What do you think?
Rate this book
Neddie & Friends #5
Adventures of a Dwergish Girl
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 Dwergish girls are 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.
Someone is looking for the Dwergs and their gold. Can Molly O'Malley save the day?
Molly isn't interested in cooking and weaving, as Dwergish girls are 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.
Someone is looking for the Dwergs and their gold. Can Molly O'Malley save the day?
192 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2020
About the author
Daniel Pinkwater
135 books389 followersDaniel Manus Pinkwater is an author of mostly children's books and is an occasional commentator on National Public Radio. He attended Bard College. Well-known books include Lizard Music, The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death, Fat Men from Space, Borgel, and the picture book The Big Orange Splot. Pinkwater has also illustrated many of his books in the past, although for more recent works that task has passed to his wife Jill Pinkwater.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
November 13, 2020
It has been brought to my attention that my two star review is not very nice and hurt the author's feelings. Therefore, I have hidden my review under a spoiler, so that Mr. Pinkwater will not accidentally read it. Proceed at your own risk.
his comments on my wordpress:
https://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2020/...
his comments on my wordpress:
https://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2020/...
June 9, 2024
This is a Middle Grade, and this is the 5th book in the Neddie & Friends series. I have to see a really enjoyed this weird middle grade book. I did find the first few chapters very boring. I think their has to be a better way to tell the readers what Dwergs are then how it was done in the first few chapters. The main character we follow is a Dwerg named Molly. She leaves where the Dwergs lives to go out into the world. The rest of the book is about her being out in the world. I love the book after Molly left where Dwergs lives. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher or author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 22, 2020
Adventures of a Dwergish girl by Daniel Pinkwater: a review
Genre: Children's fiction
With thanks to NetGalley and Tachyon Publications for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest feedback.
When I was just learning to cook, I had once tried making a lettuce salad using varied ingredients. Its flavour turned out to be pretty decent but the feedback I received from my family was, "You have tried to put a little bit of everything, but haven't kept any dominant ingredient. Putting equal quantities of each of the main ingredients just messes with the overall flavour." I have always kept that advice in mind because it did seem to make a lot of sense.
The author of this book seems to have made the same amateurish mistake. He has tried to put in fantasy, horror, thrill, humour, adventure, bad guys, good guys, evil guys, silly guys, clever guys,... all within a 192 page book. At the end, there is no dominant idea and the book just ends up as the book version of a jack of all trades and master of none.
Does that mean that the book is boring and not worth reading? Not at all. It does have its positive points also. Here's a brief review about the book that tries too hard and doesn't quite succeed.
Story:
Molly van Dwerg is the eponymous Dwergish girl, Dwerg being Dutch for "dwarf". She is quite fed up with her routine life in her village with the other dwergs and hence seeks to go to the nearest town of Kingston to live her life fully and freely. What she discovers there, how she adjusts to life amid humans, and how she uses her Dwergish powers & friendships to save the town forms the rest of the story.
Pros:
- Molly is a character whom children will love. She is a girl to look up to as she is brave, intelligent and willing to try new things instead of sticking to convention. She would be a good role model for young girls.
- There are a few really humorous scenes in the book. So the fun element that children always enjoy reading is taken care of.
- The dwergs seem to be an interesting race and their characteristics will definitely keep children intrigued.
- The dwergs' attempt to fit in at the local school can teach children about how we must accept strangers who are different to us in appearance. There are a few such allegorical lessons peppered throughout the book.
- Special mention to the cover. It is so colourful and appealing.
Cons:
- The ending is too abrupt. I have a feeling the author deliberately kept it like that in order to leave some scope for a sequel, but it should have been written better. It's like a car that was going at a steady 80kmph and then suddenly braking to a halt without a warning. You are caught unawares.
- Like I mentioned above, the author tries too hard and too much. I wish the author could have focussed on any one or two dominant elements and kept the story structured around those.
- The historical description given for the places that Molly visits is written in a very drab and stretched-out way. As the main target audience is children, this aspect should have been tackled more like brief interesting tidbits rather than a detailed history lesson.
In short, the book could have been much more, if only the author had decided to keep on track rather than desperately trying to cover as many ideas as could possibly fit within his story.
My rating: 3.25/5
#AdventuresofaDwergishGirl #NetGalley
********************************************
Join me on the Facebook group, " Readers Forever! ", for more reviews and other book-related discussions and fun.
Genre: Children's fiction
With thanks to NetGalley and Tachyon Publications for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest feedback.
When I was just learning to cook, I had once tried making a lettuce salad using varied ingredients. Its flavour turned out to be pretty decent but the feedback I received from my family was, "You have tried to put a little bit of everything, but haven't kept any dominant ingredient. Putting equal quantities of each of the main ingredients just messes with the overall flavour." I have always kept that advice in mind because it did seem to make a lot of sense.
The author of this book seems to have made the same amateurish mistake. He has tried to put in fantasy, horror, thrill, humour, adventure, bad guys, good guys, evil guys, silly guys, clever guys,... all within a 192 page book. At the end, there is no dominant idea and the book just ends up as the book version of a jack of all trades and master of none.
Does that mean that the book is boring and not worth reading? Not at all. It does have its positive points also. Here's a brief review about the book that tries too hard and doesn't quite succeed.
