Fourth Grade Rats

Fourth Grade Rats (1991) is a realistic middle-grade novel by award-winning children’s author Jerry Spinelli that explores the struggles of protagonist Suds Morton as he tries to orient himself to the new social expectations of being a fourth grader. According to a schoolyard rhyme, third graders are “angels,” and fourth graders are “rats” who are expected to behave rebelliously. Suds’s best friend Joey embraces his new role with relish, but Suds isn’t quite ready to let go of his childhood and struggles to adapt. However, when it seems that conforming to the expected fourth grade behavior is the only way to win the affection of his crush, Judy Billings, Suds goes all in—but the changes he sees in himself aren’t ones that he likes. Faced with the results of giving in to peer pressure, Suds learns a valuable lesson about what it truly means to mature.

Spinelli is most well-known for his novel Maniac Magee (1990), for which he won the Newbery Medal in 1991. His other popular works include Wringer, for which he received the Newbery Honor in 1997, and Stargirl, which received positive critical reception upon its publication in 2000 and was later adapted into a feature film in 2020. Spinelli’s works characteristically feature child protagonists coping with the challenges of fitting into society. The author often draws inspiration from his own experiences to craft relatable themes about growing up, fitting in, and exploring identity.

This guide refers to the Arthur A. Levine Books 2012 first paperback edition.

Content Warning: Both the source text and this guide contain descriptions of bullying and peer pressure.

Plot Summary

Suds and his best friend Joey are beginning their first day as fourth graders. Third graders corner them on the playground and chant the rhyme: “First grade babies! Second grade cats! Third grade angels! Fourth grade…RAAAAATS!” (1). Suds wishes that he were still in third grade so that he could be perceived as good, but Joey relishes the opportunity to finally be at the top of the social hierarchy. He pressures Suds into joining him as a fellow “rat” and explains the rules: no crying, no PB&J sandwiches, and no lunchboxes. Suds is overwhelmed at the sudden changes and isn’t sure he wants to be a rat; however, when the school bully embarrasses him in front of the entire cafeteria, he agrees to learn more about being a rat.

Joey pressures Suds into pushing a pair of first graders off the swings, but Suds is unnerved by how fearful they seem. Joey explains that being a rat means looking out for oneself, and that this is the first step to becoming a real man. Motivated by that thought, Suds considers that Joey may be right. Joey encourages Suds to begin his journey to manhood by defying his mother. Suds has a close relationship with his mother, in whom he often confides, and he cannot bring himself to disobey her. Mom gently suggests to Suds that there’s more than one way to be a man; he doesn’t have to be a “fourth grade rat” just because others pressure him to be. 

Meanwhile, Joey’s new mannerisms make him popular at school and garner attention from classmates— including Suds’s crush, Judy Billings. After Judy tells Joey that she likes him, Suds feels that the only way to win her affection is by becoming a rat like Joey. Joey trains Suds in the ways of the rat, including conquering Suds’s fear of spiders and his emotional reactions to E.T.’s moving death scene in the film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, but the one thing that Suds cannot quite conquer is his fear of heights. When Joey challenges Suds to take a Twinkie from a child at the park, Suds complies but immediately returns it when the child begins to cry. For Suds’s final test, he must say “no” to his mom, but when Suds fails to do this, Joey sneers that he will never be a rat. 

The following Monday, Suds spots Judy sitting alone at lunch and tries to initiate a conversation, but Judy rudely rejects him. After the school bully embarrasses Suds once again in front of the whole cafeteria, Suds retaliates by smashing a third grader’s cake in his face. He continues similar behavior and becomes a full-fledged rat, provoking admiration from his classmates. He even manages to tell his mom “no” when she asks him to clean his room. Eventually, Suds wins the attention he covets from Judy; however, he notices that Judy also benefits from his popularity. 

Meanwhile, Joey appears to have dropped his rat persona and doesn’t even acknowledge the radical changes that Suds has undergone. Judy invites Suds to her house after school, but as she opens the door, her cat escapes and flees up a tree. Wanting to impress Judy, Suds volunteers to climb up and rescue it despite his fear of heights. He manages to return Judy’s cat but is overcome by fear and cannot climb down. Judy has no sympathy for him and runs off as soon as she has her cat back. Stuck in a tree with no way down, Suds reflects on his behavior as a rat and realizes that none of it reflects who he truly is. 

Mom rescues Suds from the tree. Joey and his mother meet Suds and Mom back at their house, where Joey apologizes to Suds for pressuring him into becoming a fourth-grade rat. Joey’s mom states that Joey is no longer a rat and will no longer be engaging in that kind of behavior. Afterwards, Suds confesses to Mom that while he initially thought being a rat would make him feel good about himself, he actually felt miserable. Even though his behavior earned him respect from his classmates, he didn’t like the way that he behaved. Mom praises Suds for his honesty and insight and tells him that taking responsibility for his actions is a true sign of his maturity. In the final scene, Suds watches E.T. with his dad, and they both cry at E.T.’s death scene, demonstrating that Suds has resolved his questions about what it means to grow up.