The Laketown Loners by Michael Mote

Every school has at least one Julian Peabody, but rarely does anyone know these kids by their real names. In Julian’s case, he’s Pee-bedy, Jewels, or more recently, Piebody. Prone to unwanted attention from bullies and embarrassing mishaps, he’s the boy most kids at school try hard to avoid. A move to tiny Laketown changes little - that is, until Julian begins to sense that the enormous lake that now makes up his backyard is hiding mysteries, extraordinary places and objects that he feels compelled to find but never will on his own.