Skip to main content

Thirteenth Child--by Patricia C. Wrede




If you took Little House on the Prarie and Harry Potter and mixed it up in a bowl, this charming story is what you'd get as a result. In Eff Rothmer's world, where magic is the norm, a thirteenth child is considered to be a curse. Everyone knows a thirteenth child is filled with evil magic and will always go bad in the end. Eff is the thirteenth child in her family and no one in her home town is going to ever let her forget it. To make matters worse, Eff's twin brother Lan is the seventh son of a seventh son and the whole town believes he will someday become one of the most powerful magicians of all time. To protect Eff and Lan from the prejudiced influence of family and neighbors, their parents decide to move out west and settle in the western frontier--where dangerous magical creatures roam and no one knows Eff and Lan's birth order. The rules of magic in this fictional world are wholly believable. The attention to detail makes you sometimes forget it is not a historical novel you are reading. Unfortunately, this is only the first book in a series, so if you want to learn more about Eff and Lan's adventures you will have to wait for it. I'll be the one on hold ahead of you.

Comments

Raspberry said…
I have been waiting for this for ever it seems!
DeeDee said…
I love Patricia Wrede. I can hardly wait to read this.

Popular posts from this blog

Faces of the Moon by Bob Crelin

Faces of the Moon by Bob Crelin Illustrated by Leslie Evans Charlesburg; 2009; unpaged Faces of the Moon is a short nonfiction book that describes the different phases of the moon and why the moon appears like it does on certain nights. This book is short and sweet so even the youngest of moon lovers will enjoy it. The layout is simplistic and easy to follow. I don’t know much about the moon so I found it very interesting.

Dude, That's Rude! (Get Some Manners) by Pamela Espeland & Elizabeth Verdick

If there's one book today's kids need to read, it is Dude, That's Rude! (Get Some Manners) . The authors provide a fun format for teaching etiquette to children. They discuss proper behavior at home, at school, at other people's homes and in public places. The information is completely up-to-date with cellphone manners and netiquette included. Fun, cartoony illustrations are on practically every page giving the book great visual appeal. This book is perfect for boys and girls in the fourth grade or older. WARNING: Bodily functions are discussed.

Review: The New Girl

The New Girl By Cassandra Calin New York: Graphix, 2024. Comic. 261 pages. 12-year-old Lia and her family have just moved from Romania to Montreal, and she's doing her best to keep up with the changes. But, she's homesick. She misses the rest of her family, her friends, and her favorite Romanian treats. She doesn't speak French and her English is shaky, which makes it hard to make friends, even in her international immersion class. And she's dealing with super painful menstrual cramps every month. But before long, Lia starts to hit her stride. She befriends the other bilingual girls in her class, she gets a spot as the artist for her school's magazine, and even has a new crush -- Julien. Though she may be the new girl, Lia is starting to fit in. This slice of life graphic novel is an adorable choice for middle grade readers and young teens. Lia is a likable protagonist and readers will have little difficulty relating to her adjustment to school. The text speaks to a...