Song for a Shadow

The twist to this contemporary story about an aspiring rock musician is that the hero, 18-year-old Aaron Webb, seeks anonymity instead of fame and fortune. Having always lived under the shadow of his celebrity father, ``Spider,'' Aaron hopes to start a new life away from Stamford, Conn. After hitchhiking north, he finally finds a niche in a small Maine town, where he is taken under the wing of Jerry Ferguson, a local grocer. Although Aaron finds some contentment working at the Ferguson's store, playing with a local band and dating Jerry's daughter Gail, he is haunted by his past. In addition to depicting Aaron's devotion to music and adjustment to small-town life, the narrative concerns his attempts to sort out his relationships with both parents--his father, who has always seemed too wrapped up in his career, and his emotionally troubled mother, who has been institutionalized. MacKinnon ( The Meantime ) paints a moving portrait of a sensitive, talented teen who seeks love and acceptance as well as independence. Ages 12-up. (Apr.)