Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

The Gammage Cup (The Minnipins #1)

by Carol Kendall, Elizabeth Enright, Michael Stearns (Editor), Erik Blegvad (Illustrator)

3.98 of 5 stars 3.98 · rating details · 1,039 ratings · 97 reviews

Carol Kendall's witty, epic tales about the race of people called the Minnipins are now available as Odyssey/Harcourt Young Classics. Now a new generation of readers can thrill to the adventures of the tiny folk who become mighty heroes. The original interior illustrations by Erik Blegvad and Imero Gobbato have been retained, but vibrant new cover art by beloved illustrato...more

Paperback, 288 pages

Published February 28th 2000 by Sandpiper (first published 1959)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

Best Children's Fantasy

107th out of 412 books — 516 voters

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

buried treasures: classics of children's literature

160th out of 185 books — 56 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 1,534)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Jun 19, 2011 Josiah rated it 1 of 5 stars

About the young readers who made up her primary group of readers during her writing career, author Carol Kendall once said, "Children are a marvelous audience...they remember what they have read! Sometimes they remember it all their lives!" She certainly is right in that regard. I, personally, remember pretty much every book that I've ever read, because they've all impacted me to some degree, in ways big and small. I think it's the rapt level of attention that young readers are often willing to...more

like · see review

Apr 18, 2012 Christy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: newberry-honor

like · see review

Apr 07, 2010 Luann rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: newbery-honor, childrens, fantasy, 2010

This is another book I would have absolutely loved when I was younger. There are parts reminiscent of Kneeknock Rise and The City of Ember, although I know this came first so it really should be the other way around. There was also a part that made me think of The Lord of the Rings due to the swords that glow only when the enemy is near.

I really liked the main character, Muggles. She had so much common sense and untapped leadership ability. It was fun to watch her grow and develop as a characte...more

like 3 likes · see review

Apr 29, 2013 Marni rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, citizenship, fiction, liberty, own-it, vanguard

Interesting story. Almost like an easier version of "The Giver" in some ways. The Gammage Cup is going to be awarded to a Minnipin village, and the upper class of this one are determined to get it. They want everything perfect, but some of Them (the lowest class) have doors not painted the standard green. Plus one of Them, Walter the Earl, starts digging and finds swords, armor, and historical information that starts to upset some of the town's history.

Five are banned from the village for the vi...more

like · see review

Jun 03, 2012 Christina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

This is one of those books that has stuck with me throughout the years. I loved this story of the Minnipins and how a bunch of their outcasts defeated their rivals the Minnipin-eating Mushrooms. Still to this day when I've read the story over I get completely creeped out by Carol's description of the Mushrooms. :P The quirky main characters where so well written. Gummy, Curly Green, Muggles, Walter the Earl, and Mingy were simply delightful to follow and very relatable. It's one of those books f...more

like · see review

May 05, 2012 Stephanie Jobe rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Minnipins have stuck in my mind since I first read this book in the fourth grade. If I had to pick a moral, it might be “The power of being yourself.” The world is quite fantastic and yet it is a distorted view of the very neighborhood you live in. The Minnipins are content in their valley, oblivious to the outside world that once threatened them and the dangers that they once faced. There are a few citizens though who choose to be different, they are outcast, but in the end the strength of...more

like · see review

Nov 19, 2010 Erin rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was recommended to me by our school librarian. The author lived in Lawrence and would visit the schools. It was written in 1959 and the main character's name is Muggles. It makes me wonder if JKR got that word from this book. Also the title of the book, Gammage cup, reminds me of the sought after house cup in the Harry Potter books. Muggles is an admirable character--she thinks for herself and develops into a good leader. Good moral for kids and humorous as well. The old cover of this...more

like · see review

Apr 21, 2012 Jennifer Freitag rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, fantasy

