I read this book in the 1980s, however I think it was older. It had something to do with a child living in a house on the ocean. I vaguely remember something about a witch and a storm (and perhaps a cave?) The rest is a little fuzzy. It may have taken place in New England, but it had nothing to do with Salem. I realize that this may not help at all, but I had to ask.
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Could it have been set on a Scottish island? If so, then a possibility is Nina Bawden: The Witch’s Daughter.
“Over Sea, Under Stone” and its sequels by Susan Cooper? The third book is called “the green witch” or “Greenwich” and certainly takes place by the sea and deals with a witch, a storm and a cave. The only disturbing element is more than one child.
If there’s a possibility that the witch was a nonexistent mermaid mother and/or a girl who has such a vivid imagination she can convince the neighbor boy that her pretends are real, Sam, Bangs, and Moonshine might be a contender.
Is it “Wise Child” or Juniper? “Wise Child” was written first and “Juniper” is the prequel. The books take place in Cornwall.
“Wise Child” and “Juniper” would be my guess too. There is a hidden cave in that series. She also wrote a third book called “Coleman”.