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The Seven Tales of Trinket
Guided by a tattered map, accompanied by Thomas the Pig Boy, and inspired by the storyteller's blood that thrums through her veins, eleven-year-old Trinket searches for the seven stories she needs to become a bard like her father, who disappeared years before. She befriends a fortune-telling gypsy girl; returns a child stolen by the selkies to his true mother; confronts a banshee and receives a message from a ghost; helps a village girl outwit―and out-dance―the Faerie Queen; travels beyond the grave to battle a dastardly undead Highwayman; and meets a hound so loyal he fights a wolf to the death to protect the baby prince left in his charge. All fine material for six tales, but it is the seventh tale, in which Trinket learns her father's true fate, that changes her life forever.
The Seven Tales of Trinket is a Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Book of 2012
The Seven Tales of Trinket is a Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Book of 2012
384 pages, Paperback
First published September 4, 2012
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875 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 147 reviews
March 24, 2020
This lyrical, elegant, and unique story provided a wonderful journey over hills and along sea-coasts, encountering fortune-tellers, ghosts, pookahs, faeries, and even a wonderfully kind gravedigger! There were beautifully loyal friends and fallible heroes and I enjoyed every bit of the tale. Ultimately, the threaded folklore wove a colorful backdrop to the core theme of growing up and forgiveness. It was a lovely adventure.
April 9, 2025
Trinket's father disappeared years ago, and now that Trinket is alone in the world, she has decided to retrace his steps and learn to be a storytelling bard like he was. Trinket begins to gather stories as she travels, in an effort to learn to storytelling. Everywhere she goes, she asks if anyone has heard of her father, but no one has seen him for years. She meets a seer who can tell the future, and a woman whose baby has been stolen by the selkies. Trinket faces off against an evil banshee and the fairy queen. She rides on a pooka to the land of the dead, and saves a noble hound from a ferocious wolf. Through all her adventures, she searches for some trace of her father, and discovers that she shares his storytelling talent.
I really loved Trinket's character! She is full of doubt and pain, but she continues on her journey trying to help people and gather their stories. She is recklessly brave at times, but it's only because she is so passionately determined to know the truth. She has a really big heart, and I loved how she can see the inner heart of others.
The adventure is really exciting and wild. Many of the stories are based on similar fairy tales from Celtic lore about selkies and the fae and banshees and pookas. But this story has its own twists as Trinket encounters these magical creatures.
There are some creepy scenes when Trinket goes to the land of dead and meets the banshee, but it wasn't too scary. For details about the scary scenes, you can check out the book on the Screen It First website. https://screenitfirst.com/book/the-se...
I really loved Trinket's character! She is full of doubt and pain, but she continues on her journey trying to help people and gather their stories. She is recklessly brave at times, but it's only because she is so passionately determined to know the truth. She has a really big heart, and I loved how she can see the inner heart of others.
The adventure is really exciting and wild. Many of the stories are based on similar fairy tales from Celtic lore about selkies and the fae and banshees and pookas. But this story has its own twists as Trinket encounters these magical creatures.
There are some creepy scenes when Trinket goes to the land of dead and meets the banshee, but it wasn't too scary. For details about the scary scenes, you can check out the book on the Screen It First website. https://screenitfirst.com/book/the-se...
August 28, 2012
Perfect for the young (or young at heart) who hold within them the love for a good story. Shelley Moore Thomas’ The Seven Tales of Trinket is the tale of a journey and the makings of a story lass. After the sad death of her mother, Trinket is set on striking out to find her father who disappeared from their lives years previously. Her father, James the Bard, was known throughout the land as a handsome and talented bard, who played the harp splendidly and had hundreds of tales for the telling to earn himself a living. Trinket knows not what fate befell him, and is unsure of what she hopes to find. She fears her father the victim of some terrible fate, or even death, because what else could keep a man from returning to the family he so loved?
Trinket is a brave and determined girl, setting off with few supplies and her friend Thomas the pig boy, with only an old map of her father’s to guide them:
Yay maps! Along it you can trace the path that Thomas and Trinket take to find her father’s fate, and possibly her own. Trinket has always harbored the secret desire to follow in her father’s footsteps, and is practically handed the means to do so throughout her journey. Encouraged to find and perfect tales, Trinket sets her mind to gathering seven so that she could stay in a village for a week, telling a different tale each night and earning her livelihood.