The heading of this comment box says "What did you think?" but The Gammage Cup is a book I read first many years ago and will continue to reread, so my thoughts on it are on-going. It is an understatement to say that I love it. It really is my favourite book; it never ceases, despite the fact that I have nearly memorized it, to make me laugh, to make my heart race, to sweep me up into the events and the characters' lives. Kendall has written a story in a style with a background that makes me gre...more

like · see review

Jul 15, 2012 Chris Thompson rated it 5 of 5 stars

"When something happens, something else always happens."
-Muggles

This quote is a sample of the whimsical writing you'll find in Carol Kendall's wonderful fantasy tale, The Gammage Cup. The whimsy is not without substance, and much of the story's content is a document of American attitudes towards conformity and individualism during the Cold War era. The Minnipin people find themselves threatened by a race of beings who were no doubt inspired by the red scare, and their only hope lies on the shoul...more "When something happens, something else always happens."
-Muggles

This quote is a sample of the whimsical writing you'll find in Carol Kendall's wonderful fantasy tale, The Gammage Cup. The whimsy is not without substance, and much of the story's content is a document of American attitudes towards conformity and individualism during the Cold War era. The Minnipin people find themselves threatened by a race of beings who were no doubt inspired by the red scare, and their only hope lies on the shoulders of a handful of individuals proud of their uniqueness.

900 years ago, the Minnipins settled in the Land Between the Mountains, which is protected on all sides by mountains and has no way in except a river that hasn't dried up for centuries. The leader of these Minnipins was one called Gammage, who had a cup, and as they scoured the land, Minnipins remained behind at key places to build towns. Some 400 years later, Fooley the Brave flew a balloon over the mountains and returned some months later with artifacts from the Land Beyond the Mountain. An accident caused him to lose his memory, and some of the artifacts were mislabeled, as a result. The Minnipins devote their lives to the findings of Fooley. His descendants are the town's leaders, called Periods, and named such things as Co., Bros., and Etc. because those abbreviations were found in Fooley's journal and they seemed important. The Minnipins devote their lives to making their towns look just like those pictures Fooley brought back, and as such they all have green doors and wear green cloaks. Well, almost all of them do.

There is a handful of nonconformists. Muggles, as the main character, hovers somewhere between conformity and nonconformity. She doesn't want to be an outsider, but she does like the outsiders who reside in the town, and her personality just doesn't allow her to follow every single Minnipin convention anyway. The other nonconformists include Gummy, who composes poetry that goes against Minnipin convention; Curley Green, who likes to paint actual landscapes and people rather than the arbitrary symbols the Minnipins favor; and Walter the Earl, who likes to dig up history, and the version of history he knows is not the same as the official history. Also important is Mingy the Moneykeeper, who doesn't want to spend money on superficial things like decorations, but would rather set up a sick fund. These five are important because they eventually find themselves outcasts when their nonconformist ways threaten the town's prize for best-looking town, whose prize is the Gammage Cup.

The real threat to the Minnipins, of course, is not these five outcasts, but mindless conformity. Tyranny begins to rear its ugly head as the Periods establish fines for idling. Also, the Mushroom people, or the Hairless Ones, are making a return, long forgotten because Gammage defeated them many centuries ago.

In many ways this is a simplistic story of good vs. evil. The Minnipins only naively fall into evil ways, doing what they believe is right, but it is the rugged individualists, the outcasts, who are the real heroes. I think one can view this as an allegory for the red scare vs. American democracy. The Mushroom people have no personalities and it is unquestionably the right thing to do to kill them all. If nobody among the Minnipins was brave enough to assert their own unique individuality, the Mushroom people would have defeated them easily, because the Minnipins, in embracing unquestioning conformity, were blind to the threat of invaders. Kendall seems to be reminding readers that it is the nonconformists who protect and represent American democracy. In this way, the tale is very simplistic, a relic of a time when people believed Communism was an unquestionable evil and that it presented a grave threat to democracy. It is in the language and characters that the novel shines, however.

Muggles is a fun heroine. She struggles between conformity and nonconformity, and in the end proves herself the strongest of all Minnipins. Not by virtue of battle, but by virtue of character. She rises as the leader of the five outcasts, and it is on her leadership that they survive on their own. And while she has a mostly cheerful disposition, Kendall provides her with some character depth, as she has some moments of profound doubts and depression. This helps cement the story with some substance.

