Quincy Rumpel

Written by Betty Waterton

From a spaghetti surprise to a mushroom business; from a hair-do experiment to an attic disaster, the Rumpel family are zany and crazy and never seem to skip a beat! Quincy Rumpel is the story of a fun-loving family's move to the West Coast and the exciting events of which to follow.

Personal Feelings
I thought Quincy Rumpel was the most silliest, innocent and fun-loving book I have ever read. When I read of Quincy's marvellous plan to cut her own hair (you can imagine how that one went!), I thought about my own hair-cutting fiasco. Best friend. Curly hair. Sticky gum. You get the picture. When I read about how Quincy fell from the attic through her parent's ceiling, I thought of my own attic catastrophe. Clumsy best friend. Small attic. Dust and plaster. It's self-explanatory really. While reading Quincy Rumpel, I thought of how as a child I dreamed of belonging to a family just as exciting as the Rumpel family. I felt that same kind of enthusiasm and excitement over imagining myself a part of such a dysfunctional, crazy, fun family, just like the one portrayed in Quincy Rumpel. Quincy Rumpel delighted me to no end and transformed me into a silly world of which I became a part of.

Reflection
Reflecting on my childhood desires to belong to a family like the Rumpels, enabled me to reminisce about memories of the past from an adult perspective. Most of my happy childhood memories stem from time spent with my grandparents and extended family out around the bay. What Quincy Rumpel did for me was to remember those long forgotten but nevertheless, precious memories. I remember how my aunt and I performed a puppet play for my little cousins using faces drawn on socks, behind an old mattress. My grandmother and grandfather were laughing so hard they almost fell off the chair. I remember how my grandfather had a little bit of cake stuck to his lip, and how Nan and I spent the entire afternoon laughing at him. Quincy Rumpel made me realize that even though I longed to be part of a different family as a child, I had always and always will continue to believe that my extended family could not replace another.

Plot
Quincy Rumpel is such a delightful novel for young readers because it is funny, witty and upbeat. The novel follows a family of five who move to the West Coast to support Mr. Rumpel's mushroom business. The storyline is told in a series of outrageous events which are undoubtedly humorous. The mood conveyed throughout the novel is positive and upbeat even despite a few "ordinary" catastrophes. For example, it is quite hard not to laugh when one reads how Quincy jumps on her brother for lying on her balcony, her glasses fly off her face and the entire family searches for the glasses in the bush. This excitement occurs only hours upon purchasing the glasses. In the novel, events are quick to happen and just as quickly to be resolved with problems always presented in a fun and silly manner. In doing so, the novel is presented as an easy read for less advanced readers. The one story outline divided into short chapters allows for a more comprehensive understanding of one idea. The novel's theme is reflected in the togetherness of family and friendship and enables in readers a sense of hope and happiness.

The Main Character
Quincy Rumpel is young, curious and full of life. The lack of character development avoids confusion in young readers and enables one to relate to and connect with a stable character. Young females in particular, can relate to the charming attributes of a fun-loving girl. Quincy Rumpel's thoughts, feelings and actions reflect what children see in themselves and/or are curious to recognize in others. For example, Quincy cuts her own hair when it becomes too long, is caught at two in the morning trying to find a Save the Whales t-shirt, and tries to convince her parents that they truly need a dog in the family. Quincy is impulsive, unpredictable and treats life like one big adventure. In this way, readers can relate to a character like Quincy, someone who is effective as a believable character.

The Book Connected to the Real World
After reading Quincy Rumpel, I thought about how I ought to appreciate each day of life in its entirety and to not stress over the small things. I thought about how I tend to become overwhelmed and caught up in everyday occurrences which cause me great anxiety and grief. What I took away from Quincy Rumpel was a greater appreciation for life. The next time I'm moody and upset about not having a supper hour because I work, I'll remember Quincy's determined attempt at a half-frozen, half-edible spaghetti surprise. When I stress over getting schoolwork completed in time, I'll think of the Rumpel family's happy-go-lucky attitide. Quincy Rumpel reminded me that life is full of problems- big and small but that it is our attitiudes and reactions to those problems which allow us to enjoy the life we are given.