Aquarium by David Vann

Caitlin, a twelve-year-old, visits the Seattle aquarium each day after school. Spellbound by the fish and other marine creatures there, she is transported away from the rough neighborhood where she and her single mother, a dock worker, live. One day, Caitlin meets an elderly man at the aquarium, and they begin an unlikely friendship, discussing the incredible fish they see and eventually sharing more about their personal lives. Several weeks later, Caitlin's mother hears about the old man at the aquarium and realizes her small family of two is threatened. She then goes to extreme lengths to keep Caitlin from seeing him.

Caitlin's safe and trusting relationship with her normally loving mother is jeopardized by her mother's nearly uncontrollable fury at the old man, a long-lost family member. Fearing her mother's unpredictable rages, Caitlin nevertheless keeps her heart open and forgiving, reuniting the broken family that surrounds her. Though not for the faint of heart, this story will resonate with readers long after it's finished. The author, David Vann, has won numerous awards for his other books, including best foreign novel in France and Spain for Legend of a Suicide.