Cassandra's Driftwood

Anne Hutchings is a teacher-librarian in Ajax, Ontario.

Cassandra, who lives in a small fishing village, is painfully shy. The
only “person” she can confide in and share her innermost thoughts
with is Alonzo, a piece of driftwood washed up by the tide. One day
Cassandra comes home from school to discover that Alonzo is gone. When
she finally tracks him down, Cassandra finds that she is considerably
more courageous and assertive than she had believed.

Budge Wilson has written an interesting short-chapter book that will
appeal to late-primary-grade children looking for something more than a
picture book. Recommended.