I loved Shelley Moore Thomas’ breakdown of Celtic folklore in this book, utilizing gypsies, seers, selkies, banshees, the fey, ghosts, pookas, princes and dogs. Each tale that Trinket gathers and experiences was inspired by traditional lore, and crafted in such a way as to make it unique to Trinket’s experience. Trinket doesn’t tell the stories, she lives them, and as such becomes a stronger story teller.
Unlike many folkloric tales, there doesn’t seem to be much to learn from Trinket’s experiences, which is okay. Sometimes a story is just a story, and sometimes the experience really is more valuable than the outcome. The Seven Tales of Trinket was rather predictable for me as an adult, but I do not feel it would be for the proper age range (recommended for children 8-12). In the manner of the story, I felt as if all of the journey and adventure was being recounted to me at a later time by someone who’d experienced it, rather than me feeling as if I were experiencing things at Trinket’s side. For me, this resulted in a somewhat disjointed feeling, as I feel like this book was attempting to marry those two experiences and fell short in doing so.
Perfectly enjoyable, and an incredibly quick read (I realize it’s nearly 400 pages, but considering the amount of white space and the fact that this is an oddly shaped book–which I love!–it can be read in a couple of hours), but I didn’t completely fall for Trinket’s tale. I would certainly keep this book in mind to recommend to the right child, and if I don’t feel it was amazing, I did feel my time was well spent consuming it.
Original review posted at Bunbury in the Stacks.
Trinket is a brave and determined girl, setting off with few supplies and her friend Thomas the pig boy, with only an old map of her father’s to guide them:
Yay maps! Along it you can trace the path that Thomas and Trinket take to find her father’s fate, and possibly her own. Trinket has always harbored the secret desire to follow in her father’s footsteps, and is practically handed the means to do so throughout her journey. Encouraged to find and perfect tales, Trinket sets her mind to gathering seven so that she could stay in a village for a week, telling a different tale each night and earning her livelihood.
I loved Shelley Moore Thomas’ breakdown of Celtic folklore in this book, utilizing gypsies, seers, selkies, banshees, the fey, ghosts, pookas, princes and dogs. Each tale that Trinket gathers and experiences was inspired by traditional lore, and crafted in such a way as to make it unique to Trinket’s experience. Trinket doesn’t tell the stories, she lives them, and as such becomes a stronger story teller.
Unlike many folkloric tales, there doesn’t seem to be much to learn from Trinket’s experiences, which is okay. Sometimes a story is just a story, and sometimes the experience really is more valuable than the outcome. The Seven Tales of Trinket was rather predictable for me as an adult, but I do not feel it would be for the proper age range (recommended for children 8-12). In the manner of the story, I felt as if all of the journey and adventure was being recounted to me at a later time by someone who’d experienced it, rather than me feeling as if I were experiencing things at Trinket’s side. For me, this resulted in a somewhat disjointed feeling, as I feel like this book was attempting to marry those two experiences and fell short in doing so.
Perfectly enjoyable, and an incredibly quick read (I realize it’s nearly 400 pages, but considering the amount of white space and the fact that this is an oddly shaped book–which I love!–it can be read in a couple of hours), but I didn’t completely fall for Trinket’s tale. I would certainly keep this book in mind to recommend to the right child, and if I don’t feel it was amazing, I did feel my time was well spent consuming it.
Original review posted at Bunbury in the Stacks.
July 28, 2013
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Ever so often, I read a book that is absolutely wonderful; a book that makes me want to climb a mountain and shout at the top of my lungs how much I loved it! The Seven Tales Of Trinket is one of those books and it's truly a literary gem. It's no surprise it was Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Book of 2012.and that it received starred reviews from Kirkus, Publishers Weekly and Booklist. Despite all of this book's accolades, I was surprised to see that this book has relatively few reviews on Goodreads and most of my friends. This book definitely deserves more hype because it is a perfect fantasy read for people of all ages.