Story:
Molly van Dwerg is the eponymous Dwergish girl, Dwerg being Dutch for "dwarf". She is quite fed up with her routine life in her village with the other dwergs and hence seeks to go to the nearest town of Kingston to live her life fully and freely. What she discovers there, how she adjusts to life amid humans, and how she uses her Dwergish powers & friendships to save the town forms the rest of the story.
Pros:
- Molly is a character whom children will love. She is a girl to look up to as she is brave, intelligent and willing to try new things instead of sticking to convention. She would be a good role model for young girls.
- There are a few really humorous scenes in the book. So the fun element that children always enjoy reading is taken care of.
- The dwergs seem to be an interesting race and their characteristics will definitely keep children intrigued.
- The dwergs' attempt to fit in at the local school can teach children about how we must accept strangers who are different to us in appearance. There are a few such allegorical lessons peppered throughout the book.
- Special mention to the cover. It is so colourful and appealing.
Cons:
- The ending is too abrupt. I have a feeling the author deliberately kept it like that in order to leave some scope for a sequel, but it should have been written better. It's like a car that was going at a steady 80kmph and then suddenly braking to a halt without a warning. You are caught unawares.
- Like I mentioned above, the author tries too hard and too much. I wish the author could have focussed on any one or two dominant elements and kept the story structured around those.
- The historical description given for the places that Molly visits is written in a very drab and stretched-out way. As the main target audience is children, this aspect should have been tackled more like brief interesting tidbits rather than a detailed history lesson.
In short, the book could have been much more, if only the author had decided to keep on track rather than desperately trying to cover as many ideas as could possibly fit within his story.
My rating: 3.25/5
#AdventuresofaDwergishGirl #NetGalley
********************************************
Join me on the Facebook group, " Readers Forever! ", for more reviews and other book-related discussions and fun.
Read
September 23, 2020It's always difficult to describe a Daniel Pinkwater book, because they aren't like anything else--nor are they like each other.
In this tale marketed for a middle-grade audience, our heroine Molly is a Dwergish girl who decides her village is too dull and she's ready to adventure into the big world. Along the way she'll encounter ghosts as well as gangsters, historical and in the present.
The pacing is rather slow and the vocabulary pretty steep for middle-grade, but content-wise it's closer to middle grade than YA, especially today's YA, which seems to have romance at its core more often than not.
I was really enjoying it, though wondering who the audience was, when I thought back to my teaching days, and it hit me that this would read aloud well to those fourth, fifth, and sixth graders to whom it's marketed. When reading aloud, one can choose a book with vocabulary and concepts that will get the kids to stretch their learning and imaginations a bit, and this book will fit the bill with its fun, often tongue-in-cheek historical bits.
I highly recommend reading it aloud to your kids, your class, or even yourself, to get the most fun out of it!
Copy provided by NetGalley
In this tale marketed for a middle-grade audience, our heroine Molly is a Dwergish girl who decides her village is too dull and she's ready to adventure into the big world. Along the way she'll encounter ghosts as well as gangsters, historical and in the present.
The pacing is rather slow and the vocabulary pretty steep for middle-grade, but content-wise it's closer to middle grade than YA, especially today's YA, which seems to have romance at its core more often than not.
I was really enjoying it, though wondering who the audience was, when I thought back to my teaching days, and it hit me that this would read aloud well to those fourth, fifth, and sixth graders to whom it's marketed. When reading aloud, one can choose a book with vocabulary and concepts that will get the kids to stretch their learning and imaginations a bit, and this book will fit the bill with its fun, often tongue-in-cheek historical bits.
I highly recommend reading it aloud to your kids, your class, or even yourself, to get the most fun out of it!
Copy provided by NetGalley
January 12, 2021
Pinkwater doing what he does best: humorous, fantastical adventure, with plenty of descriptions of mouthwatering food! My kids were utterly delighted by this, and I realized that it has been so long since I read them Lizard Music and The Last Guru that they've forgotten the sheer bonkers awesomeness of a Pinkwater story!
We all loved Molly, the titular Dwergish Girl, who leaves her remote Catskills village behind to experience life among the "English," as Dwergs refer to us humans. She discovers the joys of pizza, makes friends, starts learning the banjo, and takes a trip to New York City . . . but all is not well in their small town . . . strange forces are gathering. The ghosts are disturbed. And there have been sightings of honest-to-goodness Redcoats, like the ones that burned down the town of Kingston two hundred years before! Can Molly save the day?
We all loved Molly, the titular Dwergish Girl, who leaves her remote Catskills village behind to experience life among the "English," as Dwergs refer to us humans. She discovers the joys of pizza, makes friends, starts learning the banjo, and takes a trip to New York City . . . but all is not well in their small town . . . strange forces are gathering. The ghosts are disturbed. And there have been sightings of honest-to-goodness Redcoats, like the ones that burned down the town of Kingston two hundred years before! Can Molly save the day?
April 23, 2020
A Top Notch Pinkwater Heroine
Pinkwater writes great characters, but many of his narrators and central characters are boys. Robert Nifkin, Arthur Bobowicz, Alan Mendelsohn, Neddie Wentworthstein, Walter and Winston - the list goes on. He sometimes gives us strong girl sidekicks, (the Cat-Whiskered girl, Rat from the Snarkout books), but they are rarely the featured attraction. Until now.
