In his moment of triumph, children will want to dance alongside the unlikely, likable hero. Witches do not offer much advice, other than “Watch your step.” When Rump learns that he must find a “stiltskin” to break the curse, it may also be the clue he needs to figure out his name. Rump tries to save her, but she is frustratingly fatuous and makes terrible trades (a baby!). The miller is greedy and worsens the situation when he tells the king that it is his daughter who spins gold. Using a crisp, cheeky tone and with the back story meticulously built, the landscape mapped out and the characters in place (including some nods to other fairy-tale denizens), Rump’s romp begins. His name is his destiny how can he grow when he does not know his full name? To his surprise, Rump also discovers he can spin straw into gold-a curse, since when Rump trades the gold, he must accept whatever is offered. When he is born, his mother only manages to say part of his name before she passes: “Rump.” His name becomes the source of teasing, and while Rump can appreciate the humor-sometimes-he is concerned. And don’t miss Liesl Shurtliff’s other fairy tale retellings: JACK: The True Story of Jack and the Beanstalk and RED: The True Story of Red Riding Hood.Shurtliff turns the Rumpelstiltskin tale on end, providing the heartbreaking yet humorous history of the manikin’s dilemma.

The odds are against him, but with courage and friendship-and a cheeky sense of humor-he just might triumph in the end.Ī Texas Bluebonnet finalist and winner of the ILA award for middle grade fiction, RUMP is perfect for fans of Gail Carson Levine’s Ella Enchanted or Adam Gidwitz’s A Tale Dark and Grimm. To break the spell, Rump must go on a perilous quest, fighting off pixies, trolls, poison apples, and a wickedly foolish queen. With each thread he spins, he weaves himself deeper into a curse. His best friend, Red Riding Hood, warns him that magic is dangerous, and she’s right. Rump discovers he has a gift for spinning straw into gold.

In a magic kingdom where your name is your destiny, 12-year-old Rump is the butt of everyone’s joke. But when he finds an old spinning wheel, his luck seems to change. This funny fractured fairy tale goes behind the scenes of Rumpelstiltskin. New York Times bestselling author Liesl Shurtliff “spins words into gold'. RUMP: The (Fairly) True Tale of Rumpelstiltskin

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