Rump: The True Story of Rumplestiltskin

Gr 4–8—In a kingdom where names are your destiny, Rump is in the uneviable position of not knowing his full name. Since his mom is dead, he lives with his grandmother and they're barely scraping by—until he realizes he can turn straw into gold. But, as with all magic, there's a price to pay. For him, it means accepting whatever people offer to pay him for his gold, even if it's the miller's pathetic rations as payment. He sets out on a journey to figure out how to deal with the consequences of his magic as well as discover the answer to the age-old question, what's in a name? This is an interesting twist on a classic fairy tale. Shurtliff does a great job of making readers feel sympathetic toward a usually loathed character. The plot starts out a little slow, but is well developed and is complemented by the narrator, Maxwell Glick, whose intonations are unique and ideal for Rump's personality. He truly bring the character to life. An appealing listen for families as well as kids interested in twisted or fractured fairy tales, such as Chris Colfer's "The Land of Stories" series or the "Everafter High" books by Shannon Hale.—Jessica Moody, Olympus Jr. High, Holladay, UT