Molly, the Dwergish Girl with a taste for adventure and life outside of her boring Dwerg village, is an absolutely grade-A Pinkwater heroine. She is calm, collected, sublimely in charge of every situation, totally unflappable, and completely impervious to any sort of con. She truly sees and understands everything she observes, and is bemused by most of it. She is the girl you would like your granddaughter to be.
Pinkwater spares no effort in surrounding her with a fine cast of classic Pinkwater characters. There are no less than a dozen distinct and interesting adult supporting players here. Molly even gets a sharp, deadpan girl sidekick/pal to round out the action and provide her with a buddy.
The plot isn't as antic/silly as in some Pinkwater books, but it's goofy and unpredictable enough to keep young readers on their toes.
I could go on and on, but that would just be fanboy gushing. Note that the book starts a bit slowly; I was getting concerned after the first chapter. But that was just Pinkwater getting warmed up. By chapter two you'll be off and running. For what it's worth, the book is a complete story arc, but it ends with a note that promises further Molly Von Dwerg adventures, which would be just fine by me.
(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
Pinkwater writes great characters, but many of his narrators and central characters are boys. Robert Nifkin, Arthur Bobowicz, Alan Mendelsohn, Neddie Wentworthstein, Walter and Winston - the list goes on. He sometimes gives us strong girl sidekicks, (the Cat-Whiskered girl, Rat from the Snarkout books), but they are rarely the featured attraction. Until now.
Molly, the Dwergish Girl with a taste for adventure and life outside of her boring Dwerg village, is an absolutely grade-A Pinkwater heroine. She is calm, collected, sublimely in charge of every situation, totally unflappable, and completely impervious to any sort of con. She truly sees and understands everything she observes, and is bemused by most of it. She is the girl you would like your granddaughter to be.
Pinkwater spares no effort in surrounding her with a fine cast of classic Pinkwater characters. There are no less than a dozen distinct and interesting adult supporting players here. Molly even gets a sharp, deadpan girl sidekick/pal to round out the action and provide her with a buddy.
The plot isn't as antic/silly as in some Pinkwater books, but it's goofy and unpredictable enough to keep young readers on their toes.
I could go on and on, but that would just be fanboy gushing. Note that the book starts a bit slowly; I was getting concerned after the first chapter. But that was just Pinkwater getting warmed up. By chapter two you'll be off and running. For what it's worth, the book is a complete story arc, but it ends with a note that promises further Molly Von Dwerg adventures, which would be just fine by me.
(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
April 17, 2024
Adventures of a Dwergish Girl is a strange book—and it would be a strange book anyway, in the sense that it’s about , but it’s also a strange book within Daniel Pinkwater’s oevre. I thought it might be worthwhile to review that oevre, and see where this volume fits in.
[The remainder of this review temporarily offline for retooling]
[The remainder of this review temporarily offline for retooling]
July 7, 2022
another fascinating story with fascinating lore
But Mr Pinkwater I am hopelessly lost which order I'm supposed to have read them and of some of the stories resolve as they seem to be the first parts but will there be second parts? I'll keep reading them cause I enjoy them so, but I'm a wee bit anxious if I'm gonna find out what happens to the some of the characters in this series. These are great for rereading which I normally don't do, but keep them coming!
But Mr Pinkwater I am hopelessly lost which order I'm supposed to have read them and of some of the stories resolve as they seem to be the first parts but will there be second parts? I'll keep reading them cause I enjoy them so, but I'm a wee bit anxious if I'm gonna find out what happens to the some of the characters in this series. These are great for rereading which I normally don't do, but keep them coming!
November 25, 2021
Boring and pointless even as a YA story.
May 4, 2020
I have been enjoying the books of Daniel Pinkwater for probably 35 years. I still remember my favorite book of his fondly: Alan Mendelsohn, the Boy from Mars. It was a book about an unpopular outcast and I felt very seen. I loved the fact that he got to find a friend and have adventures and smoke cigars and travel to another plane of reality. I enjoyed all of his books that I read, including Young Adult Novel and The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death. Didn’t he have fantastic titles? And I’ll never forget listening to Car Talk with my dad and realizing that it was Daniel Pinkwater calling in. If memory serves, they decided to use a new method of measuring car seat size for ample rumps “the “Pinkwater”. Recently, I’ve been finding some of his books geared for younger kids for my own children. My eldest really enjoyed the Hoboken Chicken Emergency.
So I was very excited to get an eARC of Adventures of a Dwergish Girl from NetGalley. It envisions a community of Dwergs, people resembling fairy tale dwarves, living in update New York. But, like many a Pinkwater book, it doesn’t dawdle. It quickly sets our protagonist, a Dwerg who goes by Molly, off on a series of wacky adventures, which include the most loving description of a papaya-based New York hot dog eatery you have ever or will ever read. It really made me nostalgic for when I lived on the Upper East Side.
Like many Pinkwater books, this one is filled with zany characters that seem so unrealistic that you know they must be based on real people. Also, like many Pinkwater books, the plot zigs and zags with many unexpected turns that could easily give you whiplash, they are so abrupt.
