The book follows Peter Hatcher, a fourth grader, who feels overshadowed by his obnoxious two-year-old brother, Fudge. The story humorously depicts the daily challenges Peter faces with Fudge's antics, such as ruining important events and creating chaos. The narrative captures Peter's frustration and his attempts to deal with his unruly sibling while navigating his own life and concerns.
Rachel's a straight-A student, on every teacher's wish list of Natural Helpers, and she practices the flute 45 minutes a day. But she grinds her teeth at night and dreads dinnertime, now that her troublemaker brother, Charles, has been expelled from boarding school and is back home, acting up to get attention from their parents.