From the New York Times bestselling author of Rump comes the true story behind another unlikely hero: a grumpy dwarf who gets tangled up in Snow White's feud with the wicked queen. Ever since he was a dwarfling, Borlen (nicknamed "Grump") has dreamed of visiting The Surface, so when opportunity knocks, he leaves his cavern home behind. At first, life aboveground is a dream come true. Queen Elfrieda Veronika Ingrid Lenore (E.V.I.L.) is the best friend Grump always wanted, feeding him all the rubies he can eat and allowing him to rule at her side in exchange for magic and information. But as time goes on, Grump starts to suspect that Queen E.V.I.L. may not be as nice as she seems. . . . When the queen commands him to carry out a horrible task against her stepdaughter, Snow White, Grump is in over his head. He's bound by magic to help the queen, but also to protect Snow White. As if that wasn't stressful enough, the queen keeps bugging him for updates through her magic mirror! He'll have to dig deep to find a way out of this pickle, and that's enough to make any dwarf Grumpy indeed. " Shurtliff excels at turning familiar worlds on their heads . The underground dwarf culture is wonderfully realized, and Grump's fascination with the Surface well drawn…Her Snow White is fresh, a little snotty but highly capable, with far more grit than her Prince. Together, Grump and the Princess are a welcome reminder that heroes needn't be perfect to get the job done." — The New York Times   " Hilarious and heartfelt  . . . Lovable Borlen's grumpy first-person narration explores themes of belonging, friendship, and doing the right thing. Sure to please fans of reimagined fairy tales." — Kirkus   "A hilarious reimagining of its origin story with a wonderfully detailed world and interesting twists on classic characters.  Sure to be a hit with fantasy fans looking for comedy." — Booklist "The story moves at a fast pace and deftly balances lighthearted humor with emotional weight. . . . a sure hit for Shurtliff’s fans. " — School Library Journal'   "GRUMP is full of hilarious moments, surprising twists, a little bit of action, and a character whom you can't help but like. Even if he is a Grump ."—Mundie Kids Liesl Shurtliff grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah, and just as Snow White had seven dwarves, Liesl had seven siblings to keep her company! Before she became a writer, Liesl graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in music, dance, and theater. Her first three books --Rump, Jack, and Red --are all New York Times bestsellers, and Rump was named to over two dozen state award lists and won an ILA Children's Book Award. She lives in Chicago with her family, where she continues to spin fairy tales. Visit her at LieslShurtliff.com. Follow her at @LieslShurtliff. I was born just feet from the surface of the earth, completely unheard of for a dwarf, but it couldn’t be helped. Most dwarves are born deep underground, at least a mile below The Surface, preferably in a cavern filled with crystals and gems: diamonds for strength, emeralds for wisdom, and sapphires for truth.   Mothers and fathers try to feed their dwarflings as many healthy powerful gems as they can within a few hours of birth, to give them the best chance in life. But I was fed none.   My parents had been traveling downward the day I was born. Mother could feel me turning hard inside her belly, a sign that the time was drawing near. She wanted the very best for me. She wanted to be as deep in the earth as possible, in the birthing caverns, with their rich deposits of nutritious crystals and gems. But as my parents traveled downward, before they had even descended below the main cavern, there was a sudden collapse in one of the tunnels. The rocks nearly crushed my mother, and me with her. My father was able to get us out of the way just in time.   Unfortunately, the collapse had blocked the tunnel, so we had to go up to find another way down. The strain of the climb was too much for my poor mother.   “Rubald!” she cried, clutching her belly. “It’s time!”   And there was no time to waste. A dwarfling can stay inside its mother’s belly for a solid decade or more, but when we’re ready to come out, we come fast.   And so I was born in a cavern mere feet below the earth’s surface, where roots dangled from the ceiling, water trickled down the walls, and the only available food was a salty gruel called strolg, made out of common rocks and minerals. Mother was devastated.   “My poor little dwarfling!” she cooed as she spooned the strolg into my mouth, then fed me a few pebbles to satisfy my need to bite and crunch. “What kind of life will he have, Rubald?”   “A fine life, Rumelda,” said my father, ever the optimist. “A happy life.”   “And what will we call him?”   My parents both looked at their surroundings. Dwarves are usually named with some regard to the gems and crystals within the cavern in which they are born,