Is this book perfect? No. But it captures that classic Pinkwater vibe. And that’s good enough for me!
So I was very excited to get an eARC of Adventures of a Dwergish Girl from NetGalley. It envisions a community of Dwergs, people resembling fairy tale dwarves, living in update New York. But, like many a Pinkwater book, it doesn’t dawdle. It quickly sets our protagonist, a Dwerg who goes by Molly, off on a series of wacky adventures, which include the most loving description of a papaya-based New York hot dog eatery you have ever or will ever read. It really made me nostalgic for when I lived on the Upper East Side.
Like many Pinkwater books, this one is filled with zany characters that seem so unrealistic that you know they must be based on real people. Also, like many Pinkwater books, the plot zigs and zags with many unexpected turns that could easily give you whiplash, they are so abrupt.
Is this book perfect? No. But it captures that classic Pinkwater vibe. And that’s good enough for me!
September 25, 2020
Daniel Pinkwater is at his best, most charming and delightful in this tale of a girl from the Dwerg people – you know, the “little men” responsible for Rip Van Winkle sleeping for twenty years? The ones you can never find, no matter how hard you look? The ones who mine gold in the Catskills, can run unbelievably fast, practice domesticity on a level capable of boring any young person to tears? Such is Molly Van Dwerg’s world until she decides to leave home, armed with a couple of Dwergish gold coins and irrepressible self-confidence. Her gift for making friends is rivaled only by her appetite for pizza and papaya juice. When the nearby town of Kingston is menaced by bad guys after the gold and willing to burn down the town to get it, Molly enlists her friends and her wits to save the day.
Charming reading for the entire family.
Charming reading for the entire family.
September 26, 2020
A lovely children's book about magical creatures and a mystery surrounding the town. I hope it is the begginning of a series, since I would love to read more.
I love when small or big details mentioned get used in the books. And when reader does not guess that it will, it makes the story more beautiful.
I have never read Pinkwater before but sure to keep an eye on him. Loved his mystical but plain storytelling.
Detailed review is here: https://magicanddust.blogspot.com/202...
I love when small or big details mentioned get used in the books. And when reader does not guess that it will, it makes the story more beautiful.
I have never read Pinkwater before but sure to keep an eye on him. Loved his mystical but plain storytelling.
Detailed review is here: https://magicanddust.blogspot.com/202...
August 24, 2020
Thanks to Netgalley and Tachyon Publications for providing an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is my first-time reading Daniel Pinkwater's book and will definitely not the last. I was mesmerized by the book's cover when I first saw it on Netgalley and when I read its description, BOOM! That's when it fully got me. It’s scheduled to come out on September 25, 2020.
The Story
Molly is a Dwerg (Dwerg is a Dutch word which means “dwarf”) who lives very quietly in the Catskill mountains, in a place you cannot find no matter how hard you try to locate. As a Dwergish girl, one is expected to be interested in cooking and weaving and do it all your life. But Molly isn’t interested on those things. She’s fed up to that kind of tradition they have. So, she set off to see the world for herself. She went to a town in Kingston, and there, she got a job in a pizzeria owned by Arnold Babatunji. She also met Leni, a girl from the school she’s attending, and later on, became her friend. During her stay in Kingston, she discovered that aside from the living, the place is also overrun with ghosts. That’s where she met her favorite ghost, Roger Van Tussenvuxel. Her life becomes complicated when she finds out that some gangsters are coming after the Dwergs and the coins.
The verdict
3.5 stars for me. It’s an interesting read and had fun being with Molly’s adventures. The ending was too abrupt, like it was rushed or something. I was expecting to have more chapters but then I realized that it was the end (or maybe the author deliberately kept it that way). I would love to have more of Molly’s adventures. It may not be a perfect book, but it’s a good one.
The Story
Molly is a Dwerg (Dwerg is a Dutch word which means “dwarf”) who lives very quietly in the Catskill mountains, in a place you cannot find no matter how hard you try to locate. As a Dwergish girl, one is expected to be interested in cooking and weaving and do it all your life. But Molly isn’t interested on those things. She’s fed up to that kind of tradition they have. So, she set off to see the world for herself. She went to a town in Kingston, and there, she got a job in a pizzeria owned by Arnold Babatunji. She also met Leni, a girl from the school she’s attending, and later on, became her friend. During her stay in Kingston, she discovered that aside from the living, the place is also overrun with ghosts. That’s where she met her favorite ghost, Roger Van Tussenvuxel. Her life becomes complicated when she finds out that some gangsters are coming after the Dwergs and the coins.
The verdict
3.5 stars for me. It’s an interesting read and had fun being with Molly’s adventures. The ending was too abrupt, like it was rushed or something. I was expecting to have more chapters but then I realized that it was the end (or maybe the author deliberately kept it that way). I would love to have more of Molly’s adventures. It may not be a perfect book, but it’s a good one.
March 25, 2021
STORYLINE: A wonderful blend of folklore, magic, and history – early American history, that is. Picture the dwarfs that lived with Snow White. The characters of this book are like the legendary dwarfs, and they live in a mostly invisible village. One day, a young girl, named Molly, a Dwerg (that is what these little people are called) decides there is more to life than living in this village. She tells her family this; they wish her well; and she takes off on adventures into the big outside world. She lands in Kingston, New York.
