Rump: the True Story of Rumplestiltskin by Lisa Shurtliff

This is an expanded retelling of the old Rumplestiltskin story, in which the author takes an unlikable character and turns him into an unlikely but likeable hero.

Rump, who lives with his beloved grandmother, in a poor village on the side of a mountain. Their subsistence depends on the meager amounts of gold that they are able to mine for the king which they trade for rations. Rump endures endless teasing and bullying because of his name, which he is convinced is incomplete. His mother died before managing to get his whole name out.

The greedy miller of the original story runs the village, collecting the gold and distributing the rations as he sees fit. Most of Rump's bullying is at the hands of the miller's sons, who are the ones that discover Rump's magical ability to spin straw into gold and report it to the miller. Unfortunately for Rump, under the rules of magic, he is compelled to trade the gold for whatever is offered and his ability to produce more gold than he could mine does nothing to improve what he receives from the unscrupulous miller.

When the king comes to the village to find out the source of the increased gold production, the miller boasts that it was his daughter, who is beautiful but definitely not the sharpest tool in the drawer, who can spin straw into gold. The king takes her to the castle to spin gold or die, with the eventual promise of marriage if she succeeds for three nights.

Rump sets out a quest to find his true full name, which he believes will lead to his true destiny. While on his quest, he hears of the miller's daughter plight and feels responsible. In this version, it is the maiden's own lack of acuity that leads to her promise of her firstborn child, which under the rules of magic Rump must accept.

This is an enjoyable fantasy book, with good characterizations, an interesting plot and a lot of humor, starting with the title character's name.  It is a good choice for anyone assigned a fantasy book report, especially those who don't like fantasy books. The elements of fantasy are easy to understand and don't require acquiring a new vocabulary.                  2013

R.Rauch

The Carpet People by Terry Pratchett

The Carpet People

Remember the good old shag rugs of the 70's?  No? If you're too young, picture the glories of a room like this:

  Now imagine if a whole world had sprung up deep in the undergrowth of the fabric, complete with towns and villages and warring tribes.  That is exactly what the popular author Terry Pratchett imagined back in his youth, in 1971.  Now, all these years later, this book has been reissued, and the humor is still fresh, more than 40 years later.

The Carpet People tells the story of the Munrung Tribe, who are forced to leave their home when the terrible Fray attacks (picture a very large noise and a terrible wind that pulls things upwards -- now what could that be on a carpet?).  Led by the tribal chieftan Glurk ("Admittedly he moved his lips when he was thinking, and the thoughts could be seen bumping against one another like dumplings in a stew") and his more educated brother Snibril, they encounter other tribes and lots of adventures as they  wander.

Pratchett's typical dry humor is evident throughout the book, but it is also full of battles and strange creatures, all of which add up to make a very entertaining read.  This is definitely a book for older children, not because of any inappropriate content, but because the humor is dry and at times sophisticated.  However, for any reader who appreciates wit and adventure in a fantasy book, I would definitely recommend The Carpet People.  2013
M. Adams

Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu

Breadcrumbs

Inspired by Grimm's fairy tale "The Snow Queen" the author has crafted a chapter book about two friends, Hazel and Jack, fifth graders who live next door to each other, go to school together, play together--until this year. Hazel is hurt and bewildered by Jack's sudden decision to spend his time with his male classmates, often excluding her in rude, gruff ways. She feels very much alone. She is trying to make sense of her mother and father getting a divorce, causing her to leave a much-loved private school where she excelled. The public school is not challenging her academically, she has not made any new friends, and she is struggling with the fact that she is adopted, and she and her parents do not "match"--Hazel is an Asian Indian and her parents are white. The one bright spot in her life was her best friend Jack.
During recess one day, Jack is struck in the eye by a sharp object and is taken for medical attention and then home. Hazel decides to stop at his house to check on him, and his parents tell her that Jack has gone to a relative's house to recuperate. Hazel finds this odd, and decides to go to a shed in the woods where she and Jack used to talk out their problems as well as plan fun stuff. As she approaches the spot, she sees Jack climb into a white sleigh with a woman who closely resembles the Snow Queen of fairy tale fame. She decides that Jack must have been tricked into doing this, and she must rescue him.
Hazel's mission takes her deep into a forest filled with literary references that she and Jack have shared over the years. She is frightened but determined to help her friend. With each scary incident she realizes that she is stronger than she thought she was, and makes up her mind to be more focused on the positive aspects of her life, and less dependent on Jack as her only friend, if they ever emerge from this dark and threatening forest. They do! 2011.

M. Cooney

The Mostly True Story of Jack by Kelly Barnhill

The Mostly True Story of Jack

Jack has always felt as though there were something different about him. No one seems to pay much attention to him, even his own family. It's almost as if he were invisible. Things really start to get strange when, following his parents divorce, he is sent to live with his eccentric aunt and uncle. He swears he has never met them before, but they have photographs of him in their home and the townspeople all seem to know who he is. Unaccustomed to all the attention, Jack struggles to make sense of his new life as he makes strange new friends, including Wendi and her twin brother Frankie, who has recently resurfaced after having mysteriously disappeared for several years. Frankie seemingly cannot speak and appears to hold the key as to why the whole town, including some nefarious characters, are so interested in Jack. As magic and mystery continue to unfold, Jack discovers his destiny and his true place in the world, which is nothing like his ordinary life back home.

