[starred review] The Seven Tales of
Trinket.
Thomas, Shelley Moore (Author)
Sep 2012. 384 p. Farrar, hardcover,
$16.99. (9780374367459).
Alone after her mother’s death,
11-year-old Trinket decides to follow in the footsteps of her father, a
traveling bard who left when she was six
years old and never returned to his family. Trinket, who longs to
become a teller of tales as well, sets
off with her loyal friend Thomas in hopes of reuniting with her father.
Along the way, they find hardship and
trouble as well as friendship and magic. Relying on their wits, they
face cruel, powerful foes, including a
banshee, a ghost, and the faerie queen. Readers may guess Trinket’s
father’s identity before he appears on
the page, but that will not diminish the tension when their
problematic meetings leave her with
conflicting emotions and a difficult choice of endings. The novel is
structured as seven tales Trinket tells
of her adventures on the road. Each ends with a song. In the
appended notes, Thomas discusses the
roots of the stories, which were inspired mainly by Celtic folklore.
A storyteller as well as the writer of Good
Night, Good Knight (2000) and its sequels, Thomas offers an
impressive debut novel in which she
weaves seven compelling stories together with narrative power and
considerable grace.
—
Carolyn Phelan
See? Trinket is deep in thought about what it's like to have three stars. |
But the best thing is a boy came up to me the other day who said, "Mrs. Thomas, I finished your book!!"
Me: "What was your favorite part?"
Boy: "And so..."(referring to a specific part in the book.)
Me: I liked that part, too.
Boy: But you should have written more. I mean, there could be more of the story....
I suppose there is always more of the story! But the best part of being a children's author is having kids interact with your book, and then with you. It's just, well, magical.
I've got a big, fat, truthful post brewing, but little time to write it. Hopefully soon, before it just explodes out of me.
xoxo--
Shelley
13 comments:
Congratulations!
CONGRATULATIONS! That's fantastic news! So happy to hear that Trinket is weaving her spell on the world. I just bought a copy for my friend's little daughter and can't wait to read it with her. (She's insisting that I do the reading instead of her mom because I do all the voices.)
omg, omg, omg! Anderson's Bookshop nominated Trinket for a Mock Newbery!!!! Shelley!
How do I fill this comment box with a thousand stars?
WONDERFUL!
Hoping you continue to get many more stars!
Hi, Shelley! CONGRATS!
Awesome news! Congratulations, Shelley!!
Congratulations! That's beyond awesome!
xoxo back! So precious about the boy. :o)
The Mock Newberry is very deserving from what I know of the book so far. (I'm trying to save it for my 9 yo for Christmas... which is really a sneaky gift for me too. lol.)
Happy, Happy day!!! Trinket deserves a thousand stars :) I ADORE that girl. I have a feeling these are the first stars of a whole skyfull. :)
Woot WOOOOOOT--congrats! This is next on our list after we read James and the Giant Peach! xo
CONGRATULATIONS!!! This is all so wonderful!
You inspire me, Shelley. This has been a different sort of year for me, and you are one of the people I think of when I need inspiration.
This is just so exciting!! And the boy telling you makes me melt. How precious!
Catherine Denton
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