The Seven Tales Of Trinket is a wonderfully written anthem to the literary word and all those who cherish it. This book is absolutely perfect for bibliophiles whose urge to read is basically insurmountable. You know who you are! This may be a middle-grade title, but there is definitely cross-over appeal for this title. This is a book that parents can read to their children or enjoy on their own; it's nearly impossible not to fall in love with Trinket's journey.
The Seven Tales Of Trinket delivers in all the right ways: providing the reader with laughs, heartfelt moments of joys, and tear jerking scenes. This is a tale that is deep and poignant, but at the same time, Trinket is loads of fun. Shelley Moore Thomas has crafted a tale that now holds a special place in my heart and I will cherish this story for years to come.
The Seven Tales Of Trinket has a genuine ole fashioned feel it, yet it was such a refreshing and original read. Right from the first few chapters, I was hooked and completely immersed. In so few pages, Thomas accomplishes so much what many authors never manages to do. Thomas creates such likeable, faulted characters that the reader can't help but love. These characters are extremely realistic; Trinket and Thomas are the types of characters that reader will be able to empathize and connect with.
Shelley Moore Thomas's Middle-Grade debut deserves an incalculable amount of praise. This book quickly became one of all-time favorite middle-grade books and I definitely could imagine myself re-reading this one day to my kids. I can't praise and gloat over this book enough. The Seven Tales Of Trinket is one of the best books I've read this year, I really wish I had picked it up sooner!
Ever so often, I read a book that is absolutely wonderful; a book that makes me want to climb a mountain and shout at the top of my lungs how much I loved it! The Seven Tales Of Trinket is one of those books and it's truly a literary gem. It's no surprise it was Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Book of 2012.and that it received starred reviews from Kirkus, Publishers Weekly and Booklist. Despite all of this book's accolades, I was surprised to see that this book has relatively few reviews on Goodreads and most of my friends. This book definitely deserves more hype because it is a perfect fantasy read for people of all ages.
The Seven Tales Of Trinket is a wonderfully written anthem to the literary word and all those who cherish it. This book is absolutely perfect for bibliophiles whose urge to read is basically insurmountable. You know who you are! This may be a middle-grade title, but there is definitely cross-over appeal for this title. This is a book that parents can read to their children or enjoy on their own; it's nearly impossible not to fall in love with Trinket's journey.
The Seven Tales Of Trinket delivers in all the right ways: providing the reader with laughs, heartfelt moments of joys, and tear jerking scenes. This is a tale that is deep and poignant, but at the same time, Trinket is loads of fun. Shelley Moore Thomas has crafted a tale that now holds a special place in my heart and I will cherish this story for years to come.
The Seven Tales Of Trinket has a genuine ole fashioned feel it, yet it was such a refreshing and original read. Right from the first few chapters, I was hooked and completely immersed. In so few pages, Thomas accomplishes so much what many authors never manages to do. Thomas creates such likeable, faulted characters that the reader can't help but love. These characters are extremely realistic; Trinket and Thomas are the types of characters that reader will be able to empathize and connect with.
Shelley Moore Thomas's Middle-Grade debut deserves an incalculable amount of praise. This book quickly became one of all-time favorite middle-grade books and I definitely could imagine myself re-reading this one day to my kids. I can't praise and gloat over this book enough. The Seven Tales Of Trinket is one of the best books I've read this year, I really wish I had picked it up sooner!
September 20, 2012
Definitely a unique and original book that combines old-world storytelling with a modern heroine's gumption. I'm a big fan of the sly humor, and the sparse (yet elegant) prose. I also loved the way the author broke up certain paragraphs by putting them on a single line--very impactful. The interactions with Thomas the Pig Boy provided the perfect amount of comic relief. The continuity of themes, motifs, and certain characters was masterful.
But the constant scene breaks seemed to make the prose unnecessarily choppy. And although there were a few laugh-out-loud moments, many parts of the book were very dark and sad. But that's the way middle-grade fiction seems to trend these days.
I'd say this is for the mature middle-grader, since, at times, Trinket's voice seems much older than her years. And though ending drags a bit, it's definitely worth it to read to the last page!
But the constant scene breaks seemed to make the prose unnecessarily choppy. And although there were a few laugh-out-loud moments, many parts of the book were very dark and sad. But that's the way middle-grade fiction seems to trend these days.
