A nice simple book covering the basics of tarot for middle readers. Surprisingly not dumbed down and really accurate. Great resource for the young card slinger in your life.

Nice intro to Tarot cards. I think Ms. Atwood put together a wonderful introduction to the cards that would be of use to, not only children, but teens and even adults. Anyone wanting a simple intro will not be disappointed! Loads of easy layouts and explanations for reading the cards. Love the history, too. I've been reading cards since I was 12; still have my original deck, too! I think it's important to have the right deck; one that feels right to the reader. There are so many to choose from! Get the one that reaches out to you. Make it your own and practice, practice, practice! The more you learn the better and easier reading the cards becomes!

It is hard to find books to teach Tarot to kids. This pearl introduces kids to tarot in a easy way.

#Tarot #NetGalley

The publisher, Capstone Compass Point Books, provided me with an ARC of this middle grade nonfiction book, Tarot, in exchange of an honest review.

I found Tarot to be a delightful read! It gives a lot of information regarding Tarot, its practice, and its meaning. It gives examples to clarify the descriptions and illustrates the cards among other things.

I'd also like to state that the illustrations are amazing! So vivid, relevant, and truly beautiful.

There was a page titled Party, which encouraged readers to host a party and a Tarot reading. I found it a bit distasteful. Even though the target audience is children of age 9-10, Tarot reading is a practice that should be regarded with respect and the required amount of seriousness. In the same vein, when the author described the cards and their meaning, she often "softened the blow" and said that everything will be all right in the end, etc. I understand that given the ages, we should not aim to scare the children. However, I didn't find it realistic; bad things happen, people die, etc.

All in all, I really enjoyed the book and learned so much about Tarot! It's definitely worth to buy it for your kids.

4 stars - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Author: Megan Atwood
Publisher: Capstone Compass Point Books

An engaging and easy to understand introduction to tarot. Definitely got me interested in learning more! Like several other reviewers I'm not sure how exactly it fits STEAM curriculum needs, but I feel it would be an excellent book for a curious child.

I received a digital ARC from the publisher via Netgalley.

This beginners book for Tarot is just perfect for pre teens interested in reading cards. It contains a brief but concise history of Tarot, meanings of each card, how to cleanse your deck and a number of age appropriate spreads suitable for reading for friends and school. This book is filled with empowering messages that you control your destiny and you have the power to interpret the Tarot. The additional cute and funky layout also holds high appeal.

Tarot card reading is broken down in to what each card means and it's reasoning behind the art of Tarot readings.
I'm not a believer in fortune telling but am curious about many things including card readings.. After reading this book I am still intrigued in the art of Tarot but understand it better. Thank you Megan Atwood for Tarot, it was a pleasure to read it.

This introduction to the tarot is geared towards kids and is marketed as working with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) curricula. I have a hard time seeing how this book works in an educational manner in that way. On the plus side, it's colorful and easy to read. It covers the history of the tarot, which I enjoyed. It also certainly makes tarot readings simple, with the classic spread and a few other suggested spreads (a quick 3 card spread, a spread to ask questions about school, etc.). It provides quick synopses of the major arcana and then just gives general instructions on how to figure out the meanings of the cards in the minor arcana, which I think a lot of kids would have difficulty with. This book is so short (less than 50 pages) that I don't see why the author couldn't have provided a few pages with a couple of sentences or even a few words for each of the cards in the deck for kids to be able to easily try their hands at doing some spreads.

I also am a little unsure about how the tarot is presented to kids in this book. Is it meant to teach kids that tarot cards will really tell their futures or is it just for fun? The book doesn't seem able to figure this out. On one hand, the author says that tarot cards can be used to basically get in touch with your intuition and it gives instructions on how to throw a tarot themed party with snacks on sword toothpicks and cardboard decorations. On the other, she does say that they will tell you the future. She is good about pointing out often that cards that seem bad or scary don't mean bad or scary things (like the hanged man and death) so as not to frighten or worry kids, which I appreciate. The book definitely leans towards the metaphysical at times, though, with instructions on how to cleanse your deck in the light of a full moon with a crystal on top.

The author does not work in the field of fortune telling or tarot, but is a creative writing teacher. This comes through in the book and may be important for kids who want to learn from someone who is considered an expert on tarot. I don't know how to feel about the focus on school and making this seem educational with the STEAM marketing, as it almost feels like teaching religion in schools. I'd prefer if it were marketed as educational (in terms of learning about the history and culture of tarot cards) and just for fun *or* serious and teaching that tarot cards are a tool to tell fortunes. It almost feels like one of those science books where they try to appeal to the widest audience by skirting topics of evolution so as not to offend either side. In the end, those books rarely work for either side.

I'd recommend the book for kids who are just curious what tarot cards generally are about. For kids who actually want to do readings, I'd look for a book that goes into more detail, especially with meanings for each of the cards.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for the purpose of review.

A very useful and accessible introduction to Tarot. The author emphasized on following your intuition when reading the cards, and explained how it is used a introspection tool to find our own answers and our own guidance.

I think this is a beneficial tool in learning the Tarot!😀 It was a quick read but have you the overall basis of what Tarot represents. It was hard to read some of the writing digitally but that just may be me. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Tarot and is looking to get a taste of what it's all about. I also love the illustrations!💖

I received a free digital copy of Tarot by Megan Atwood from NetGalley and Capstone Publishing in exchange for an unbiased review. This book is listed as a children’s non-fiction book in the field of science.
There was a good deal of encouragement to the reader to use their own intuition and decide how they would plan to interpret the tarot cards they were using. This contrasted with the occasional almost dogmatic statements that indicated specific cards could be used to provide information on a specific plan or path that the person could expect in the future. These two approaches seemed to be at odds with each other and with the classification of the book.
First, I question placing this book in the area of science. There was no information anywhere within the book that offered empirical data to support the conclusion drawn and suggestions offered here. Rather, it read more as a book of self-encouragement There was a steady stream of encouraging the reader to use their own intuition and ability to interpret the information being suggested by the tarot card dealt during a session.
Second, there was a suggestion that the tarot cards could be offered as party activities, with suggestions on how to plan for snacks that carried out the theme of the tarot cards. This came across as less science and more social activity. Again, it was difficult to equate party games and intuitive ideas with science and the occasional absolutes that offered in between the encouragement to use intuition and decide how the reader would use the tarot cards they select.
Finally, the book read in places more as a research paper than a book that might appeal to adolescents. There were other places where the book read more as an encouragement to young people to trust their feelings and their emotions. I found myself wondering what the purpose of the book and what the ultimate message was.
In the final analysis, I would be concerned about placing parts of this book and tarot cards in the hands of some more fragile middle schoolers who might be struggling with issues of identity, self-confidence, acceptance, etc. At the same time, I liked the idea of encouraging young people to think about what they want and how they might encourage themselves and others around them to take ideas and use them to move toward goals they have.

A very good book that can be useful for tarot beginner users and as quick reference.
It's clear, full of lovely illustrations and an easy ready.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC