Adventures of a Dwergish Girl

(Hardback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

Age range 9 to 12

Molly O'Malley is a clever, adventurous girl. She is also a Dwerg. Dwergs are strange folks who live very quietly in the Catskill mountains, have lots of gold, and are kind of like dwarves (but also not!). Molly isn't interested in cooking and weaving, as she is expected to be. So, she sets off to see the world for herself. Which means a new job, a trip to New York City, prowling gangsters, an adorable king, a city witch, and many historical ghosts. More importantly, it means excellent pizza, new friends, and very quick thinking. Now someone is pursuing the Dwergs for their gold. Can Molly O'Malley save the day

'Daniel Pinkwater's books don't strive for greatness; they don't seem to be trying at all. That's the magic of them.' The New York Times Book Review

'I loved it. Gloriously strange, funny, sensible.' Neil Gaiman

Reviews

"Captivating, cool and crazy! This story is an inspiration to us all: Be brave. Have adventures. And, most importantly, follow your dreams."
--Sam Lloyd, author of Mr. Pusskins

"Pinkwater is arguably Pratchett-for-kids, Wodehouse-for-new-millennium-juniors. Or, if you like, Rocky and Bullwinkle in written form, with equally zany illustrations."
--Green Man Review

"Gr 3-6-Written in Pinkwater's unique offbeat style, this novel is part legend, part modern(ish) personal narrative. A Dwergish girl (of Dutch descent) who calls herself Molly O'Malley recounts days at home and her community life before telling of her adventures outside of that isolated, peaceful place in the Catskills where Dwerg life has remained the same for generations. Molly leaves her Dwerg village to go to the city of Kingston, NY, where she sells a couple Dwerg gold coins, gets a job in a local pizza shop belonging to a man from Sierra Leone, and sets up a tent of string and garbage bags in the woods behind the shop. On one late night walk in the old town stockade, Molly meets a ghost who becomes a friend and helps Molly understand an apparent plot to use androids to reenact the burning of Kingston from 1777. Molly and her (living) friend, Leni, take a bus trip to New York City to have hotdogs and papaya juice, which Molly later revisits to see the Yorkville witch who can help her solve the mystery. Witty, unorthodox, and highly entertaining twists and turns abound as Molly uses the wisdom of the Dwergs, the help of the local genius DJ, magic parsnips, and her Uncle Norbert's guidance to save Kingston. Small ink drawings open each chapter with a bit of entertainment and some information about the story. VERDICT Those who enjoy a good mystery with an unusual plot, strong characters, and smart language will find connections between this unbelievable story and the incredible adventures of real life."
--School Library Journal

"Zany characters and a heroine with a taste for adventure fill the pages of this charming middle grade novel. Dwerg life is not for Molly O'Malley who decides to "skedaddle" from their quaint village hidden in the woods to find excitement in the big city. With touches of magic, conversations with ghosts, and a dash of danger in the form of gold-stealing gangsters, Adventures of a Dwergish Girl is sure to delight."
--Alane Adams, author of the Legends of Orkney series

"Molly is curious, practical, and resourceful, and despite her desire for independence, she remains connected to her Dwerg family and heritage. The comically absurd ending is an enjoyable wrap-up to this fast-paced, unexpected adventure that combines history, folklore, and nonsensical fun."
--Publishers Weekly

"The story is Pinkwater in classic form, full of kooky characters and an unpredictable plot that flings readers in unexpected directions. Despite occasional breaks for history lessons and papaya juice amongst the humorous chaos and exquisite descriptions, the story maintains an old-fashioned directness while still incorporating modern elements . . . A Pinkwater whirlwind in all its glory."
--Booklist

"Adventures of A Dwergish Girl is a book with every single thing I love about Pinkwater novels. Reading Daniel Pinkwater--as a kid and as an adult was hugely important to my development as a writer and a human being. Meeting another Pinkwater fan is always a sign that you are among good people."
--Cory Doctorow, author of Little Brother

"Richly-drawn, quirky, and mysterious, Daniel Pinkwater's Adventures of a Dwergish Girl pulls readers into a dazzling adventure."
--Susan Vaught, author of Footer Davis Probably Is Crazy

"Adventures of a Dwergish Girl by Daniel Pinkwater has that rare sense of wonder that makes you feel as if you have entered into a magical kingdom. So few writers have this knack, and it appears to come effortlessly to Mr. Pinkwater. I was delighted to jump into one of his amazing worlds.
--Joe R. Lansdale, author of Of Mice and Minestrone

"Daniel Pinkwater helped to shape me as a storyteller and his books have delighted generations of young readers. We're so lucky to have him as a guide to all the realms of the beautifully weird and whimsical."
--Charlie Jane Anders, author of The City in the Middle of the Night

"Daniel Pinkwater is at his best, most charming and delightful."
--Deborah J. Ross, author of Collaborators

"Highly recommended. I'm going to buy a hard copy when it's published so I can throw it at my nephew when he's old enough to appreciate it."
--Welcome to Camp Telophase

"It's a fine book by one of America's most wonderful writers, and it's hugely welcome after such a long absence."
--Antick Musings

"Aimed at middle school readers this is a delightful story that will please both the young and adult reader. I look forward to more of Molly's adventures."
--The Nameless Zine

Praise for Daniel Pinkwater

"Daniel Pinkwater is so obviously the funniest writer of children's books that he should be made a Living National Treasure."
--Washington Post Book World

"Pinkwater is the uniquest. And so are his books. Each uniquer than the last . . . A delight in oddness. A magic that's not like anyone else's."
--Neil Gaiman, author of American Gods

"No author has ever captured the great fun of being weird, growing up as a happy mutant, unfettered by convention, as well as Pinkwater has."
--Boing Boing

"Pinkwater writes for, and about, people who are not ashamed to look at life a little differently."
--Kathy Ceceri, Wired

Author Bio

Daniel Pinkwater is the author and sometimes illustrator of over eighty (and counting) wildly popular books, including The Neddiad, Lizard Music, The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death, Fat Men from Space, Borgel, and the picture book The Big Orange Splot. He has also illustrated many of his own books, although for more recent works that task has passed to his wife, illustrator and novelist Jill Pinkwater. Pinkwater is an occasional commentator on National Public Radios All Thing Considered and appears regularly on Weekend Edition Saturday, where he reviews kids books with host Scott Simon. Pinkwater also contributes to Wondertime, and has in the past been spotted on the pages of the New York Times Magazine, OMNI, and many other publications. Pinkwater lives with his wife and several dogs and cats in a very old farmhouse in New Yorks Hudson River Valley.