I'd say this is for the mature middle-grader, since, at times, Trinket's voice seems much older than her years. And though ending drags a bit, it's definitely worth it to read to the last page!
August 16, 2021
I really liked this book. I got it from the library not really knowing what to expect. After reading the first few pages I got pulled into the story, it was almost like watching a movie. You could see the pictures in your head.
September 18, 2024
92%
"'Twas one of the old tales, from when the land was young. The kind of tale that sings in the veins, for even though parts of it are impossible to believe, every word rings true."
Major old-time folktale vibes, which I am particularly fond of. Though this book technically follows a tried and true formula, it still felt highly immersive and enchanting due to the fantastic writing.
"I could only know what I was truly thinking when I had to defend one thought against another."
"Perhaps knowing that death is close makes you strong. For, indeed, if death is coming for you, what do you really have to lose by being brave? Things could hardly get worse."
"Perhaps, after being chase by creatures and beasties worse than Death itself, it seemed foolish to fear a quiet fire, shining eyes, and ears ready for the listening."
"Seasons change. So must we. That which we hold on to so tightly eventually withers in our hands, and it is time to let go. Time to let the wind carry the pieces away. For mayhap the small pieces are seeds. Seeds that will find a new, fertile ground somewhere to root and sprout."
"'Twas one of the old tales, from when the land was young. The kind of tale that sings in the veins, for even though parts of it are impossible to believe, every word rings true."
Major old-time folktale vibes, which I am particularly fond of. Though this book technically follows a tried and true formula, it still felt highly immersive and enchanting due to the fantastic writing.
"I could only know what I was truly thinking when I had to defend one thought against another."
"Perhaps knowing that death is close makes you strong. For, indeed, if death is coming for you, what do you really have to lose by being brave? Things could hardly get worse."
"Perhaps, after being chase by creatures and beasties worse than Death itself, it seemed foolish to fear a quiet fire, shining eyes, and ears ready for the listening."
"Seasons change. So must we. That which we hold on to so tightly eventually withers in our hands, and it is time to let go. Time to let the wind carry the pieces away. For mayhap the small pieces are seeds. Seeds that will find a new, fertile ground somewhere to root and sprout."
January 9, 2018
I would have given this one five stars if it hadn’t been for the oh-so-predictable ending. I do love a good cliche and happy ending but this one was just a little too much.
February 14, 2024
Really nice fantasy novel for upper elementary school. I liked the use of Irish, Celtic and Scottish myths seamlessly weaved into the story.
September 18, 2022
This young adult fantasy (on the lower end of the age range) is a light, pleasant read. The structure, based around key events in Trinket's journey to find her father and gather interesting tales, is episodic, and consequently, I found myself losing the interest and the impetus to read on at certain points, even though the characters are interesting and the writing sound.
The story begins with Trinket's mother on her deathbed, wishing she knew what became of her handsome love, James the Bard, who left one day intending to return, but never did. Trinket has inherited her father's love of storytelling and music, and follows in his footsteps, searching for him, and exploring the possibility of becoming a story lass herself. Thomas the Pig Boy, her good friend and pseudo-brother since childhood, accompanies her on this journey, and together they have adventures, which Trinket will work into tales and songs for her storytelling career.
Expect to meet fortune-telling gypsies, selkies, the faery queen, banshees, ghosts, and pooka, and learn with Trinket what became of her father.
The story begins with Trinket's mother on her deathbed, wishing she knew what became of her handsome love, James the Bard, who left one day intending to return, but never did. Trinket has inherited her father's love of storytelling and music, and follows in his footsteps, searching for him, and exploring the possibility of becoming a story lass herself. Thomas the Pig Boy, her good friend and pseudo-brother since childhood, accompanies her on this journey, and together they have adventures, which Trinket will work into tales and songs for her storytelling career.
Expect to meet fortune-telling gypsies, selkies, the faery queen, banshees, ghosts, and pooka, and learn with Trinket what became of her father.
October 16, 2012
I think I may have fallen in love with The Seven Tales of Trinket, something I did not expect to do! The language throughout the seven tales is lovely, and it's easy, throughout the start and end of the book, to get caught up in the magical happenings.