TEXT: Take a bit of magic, pizza, hotdogs, and papaya juice. Mix this with ordinary people, ghosts, dead and alive British soldiers and gangsters, a radio DJ, the witch of the Catskill Mountain, the bee waggle and a cave, and you have an adventuresome mystery of a book!
ILLUSTRATIONS: Black and white illustrations to begin each short chapter peak interest.
PROS:
*The book lends itself to a geography lesson of this Catskill Mountain region
*The book references American history and folklore of the region
CONS: Story ends and readers want more. A book #2 would be nice!
HOW BEST ENJOYED: This would be a great read-aloud for third and fourth graders. Storytimes of this nature stick in the memories of children when they grow up.
IN CLOSING: Have you ever thought about your destiny? Molly learns her destiny in this story!
TEXT: Take a bit of magic, pizza, hotdogs, and papaya juice. Mix this with ordinary people, ghosts, dead and alive British soldiers and gangsters, a radio DJ, the witch of the Catskill Mountain, the bee waggle and a cave, and you have an adventuresome mystery of a book!
ILLUSTRATIONS: Black and white illustrations to begin each short chapter peak interest.
PROS:
*The book lends itself to a geography lesson of this Catskill Mountain region
*The book references American history and folklore of the region
CONS: Story ends and readers want more. A book #2 would be nice!
HOW BEST ENJOYED: This would be a great read-aloud for third and fourth graders. Storytimes of this nature stick in the memories of children when they grow up.
IN CLOSING: Have you ever thought about your destiny? Molly learns her destiny in this story!
August 16, 2020
Wow, such a good story. This sci-fi and fantasy book from Daniel Pinkwater was the first book I have read from this author. I have been wanting to read his work in so long, and now that I did I'm so impressed. Thanks to Netgalley I received this ARC of this book.
This story follows a Dwergish girl that goes by the name Molly. She is confident, smart and very independent. She decides to move out of her hidden town that only Dwergish can find. She ends up working for a pizzeria and living behind it. Here Molly meets Leni, a girl from the school she was attending. Leni knows her way around New York and even caves. Molly's simple life becomes complicated after finding out that some might be coming after the Dwergish coins of gold worth so much. Molly meets various characters as she embarks on the adventure to save Kingstown from a possible torching.
This is a great read and an easy read. I enjoyed every moment of it. If you like The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman you will love this book as well. I highly recommend this book. #AdventuresofaDwergishGirl #NetGalley
This story follows a Dwergish girl that goes by the name Molly. She is confident, smart and very independent. She decides to move out of her hidden town that only Dwergish can find. She ends up working for a pizzeria and living behind it. Here Molly meets Leni, a girl from the school she was attending. Leni knows her way around New York and even caves. Molly's simple life becomes complicated after finding out that some might be coming after the Dwergish coins of gold worth so much. Molly meets various characters as she embarks on the adventure to save Kingstown from a possible torching.
This is a great read and an easy read. I enjoyed every moment of it. If you like The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman you will love this book as well. I highly recommend this book. #AdventuresofaDwergishGirl #NetGalley
September 24, 2020
This is another odd book by Daniel Pinkwater. Molly, a Dwergish girl, doesn't fit into her home culture so she leaves to find a better fit. Molly is brave and adventurous and well able to take care of herself, though she is also able to make friends and reach out to people for help. An admirable character for kids to meet. Pinkwater has such a dry sense of humor (I think) that it is sometimes difficult to tell what you should take seriously. There is a move to Poughkeepsie at the end, hopefully for more adventures.
I received an eARC through NetGalley.
I received an eARC through NetGalley.
October 11, 2020
I really enjoyed this story about Molly, the Dwerg! This was the first book I've read by Daniel Pinkwater and I look forward to checking out more of his books. I enjoyed the pace and think some of my students would enjoy this story as well. As we know, kids tend to choose a book by the cover and I think this book has a great cover!
Thank you to NetGalley and Tachyon Publications for the opportunity to read and review this book!
Thank you to NetGalley and Tachyon Publications for the opportunity to read and review this book!
October 24, 2020
Great Pinkwater fun. A lot of really creative ideas that flow along together. Great, fun read.
March 27, 2022
As ever, Pinkwater nails it with Adventures of a Dwergish Girl. Whimsical and adventurous and, simply, fun. I adore this series.
August 9, 2020
This is the story of Molly Van Dwerg. She is a Dwerg. It's the Ducthc word for dwarf. They are actually taller than drawrf, but not by much. They live in the Catskills in a place no one can find. Some of the Dwerg girls go to the Engel's schools. Engel is what they call English people. When she goes to school her name is Molly O'Malley. Molly decided to move to the Engel's city and gets a job at a pizza restaurant. She lives in the woods behind the restaurant and spends her nights talking to the local ghosts. Some know she's a Dwerg, though most people don't know if the Dwerg really exist. Stories say the Dwergs are rich with gold which leads us to the ghost gangster, Leg Rhinestone, who wants to steal the gold with the help of his living gangster friends. I will stop there so you're able to leaen how this story ends on your own. It's a whitty and fun read and I highly suggest you do so. I am giving this a solid 4 star review. Enjoy! Thank you netgalley, Daniel Pinkwater, and published for allowing me to read for free in exchange for an honest review.
