Reread for the first time since I was 9 (?). Definitely had a strong sense of nostalgia that is evoked in the writing, the descriptions of flowing water in particular created a sense of bygone times along with the indeterminate (until the very end) time period. The themes of friendship and mourning the loss of childhood even while your still a child remains relevant. While it didn’t evoke the strength of feeling I had reading it as a child, there was still a great depth of feeling and I would still recommend it to young readers.