Whirligig- Contemporary Realistic Fiction

One move in a chess game can change the course of the game.  One moment’s decision can alter your life forever.   How can you deal with taking someone’s life?  Brent has inadvertently killed a girl while trying to kill himself at the wheel.  Nothing can change that… ever.  He is sent on a journey to create and set up whirligigs in the four corners of the U.S., Washington State, California, Florida, and Maine.  The goal is to spread this girl’s spirit across the country through the use of her favorite toy.

This story is told through alternating chapters of Brent’s voice and those who discover the whirligig’s influence in each destination city.  As Brent travels, we see him change and his protective layers begin to peel away.  With each day, he must learn to take care of himself and teach himself how to build a whirligig that is worthy of the girl’s essence.  He learns to open up to strangers bit by bit and recognize all the forms that a community can take.  The people whose lives are touched by these toys are not known or seen by Brent until the last one.  He has to trust that he has done the best he can and that the whirligigs will do their jobs. 

This unforgettable story by Paul Fleischman, is not just a bus journey. It becomes a pilgrimage of repentance and self-discovery and connection.  This imagery of “journey” will resonate with YA readers.  The teen-age years are all about finding out who you are and what you believe.  It is a time to discover strengths and deal with weaknesses.  In this story, readers are subtly reminded that every action has a consequence.  As Brent travels, he grows and changes. Readers see that change takes time and will continue beyond the scope of the book.   I am sure that readers will connect with this book on many levels and will want to read it again and again. That’s how I know for sure it is a truly wonderful book.
The author has won many awards over the years.  He won The Newbery Medal in 1989 for Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices.  He also won a Newbery honor for Graven Images in 1983.  He was a finalist for the international Hans Christian Anderson Award in 2012 for his contributions to children's literature.