Nell Starkeeper is excitedly anticipating starting a summer camping program called MDWEA (Multi-Disciplinary Wilderness Engagement Adventure). This trip was supposed to be packed with learning and outdoor adventures with friends. However, Nell’s friends' attention seems to be more on their crushes than having fun. And when they decide to take a walk through the forest the group of friends soon learn that wishes can go terribly wrong. Gil, Nell’s Thumpkin friend, wishes Nell and the rest of her friends would know how it is to be tiny. Now, Nell and her friends must not only navigate being Thumbkin size, but how to work together to get themselves out of this huge mess!
Overall rating 3/5
I enjoyed how the characters had complicated relationships with each other, and how they would work to overcome those obstacles. Nell’s persistence to do anything to help her friends is a great characteristic trait for young readers. And the representation on how being a bad sport and only worrying about winning is also a great topic for children to recognize and learn how to deal with in real life.

*Thank you to Emma Steinkellner, Random House Children's | Labyrinth Road, and Netgalley for the ARC copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.

Nice mix of fantasy and friendship in this middle grade/upper elementary graphic novel Second book in the series

This is a very fun middle school graphic novel where about kids going to summer camp. And it's normal in a lot of ways, as we see worried parents, insecurities and new crushes. But there is magic here, and during a contest, a group shrinks down and has to find their way through a much different environment! The voices are charming, the artwork is great, and it's just so creative. I highly recommend this for new readers and for kids who want to have fun. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

I did not realize when I requested this title that it was a sequel. I do think it could be read as a standalone but reading the sequel would help understand the friendship dynamics even more. While I did like the message of listening to people instead of just trying to offer positive platitudes or fixing their problems, I found the overall story just okay.

An adorable installment in this delightful graphic novel series. As with the previous entry, I was impressed with Nell's inner-growth; her desire to help and frustration at being left out felt very true to real tweens everywhere— despite one of her best friends being a fairy and the other being only a few inches tall. Loved the further inclusion of queer and trans characters. Also the character design continues to blow me away with each installment, tons of shape, face, and color diversity. I can't wait to see what happens next in this series!

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book.

10/10 for the artwork, but I did not enjoy the story for this one at all. Nell was a side character in her own story while everyone else was concerned with crushes. It was really Gil's story and I wanted to see it from his perspective. The ending, although a good lesson to learn, was unsatisfying.

Nell Starkeeper is an ordinary girl living in a magical land. Just like any normal middle-schooler, she is about to embark on a rite of passage, a week long camping trip, except in this fairy-tale land the trip isn’t in just any old forest, it’s in the Enchanted Forest. This adventure, full of gumblecreatures, wishes granted, and crushes discovered, has Nell wondering if her friends can find a way to work together and celebrate each other’s strengths and vulnerabilities.
A delightful cross between the Babysitters Club series and The Tea Dragon Society, this graphic novel was such a sweet and honest insight into the life of Nell and her friends while also being full of whimsy and adventure. It is perfect for fantasy-loving tweens.

I read the first book and I enjoyed it alot so I was very much looking forward to the second book. I was not disappointed, this book deals a lot with friendship and dealing with life changes as well as self acceptance.

Nell and her friends are back for more adventures and forest fun. The back and forth between comics and diary entries make for a fun read just like the first one. I love the illustrations and look forward to more from this series!

I received an electronic ARC from Random House Children's Publisher through NetGalley.
What fun to return to Gumbling and see the latest adventures for Nell and her friends. They are embarking on a week of summer classes in the Enchanted Forest and will get to end the week with a two night campout. All should be perfect as the five friends are together in one unit and they're ready to pass this class. However, life never is perfect and Nell has to figure out how to help everyone rally, especially when they all shrink to Gil's size. They have to work together to reverse the wish and to trust each other's skills. In the end, all comes right though they did not pass the course and will have to take it again in the fall. Nell learns some valuable lessons about friendships and support and accepting that not everything can be positive. She listens to Gil and figures out that it can be through sadder emotions that people grow and learn.
I appreciate the compassion Steinkellner shows for her characters. She wraps some important lessons in humor and fun.

