was changing her diaper.
- Baby Talk: Says "Sue" for "shoe", "Foo" for "Fudge", "Pee" for "Peter", "Nu Yuck" for "New York", etc.
- Edible Theme Naming: Theme nicknaming, at least, with Fudge.
- Infant Sibling Jealousy: When Anne announces she's pregnant, neither of the boys takes it well initially. Peter ineffectually threatens to run away and deeply dreads the possibility of her being a repeat of Fudge, though he ultimately comes around after she's born and bonds with her easily. Meanwhile, Fudge becomes resentful of the fact that he's no longer the "baby" of the family with her birth, especially since that's around the point when Warren and Anne start treating his bad behavior more seriously.
- Only Known by Their Nickname: Same sentiment with Fudge by the parents, though she thankfully has a more normal name than "Farley Drexel".
- Parental Favoritism: Subverted - Fudge thinks this is the case, as Tootsie starts getting the lion's share of attention and Warren and Anne start taking Fudge's own bad behavior more seriously once she's born. In truth, she's only getting so much attention because she's a baby, and Fudge himself is getting older and thus, the threshold of bratty behavior his parents are willing to let slide has lowered.
- Theme Naming: She and her brother Fudge are nicknamed for candies.
Warren Hatcher
The father of Peter, Fudge, and Tootsie.- Dads Can't Cook: When Anne is gone for a week in the first book, he tries to cook an omelet for the family and it ends badly with only Fudge liking his cooking. Averted in Superfudge, when he teaches himself how to cook, what with him working from home and Anne getting a job.
- Good Parents: On the whole, he's fairly reasonable and while he makes slip-ups here and there, he doesn't repeat his mistakes as a parent.
- Ironic Nickname: Cousin Howie and his wife Eudora always call Warren "Tubby", much to Warren and Anne's chagrin. This stems from the fact that Warren was overweight when he was much younger and was teased for it by Howie. However, Warren has since slimmed down after childhood, while Howie has put on some weight and is now "tubby" himself.
- Men Can't Keep House: Barely keeps the house in order while his wife is gone for a week.
- Pushover Parents: Subverted. While he and Anne are pretty lenient with Fudge (due to him being much younger), they will lay down the law when it's appropriate. Warren in particular is the one who puts his foot down in the chapter "The Family Dog" in Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (with Peter describing his mother as looking relieved that he did).
Anne Hatcher
The mother of Peter, Fudge, and Tootsie.- Doting Parent: She improves somewhat as time passes, but her early doting on Fudge comes across as rather nauseating.
- Good Parents: While she has her own flaws and can have her bad moments (such as blaming Peter for Fudge hurting himself trying to jump off a jungle gym and fly like a bird, even though Sheila was the one supposed to be watching him), she is, on the whole, a loving and devoted mother and is willing (and able) to learn from her mistakes.
- My Beloved Smother: She can be this with both of her sons, especially with Fudge (until Tootsie comes along that is).
- Pushover Parents: Subverted. While she does dote on Fudge and is far more lenient with him than Peter, she actually will lay down the law if Fudge crosses a line (like giving him a spanking for ruining Peter's class project) and becomes a firmer disciplinarian as Fudge gets older.
- Spell My Name With An S: The books spell her name as "Anne". The opening to the television series drops the "e", spelling it as "Ann".
- Unnamed Parent: In Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, her first name is never mentioned. She's only referred to as either "Mom" or "Mrs. Hatcher". It wasn't until Superfudge that her name was revealed.
Relatives
Grandma Muriel
Anne's mother.- Cool Old Lady: She used to run a gymnastics camp and taught Peter how to stand on his head. She also takes the helm of the boat in Fudge-a-Mania after Warren loses control of it.
- No Name Given: In Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, she's referred to only as "Grandma". Fudge-a-Mania revealed that her name was Muriel.
Aunt Linda
Anne's sister who lives in Boston.- The Unseen: She's mentioned several times, but never makes an appearance at any point. During Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, she gives birth to her first child.
Howard "Howie" Hatcher
Warren's cousin, who lost touch with his family over the years and moved to Hawaii.- Alliterative Name: Howie Hatcher.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He refuses to call Warren by his actual name, and practically invites his entire family to stay at the Hatchers' apartment for over a week. He's also shown to be quite strict with his daughters. But deep down he truly cares about his family and their health.
- Let's Get Dangerous!: When Uncle Feather gets injured, Howie tackles the situation very seriously and takes the bird to the vet.
Eudora Hatcher
Howie's wife.- Satellite Character: She doesn't get a whole lot of characterization beyond being Howie's wife and mother to their children.
Flora and Fauna Hatcher
Howie and Eudora's twelve-year-old twin daughters.- Always Identical Twins: They play this straight.
- Finishing Each Other's Sentences: They do this from time to time.
- Identical Twin ID Tag: Flora has a scar on her chin. Fauna has a brown dot in her right eye.
- Theme Twin Naming: Flora and Fauna are the Latin words for plant and animal life respectively.
Farley Drexel "Mini" Hatcher
Howie and Eudora's three-year-old son who coincidentally has the same real name as Fudge.- Does This Remind You of Anything?: He essentially functions as a younger version of Fudge himself. He messes around with Uncle Feather, much like how Fudge used to want to "play" with Dribble. Likewise, when Mini swallows Fudge's tooth, it reminds Fudge of the time he swallowed Dribble.
- One-Steve Limit: Averted, so the younger Farley goes by "Mini Fudge" to differentiate them.
- Replacement Flat Character: Of a sort to Fudge, being the same hyperactive little hellion as he was at that age. It's even Lampshaded by how Fudge expresses annoyance with Mini.
