Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin

by Liesl Shurtliff Narrated by Maxwell Glick

Overview

This funny fractured fairy tale goes behind the scenes of Rumpelstiltskin. New York Times Bestselling author Liesl Shurtliff "spins words into gold [Kirby Larson, Newbery Honor winner]."

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. Rump discovers he has a gift for spinning straw into gold. His best friend, Red Riding Hood, warns him that magic is dangerous, and she's right. With each thread he spins, he weaves himself deeper into a curse.

To break the spell, Rump must go on a perilous quest, fighting off pixies, trolls, poison apples, and a wickedly foolish queen. The odds are against him, but with courage and friendship-and a cheeky sense of humor-he just might triumph in the end.

A 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. 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.

Editorial Reviews

MARCH 2014 - AudioFile

Narrator Maxwell Glick is as unflappable and nimble as Rump is in his quest to determine his true name and destiny. Listeners are treated to an expanded version of the well-loved folktale of Rumpelstiltskin, as told by the fellow himself. Listeners will find out who Rumpelstiltskin really is; meet his gran; hear the backstory of his parents, the greedy merchant/miller, and the gold-loving king; and experience a world of trolls, pixies, and witches. Glick’s Rump unfailingly projects his moods—curious, despondent, questioning, playful—as each juncture of the tale requires. His pacing is equally attuned to the story’s myriad twists. Glick’s narration moves along effortlessly, and supporting characters are full of personality. A.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

Publishers Weekly

Debut author Shurtliff upends the traditional characterization of this fairy tale's antihero, recasting Rumpelstiltskin as a sympathetic and tragically doomed protagonist. His mother dies shortly after childbirth and only manages to utter half a name, Rump, making him the butt of jokes and also influencing his fate. "In The Kingdom your name isn't just what people call you. Your name is full of meaning and power. Your name is your destiny," he explains. The author effectively builds the devastating events—including the death of his Gran, hunger, and hopelessness—that lead Rump to discover his ability to spin straw into gold, riches he trades to the town swindler, the miller. When the miller lies to the king and tells him his daughter possesses this ability, Rump steals into the castle to help her, trading magic for trinkets until she offers her firstborn, which the rules of magic dictate he must accept. Shurtliff fills Rump's world with common magic and deadpan humor; the picaresque-style narrative gives the maligned character a refreshingly plainspoken voice, while honoring the original story's hauntingly strange events. Ages 8–12. Agent: Michelle Andelman, Regal Literary. (Apr.)

From the Publisher

People Magazine, August 12, 2013:
"A fresh riff on the Grimm Brothers' Rumpelstiltskin, told with wit from the impish point of view of the troublemaker himself."

The Denver Post, May 6, 2013:
“A startlingly original book.”

Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews, March 15, 2013:
“As good as gold.”

School Library Journal, May, 2013:
“A beguiling take on a classic tale.... This captivating fantasy has action, emotional depth, and lots of humor.”

BookPage, April 9, 2013:
“Shurtliff takes the traditional fairy tale and turns it on its head, interspersing humor with tenderness, action with insight. Rump shows the other side of Rumpelstiltskin, one of the most vilified characters in fairy tales, and reminds readers that in a good story, very little is as it seems.”

"Liesl Shurtliff does more than spin words into gold—she gets us rooting for Rumpelstiltskin, a most magical feat."
—Kirby Larson, Newbery Honor-winning author of Hattie Big Sky

"Lighthearted and inventive, Rump amusingly expands a classic tale."
—Brandon Mull, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Fablehaven

MARCH 2014 - AudioFile

Narrator Maxwell Glick is as unflappable and nimble as Rump is in his quest to determine his true name and destiny. Listeners are treated to an expanded version of the well-loved folktale of Rumpelstiltskin, as told by the fellow himself. Listeners will find out who Rumpelstiltskin really is; meet his gran; hear the backstory of his parents, the greedy merchant/miller, and the gold-loving king; and experience a world of trolls, pixies, and witches. Glick’s Rump unfailingly projects his moods—curious, despondent, questioning, playful—as each juncture of the tale requires. His pacing is equally attuned to the story’s myriad twists. Glick’s narration moves along effortlessly, and supporting characters are full of personality. A.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

Shurtliff turns the Rumpelstiltskin tale on end, providing the heartbreaking yet humorous history of the manikin's dilemma. 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. 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. 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. The miller is greedy and worsens the situation when he tells the king that it is his daughter who spins gold. Rump tries to save her, but she is frustratingly fatuous and makes terrible trades (a baby!). 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. In his moment of triumph, children will want to dance alongside the unlikely, likable hero. As good as gold. (author's note) (Fantasy. 8-12)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940171846312
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	01/07/2014
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

Read an Excerpt

My mother named me after a cow’s rear end. It’s the favorite village joke, and probably the only one, but it’s not really true. At least I don’t think it’s true, and neither does Gran. Really, my mother had another name for me, a wonderful name, but no one ever heard it. They only heard the first part. The worst part.
(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "Rump: The (Fairly) True Tale of Rumpelstiltskin"
by .
Copyright © 2014 Liesl Shurtliff.
Excerpted by permission of Random House Children's Books.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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