16 Books Found

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"middle-grade novel I read in elementary/middle school for Accelerated Reader points (AR level ~4.5–6). It’s a short, emotional, and quiet novel about a young boy who is sent away for the summer because his parents couldn’t watch him. He stays mostly on his own in an older, wooden coastal house or shack near the ocean, with a Monterey-style cliff vibe and fog rolling in. There’s a quiet older person present — either a grandparent or a neighbor — who is kind but doesn’t talk much; the boy’s relationship with them develops slowly, mostly through actions rather than conversation. A distinctive element of the book is that the boy spends a lot of time caring for potted plants that are scattered all around the house — succulents, cactus, and other pots — though it’s not a formal garden or greenhouse. He also journals or reflects internally throughout the story. The book is very descriptive and atmospheric, focusing on wandering, exploring, and quiet observation rather than action. The ending involves him leaving at the end of the summer; the older person does not die. I remember the book feeling older when I read it — the pages were yellowed and had a “funny” smell. The title may have included something related to “saw” or “summer.” The overall tone is reflective, introspective, and easy to picture in my mind, similar to the feeling of Island of the Blue Dolphins, but the story is quite different."