In the opening chapter of Judy Blume's Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Peter, the narrator, informs the reader that the elevator operator in his New York City apartment building is named Henry Bevelheimer. Since it is difficult to say Mr. Bevelheimer, the operator asks the apartment residents to call him Henry.

Peter further informs his readers that Henry is so smart that he "knows everybody in the building" and what floors they live on (4). Henry even knows Peter is in the fourth grade and nine years old. Henry is the very first person Peter shows his new pet turtle to. Henry predicts his mother won't respond well to the turtle, and he's right. Upon being shown the turtle, Mrs. Hatcher frowns and complains about Dribble's smell.

In Chapter 8, Henry wishes Mrs. Hatcher a "nice visit" as she ventures to Boston to be with her sister, who has just had her first baby (52). In the final chapter of the book, Henry is a real asset when he learns Mrs. Hatcher is experiencing an emergency and promises to "run [the elevator] down just as fast as [he] can" (71).