Eye of the Beholder » (1st Ballantine Edition)

Daniel Hayes lives in Schaghticoke, New York, and teaches English at Troy High School. Eye of the Beholder is his second novel.

Tyler and Lymie are sick in bed and bored out of their minds. But while their hometown plans a festival for a famous local artist, and folks scramble to find his last known works of art, the boys hatch a clever plot.

Tyler and Limy create their own sculptures as a joke and discard them near the artist's studio. But when the sculptures are found and determined to be authentic, the art world is suddenly abuzz with news of the amazing discovery—and two boys with great imaginations are in a hilarious heap of trouble. . . .

Publishers Weekly

Tyler and Lymie, the inseparable duo from The Trouble with Lemons , find themselves in an unsettling situation. With all of Wakefield preparing a celebration in honor of Badoglio, a renowned sculptor who lived in their town at the turn of the century, Lymie convinces his pal that they should make a few sculptures of their own--``If somebody like that Badoglio guy could make money sculpturing, why can't we?'' Tyler remains skeptical--``Be real, Lyme. You're almost flunking eighth grade art.'' Eventually the boy gives in, but he would never have guessed that nationally known art critics would consider their rock carvings genuine, nor could he have predicted the trouble that ensues. Although the story focuses on these impulsive youngsters' antics, Hayes also perceptively explores relationships among friends, family and community members with lifelike dialogue and telling narration. Readers will delight in these protagonists' sundry predicaments, all of which are resolved with ingenuity and imagination. Ages 11-up. (Dec.)