October 7, 2020
I did not like this at all. I usually LOVE Pinkwater. Young Adult Novel is one of my favorite books. I recommend The Big Orange Splot at the library all the time. This was dumb. It wasn't silly or creative or interesting.
I read an e-ARC through NetGalley.
I read an e-ARC through NetGalley.
June 16, 2020
The Dwergs are a mellow crew that dwell in the nooks and crannies of the Catskills and have obscene amounts of gold. Molly is a Dwerg that decides to leave home and seek her fortunes out in the world. The scope of the book is narrow, remaining in one small upstate New York town, and for the most part centered around a pizza store, and the town is charming.
Maybe I read this book at the exact right time, but during an age when the world seems to be crashing and burning, escaping into this low-key book with its incredibly low-key plotline was exactly what I needed.
Recommend it, for adults who want a gentle read, and children who are fans of goblins and the like.
Maybe I read this book at the exact right time, but during an age when the world seems to be crashing and burning, escaping into this low-key book with its incredibly low-key plotline was exactly what I needed.
Recommend it, for adults who want a gentle read, and children who are fans of goblins and the like.
December 20, 2023
I was so excited to see that Pinkwater had written another novel! I absolutely love all of his books, but especially his novels.
This one may have started a bit slow, but it also took awhile to set the scene. I loved everything about "Adventures of a Dwergish Girl" ! Funny, quirky, and quite delightful.
Unless you are a big fan of Pinkwater I would recommend this mainly for students grades 5-10.
Enjoy!
I decided to have a Pinkwater book festival (just me😁) but decided to audiobook the title this time. I could only find the audiobook from Audible. What a mistake. Audible produced the audiobook and it sucked the delight out of the story. A man read the part of the Dwergish Girl. Why? It was very odd to have a male reader read the part of a teen girl.
I’d say to save this book for a hard copy read!
This one may have started a bit slow, but it also took awhile to set the scene. I loved everything about "Adventures of a Dwergish Girl" ! Funny, quirky, and quite delightful.
Unless you are a big fan of Pinkwater I would recommend this mainly for students grades 5-10.
Enjoy!
I decided to have a Pinkwater book festival (just me😁) but decided to audiobook the title this time. I could only find the audiobook from Audible. What a mistake. Audible produced the audiobook and it sucked the delight out of the story. A man read the part of the Dwergish Girl. Why? It was very odd to have a male reader read the part of a teen girl.
I’d say to save this book for a hard copy read!
June 30, 2020
Perfect for all the Goblins lovers. The characters are interesting and the writing is good. Even though a Children's fiction many adults will still enjoy it. I definitely did!
Molly is an interesting character. She is brave and intelligent and adventurous. She is a Dwerg, Dutch for a dwarf. She seeks a new life and goes to the nearest town.
The story revolves around how she adjusts to her new life and friend. How she saves the town. I like the humorous parts in the story. The characters are good. I felt the ending was a bit abrupt. Overall an interesting read.
Molly is an interesting character. She is brave and intelligent and adventurous. She is a Dwerg, Dutch for a dwarf. She seeks a new life and goes to the nearest town.
The story revolves around how she adjusts to her new life and friend. How she saves the town. I like the humorous parts in the story. The characters are good. I felt the ending was a bit abrupt. Overall an interesting read.
January 5, 2022
To see more reviews check out MI Book Reviews.
I got an ARC of this book from the author.
I had never heard of a Dwerg before this book. I ended up googling and it really does come up as something. I thought Pinkwater was just making up a cool sounding word, which would have been ok with me, but it actually existing made it extra cool.
The book itself was a quick read as it was aimed at middle grade readers. I enjoyed it even though it was not my reading level. It was fun to be able to sit and read through the story. There were some twists and turns. There were some really cute jokes, like the bee dance. There was also a lot of pizza talk. This might be the book to use if you are trying to get your kid to try new pizza toppings!
There was a lot of world building in the first few chapters (like the ton of pizza talk), so it feels like it takes forever for it to start. Most of my issues with the book are in those first few chapters and a word choice here or there. The world building is cool and I was promised my word choice issues were fixed before thing were printed (so I am using some trust here and judging the book based on the plot and characters). So my biggest complaint is there is so much world building that I was worried the plot would never start. If I could erase the first five or six chapters, then I would like this book a bit more. Some of the world building was nice, but not really needed up front or at all.
The plot itself was slow and meandering, but in a way that made it feel fleshed out and one that allowed for cute jokes to happen. The ending was one that mostly made sense. I feel like it was left open a bit for a sequel, but the only questions I have are about what that sequel would be which is a wonderful change from a huge plot point not being explained just to set up a sequel. I liked the ending. It was quick, no huge surprises that annoyed me, and it fit perfectly with the pace of the story and the world that was built. So at least one of the chapters I wanted to erase before really is necessary.
Overall, it was a cute story and my first Pinkwater book.
I got an ARC of this book from the author.
