A Ring of Endless Light
by Madeleine L'Engle
Middle grade · ages 10–14 · grades 5–9 · 780L · 262 pages · 1988
Why we'd hand it over
A lyrical, genuinely moving meditation on death and connection that doesn't shy from grief; the dolphin strand and romance subplot occasionally distract from the core arc, but the language and emotional honesty justify the stretch.