Nell of Gumbling. [1], My extremely normal fairy-tale life

First Title Value for Searching:

Personal Author:

Steinkellner, Emma

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

220 pages : color illlustrations ; 22 cm.

Genre:

Comics (Graphic works)

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? " -- Publisher's website.

Subject Term:

Artists -- Comic books, strips, etc.

Friendship -- Comic books, strips, etc.

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

Magic -- Comic books, strips, etc.

Sexual minorities -- Comic books, strips, etc.

Comic books, strips, etc.

Audience/Lexile:

Ages 8-12

Grades 4-6

GN600L

Decoding demand: 94 (very high) Semantic demand: 100 (very high) Syntactic demand: 87 (very high) Structure demand: 88 (very high)

Publication Info:

New York : Labyrinth Road, [2023]

Subject:

Artists -- Comic books, strips, etc.

Friendship -- Comic books, strips, etc.

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

Magic -- Comic books, strips, etc.

Sexual minorities -- Comic books, strips, etc.

Comic books, strips, etc.

Fairy tales.

Fantasy comics.

Humorous comics.

Graphic novels.

Comics (Graphic works)

Painters

Portrait painters

Affection

Friendliness

Belongingness (Social psychology)

Connectedness (Social psychology)

Social belonging

Social connectedness

Magick

Necromancy

Sorcery

Spells

Gender minorities

GLBT people

GLBTQ people

LGBT people

LGBTQ people

Non-heterosexual people

Non-heterosexuals

Sexual dissidents

Comic strips

Comics

Funnies

Manhua (Comic books)

Manhwa (Comic books)

Serial picture books

SAILS ISBN:

9780593570661

9780593570692

Available:

Library	Shelf Number	Shelf Location	Status
Searching... Plainville Public Library	GRAPHIC J STE	CHILDREN GRAPHIC NOVELS	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Attleboro Public Library	J NELL	CHILDREN GRAPHIC NOVELS	Searching... Unknown
Searching... East Bridgewater Public Library	STEINKELLNER	CHILDREN GRAPHIC NOVELS	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Easton - Ames Free Library	JUV GRAPHIC STEINK	CHILDREN GRAPHIC NOVELS	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Elizabeth Taber Library	J GN STE	CHILDREN GRAPHIC NOVELS	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Foxboro - Boyden Library	J GRAPHIC STEINKELLNER	CHILDREN GRAPHIC NOVELS	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Mansfield Public Library	J FIC STEINKELLNER (GRAPHIC)	CHILDREN FICTION	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Mattapoisett Free Public Library	JGRAPH STE NELL #1	CHILDREN GRAPHIC NOVELS	Searching... Unknown
Searching... New Bedford Free Public Library	J GRAPHIC STEINKELLNER	CHILDREN GRAPHIC NOVELS	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Norfolk Public Library	JGN STEI	CHILDREN GRAPHIC NOVELS	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Norton Public Library	JGN STE NELL V1	NEW CHILDREN BOOK	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Raynham Library	JGRAPHIC STE	CHILDREN GRAPHIC NOVELS	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Seekonk Public Library	J NEL V1	CHILDREN GRAPHIC NOVELS	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Somerset Public Library	Y GRAPHIC NOVEL STE	GRAPHIC NOVELS	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Swansea Public Library	J (GRAPHIC) NELL OF GUMBLING	CHILDREN GRAPHIC NOVELS	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

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?

Reviews (3)

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.)

Kirkus Review

Things do not go as planned for young Nell. In the magical world of Gumbling lives bespectacled 12-year-old Nell Starkeeper, her two younger siblings, and her star-farming parents, Dad and Pa. More than anything, aspiring artist Nell wants to be assigned as an apprentice to famous painter Wiz Bravo. However, when the apprenticeships are announced by teacher Ms. Garlic, she learns she's been placed with formidable, dour Mrs. Birdneck, the Town Lorekeeper. Nell is averse to both Mrs. Birdneck and the lorekeeping archives, which are housed in a cold, dark dungeon. Her two best friends, Gilligan Bugg, a Thumbkin, and Myra Didwell, who is half fairy, got their preferred apprenticeships, something that brings Nell down further. When a wily duo of human developers arrives from New York City, claiming to be long-lost relatives of a past ruler and planning to transform quaint Gumbling into a bustling resort, Nell and her friends use their newfound apprentice skills and the power of friendship to try to save their beloved kingdom. Steinkellner's vibrant and fun series opener is a delight that captures the ups and downs of tweendom with whimsy and panache. Through her missteps, Nell's journey to finding her own happiness is wholly engaging. The charming art supports the cleverly wrought worldbuilding, including details readers will pore over and alternating between pages of text with illustrations and traditional comic panels. Most characters present white; Myra reads Black. A feel-good tale of friendship, community, and unexpected joy. (additional comics) (Graphic fantasy. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.