I followed Trinket as she journeyed away from her life as a semi-orphaned lonely soul with only the company of a Pig Boy, to a Story Lass with the confidance to enthrall an audience with her harp and recognizes family in her companion, Thomas.
Above all, the folklore that this book presents is fun and fantastic. I enjoyed the author's notes about the legends behind the tales, and how she was able to put her own twist on each one.
At this point, nothing would make me happier than to see this book end up being considered for the Newbery. It's worthy of the debate and discussion, more so than some of the other titles I've encountered this year.
I followed Trinket as she journeyed away from her life as a semi-orphaned lonely soul with only the company of a Pig Boy, to a Story Lass with the confidance to enthrall an audience with her harp and recognizes family in her companion, Thomas.
Above all, the folklore that this book presents is fun and fantastic. I enjoyed the author's notes about the legends behind the tales, and how she was able to put her own twist on each one.
At this point, nothing would make me happier than to see this book end up being considered for the Newbery. It's worthy of the debate and discussion, more so than some of the other titles I've encountered this year.
Read
April 20, 2015 The most interesting character was surely the father. Anyone who can tell a good story is usually a person to be credited.
Fairies are tricky, and I'm glad they were successfully evaded.
There's a lot of things to be remembered in this book, that might be useful if you run into some of the situations. It might be good to keep as a handbook, or somewhere close like on your mantle if you've got one. Good job I've got a copy, I've finally just recollected the pages of this book that were thrown around the woods behind my house. I'm tired of my brothers ripping up my books! To that end, I'm glad to finally say a few words on it!
Fairies are tricky, and I'm glad they were successfully evaded.
There's a lot of things to be remembered in this book, that might be useful if you run into some of the situations. It might be good to keep as a handbook, or somewhere close like on your mantle if you've got one. Good job I've got a copy, I've finally just recollected the pages of this book that were thrown around the woods behind my house. I'm tired of my brothers ripping up my books! To that end, I'm glad to finally say a few words on it!
January 25, 2013
The Seven Tales of Trinket is a truly magical story of seven fairy tales, told through the eyes of young Trinket as she searches for her father. My daughter loved Trinket and I got a kick out of Thomas the Pig Boy. The tales were wonderfully woven together and really made me look forward to reading to my daughter at bedtime. She loved this book so much I'm pretty sure she'll end up re-reading it to herself very soon!
August 27, 2015
Mi niña interior lo disfrutó con alegría, cuando lo leía senti calma y mi imaginación se desbordó. Es una historia bonita y conmovedora, con lecciones distintas entrecruzadas que la convierten en un libro encantador que deja una huella de fantasía en tu mente, te recuerda que la imaginación es indispensable para una mente sana. No menciono nada de la trama, porque mencionar arruina el encanto, así como describir un lugar que fuera secreto. Ampliamente recomendado
April 19, 2013
I like the obvious Celtic Folktale research.
April 10, 2014
This has been in my TBR pile for too long - and I don't know why it took me so long to get to it but I adored it. A really wonderful middle grade read.
July 31, 2024
This was a really rich, engaging story that we enjoyed as a read-aloud that kept both me and my 8-year-old interested the whole time.
A few notes on content for anyone else reading it with young/sensitive kids:
I was a little taken aback by the use of the G-word for the Roma people. So much so that I checked the publication date expecting to see it being far older than it was. I had to do some on-the-fly editing as I read aloud to avoid just casually dropping a racial slur into our story time.
There is also a pretty direct reference to suicidal ideation from the protagonist. While the word “suicide” doesn’t come up, it’s clear that she’s considering ending her own life and that she is weighing living against the pain of her grief of losing her mother.
There is also a scene where a baby is briefly thought to be dead and bloodied, having been apparently attacked by a beloved pet dog. The situation resolves positively, but it is fairly intense and might be a lot for sensitive readers.
I give all that context and detail because I’m reading this book as part of the homeschool curriculum from Torchlight and know others with early elementary kids might want some more context while selecting the best books for their kids’ needs.
A few notes on content for anyone else reading it with young/sensitive kids:
I was a little taken aback by the use of the G-word for the Roma people. So much so that I checked the publication date expecting to see it being far older than it was. I had to do some on-the-fly editing as I read aloud to avoid just casually dropping a racial slur into our story time.
