Sibling Rivalry
The theme of sibling rivalry sits at the core of Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. This is a story about Peter coping with the chaos his brother creates, in a constant competition with him though Fudge himself is too young to see him that way. Getting a new sibling for the first time can stir feelings of jealousy and competitiveness, and for Peter, this has been the case since Fudge was born. Keep in mind, though, we are only hearing the story of this rivalry from one side—Fudge is too little to speak for himself, but if he could, he might tell it differently!
Family
Another central theme in this book is family. Though the Hatchers often fight, and though Fudge causes a lot of trouble, the bond between Peter and his family is deep and lasting. Peter's family supports him and loves him unconditionally, and even though he sometimes feels misunderstood, he recognizes how important his parents and his brother are in his life. Deep down, Peter still loves his brother Fudge even though he is sometimes intolerable.
Growing Up
Peter is nine years old in this book, at an age between childhood and young adulthood when growing up happens quickly. He begins the book a child, getting frustrated with everything Fudge does and having little control over his emotions whenever something bad happens. By the end of the book, he has matured into a responsible decision-maker and a level-headed young adult. Growing up is hard sometimes, but Peter has shown that he has matured enough to tackle any challenges that are ahead.
Responsibility
Throughout this book, Peter is entrusted with a lot of responsibility—some of these are responsibilities he asks for, while others are ones that have been thrust upon him because he is the older sibling and should set a good example. While Peter enjoys having responsibility and independence, and wants to prove that he can handle these things, he learns the important lesson that if you want to be given adult responsibilities, you must also accept the consequences that come along with them.
Attention and Praise
Though he is nine years old, Peter is still a child, and like any child he desires attention, praise, and external validation from others. In other words, he does not want to be a "fourth grade nothing." For the past few years, he has repeatedly felt like Fudge gets more attention and praise than him simply because he is little, without having done anything to deserve it. This frustrates him, and he voices this concern over and over again throughout the book. At the end of the story, though, Peter learns the very important lesson that praise and validation will eventually come to those who earn it.
Humor
Throughout this book the Hatchers always end up laughing at their troubles, and the funny situations that ensue have readers laughing too. Peter uses lighthearted, casual language and tells his story in a funny and endearing way. This all contributes to the greater message that humor can help us see problems in a new, less painful light, and that laughter is one thing that can bring people together.
A Silver Lining
The famous message "Every cloud has a silver lining" is illustrated repeatedly in this book. Fudge is constantly making Peter's life miserable, but somehow in every situation, something good comes out of the bad. Even though Peter is angry that Fudge is chosen for the Toddle-Bike commercial, he gets to laugh about it and surprise their mother with the truth a few months later. When Fudge gets into Peter's room and wrecks his project poster, Peter finally gets a lock on his door that makes him feel a sense of privacy at last. Most importantly, though losing Dribble devastates Peter, he gets a wonderful new pet—Turtle the dog—out of this experience. In this book, every cloud truly does have a silver lining.
