Flyers [Hardcover]

Daniel Hayes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1996

Gabe finds himself in a world of wonder as he questions why his brother, Ethan, is involved in a mystery, why his father is more sad than usual, and why other strange events begin to occur on Blood Red Pond, and sets out to find the answers he needs.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In relating the escapades of a youthful upstate New York filmmaker and his goofy friends, Hayes (The Trouble with Lemons) spins a tale that goes straight from the funnybone to the heart. The 15-year-old narrator, Gabe Riley, faces problems aplenty: his mother took off years earlier, never to be heard from again, and he frequently has to scrape his lawyer father off a barstool. However, these potentially dire circumstances are not the core of the story but rather the occasion to enrich it with incisive empathy and wry humor. Instead the plot centers on mysterious goings-on at a cantankerous neighbor's homestead. Events unfold so subtly that despite foreshadowing and some seemingly obvious clues, even readers who think they know what's going to happen next are in for a surprise. (A gaffe about a shotgun that figures in the denouement mars its impact only slightly.) Throughout, this spry work blends wisecracks with insightful reflections on life, death and relationships. Falling in love, for example, is "a little like getting a bad cold-sometimes the symptoms persist longer than others, but it's only a matter of time before you feel like yourself again." Fresh and convincing. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 7-10-A mysterious, supernatural element is always lurking around the corners of this story, and while readers may find themselves wondering at times what Hayes is up to, the pleasure of meandering around the narrator's head is so real that the leisurely plot doesn't seem to matter. Gabe Riley, 15, has a passion for filmmaking, a good sense of humor, and a penchant for observation. His reflections on his friends and family, and on life in general, are at the center of the novel. He and Ethan, his younger brother, live with their father, a lawyer. Mr. Riley does a lot of drinking and schmoozing, but he genuinely cares for people and tries to help them. Gabe is a fair-minded, live-and-let-live kind of guy, except when it comes to those who would milk an emotional trauma for all it's worth. No stranger to heartache, he admires people who are generous and resourceful and scorns those "survivors"-whether of abuse, addiction, or divorce-who brag of their misery or tell others what to do. The narrative flows at an easy, ambling pace, full of humorous and poignant scenes. All of the characters, even the more stereotypical ones, come to life. Gabe's faith in the people he loves and keen and critical perceptions of himself and others make this book well worth reading.
Vanessa Elder, School Library Journal
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing; First Edition edition (October 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689803729
• ISBN-13: 978-0689803727
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,371,390 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Daniel Hayes lives in the town of Easton in Upstate New York, at the southern end of scenic Washington County. Born April 17, 1952, he attended school in Greenwich, New York, which became the fictional village of Wakefield in his novels. He currently teaches 11th grade English at Troy High School and creative writing for Hudson Valley Community College. His goal, in addition to writing more books (his fifth, My Kind of Crazy, is on the way), is to someday see film versions of his novels. Having fielded a number of queries from various producers over the years, he hopes, eventually, to be able to put Tyler and Lymie and the rest of his cast of characters up on the big screen. Should this happen, due to his considerable acting skills, he feels he should, at the very least, be considered for the role of the dead body in The Trouble with Lemons. He's already working on his ability to float face down.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant; but tedious, December 12, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Flyers (Hardcover)

I had to read this book as an assignment for my 8th grade Language Arts class. I read it, and was left feeling cold, but along with that the ending was actually well-written. "Flyers" gets pretty tedious... the topics(which are usually boring ones) usually just ramble on and on, for about 20 pages filled with hard-to-read words. After about an hour, I had to either decide weather I would want to continue this book or not... but I finished it, and I'm surprised on how well the ending turned out. A book for fast readers.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars THis is a review of Flyers, July 16, 2003

By 

Ashley Wright (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Flyers (Paperback)

Recommendation: I recommend this book for kids 13 and up. The reason why is because it is about friendship and 3 people who fight sometimes. " Gabe needs to find answers to all of these problems because he doesn't want to ruin a good friendship". The book discusses the problems teens can get into and how people fight a lot. Another good thing that I like about the book is that it gives you an idea about how to handle a situation in the right way. ''Gabe needs to find help with his problems between his friends.'' People can get along with other people if they handle their problems in a good way.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great!, June 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Flyers (Hardcover)

I read this book, along with the rest of Daniel Hayes's books and I have to say,There great!