The language is plenty fun too. The start of each chapter has a quote from Muggles or a poem by Gummy. Gummy's poetry litters the entire story, and much of it had me laughing. Some of the names of the places, too, is hilarious. It shows what happens to creativity when everybody conforms to a single set of standards. The name of the main town is Slipper-on-the-Water because Gammage lost a slipper on the river where the town was built. The streets have such names as Street Going to the River and Street Going Nowhere. Certainly practical, but not very imaginative. To give an example of how much fun the language is, I will share a passage:

"Then they heard it, though afterward they never could agree as to exactly what they heard. Mingy said it was a fat sort of noise, Walter the Earl claimed that it was an approaching kind of thing, but Curley Green described it as just a soundlike sound."

I could quote many, many passages like this, as well as Gummy's poems, but it'll be easier if you just read the book. In today's age of angst-filled and romance-focused fantasy, The Gammage Cup is refreshing. It is not angsty, and it has no romance. It is lighthearted through and through, and even its black and white depiction of good and evil had me feeling nostalgic. I find that the final 30 pages or so falter, but until then, it's a very enjoyable read. (less)

like · see review

Apr 16, 2011 Marthe rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

In the Land Between the Mountains, you can find the village Slipper-on-the-Water. It’s a peaceful place where the Minnipins live, unaware of the fears lurking around. Muggles however, wakes up in the middle of the night and sees fire in the hill. At the same time, she captures a glance of Walter the Earl and Gummy. This makes her think and before she knows, she’s together with Them; Curley Green, Gummy and Walter the Earl. They find armor under Walter the Earl’s house, just in time for the arriv...more

like · see review

Jan 28, 2011 robyn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: perfect-books

This is one of those oddball books that seems to occupy a tiny shelf ALL by itself. I never came across anything precisely like it again, despite the fact that there's a sequel; the second book isn't very good and doesn't even seem to be about the same people, despite the fact that it IS.

No, The Gammage Cup is the literary equivalent of a bolt from the blue, complete with charming little line-drawings, fun snips and snaps of poetry (doggerel, really), and a completely realized and well-drawn lit...more This is one of those oddball books that seems to occupy a tiny shelf ALL by itself. I never came across anything precisely like it again, despite the fact that there's a sequel; the second book isn't very good and doesn't even seem to be about the same people, despite the fact that it IS.

No, The Gammage Cup is the literary equivalent of a bolt from the blue, complete with charming little line-drawings, fun snips and snaps of poetry (doggerel, really), and a completely realized and well-drawn little world.

Slipper on the River is one of 12 tiny villages, which you can't help picturing as a fictional Cotswold. It's peopled by two distinct types - the regular people like Muggles, the village candy-maker, and the Periods, descendants of Fooley, who hold all the important offices and run the place on lines strictly decided by the strange artefacts that Fooley brought back from his balloon-trip across the river, back beyond the mists of memory. Things like the Family Tree, and the painting, carefully preserved in the museum - except that, as is obvious to US, they've mixed the two up. The end result being that every family has a family tree - a real one, growing out front - and every painting has to be constructed in a strict series of boxes and lines.

So what we'd consider a painting is called by them a blob, and regarded as a piece of errant frivolity. And any poem that isn't constructed along the lines of "Mary had a Little Lamb" is called by them a scribble. And so on, and so on.

A harmless enough series of mistakes, surely. Except that in their zeal to win Best Village in the upcoming contest, and thus come into possession of the coveted Gammage Cup, the village actually exiles 5 villagers who refuse to conform to the rules laid down by the Periods.

The story of how those five outlaws begin to create a new idyllic - but hardworking - life for themselves outside the village would be enough to make this an enjoyable book, but there's trouble approaching, all unbeknownst to Slipper on the Water. And in the end, the villagers will find themselves forced to choose between the Periods and the outlaws, and their own survival will hang on their choice.

