Best 2013 Books

     2013 was a long year filled with many books. But if I had to choose, the top three would be: The Penderwicks at Point Mouette by Jeanne Birdsall, Boy by Roald Dahl, and Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin. These three books were very fun to read, were interesting, and taught me many things.
     The Penderwicks at Point Mouette is the third book in the Penderwick series. The story is about Jane, Skye, Batty, Jeffrey, Hound, and Aunt Claire who go to Maine for summer vacation. While on the vacation, the sisters and their friends deal with Love Surveys, Firegods, music, and the beach. I loved this book, and the whole series, because they showed life as 12 year olds and younger kids see life. Although the end of it deals with more serious problems, most of the story talks about the little annoyances and stresses as well as the little joys which make up a child's life. Something I've noticed over the years is that the older the characters are, the more intense their lives are. I found this book refreshing because it isn't like that at all. It focuses more on everyday life, which is something I always like to read.
     Boy is the story of Roald Dahl's childhood. In case you have no idea who that is, he is the author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, and many other books. The story starts off with how his parents met, his father's life (to make it more interesting, it involves his father's arm being amputated), and then his own birth. Because this is an autobiography, the character does truly develop and although there are some considerable losses and tragedies, once again the book focuses more on a child's perspective on life, which mostly involves his own little problems and joys. This book taught me that there are always ways of making your life a little better.
     Elsewhere is about a girl who dies and goes to an afterlife. This book is different from the other two in the sense that it is a lot heavier and has deeper conflicts than the others. It is a wonderful book, though, that s funny and sad and a million other things all at the same time. The first time I read this I couldn't stop reading and I read the whole book from cover to cover without stopping. If you like sort of realistic fantasy (if that makes any sense) books, you should definitely read it.