There is also a pretty direct reference to suicidal ideation from the protagonist. While the word “suicide” doesn’t come up, it’s clear that she’s considering ending her own life and that she is weighing living against the pain of her grief of losing her mother.
There is also a scene where a baby is briefly thought to be dead and bloodied, having been apparently attacked by a beloved pet dog. The situation resolves positively, but it is fairly intense and might be a lot for sensitive readers.
I give all that context and detail because I’m reading this book as part of the homeschool curriculum from Torchlight and know others with early elementary kids might want some more context while selecting the best books for their kids’ needs.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 24, 2021
Pretty good middle-elementary novel drawing heavily on Celtic folklore. Like a lot of folklore-inspired stories, I felt that the plot elements were stronger than the characterization, but the plots were involved enough to be interesting and touched on important life lessons, like that one should absolutely never trust the fae. It captured my fourth-grader's attention and interest better than many of the books we've read.
Others have mentioned and I completely agree that it's disappointing to see a children's book of such modern provenance still using the slur 'Gypsy' uncritically. This is something I expect to encounter in literature and film from before 2000, but this book was published in 2012 and it's disheartening to find that apparently we're still casually racializing and glamourizing the Roma people. My kid and I read this book together as part of her Torchlight curriculum work and we used the opportunity to discuss Roma culture and the history of the slur 'gypsy' as well as why it's not an appropriate word to use, but this certainly seems like something the author should have been aware of as well.
Others have mentioned and I completely agree that it's disappointing to see a children's book of such modern provenance still using the slur 'Gypsy' uncritically. This is something I expect to encounter in literature and film from before 2000, but this book was published in 2012 and it's disheartening to find that apparently we're still casually racializing and glamourizing the Roma people. My kid and I read this book together as part of her Torchlight curriculum work and we used the opportunity to discuss Roma culture and the history of the slur 'gypsy' as well as why it's not an appropriate word to use, but this certainly seems like something the author should have been aware of as well.
February 21, 2020
This is entirely my own fault because I knew the book had racial slurs in it from the beginning. It's right there in the synopsis on the cover. But the plot sounded interesting and I thought maybe the racial slurs wouldn't be too much. I was wrong.
The first tale of the book is just strewn with racial slurs. It is also heavy with very negative stereotypes about the Romani people. I thought if I could get through the first tale, it would be ok, but it still peppered the racial slurs in randomly.
On top of having racial slurs and stereotypes, the book just wasn't as much fun as I thought it was going to be. It was pretty serious all the way through and then the last tale reframed all the previous tales in a way that made them even more grim. Even though it did end on a note of hope, it wasn't enough to overcome the rest of the darkness for me, personally.
I probably would have still thought it was ok, because it was at least interesting, if not for all the racial slurs.
The first tale of the book is just strewn with racial slurs. It is also heavy with very negative stereotypes about the Romani people. I thought if I could get through the first tale, it would be ok, but it still peppered the racial slurs in randomly.
On top of having racial slurs and stereotypes, the book just wasn't as much fun as I thought it was going to be. It was pretty serious all the way through and then the last tale reframed all the previous tales in a way that made them even more grim. Even though it did end on a note of hope, it wasn't enough to overcome the rest of the darkness for me, personally.
I probably would have still thought it was ok, because it was at least interesting, if not for all the racial slurs.
April 30, 2020
This lovely, whimsical book is a must read for any fan of Celtic lore. A lifelong fan of folk & fairy tales, I’ve always found Irish stories to be the most enchanting. In this book you’ll meet with selkies, fairies, a banshee, and a pooka — all classic favorites with interesting new features. Trinket herself is a wonderful character full of moxie and the other female characters are determined, brave, and independent — in other words, no belittling of women here! My daughter & I were both swept away by the magic of this book. A real treasure!
March 13, 2024
This was really fun.
Trinket is a young girl who goes on a quest to find her father and collect tales to tell to be a true bard. She takes her friend Thomas with her, and they have all sorts of crazy adventures.