I enjoyed the continuation of Nell and her friends’ story. It was a delightful read with cute pictures. I’m sure this will become a series that students love to read.

This story was like reading the journey of a girl who is at a summer camp. As they are exploring the forest the smallest camper makes a wish that everyone was small like him. Then they all became small and had an adventure and even had some good lessons to learn how to put yourself in someone else's shoes as well as being cheery and happy does not always help.

This was pretty cute and a fun read. I didn't realize this was apart of a series so I'm sure I missed out on some character building from the other book as well as some background information, but I was able to understand this one pretty well. I didn't love this as much as I would like though, I found Nell incredibly annoying and grating. While the plot was cute and the art was equally adorable, I just didn't vibe with it. And I usually do enjoy middle grade comics/graphic novels so I don't think this was a case of being "the wrong demographic. I would still recommend this for a fast and quick read for fans of summer camp stories and who are looking for a palette cleanser

Nell of Gumbling was such a cute book! I loved the graphics and the story flowed well. Very enjoyable

I’ve always been a pretty big fan of Emma Steinkellner’s work in the past and so I thought I would really love <i>Nell of Gumbling</i>, In truth, I find that the book is pretty fantastic for middlegrade readers and one that I’m certain a great many kids will both relate to and be better for reading—but I was personally a little bored. There were a lot of great aspects to this book that makes it an incredibly easy decision to add it to my list of book recommendations for my students, from care and inclusivity to learning and activism.

<i>My Extremely Tiny Forest Adventure</i> was a great addition to the series and does what I would consider an excellent job of portraying empathy and care, but also addresses the truth that our support for others should and always will be nuanced. We are all learning when we comfort others and that’s an important message to hold dear. The story is goofy and fun from start to finish. The characters are all generally well-likable and I think many readers will feel themselves growing alongside them.

This is also an inclusive work, as it contains a few LGBTQIA+ characters, for which I am glad to see more of.

I’d definitely recommend <i>Nell of Gubling</i> to many, though I probably wouldn’t find myself rereading it any time soon.

This is a fun sequel to the first Nell of Gumbling book. It was a little predictable and cheesy, but still fun and had good messages. Older kids and tweens will likely enjoy it. It was a bit wordier than I like for graphic novels and some characters did not do much.

Nell and friends are back at it in this adventure filled story that will challenge the crew to work together and gain empathy and understanding for each other. Not only does the group want to do well in the week long Multi-Disciplinary Wilderness Engagement Adventure, they want to WIN! The only thing standing in the way? Themselves! Secret crushes, grumpy friends, stubbornness, and more will challenge them from essentially the first second of their week in the wilderness.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it for both upper elementary and middle grade library collections.

I stumbled upon this second book in the Nell of Gumbling series written by @emsteinkellner and
IMMEDIATELY fell in love with the world that she created for the characters of Gumbling.

Nell of Gumbling: My Extremely Tiny Forest Adventure is a great middle grade novel that follows Nell Starkeeper as she dives into a rite of passage: the Multi-Disciplinary Wilderness Engagement Adventure.
This exciting adventure (and challenge) takes Nell and her friends into an Enchanted Forest, brimming with gumblecreatures and other surprises along the way!

Any reader will find themselves cheering Nell on as she navigates the challenges of crushes, teamwork, and the great outdoors. Overall, Nell of Gumbling was such an entertaining and heartwarming read for middle grade readers who enjoy a touch of magic and a sprinkle of real-life social situations.

Lovely sequel to Nell of Gumbling! As always, Emma Steinkellner's illustrations style and characters are a fun read. Her previous series The Okay Witch was the first graphic novel I read, and it holds a special place in my heart. Can't wait for the next book!

This is a great addition to the Gumbling series. I love the graphics in these graphic novels and I know that children and teens will like them too.
I liked the adventure in this story and everything they encountered and how they forged on.
There are arguments and we see the give and that between these characters. But we see them work together to get through this being shrunk down in this forest.
Such a fun read!

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.