Secrets of Selkie Bay

April 1, 2015
When your mum's gone and your da doesn't know when she's coming back, someone must keep the family together. It is up to young Cordie, even if she must lie to do so. Thomas spins a tale in present-day Ireland of a family coming apart and a brave girl tasked with responsibilities beyond her age. It is early summer, and soon, tourists will be arriving in the seaside town of Selkie Bay, searching for trinkets and evidence of the legendary creatures. But for the Sullivan sisters-Cordie, 11, Ione, 8, and baby Neevy-faced with the disappearance of their mother, other matters weigh more heavily. Did Mum leave because she did not love them? Or because she was a selkie responding to the call of her own kind? Why will Da not use the money in the sugar jar to pay the bills they are so behind on? And if they can find the secret island off the coast, will they find treasure-or better yet, clues about their mother? Readers will like Cordie and want to follow the story, but they may find the resolution too reliant on an improbable turn of events for credibility. Moreover, the last-minute addition of pixie seals and an environmental message further mar the ending and detract from Cordie's affecting story. Though the book is not without flaws, readers looking for a strong main character or intrigued by Celtic folklore will find much to enjoy. (Mystery. 8-12)

June 1, 2015

Gr 3-6-Eleven-year-old Cordelia Sullivan has put the pieces together. Her mother owned a soft, silky black coat, read her stories about selkies, loved the ocean, and showed Cordelia and her sisters the way to an enchanted island. Her mother and the black coat are missing, so the obvious conclusion Cordelia draws is that her mother donned her sealskin and rejoined the selkie kingdom. The trouble is, Cordelia doesn't exactly believe in selkies. What follows is one bad decision after another as the girl tries to help her family and bring her mother home. On an ill-fated trip to the island, Cordelia and her sisters are rescued by a large, black seal. Is the seal really their mother trapped in her sealskin or is Cordelia simply guilty of finally believing her own tales? The surprise ending leaves the door open for a little belief in magic. VERDICT A general purchase; give this to readers who like contemporary fiction mixed with a hint of the supernatural.-Kelly Roth, Bartow County Public Library, Cartersville, GA

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2015
Grades 5-8 Cordie and Ione's mum has dark hair, dark eyes, slightly webbed fingers, and keeps a luxurious, silvery black coat in their closet. Everything points to her being a selkie, especially after she disappears from their quaint Irish home one afternoon. That she has returned to the sea is a much easier reason to swallow than the alternative scenario: she doesn't love her family enough to stay. Cordie, almost 12, doesn't believe such nonsense, but 8-year-old Ione is completely convinced. Spotting a dark-colored, friendly seal in the bay only solidifies Ione's ideas, and soon she, Cordie, and their baby sister push off in their little boat behind their new seal friend, in search of the magical island where selkies live. In Cordie's matter-of-fact, artfully emotional first-person narrative, Thomas explores grief and loss, as well as the comforting power of stories and belief in magic that can chase away sadness. She cleverly toys with readers' expectations regarding whether or not Cordie's mum is indeed a shape-shifting seal, and the fanciful folktales interspersed throughout the novel add plenty of charm.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)