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Liesl Shurtliff
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RUMP: The (Fairly) True Tale of Rumpelstiltskin

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.

Click here for free Reader's Guide!RUMP Trivia

“A fresh riff on the Grimm Brothers’ Rumpelstiltskin, told with wit from the impish point of view of the troublemaker himself.” —People

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

Awards for RUMP

Original RUMP hardcover
original cover - hardcover version
Original RUMP paperback
original cover - paperback version

Praise for RUMP

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.

— BookPage

A startlingly original book.

— The Denver Post

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

As good as gold.

— Kirkus, starred review

A beguiling take on a classic tale. … This captivating fantasy has action, emotional depth, and lots of humor.

— School Library Journal

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.

— Publisher's Weekly

A wonderful book for the child in your life who likes to make up their own rules.

— Buzzfeed