Do you have triskaidekaphophia? How about friggatriskaidekaphobia? This is the perfect book to teach your little nerds about the #13 and all the superstitions it brings. I bet you learn a little something yourself about this most feared number! It is also perfectly perfect that this book releases on Friday October 13th!

Thank you to NetGalley and Label Free Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Such an informative and entertaining book. I loved how it broke it all down into simple and easy to follow chunks of information. The illustrations were captivating and playful. I really enjoyed the underlying message and how it was easy to follow along and understand. Looking forward to getting the hardcopy to add to the bookcase.

Don't Be Mean to 13 by Douglas Harris

This is a cute story with adorable characters giving us insight into some popular superstitions. The number 13 is popular and the most feared number of all. I love that the author has chosen to have this book released in October on Friday the 13th, just perfect and I see it being a huge hit for the spooky season. I enjoyed the illustrations and the fun 13 haves with his friend.

Triskaidekaphobia!
13 is the most feared number from zero to googolplex! But why???
I consider myself a superstitious person, unfortunately, and on my list is the number thirteen. But now, awwww I feel so bad poor 13! I think I may have changed my view - slightly.
Thirteen has it bad but when he's paired with his friend Friday, they really have it bad together.
Friggatriskaidekaphobia!
My irrational superstitious brain may have a harder time letting this one off the hook.

It's so appropriate that this book being released on Friday, the 13th! But not just any, October's Friday the 13th! The spookiest one! (I wonder if there's a word for that one?)

I loved this book so much! It explains the origins of the words and possible explanations of why people fear poor 13.
The illustrations are adorable. I love fluffy little 13! How could anyone be wary of that cute little dude?!
Great book!!


(I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley)

I Love this book. IT was cute and very informative. Love Love love. The art is beautiful and I love 13!!

I thought this was a cute little book. It explains some superstitions involving the number 13 and why some people don’t like the number too much.
It has a couple of pages that says the kids reading the book are special like 13, and I love those! I just wish there were more of those pages.

I would say the illustration is quite fun!
This book provides a short background on how the number 13 is regarded as something unlucky and should be considered dangerous.
The kids will enjoy this book a lot!

Thank you, Label Free Publishing, for the advance reading copy.

Such a cute book! You learn all about why people don't like the number 13 and where it came from! It had information that I didn't even know

I was drawn to this book due to the cover and the adorable "13" character. While the story wasn't what I expected it to be I really enjoyed it and found it really informative. I loved learning facts about my favorite number. It also I can see many of my neurodivergent students who love numbers, facts, and history to love this story. In addition, the illustrations were cute and colorful.

This is a fun book that allows the character 13 whom we should not be mean to explain why superstitions are not to be feared or treated as fact. Readers are taught why we need evidence to prove something is real. We are shown that when the character 13 and Friday get together there is no reason one should be afraid. As a special education teacher I love how the book tells the reader they are special even if they are different.
I enjoyed the illustrations as they were cute, fun, and drew the reader into the story. As a teacher, I think the text was long for younger readers and some of the words were too complex. I enjoyed the history of certain superstitions and I feel that you could build on these concepts to teach further lessons.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review

I thought this book was cute, but my child was not as into it as I hoped they would be. I think it was cute though, but may have been better suited for ages 5+.

A beautifully illustrated heartfelt book that will appeal to kids and adults alike. The books is great for teaching critical thinking to a younger audience. The children will also sympathise with the main character, Thirteen, and his best friend who's trying really hard to convince the world not to be afraid of Thirteen. The book contains enough factual information to be useful in the classroom as well as at home.

This was slightly underwhelming since I expected a "story" about thirteen, and even on the back blurb it talks about thirteen and Friday teaming up! As someone whose favorite number IS 13, and actually LOVES Friday the 13th I did find the historical facts behind it interesting. I tried to read this with my three year old though and she was not interested. This might be a fun book for older kids or those interested in STEM or language, likely more for 8-10 year age reading. The illustrations were very well done and I enjoyed how there was a variety of representation in culture, history, and drawing.

Thank you NetGallery for the opportunity to read and review this book in advance, all opinions and ratings are my own.

Don’t Be Mean To 13 is a cute children’s book about superstitions. Why do so many people fear the number thirteen? It also addresses how, in some cultures, thirteen is a well loved number and why. I enjoyed reading this with my six-year-old, and she loved the illustrations. At one point, my daughter said “mommy, it’s funny that people don’t like thirteen, but it’s Taylor (Swift’s) favorite number”. Boy am I raising her right! 😂

I wish the book had flowed better- perhaps rhymes or at least a cadence that will appeal to children. While I enjoyed learning the official language for certain fears, it wasn’t age-appropriate for the target audience. My daughter tends to get intimidated when words are (extremely) difficult for her, and I imagine that others will find the same struggle.

Overall, this was a fun and informative read! Definitely worth the time spent reading.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Don't be mean to 13 is a fun book about the number 13. It introduces us to the crazy word that means the fear of the number thirteen and superstitions in general. We learn that superstitions are made up stories for when we don't understand things, and a bunch of other cool facts about the number! Lots of fun illustrations and facts. Great book to teach kids that we are all unique and special, and it's important to get to know each other before making judgements! Loved it!

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this advanced review copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review on the book!

I felt like I learned a lot about superstitions and their origin. This story had a good message and was packed with facts and information. I feel this story was also unique from other stories and I enjoyed reading it with my child.
Thank you NetGalley for an arc ebook

I found it to be a good idea for a children's book but the execution is lacking. Too many large words that children won't understand or be able to read if they are at that reading level. Some of the concepts in the book, psychics, astrology, crystals, etc. are not something a young child will understand. This book is not something I would purchase to put in my library's children's collection.

I love this little story about superstitions and the number 13. It explores why the number is so feared and the ancient roots behind those fears and superstitions. It also explores how 13 is considered GOOD in other countries. While I love the concept, it is a little dense for a small child. There are a lot of words, and none of it flows well together. It would be more fun if it were condensed, maybe had some rhyme, or even dug into the number 13 as being a person. I loved the illustrations.

I was expecting this to be more of a fiction narrative, but was pleasantly surprised that it's packed with interesting facts about the number 13 in cultures through time and tells the story of how the number has come to be associated with bad luck in contemporary culture. The formatting on Kindle was very off, but from what I could tell, the art was lovely.

Don't Be Mean to 13 is a captivating children’s book that powerly addresses people common fears that associated with the combination of Fridays and the number 13. Written by an imaginative author Douglas Harris, this book aims to educate and assist children in overcoming their fears through a heartwarming story, illustration and cute characters that surely children will love it dearly.