Bound To Stay Bound

Bulletin for the Center... - 11/01/2002 This latest title about the Hatcher family picks up where Fudge-a-Mania (BCCB 11/90) left off, with summer over, Pete going into seventh grade, and the incorrigible Fudge entering “mixed group” (or “mixed-up group” as Fudge calls it), a class for advanced kids not yet old enough for “official” first grade. There are plenty of changes in store, however, for Pete, Fudge, and the rest of their family. Pete’s best friend, Jimmy, moves to SoHo (his artist father buys a studio and plans to remarry), while Fudge becomes completely obsessed with money, minting his own currency and dressing up as a miser for Halloween. The Hatchers also unexpectedly meet up with Mr. Hatcher’s long-lost cousin, Howie, and his eccentric family, which includes the “Heavenly Hatchers,” a pair of homeschooled, singing, dancing twin girls, as well as a four-year-old boy who growls and licks people and who—like Fudge—is named Farley Drexel Hatcher (Pete quickly dubs him “Mini,” as in “Mini-Fudge”). Though Fudge still manages to totally exasperate his older brother, and his gleeful delight in “the green stuff” (and the resultant horror of his parents) makes for some entertaining moments, it is clear that he’s actually maturing just a bit and his experiences with Mini give him a tiny glimpse of insight into his own past behavior. The plot is rather rambling and episodic (and Fudge’s money obsession is never resolved), but there’s still plenty for middle-graders to enjoy, whether it’s Fudge’s unabashed frankness (at dinner he announces that he knows from experience that broccoli makes one’s pee smell funny) or the over-the-top wackiness of Cousin Howie’s family. This is a snappy, humorous title that lends itself to being read aloud, and Fudge fans in need of a fix will find that it hits the spot. - Copyright 2002 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

School Library Journal - 09/01/2002 Gr 3-5-A worthy successor to Superfudge (1980) and Fudge-a-Mania (1990, both Dutton). Peter Hatcher is now entering seventh grade and apprehensive that no one will remember him since his family spent the past year in Princeton, NJ. Five-year-old Fudge is obsessed with money-acquiring it, talking and singing about it, and counting it. He even creates his own currency, Fudge Bucks. To try to curb this fixation, the family takes a trip to Washington, DC, to visit the Bureau of Printing and Engraving, and runs into Mr. Hatcher's long-lost cousin. Howie, his wife Eudora, twin daughters Flora and Fauna, and four-year-old son Farley are traveling through the East Coast before moving to Florida. Of course, a visit to New York City is in their plans. A few weeks later, the relatives arrive and set out their sleeping bags. Two nights turn into four, then seven, and then Howie announces that he is subletting an apartment in the building for six weeks. It is a tough time for Peter, culminating at Halloween when Fudge and Farley are trapped in the building's elevator while trick-or-treating. Peter is a real 12-year-old with all the insecurities and concerns of that age. And nothing can suppress the personality of Fudge, who even renames Washington, Fudgington.-Terrie Dorio, Santa Monica Public Library, CA Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information. - Copyright 2002 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 09/15/2002 The Hatcher Clan, introduced in Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (1972), appears in a fourth sequel. Written in the voice of Fudge's funny, long-suffering older brother Peter, the story begins as Fudge (Farley Hatcher) develops an obsession with money. When Fudge starts creating Fudge Bucks, the worried Hatchers take a family trip to Washington, D.C., to show Fudge how money is really made. On the trip, the Hatchers run into long-lost Cousin Howie Hatcher from Honolulu and his eccentric family, which includes, much to Fudge's outrage, another Farley Drexel Hatcher, a disaster of a three-year-old whose manic energy mimics a younger Fudge's. Peter's patience is thoroughly tested when the Howie Hatchers arrive in New York unannounced and cram themselves into the family's cramped apartment for an extended visit. Money is a theme that is rare in contemporary children's literature for this age group, but after an interesting start, Blume leaves the subject undeveloped; once the colorful relatives enter the scene, Fudge forgets his fascination with the green stuff. Although this, along with several other slim plot threads, contributes to a chaotic, somewhat disjointed, whole, the jerky pace reinforces the sense of messy family confusion that many children will recognize. And, as usual, Blume's humor and pitch-perfect ear for sibling rivalry and family dynamics will have readers giggling with recognition. Newcomers and Fudge fans alike will savor this installment in the well-loved series. - Copyright 2002 Booklist.