Title Rump : the true story of Rumpelstiltskin / Liesl Shurtliff.

This book imagines Rumpelstiltskin as a boy who does not know his full name and is called simply “Rump.” He is the butt of many jokes and a favorite bullying victim of the sons of the town miller. He discovers he has the magical ability to spin straw to gold, but soon the magic becomes too large for him to control and he is trapped by it. He must discover his own name to free himself. Along the way he meets gnomes, trolls, witches, pesky pixies, and discovers he has a true friend in Red, a strong girl who could teach him a thing or two about magic. Grades 4 – 6. ab

Rump is a refreshing twist on this classic fairy tale. Upon his birth, Rump’s dying mother was so weak that she could barely utter the name she had chosen for her son so only half his name was heard, Rump. Raised by his grandmother in the mountain region of a kingdom where finding gold meant survival and your name is your destiny, 12 year old Rump struggles to survive. Through his desperation for food and desire to connect with a mother he never knew he decides to try his hand at spinning on his mother’s old spinning wheel. Rump quickly discovers his magical talent for spinning gold from straw and for getting himself in big trouble. dld