I had never heard of a Dwerg before this book. I ended up googling and it really does come up as something. I thought Pinkwater was just making up a cool sounding word, which would have been ok with me, but it actually existing made it extra cool.
The book itself was a quick read as it was aimed at middle grade readers. I enjoyed it even though it was not my reading level. It was fun to be able to sit and read through the story. There were some twists and turns. There were some really cute jokes, like the bee dance. There was also a lot of pizza talk. This might be the book to use if you are trying to get your kid to try new pizza toppings!
There was a lot of world building in the first few chapters (like the ton of pizza talk), so it feels like it takes forever for it to start. Most of my issues with the book are in those first few chapters and a word choice here or there. The world building is cool and I was promised my word choice issues were fixed before thing were printed (so I am using some trust here and judging the book based on the plot and characters). So my biggest complaint is there is so much world building that I was worried the plot would never start. If I could erase the first five or six chapters, then I would like this book a bit more. Some of the world building was nice, but not really needed up front or at all.
The plot itself was slow and meandering, but in a way that made it feel fleshed out and one that allowed for cute jokes to happen. The ending was one that mostly made sense. I feel like it was left open a bit for a sequel, but the only questions I have are about what that sequel would be which is a wonderful change from a huge plot point not being explained just to set up a sequel. I liked the ending. It was quick, no huge surprises that annoyed me, and it fit perfectly with the pace of the story and the world that was built. So at least one of the chapters I wanted to erase before really is necessary.
Overall, it was a cute story and my first Pinkwater book.
November 22, 2020
Cute somewhat fantasy genre story about the adventures of a "dwerg" girl named Molly. Never heard of the Dutch term dwerg before.
Molly is from a secret hidden village in the woods, near Kingston in the Catskill mountains. They seem to be not human but human like. Being dwerg gives her - ability to walk fast, climb well, navigate the woods well, see in the dark, sleep minimally, and see ghosts (dead people.) Dwerg means dwarf.
Molly decides in her summer school vacation to leave her village and stay in the town. She gets a jon at a Neapolitan pizza place owned by Arnold Babatunji, from Sierra Leone. This made me crave Neapolitan pizza! Lol
She then makes friends with a teenaged ghost named Roger Van Tussenvuxel, who died in the mid to late 1700s.
She also meets an interesting character, a genius named Billy Backus, who has an "ask the professor " radio show.
She becomes friends with a girl named Leni, and they go to NYC to eat the famous Papaya juice and hot dogs. They meet Carlos the owner of a curiosity unique shop, who enjoys taking part in Revolutionary reenactments.
The book gets into some real history of the area.
There is a plot of the Android soldiers and the gangster ghosts to steal the valuable dwerg gold, and Molly has to stop them. To do so, she consults the "Catskill witch" and the very cutesy "King of the wild dwergs" Oom knorrig, who seems fond of roasted parsnips.
Molly gets the infamous "Dwergish gin" from her Uncle Norbert, which causes humans to sleep for 20 years, and was used on Rip Van Winkle. She uses this as part of the plot to stop the Android soldiers and bad ghosts from burning the town and stealing the gold. this is technically advocating the use of alcohol and use of poison. Molly invents a "scrambled eggs " pizza for her Uncle.
I like how Daniel Pinkwater always incorporates food into his books.
Molly is from a secret hidden village in the woods, near Kingston in the Catskill mountains. They seem to be not human but human like. Being dwerg gives her - ability to walk fast, climb well, navigate the woods well, see in the dark, sleep minimally, and see ghosts (dead people.) Dwerg means dwarf.
Molly decides in her summer school vacation to leave her village and stay in the town. She gets a jon at a Neapolitan pizza place owned by Arnold Babatunji, from Sierra Leone. This made me crave Neapolitan pizza! Lol
She then makes friends with a teenaged ghost named Roger Van Tussenvuxel, who died in the mid to late 1700s.
She also meets an interesting character, a genius named Billy Backus, who has an "ask the professor " radio show.
She becomes friends with a girl named Leni, and they go to NYC to eat the famous Papaya juice and hot dogs. They meet Carlos the owner of a curiosity unique shop, who enjoys taking part in Revolutionary reenactments.
The book gets into some real history of the area.
There is a plot of the Android soldiers and the gangster ghosts to steal the valuable dwerg gold, and Molly has to stop them. To do so, she consults the "Catskill witch" and the very cutesy "King of the wild dwergs" Oom knorrig, who seems fond of roasted parsnips.
Molly gets the infamous "Dwergish gin" from her Uncle Norbert, which causes humans to sleep for 20 years, and was used on Rip Van Winkle. She uses this as part of the plot to stop the Android soldiers and bad ghosts from burning the town and stealing the gold. this is technically advocating the use of alcohol and use of poison. Molly invents a "scrambled eggs " pizza for her Uncle.
I like how Daniel Pinkwater always incorporates food into his books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2024
I love Daniel Manus Pinkwater's books. I am waaaay past the target age for his children's books but am having a wonderful time catching up with the ones he's written since I've become a "Grown-Up."
Pinkwater has such a talent for description. When reading about Molly's first time in New York City, I was struck by the beauty of his words, and he so eloquently described part of why I love New York City so much myself.
