Cover of Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing

by Judy Blume

Among the most widely assigned — 7 curriculum lists · 10 states

On reading-award lists:Charlie May Simon Children's Book AwardPacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice AwardOklahoma Sequoyah Children's Book AwardNorth Dakota Flicker Tale Children's Book Award+2 more

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume is assigned in US schools at grades 2–5, with a Lexile measure of 470L. It appears across 7 curriculum references and 10 states, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

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Lexile
470L
Grade range
Grades 2–5
Difficulty for grade
Within the grade 2–3 band (420–820L)
Age range
Ages 7–11
Pages
128
Reading time
about 2h 20m (est.)
First published
1972
Genre
Middle Grade Fiction
ISBN-13
9780142408810

Reading difficulty: At 470L, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing falls within the typical 420–820L text-complexity range for 2nd grade (Common Core Appendix A) — a grade-appropriate reading challenge.

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New to these terms? What is a Lexile level? · Reading levels by grade

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About this book

Nine-year-old Peter Hatcher navigates the chaos caused by his two-year-old brother Fudge. Blume's first Fudge novel launched a long-running series read routinely in 2nd-4th grade.

Similar grade-level books

See all books like Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This Middle Grade Fiction title, reads at early-reader complexity, typically at grades 2–5. Written in the 1970s; pairs with curriculum units on siblings and family; cited across 7 curriculum frameworks.

Themes

siblings · family · everyday life · growing up

Where this book is assigned

Show 1 more award or assignment

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Common questions

What grade level is Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing?
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 2–5, with a Lexile measure of 470L. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
What is the Lexile level of Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing?
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing has a Lexile measure of 470L according to MetaMetrics. Lexile measures text complexity, not content maturity — check the grade range and content notes separately for age-appropriateness.
How long does it take to read Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing?
It takes about 2h 20m to read Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (128 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 140 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
Is Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing hard to read for 2nd grade?
At 470L, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing falls within the typical 420–820L text-complexity range for 2nd grade (Common Core Appendix A) — a grade-appropriate reading challenge. Lexile measures text complexity, not thematic maturity — check the content notes for age-appropriateness separately.
What curricula assign Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing?
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing appears on reading lists for Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award, Common Core State Standards (ELA), Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award, and 4 others. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Why this book is on this list

How we classify

Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.

Lexile measure
470L — sourced from MetaMetrics’ Lexile Hub.
Grade band
Grades 2–5 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 7 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Cited in 10 states ELA frameworks or DOE list (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: book-club.

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