The Thirteenth Child

Module 8

Thirteenth Child by Patricia Wrede

This is a story about a thirteenth child who happens to be a girl named Eff. We all know thirteen usually means bad luck. She also has a twin brother who is the seventh child of a seventh brother. The brother’s name is Lan and he is considered lucky because of the 77 thing he has going on. He is treated like royalty and his sister Eff is treated like Cinderella’s step sister. This book is filled with lots of superstition, but it also tells a story of a family who tries to protect a child from the problems she may face. It is great for Eff that her parents do not believe in all the Thirteenth Child foolishness but it is so sad that other family members do. Eff parents are so concerned about her they move away from her town to a place where no one knows she is the thirteenth child. Eff’s only problem now is will that thirteenth superstition affect her life and should magic be a part of it.

My Impression

This book is a very exciting. "Thirteenth Child” is a great book to read. I never thought I would be reading a book that is about magic and superstition and actually enjoying it. The book brings to life some of the beliefs that still exist among many people. I can think of the superstition that existed in my family when I was a young girl. It is believed a black cat is bad luck. My aunt was driving down the street one day and a black cat crossed in front of her car, she backed up and turned the car around and went the another way to get to her destination. I just could image what the thirteenth child was going through with all those aunts, uncles and cousins.


How would I use this book as a lesson in the classroom?

Have students suggest different superstitions. Ask students if they believe in superstitions. Explain why or why not.
Make a chart of the top 5 superstitions the students are familiar with. Find out which is the number one superstition by having the students vote on the ones they know about. Tally up the votes to determine what the biggest superstition in the class is.
Discuss and share - Students will share what number child they are in their family, for example I am child number 2 out of 6. What number are you? Would you like to be a child in a family of 13 children? Would you like to be number 13, why or why not?

Bibliography

Thirteenth child
Patricia C.Wrede - Scholastic Press - New York - 2009