A REALLY FUN book. I can't praise it enough.(less)

like · see review

Aug 28, 2007 Punk rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

YA. I never read this as a kid, so bear with me. The Minnipins (or Small Ones) live in a secluded valley, and the group that live in Slipper-on-the-Water tend to value conformity over community. Five Minnipins that dare to challenge the ruling class are exiled, forced to leave their village and start their own, but trouble lurks in them there hills. Ugly trouble.

This was published in 1959, so allowances must be made for its utter lack of cultural tolerance. For example, the antagonists are ugly,...more

like · see review

Nov 14, 2011 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

This is one of those books I read when I was younger and decided to try reading again as an adult. This is the second time I've done that. I still enjoy the story. I can't say if I get more out of it now that I'm an adult, but I do think it's a great book for all ages. A story about a group of "misfits" who realize that in times of trouble it isn't about fitting in, it's about doing the right thing. And it's about those people who are "in charge" learning that maybe they have something to learn...more

like · see review

May 17, 2012 Mari rated it 4 of 5 stars

While I am not a fan of Fantasy, usually, this book was charming. It was a Newberry Honor book in 1960, and I found it buried in the stacks of the library. No one had ever checked it out, and that is a shame.

The book has lovely characterization, is intelligently and lyrically written, and uses subtle wit and humor. The theme of being an independent thinker who stands up for the right thing is important and well developed.

like · see review

Mar 24, 2012 Vivian rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s, favorites

Imagine you live in a hidden land trapped by tradition, threatened with invasion, and salvaged by misfits who find a mysterious treasure.

I seldom give 5 stars, but this one earns it by entertainment value, thought value, discussion value, and read-aloud worthy value. I highly recommend.

Reading level 5.9, A.R. points 8.0, ages 8 and up will enjoy reading this, ages 6 and up will enjoy listening.

like · see review

Mar 20, 2013 Marcie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: older-elementary

I've been reading a lot of middle school literature lately-- so that I can discuss with my children. I guess I don't get it. Yes, the book is odd. But it all seemed so predictable to me: social outcasts saving the day and earning the respect of their peers... I felt so unsatisfied when I finished. Maybe children would appreciate it better than an overly critical adult?

like · see review

Feb 23, 2010 Ben Lind rated it 5 of 5 stars

In this book, Carol Kendall has painted an odd, fanciful, and enthralling picture of a fantasy world (or is it fantasy?) where Minnipins live, protected from any outside influences by immense mountains. It is an amazing story of adventure, love, acceptance, and innocence lost.

Read this book if you like epic fantasy, medieval weaponry, and magical influences.

like · see review

Oct 20, 2011 Deborah Ideiosepius rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: people who like complex kids books

Shelves: childrens-book, fantasy

They wrote some damm good children’s books in the forties, fifties and sixties, this is one of them.

They underlying theme is basically about how to be a person who embraces their own differences from the 'norm' of society. How to grow into your own character and potential and become your own person with dignity.

But that makes it sound too rigid. Basically it is a fun book, with engaging characters that are basic in the way you would expect from a children’s book, but not at all superficial. It i...more

like · see review

Dec 15, 2010 Karen rated it 3 of 5 stars

When I read this as a child it was called The Minipins, but then Roald Dahl came along with a book called The Minpins, so I guess they changed the title to reduce confusion. It's still a lot of fun, and beyond the adventure and goblin fighting, makes some serious points about how history is interpreted to fit current views.

like · see review

Jun 16, 2011 Amanda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Newbery. I accidently came across this book at the library and after reading the back I knew I had to give it a read. It's a great fantasy tale and has lots of spirit. I loved the characters and the way the writer described the setting. I would love to visit that land! I would recommend for highly imaginative kids.

like · see review

Mar 24, 2013 Crazymountaingoat rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book lies in a similar league as The Wizard of Oz and the two Alice books. It's a delightful tale with an unusual hero in an unusual land with an unusual enemy. The book contains various underlying statements about society, but the story is easy to enjoy and get caught-up-in.

like · see review

Nov 21, 2012 Krista rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-for-school-2012-2013

