They don’t have names and are either referred to as “first, second, third” etc. Speaking of mind-benders…I KNOW, RIGHT?! But if you look closely at the Grimms’ version of Snow White there’s actually no solid evidence that all the dwarves are male. I had to chip away at it, little by little. Figuring out what he truly wanted, and how that would drive the story forward, using all the events that happen in the Snow White tale, was kind of a mind-bender. Grump’s character took a little more time to develop than some of the others.

Where did Grump come from? How did his character evolve?Īgain, he’s a character that’s introduced in Red, but we don’t learn too much about him in that story, other than the fact that he lives underground and eats rocks. That line caught me off guard, but it stuck with me and I started to wonder what the Snow White tale would look like from a dwarf’s point of view. I had always assumed Red would be the last of my fairytales, but about half-way through Red I introduced a surly dwarf who in the course of conversation calls Snow White a spoiled brat. Grump was an idea that took me completely by surprise. It’s also wonderful fun! You’ve written about Rump, Jack and Red, why did you choose to tackle Grump? It’s a challenge, a privilege, and a responsibility. It did for me, and it’s always been my hope to write books that could be a kid’s “gateway book” to a reading life. It usually happens in that 8-12 middle-grade age range. Not that I haven’t read some amazing adult and young adult books, I absolutely have, but there’s something magical about a first book-love, that one that got you hooked on reading. Their books marked me in ways that don’t compare with books I read as an adult, or even a teen.

Roald Dahl, Shel Silverstein, Judy Blume, Beverly Cleary, just to name a few favorite authors. When I think of the books that have meant the most to me in my life, I always go back to those I read as a child. To create and share our creations with others builds relationships, cultures, and communities, so my writing is one small way I feel I can contribute to the cause.

I also believe all artistic expression is good, both for the individual and society in general. It’s fun (also therapeutic) for me to put thoughts and ideas in my head into words on the page. The following is the complete transcript of her interview with Cracking the Cover for her latest MG novel, Grump. Liesl Shurtliff is the author of Rump, Jack and Red.

Jack by Liesl Shurtliff