The Highest Tide — Jim Lynch

Miles O'Malley is a speed-reading, insomniac thirteen-year-old in love with the girl next door. When he stumbles across a rare sea creature on the tidal flats one moonlit night, he becomes a phenomenon, hailed by the press and even a local cult as a kind of prophet. Through the summer, while the sea continues to offer him discoveries from its mysterious depths, Miles navigates the equally mysterious process of growing up. As the close of summer approaches, and with it the highest tide of the year, this luminous tale of obsession and natural wonder surges toward an unforgettable ending.