Even though this book has a slow beginning, I really loved reading it! The setting and the characters are so interesting to read about. The minipins live in a very peaceful valley where they like everything to be the same, so when the "Thems" start causing trouble, the minipins must do something about it. (I'm not going to tell you what happens next - just read the book)!

like · see review

Sep 10, 2012 Elevetha Houre rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, hidious-covers, magic-and-other-magical-substances, meh-worthy, middle-grade, once-is-enough, quirky, 2011

It was all right but I didn't find it to be any thing special. The characters were quirky and enjoyable but I was intensely bored while reading after the 30th page or so. I couldn't tell you exactly why but this just wasn't a book that got to me or kept my interest.

like · see review

May 11, 2008 Nicole rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, childrens

Perhaps not as good as Alan Garner when reading it for the first time as an adult, but this is a fine children's book to read at any age. Word play and double meanings lead to lovely plot twists. I long remembered the fun confusion the characters had over what a 'painting' was versus a 'family tree' the great explorer brought back to the valley from beyond the mountains.
This books dates back to 1959 but I missed it as a child and that is a shame. I would have been enthralled by the adventures of...more

like · see review

Feb 01, 2013 Camille Cusumano rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: enduring-greats

I read this book at about age 11 or 12 and it helped shape my understanding and attraction to society's outcasts. Perhaps it urged me always to think outside the box and to live most of my life in unconventional, but personally shaped, ways. I am not surprised to learn that J.K. Rowling "borrowed" the use of the name Muggles from this book. I am sorry that The Gammage Cup is not read nearly as widely as the seemingly derivative Harry Potter is. Please turn your children onto The Gammage Cup. I c...more

like · see review

Jul 03, 2009 Brian Libby rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book takes it place with "Wind in the Willows" and Pooh as a children's book that can be enjoyed by adults. Charming, well-written, wise ["Before you say what you think, think what you say":], heroic--read it!

like · see review

Jun 11, 2007 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Collectors of oddball fantasies

Shelves: childrensbooks

This is at the top of the list of obscure children's books that I read religiously and that no one else has ever heard of. Upon rereading last year, it turns out that the plot is a fairly simple Tolkienesque anti-McCarthyism story about the underdog folk triumphing over their enemies. I found the bad guys disappointingly flat and boring. The heroes, though, are reasonably well-drawn eccentric characters, and the world has a convincing mythology and sociology that's well-developed without being o...more

like · see review

Oct 27, 2010 Hilda rated it 4 of 5 stars

How could I have forgotten this book? I adored it. My sister just reminded me of it. Of course, I suspect that if I read it now I'd have all sorts of problems with it and also be really bored. Still.

like · see review

Jun 08, 2010 Kressel Housman rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, fiction, young-adult

Charming juvie fantasy my husband turned me on to. I'm sure JKR read it as the main character is Muggles, an undervalued slightly non-conformist member of the elf-like society the book portrays.

like · see review

Apr 30, 2012 Dani rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-books

Some may consider this an entertaining book, but I found it silly and mindless. The characters were droll and foolish. I could hardly make myself finish the book for my literature class.

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 51 52 next »

Childrens

20 users

Young Adult

12 users

Adventure

7 users

Academic > School

6 users

Childrens > Juvenile

6 users

Childrens > Middle Grade

5 users

Science Fiction Fantasy

3 users

Classics

3 users

Speculative Fiction

2 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Books by Carol Kendall

The Whisper of Glocken (The Minnipins, #2)

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About The Gammage Cup

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from The Gammage Cup

“When you say what you think, be sure to think what you say.” — 8 people liked it

“No matter where There is, when you arrive it becomes Here.” — 5 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: The Gammage Cup
avg rating	preview: The Gammage Cup Goodreads rating: 3.98 (1039 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=https://www.goodreadsbookswap.com/book/show/158992.The_Gammage_Cup?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1348269902l/158992.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://www.goodreadsbookswap.com/book/show/158992.The_Gammage_Cup?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Gammage Cup by Carol Kendall[/url]

The Gammage Cup (The Minnipins #1)

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (14)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Books by Carol Kendall

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About The Gammage Cup

Quotes from The Gammage Cup