Nell of Gumbling. My extremely normal fairy-tale life

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Title:

Nell of Gumbling. My extremely normal fairy-tale life

Alternate title:

My extremely normal fairy-tale life

Author:

Steinkellner, Emma, author, illustrator.

Series:

Nell of Gumbling ;

Series Number:

Summary:

To everyone else, the Magical Land of Gumbling is something out of fairy tales. But to Nell Starkeeper, it’s just home. Sure, the town community center might be a castle, her dads run a star farm, and her best friend Myra is a fairy, but Nell is much more interested in finding out if she’ll get the seventh grade apprenticeship of her dreams with world-famous artist Wiz Bravo. She’s pretty sure her entire life has been RUINED when she’s instead matched with boring old Mrs. Birdneck in the town archives. And of course her perfect rival Leabelle gets to work with Wiz, and mean girl Viola won’t let Nell forget it. Meanwhile, suddenly Myra seems more into hanging out with Leabelle and saving the town from some weird strangers who keep talking about turning Gumbling into a fancy resort than being friends with Nell anymore. Can Nell find a way to save everything that makes her world magical, while figuring out where she belongs in it? -- Amazon.

Audience:

Ages 8-12 Labyrinth Road.

Grades 4-6 Labyrinth Road.

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

220 pages : chiefly color illlustrations ; 22 cm.

Genre:

Fantasy comics.

Humorous comics.

Graphic novels.

Comics (Graphic works)

Subject Term:

Magic -- Comic books, strips, etc.

Apprenticeship programs -- Comic books, strips, etc.

Artists -- Comic books, strips, etc.

Friendship -- Comic books, strips, etc.

Belonging (Social psychology) -- Comic books, strips, etc.

Publisher:

Labyrinth Road,

Publication Date:

2023

ISBN:

9780593570661

9780593570692

9780593570678

Publication Information:

New York : Labyrinth Road, [2023]

Call Number:

J STEINKELLNER

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003687087	New Juvenile Graphic Novels	STEINKELLNER	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

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Summary

Seventh grade is no fairy tale. From the bestselling author of Okay Witch comes an utterly enchanting graphic novel-diary hybrid about a twelve-year-old girl living an ordinary life in a magical land...disappointment, friend drama, adventure, mystery, and all!

To everyone else, the Magical Land of Gumbling is something out of fairy tales. But to Nell Starkeeper, it's just home. Sure, the town community center might be a castle, her dads run a star farm, and her best friend Myra is a fairy, but Nell is much more interested in finding out if she'll get the seventh grade apprenticeship of her dreams with world-famous artist Wiz Bravo.

She's pretty sure her entire life has been RUINED when she's instead matched with boring old Mrs. Birdneck in the town archives. And of course her perfect rival Leabelle gets to work with Wiz, and mean girl Viola won't let Nell forget it. Meanwhile, suddenly Myra seems more into hanging out with Leabelle and saving the town from some weird strangers who keep talking about turning Gumbling into a fancy resort than being friends with Nell anymore. Can Nell find a way to save everything that makes her world magical, while figuring out where she belongs in it?

Author Notes

Emma Steinkellner is an illustrator, writer, and cartoonist living in Los Angeles, California. She is a graduate of Stanford University and the illustrator of the Eisner-nominated comic Quince. She is the author and illustrator of The Okay Witch graphic novel series.

Reviews (2)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 4 Up--Twelve-year-old Nell lives in the magical town of Gumbling with her two dads, little brother, and little sister. All of the students in her class selected apprenticeships they thought sounded most interesting, and Nell opted to work with a famous artist, but instead found herself stuck working in the town archives. As Nell and her friends dig into their new jobs, it starts to feel like their lives are moving in different directions. It doesn't help that two strangers come to town with plans to transform the quiet little community into a tourist destination, even if it means putting townspeople out of work. Nell has the power to help save the town, but first she'll need to repair her friendships and fix her relationship with her new boss! This graphic novel is presented in the form of Nell's illustrated journal, with some pages featuring mostly artwork, and others mostly words. This format also means that part of Nell's story is her emotional journey, and part of it is her journey as an artist. This book features funny and colorful illustrations of fantasy elements that will be familiar to readers, like centaurs and fairies, as well as new concepts like a magic star farm. VERDICT For older kids and younger teens who enjoy stories about magical adventures, friendship, and the challenges of growing up.--Andrea Lipinski

Publisher's Weekly Review

Twelve-year-old Nell, portrayed with light brown skin, learns to appreciate her hometown in this winningly wholesome fantasy graphic novel by Steinkellner (the Okay Witch series), formatted as the protagonist's illustrated journal. Seventh-grader Nell lives in the workaday storybook village of Gumbling, which was the Kingdom of Gumbling until the king stepped down "100-ish years ago." She's excited to start her apprenticeship, especially since she knows she's going to be assigned to the famous artist Wiz Bravo. When she is, instead, assigned to Mrs. Birdneck, the Town Lorekeeper, Nell's dad and pa lend earnest encouragement despite her wallowing ("I will be wasting all this time after school doing something I will hate"). Upon the arrival of two entrepreneurs, who claim to be descendants of the former king and intend to rebrand the town as a fairy tale vacation destination, Nell realizes that Mrs. Birdneck's archives might hold the truth about the retired king's wishes. Steinkellner fashions Nell and her dramatic, mythical classmates--including a centaur and a fairy--with explosive emotion that leaps off the page. Gently humorous prose teems with goofy asides and astute musings, while thinly lined, softly colored art initiates the first installment of this freewheeling series. Ages 8--12. (Sept.)