Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin by Liesl Shurtliff (review)

A person's name defines their destiny in the Kingdom, which is unfortunate for twelve-year-old Rump, whose name seems only to inspire other people's potty humor. His luck appears to change when he realizes he inherited his late mother's secret ability to spin straw into gold. Magic always comes with a price in the Kingdom, however, and Rump is unable to properly bargain with the gold he creates, instead settling for whatever the other person offers—including a firstborn child, as offered by the miller's daughter who, as the original tale goes, gets herself into trouble when she claims Rump's ability as her own. Rump wants nothing to do with the bargain and runs away to Yonder, where he hopes to discover his true full name (he believes his mother died before completing its full length) and his real destiny. Rump is pretty irresistible as the down-and-out kid who simply refuses to give up, and readers who have had their share of bad luck will appreciate his witty resourcefulness and his honest frustration. His travels through Yonder yield plenty of allusions to classic fairy tales as well as appearances by various mythical creatures, most of which turn out to be harmless (and in some cases, adorable), giving the whole story a whimsical, playful feel. There's quite a lot of whimsy, though, since the plot meanders, and the convoluted backstory behind Rump's true name and how it is entangled in the spell that weaves gold is more confusing than it is satisfying. Still, it's always good to hear the villain's side of the story, especially when said villain turns out to be a rather charming twelve-year-old boy.