The following version of this book was used to create this study guide: Blume, Judy. Superfudge. Puffin Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC. New York, NY. Paperback Reissue, 2007. The story is told in the first-person, past-tense voice of 12-year old Peter, struggling to adjust with significant changes in his family and in his life.

As the story begins, Peter gets what he sees as some unpleasant news; his Mom tells him she is going to have a baby. Peter reacts angrily, upset that his parents did not check with him before deciding to have another baby and worrying that his new brother or sister is going to be as difficult to live with as his four-year-old brother, Fudge. Peter threatens to run away, but the appealing smells of dinner lure him into staying.

Shortly after the baby (nicknamed Tootsie) arrives, Peter gets news of another change in his life; his family is moving from New York City to Princeton, New Jersey. Again, Peter reacts angrily, again upset that his parents did not consult him and again threatening to run away. Again, however, he ends up going along with their plans.

When Peter and his family arrive in their new home, at the beginning of the summer, Peter makes a new friend fairly quickly (Alex), and starts finding ways to become more comfortable in his new life – this, despite the fact that Fudge is becoming more annoying than ever, playing with Tootsie in ways that anger and frustrate Mom. Dad, meanwhile, is struggling to do what he came to New Jersey for – research and write a book.

When school starts in the fall, Peter finds that he likes his new teacher, and that there is a girl in his class (Joanne) that he finds interesting. At the same time, he misses his friends in New York, and continues to have difficulties dealing with Fudge and his impulsive, sometimes selfish behavior. Mom and Dad, meanwhile, continue to focus on Tootsie and on Fudge, sometimes leaving Peter feeling left out.

At Christmas time, Fudge insists that everyone in the family write letters to Santa. He himself asks for a new bike exactly like Peter’s, and insists that Peter teach him how to ride it. Peter tries, but Fudge repeatedly falls off, at one point having to go to the school nurse to get his scratches taken care of. That same day, Peter becomes embarrassed when Fudge participates in a school assembly, creating a situation that has the potential to humiliate the school principal, a situation that the principal seems to ignore.

In the spring, as Dad’s struggles to write his book continue and as Peter’s anger at his parents is intensifying, Peter and Alex go on a picnic, refusing to take Fudge with them. When Peter comes back, he and his parents discover that Fudge and his friend Daniel are missing. While Dad and Daniel’s mom are out searching, Peter and Mom wait anxiously at home, eventually receiving a phone call from Fudge who reveals that he and Daniel have gone to a bakery for lunch. When the boys are brought home, Fudge’s parents and Daniel’s mom struggle to figure out their punishment – that is, until Peter suggests that they be barred from riding their bicycles for a month. In spite of protests from Fudge and Daniel, the parents agree.

At the end of the school year, Mom and Dad ask Peter and Fudge whether they want to move back to New York or whether they want to stay in Princeton. They both say there are things about both places that they like, but it is only when Tootsie makes word-like sounds that seem to be saying “New York” that the decision is made. As the novel comes to a close, Peter is excitedly looking forward to moving back.