The Rumpelstiltskin Problem

Have you ever wondered just what was going on when that odd little man with the long name stepped up and volunteered to spin straw into gold for the miller's daughter? If you stop and think about it, there are some very peculiar components to the story. Vivian Vande Velde has wondered too, and she's come up with these six alternative versions of the old legend. A bevy of miller's daughters confront their perilous situation in very different ways?sometimes comic, sometimes scary, always unexpected.

About the author

Vivian Vande Velde has written many books for teen and middle grade readers, including Heir Apparent, User Unfriendly, All Hallow's Eve: 13 Stories, Three Good Deeds, Now You See It ..., and the Edgar Award–winning Never Trust a Dead Man. She lives in Rochester, New York. Visit her website at www.vivianvandevelde.com.

Summary

Have you ever wondered just what was going on when that odd little man with the long name stepped up and volunteered to spin straw into gold for the miller’s daughter? If you stop and think about it, there are some very peculiar components to the story.

     Vivian Vande Velde has wondered too, and she’s come up with these six alternative versions of the old legend. A bevy of miller’s daughters confront their perilous situation in very different ways—sometimes comic, sometimes scary, always unexpected.

Additional text

* "Vande Velde's takes on this fairy tale are always humorous and often heartwarming."—Publishers Weekly, starred review "An effective and amusing collection, with just the right amount of snappy sarcasm to snag the junior-high set."—Kirkus Reviews "These short variations on the story have a sly humor and a contemporary feeling. . . . will appeal most to fairy-tale fans who just can't get enough of the traditional genre."—School Library Journal

Product details

• Authors: Vivian Vande Velde, Vivian Vande Velde
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company
• Languages: English
• Age Recommendation: ages 10 to 12
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 19.11.2013
• EAN: 9780544104860
• ISBN: 978-0-544-10486-0
• No. of pages: 128
• Dimensions: 130 mm x 194 mm x 9 mm
• Weight: 100 g
• Subjects: Children's and young people's books; JUVENILE FICTION: Humorous Stories, JUVENILE FICTION: Fairy Tales & Folklore / General, JUVENILE FICTION: Fantasy & Magic, JUVENILE FICTION: Love & Romance, JUVENILE FICTION: Fairy Tales & Folklore / Adaptations, JUVENILE FICTION: Girls & Women, JUVENILE FICTION: Poetry (see also Stories in Verse) *, JUVENILE FICTION: Short Stories, JUVENILE FICTION: Historical / Middle East