Eli's Songs

When his musician father hits the road, 12-year-old Eli is sent to live with his aunt and uncle in the Oregon woods. With his long hair and earring, the boy immediately encounters the prejudice common in many rural, redneck communities. He finds consolation in his songwriting, however, and in spending time alone in the nearby forest. In an inevitable confrontation, Eli camps in the branches of a huge Douglas fir to try to stop loggers from clearing his beloved woods. Although Eli's behavior seems by turns too mature and too naive, his songwriting and hip L.A. attitude and affectations are ample evidence of quirky characterization rather than of slipshod writing. A timely ecological message combined with sensitively realized characters make this a worthy first novel. Ages 10-up. (Oct.)