My dad taught middle school.
Is it "Island of the Blue Dolphins," by any chance?
Thanks for the suggestion! Based upon the Wikipedia description I don't think this is it, but I'll read it to be sure.
I hope you like it. It was one of my dad's favorite books!
Good luck! It doesn't sound like isle of the blue dolphins. I hope you can give us more clues as you remember them. Was it a longer or shorter read? Was it in a collection of stories? Was it rooted in history or fantasy?
Good questions! I think it was short by today's YA standards - - maybe 200 pages. Definitely not a collection, just a short novel. It was more a historical fiction.
I Am the Ice Worm by Maryann Easley?
This is a possibility, although the descriptions I can find are pretty limited. One mentions that the protagonist is a mall-rat. Any guess on when the book is set?
Edit: This was written in 96, which would have been too late. Thanks for the suggestion, though!
The discussion of fiction books! Please tag spoilers and follow instance rules.