I read this as a read aloud with my kids, and we all really enjoyed it. Trinket and Thomas have a fun friendship, and there was plenty of adventure and humor to keep the kids interested. It felt like a bards tale, which was great.
Fair warning though some of the content is pretty heavy for kids. TW for death of family member and suicidal thoughts.
Trinket is a young girl who goes on a quest to find her father and collect tales to tell to be a true bard. She takes her friend Thomas with her, and they have all sorts of crazy adventures.
I read this as a read aloud with my kids, and we all really enjoyed it. Trinket and Thomas have a fun friendship, and there was plenty of adventure and humor to keep the kids interested. It felt like a bards tale, which was great.
Fair warning though some of the content is pretty heavy for kids. TW for death of family member and suicidal thoughts.
April 15, 2024
Loved this one. It was a random find at the library while I waited for my kids, but I prefer to think of it as fate bc I needed this kind of lyrical storytelling in my life right now. I definitely recommend this one, particularly if you're into Gaelic tales. It has some dark moments, and potentially scary moments for the more sensitive crowds, but nothing graphic or overly spooky. I mean, there's a ghost, and a wee banshee, and some other creatures on the darker side of fairy tales, but overall it was very enjoyable.
July 6, 2018
Trinket wants to be a bard like her father before her. She sets out to find out why he never returned from his last story telling trip and is collecting tales along the way. She meets gypsies, selkies and a pooka just to name a few. If she has at least seven tales, she can stay a week in each town before leaving.
These tales are based on Celtic folklore and are getting me in the mood for a trip to England and Ireland this fall!!
These tales are based on Celtic folklore and are getting me in the mood for a trip to England and Ireland this fall!!
March 23, 2022
The beginning of this book made me think it was going to be more realistic. I felt betrayed by the author when the bizarre fantastical sealskin story came, and I couldn't finish the book.
I thought the fortune teller's character was touching on topics too young for the book's audience with arranged marriages and people paying to be alone with the girl to have their fortune told, and that character essentially being sold to the highest bidding suitor. I couldn't stomach it.
I thought the fortune teller's character was touching on topics too young for the book's audience with arranged marriages and people paying to be alone with the girl to have their fortune told, and that character essentially being sold to the highest bidding suitor. I couldn't stomach it.
June 25, 2017
I read Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, I know, not this book, but I struggled with the idea of all those little stories tossed in between the main story line, distracting me. In my aged mind I was afraid that The Seven Tales of Trinket would be similar. I was wrong. Trinket is a gutsy, take no answers as NO and I very much enjoyed her tales and her travels.
September 7, 2018
An endearing coming of age tale about a girl and her best friend on a quest to find out what happened to her father. After her mother dies, Trinket decides to follow a map her father made to find him, or the truth about what happened when he disappeared 5 years ago. She ends up finding so much more with the help of her loyal friend, Thomas the pig boy.
October 10, 2022
This is a very nice, successful derivation of some classic characters from Celtic lore. I didn't want the Old Burned Man to have a connection to Trinket, but the way the author brought it about was well done. The character of Feather was a good way to start off the series of tales, and set the tone for what was to follow. Finn was another favorite canine character.
July 31, 2023
My son and I loved reading this as part of his 2nd Grade Torchlight Curriculum. Each part of the journey focused on a different Celtic folk lore including Selkies and Banshees to name a few. Some parts may be scary for sensitive readers. It doesn't shy away from death or injury. But this was certainly a book that my son and I enjoyed reading together.
May 18, 2025
If you love classic-style storytelling with a touch of enchantment, this is a must-read. An instant favorite.
It reads like a gentle lullaby filled with mystery, courage, and the magic of words. I cannot wait to read this aloud to my daughter when she's older. It's the perfect book to share as a reminder of the strength that comes from embracing your own story.
It reads like a gentle lullaby filled with mystery, courage, and the magic of words. I cannot wait to read this aloud to my daughter when she's older. It's the perfect book to share as a reminder of the strength that comes from embracing your own story.
July 29, 2017
I read this book a few years ago (about 4 or 5) , and I want to read it again soon. This book has stayed in my mind for quite a few years, something not every book can do. I would recommend this book to anyone who reads children's literature, likes fantasy and mythology, and a touch of magic.
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