"I was getting to like New York City itself. The buildings, big and small, had different textures and characteristics, the shop windows were interesting, and the other people on the street were moving along in much the same way we were. It was like a big, blocks-long dance, with everybody weaving in and out of it, joining in the procession and dropping out of it, turning in from corners, and turning out, and everybody with their own style, their own individual costumes and activities, some traveling in couples or groups, some with a child, some of them children on their own, some with a pet, some sauntering, some hurrying, and all to the background of noises from cars, buses, trucks, people talking and hollering, garbage cans being shifted, buildings under construction or being torn down, which goes on constantly, and the rumble of the subway under our feet."
I just treasure these words that make a person see, hear, and even feel what is going on. Such accessible writing, but so descriptive.
Long live D.M.P.!
Pinkwater has such a talent for description. When reading about Molly's first time in New York City, I was struck by the beauty of his words, and he so eloquently described part of why I love New York City so much myself.
"I was getting to like New York City itself. The buildings, big and small, had different textures and characteristics, the shop windows were interesting, and the other people on the street were moving along in much the same way we were. It was like a big, blocks-long dance, with everybody weaving in and out of it, joining in the procession and dropping out of it, turning in from corners, and turning out, and everybody with their own style, their own individual costumes and activities, some traveling in couples or groups, some with a child, some of them children on their own, some with a pet, some sauntering, some hurrying, and all to the background of noises from cars, buses, trucks, people talking and hollering, garbage cans being shifted, buildings under construction or being torn down, which goes on constantly, and the rumble of the subway under our feet."
I just treasure these words that make a person see, hear, and even feel what is going on. Such accessible writing, but so descriptive.
Long live D.M.P.!
November 2, 2021
Daniel Pinkwater is great and still has it (at least as of last year when this came out). I still include Alan Mendelsohn, the Boy from Mars and The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death as formative works. I wouldn't quite put this one up there but it might be as good as Lizard Music. It seemed shorter than a lot of his works and also when I was a kid and Pinkwater wrote about something weird or historical, it was usually new to me, but I already knew about several of those things now that I'm older and it hits different, more like a reference than a new experience. (But there were a couple of new things, too.) It had that Pinkwater matter of fact prose, yet pretty dang weird situations and/or characters combination.
July 11, 2020
Adventures of a Dwergish Girl by Daniel Pinkwater ~ Reviewed on July 11, 2020
Molly is a Dwerg girl (Dwerg is a Dutch word.) The Dwergs live in upstate New York in The Catskills, in a hidden place you cannot find. They have gold mines, however, girls are not allowed to work. In fact, girls have limited things they are permitted to do.
Molly believe she is missing something and decides she needs to ‘get away’ and live among the English people and find out what the rest of the world is all about. She is sure she will miss the activities around the community oven and her mother’s delicious bread.
So first thing that attracts Molly is the smell of Pizza! This also got my attention.
This is cute story for middle schoolers and many adults will enjoy make believe stories of goblins.
The ending is also cute and now off to Poughkeepsie!
Want to thank NetGalley and Tachyon Publications for this early release granted to me in exchange for an honest professional review. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for September 25, 2020
Molly is a Dwerg girl (Dwerg is a Dutch word.) The Dwergs live in upstate New York in The Catskills, in a hidden place you cannot find. They have gold mines, however, girls are not allowed to work. In fact, girls have limited things they are permitted to do.
Molly believe she is missing something and decides she needs to ‘get away’ and live among the English people and find out what the rest of the world is all about. She is sure she will miss the activities around the community oven and her mother’s delicious bread.
So first thing that attracts Molly is the smell of Pizza! This also got my attention.
This is cute story for middle schoolers and many adults will enjoy make believe stories of goblins.
The ending is also cute and now off to Poughkeepsie!
Want to thank NetGalley and Tachyon Publications for this early release granted to me in exchange for an honest professional review. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for September 25, 2020
September 22, 2020
Have you heard of Dwergs before? Well, meet
Molly a Dwerg who has lived all her life in the Catskill Mountains. She does not aspire to follow Dwerg's traditions and decides to leave her community to experience life in the city among the English people. As she settles in her new life she gets a job, makes friends - some stranger than others (no spoilers ^^) - and along the way adventure finds her.
•
I had never read anything by Pinkwater before and was quite excited to pick up this book. It was a cute story that made me smile at times. The slow-paced beginning and world-building made the story drag a bit, and I felt as if the first person narrative worked more against the story development than anything else. Perhaps, less telling and more showing would have been preferable.
•
3/5
#fridayinaprilbookreviews
•
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Tachyon Publications for this ARC.
Molly a Dwerg who has lived all her life in the Catskill Mountains. She does not aspire to follow Dwerg's traditions and decides to leave her community to experience life in the city among the English people. As she settles in her new life she gets a job, makes friends - some stranger than others (no spoilers ^^) - and along the way adventure finds her.
•
I had never read anything by Pinkwater before and was quite excited to pick up this book. It was a cute story that made me smile at times. The slow-paced beginning and world-building made the story drag a bit, and I felt as if the first person narrative worked more against the story development than anything else. Perhaps, less telling and more showing would have been preferable.
•
3/5
#fridayinaprilbookreviews
•
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Tachyon Publications for this ARC.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews