Just finished re-reading (for the fifth time) "Boy's Life" by Robert R. McCammon, who is better known for deliberate (and fun) sci-fi schlock like "Stinger" and "Swan Song".
"Boy's Life" (nothing to do with the Robert DeNiro movie "A Boy's Life") is a wonderful book about the magic of life in a 1960's American small town seen through the eyes of a 12 year old boy. In the town of "Zephyr" everything that we believed in and wished was real as children, even the stuff that scared us, is real. "Old Moses", the local legend monster that lives in the river, exists, the Voodoo queen "The Lady" and her husband "The Moonman" have magical powers, and the ghost of a tragic hotrodder still drives his car along the twists and turns of the out-of-town backroads around October, to mention just a few of the many, many subplots. Despite the story wandering through so many little stories, everything is perfectly tied together in the finale of the central plot, which is a murder investigation with the feel of a Hardy Boys novel. Of course, such a story would not be complete without the "coming of age" and "losing the innocence of childhood" theme, which is handled perfectly.
One of my favorite books of all time, which I have dreamed of turning into an adventure game many times but the sheer work of doing so is just too daunting.
I'm amazed that there isn't a movie. Right now would be the perfect time, with nostalgia being a huge seller.