This novel definitely draws the reader in with its magical elements and feeling of suspense. However, in the end, the premise doesn't completely make sense, even if you suspend disbelief and give yourself over to the "fantasy" of it all. Still, it is a unique story and one that children certainly wouldn't have encountered before. For that reason it is recommended, especially for fantasy lovers. 2011.

P.Sassoon

The Wikkeling by Steven Arntson

The Wikkeling

This futuristic fantasy novel takes place in a world where schools teach by computerized rote learning, children are watched by cameras and reading books is frowned upon. Henrietta and her friends Gary and Rose are attracted to things from the past and seem to pay for it with mysterious headaches and visits from a menacing creature, known as a Wikkeling.

When Henrietta discovers an injured cat hiding in her attic, a chain of events unfolds which leads the children toward discovering the origins of the Wikkeling and the secret to breaking it's power over them. It is a journey in which understanding the past takes a pivotal role and in which problems in the present cannot be solved without an appreciation for history.

This novel is engrossing in it's originality and storytelling, with beautiful block print illustrations scatterered throughout. Lovers of fantasy and mystery will find much to engage them here. It does, however, wrap up a little too quickly, leaving too many loose ends and unanswered questions. Possibly this is to leave room for a sequel. Still, this is a highly recommended read. 2011

P. Sassoon

Ortega, by Maureen Fergus

Ortega is no ordinary 11-year-old. Sure he enjoys hanging out with his friends, disagrees with his mom on a regular basis and is trying to find where he belongs in his new middle school. But the most interesting thing about Ortega is that he's actually a GORILLA! Scientists taught him to talk, read and write from an early age as part of "Project Ortega", an experiment whose goal was to see if a wild animal could be integrated into human society. Dr. Susan, the only mother he has ever known, is Ortega's fiercest champion as he awkwardly tries to blend into middle school life. For not all of Ortega's classmates nor their parents are thrilled to have a enormous gorilla in their midst. When one of the scientists on the team decides to sell Ortega and abandon the experiment, Dr. Susan must find a way to show everyone that Ortega is more than just a science project.

The author does a fantastic job of conveying the conflicting animal/human elements of Ortega's personality, while mirroring the adolescent angst that any typical 11-year-old experiences. Told with humor and heart this tale will appeal to a wide range of audiences while bringing to mind the issues of discrimination and animal as well as human rights. 2010.

P. Sassoon

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, by Grace Lin

Young Minli lives in a poor Chinese village where the villagers can barely grow enough rice to sustain themselves since Fruitless Mountain stopped being green and fertile. Each night Minli's father spins fanciful tales of the Jade Dragon who keeps the mountain from bearing food due to the sorrow of being separated from her children. Minli decides that it is her mission to find the Old Man of the Moon and ask him to improve her family's fortune. Along the way Minli is befriended by a flightless dragon, a talking goldfish and a host of other characters who help her see that sometimes the answer you are seeking you already hold within yourself. Supplemented by gorgeous color illustrations and drawing upon folk tales from Lin's own childhood, this Newbery Honor winning book is truly a magical story and destined to become a classic of children's literature. 2009.

P. Sassoon

Summer Reading Is Killing Me, by Jon Scieszka

                                                          Summer Reading Is Killing Me

Joe, Fred and Sam, of The Time Warp Trio series, usually spend their adventures time traveling to another era via their "magic" book. Once there, they spend their time dodging dinosaurs, pirates or robots, while they seek their "magic" book, which will transport them home again.

In this book, Fred accidentally puts their summer reading list into the "magic" book. Instead of being transported to another time period, they and all the characters from the books on the list are transported to the Hoboken of The Hoboken Chicken Emergency by Daniel Pinkwater. There all the bad characters from the books have rounded up the good characters in the Hoboken Public Library. The bad characters, led by Teddy Bear, intend to replace the good characters in their books, after they crush them with the books in the library. Can the boys convince the bad characters that they are bad characters too, long enough to find the "magic" book, which is also in the Hoboken Public Library, and transport everybody back where they belong before the bad guys change literature forever? 1998

R. Rauch

The Magical Ms. Plum, by Bonny Becker

The students in Ms. Plum's third grade class always know they're in for a treat. They've heard that magical things happen in her class but what they don't know is that every time they enter her supply closet they will come out with an enchanted creature. What that creature will be, no one knows, but it will be theirs for the remainder of the day and instrumental in teaching them whatever "lesson" they need to learn at that particular time. A messy child ends up with a pair of scurrying squirrels. A boy who can't stop talking ends up with a parrot on his shoulder for the rest of the day. All the while, Ms. Plum uses humor and affection to help each child be their best with the help of their new animal friend. Reminiscent of Wayside School and Mary Poppins, this is a charming and quirky read. 2009.
P. Sassoon