The Tubmans
Sheila Tubman
The main nemesis of Peter Hatcher. Also the narrator of Otherwise Known As Sheila The Great.- Alpha Bitch: A much younger and much milder example than most though.
- Bratty Half-Pint: At her worst (especially around Peter and Jimmy), Sheila is shown to be an obnoxious, whiny, and self-centered know-it-all.
- Control Freak: She loves bossing other people around.
- Cowardly Lion: Sheila is pretty brave, but (like any other human) she does have her own share of fears. Fortunately, she managed to overcome some of them...although she's still a little scared of dogs.
- Girls Have Cooties: Loved teasing Peter by touching him and telling him he's got the cooties, up until Fudge falls off the jungle gym set, claiming that he's a bird, and loses his two front teeth.
- Hero of Another Story: In Otherwise Known As Sheila The Great.
- Small Name, Big Ego: Uses this as a defense mechanism."I'm the only one who knows Sheila Tubman. Everyone else knows SHEILA THE GREAT."
- Vitriolic Best Buds: With Peter Hatcher. They routinely declare they hate each other, but in their own odd way they get along rather well.
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Had a fear of dogs up until she got her own dog, Jake. However, it's shown that she is still afraid of Turtle and it's most likely that Jake is the only dog she is not afraid of.
- Dogs are not the only thing Sheila is afraid of, as she apparently fears spiders, strange noises, and thunderstorms in her book, none of which she will admit to. She's also afraid of the water before she learns to swim. Dogs just happen to be the fear that comes up the most.
Libby Tubman
Sheila's older sister.- Alpha Bitch: Like her sister, Libby is a milder version. Despite this, she's still snooty, conceited, and treats Sheila like a disease. This is to a point where her parents get fed up with her behavior from time to time. Heck, even Peter hates Libby almost as much as he hates Sheila.
- Big Sister Bully: She never missed a chance to insult and mock her younger sister. Their parents clearly disapprove of her nasty attitude and constantly have to scold her for it.
- Bratty Teenage Daughter: Even though she tries to act like an adult, Libby can be just as much of a brat like Sheila. No wonder they hardly get along.
- Hidden Depths: When cast as Captain Hook instead of Wendy in a summer play, Libby flexes her acting chops and takes her role seriously.
- Only Known by Their Nickname: "Libby" is vanishingly rare nowadays as a nickname. Her real first name is never used in the books, so if the reader is unfamiliar with the nickname, they might not know that it's short for Elizabeth.
Bertram "Buzz" Tubman Junior and Jean Tubman
Sheila and Libby's parents. Bertram "Buzzy Senior" Tubman
Sheila and Libby's grandfather. At the end of Fudge-a-Mania, he marries Grandma Muriel and becomes Anne's stepfather. Friends
Jimmy Fargo
Peter Hatcher's best friend.- Black Best Friend: In the TV series, at least.
- Race Lift: Assumed to be Caucasian in the books, he became black in the TV series.
- Satellite Character: Is a side character who's mostly defined by being Peter's friend.
Frank Fargo
Jimmy's father, an artist.- Alliterative Name: Frank Fargo.
- Noodle Incident: It ain't said why they divorced but it's implied that his work as an artist might've been a reason why him and Anita split.
Anita
Jimmy's mother. Divorces Frank and moves to Vermont during Superfudge.- Noodle Incident: We know very little about why exactly she and Frank divorced. They did have a big fight which led to Anita throwing red paint onto one of Frank's canvases, which Frank eventually incorporated into a painting entitled "Anita's Anger".
- Put on a Bus: Appears at the very beginning of Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, but is never seen again. Ironically, her one line of dialogue is also the very first spoken line in the entire series. note
Henry Bevelheimer
The elevator operator in the Hatchers' apartment building. In Double Fudge he becomes the building superintendent after the elevator is converted into an automated one. Merle "Mouse" Ellis
Sheila Tubman's friend.- Only Known by Their Nickname: Rather, she would like to be only known by her nickname. She states that she likes being called "Mouse" a lot better than "Merle" and wouldn't mind being called that forever.
- Out Sick: She was supposed to come to Maine in Fudge-a-Mania, but is unable to due to coming down with chickenpox.
- Tomboy
Maryanne Markman
Libby Tubman's friend- Alliterative Name: Maryanne Markman
Alex Santo
A friend of Peter's who lives in Princeton. Daniel Manheim
A friend of Fudge's who lives in Princeton.- Bratty Half-Pint: Is he ever. He's extremely assertive to just about everyone, and will sometimes finish a statement by saying "You want to make somethin' of it?".
- Composite Character: In the TV series' adaptation of the Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing chapter "The Birthday Bash", Daniel replaces the character of Ralph.
- Informed Judaism: Admits that he doesn't believe in Santa Claus on account of being Jewish.
- Picky Eater: Refuses to eat peas, lima beans, onions and bread that has not had its crust removed. He also claims to drink nothing but chocolate milk.
Arnold
A friend of Peter's who appears in the TV series.- Canon Foreigner: Was created exclusively for the TV series.
Isobel "Izzy"
A teenage part-time librarian whom Peter develops a crush on during his family's vacation in Maine.- Friend to All Children: She almost immediately earned Fudge's friendship during their first meeting and encourages him to write a book of his own. She also treats Peter with respect, which made him instantly smitten with her.
- Ms. Fanservice: Isobel has been described as very beautiful by Peter. This becomes more noticeable in the live-action movie.
- Nice Girl: She's a kind and helpful young lady. She even shows patience to Fudge when he had a fit in the library.
