Island of the Blue Dolphin, by Scott O'Dell

Another childhood favorite. I remember fantasizing about how I would live if I were abandoned alone somewhere. I learned after this reading that the main character was based on a real person, and that the island is one of the Channel Islands, which are off the coast about 2 hours from here. Crazy.

Misty of Chincoteague, by Marguerite Henry

A beloved childhood book. Simpler than I remember it being. Funnily, I also remember it being more from the horse's point of view.