Whirligig

Rating:
Summary: very good for grades 7-12
Review: its about a kid at a party. he gets drunk trying to impress a girl. he gets into his car and leaves the party. he gets into a crash and ends up killing a girl. the partents of lea (the girl he killed) wanted him to make a whirligig of her in each of the corneres of the usa.Brents parents refuse, but brent agrees. this book is about how the wirligigs change peoples lives. when he comes back to his home in chicago, he is a completely different person. instead of a deeply depressed kid who refuses to go to school, he is a brightened young man who now has friends from accross the globe, no longer depressed, feeling allot better about himself, and more wiser. this book i would reccomend to only older children, but i am only in fifth grade.(but it is also that i was reading nancy drew in kindergarten):):)

Rating:
Summary: incredible story!
Review: As an English teacher, I am always looking for books that will hook my students. This is definitely one of them! I was entranced with this story from the first page. There are so many wonderful subplots in addition to the story of Brent. Everyone can learn valuable lessons by reading this book.

Rating:
Summary: I loved this book!
Review: This book demonstrates how one accident can change your whole life. Sixteen year old Brent Bishop leaves a high school party drunk and tries to end his life by taking his hand of the steering wheel of his car. He blacks out and when he wakes up, he discovers that he has killed another another person, Lea. Instead of the death penalty, he will have to do a task chosen by Lea's mother. His task is to make four whirligigs and put them in the four corners of the U.S. Brent's deed affects other people around the the country by giving them hope, and confidence. I like the whole idea of a whirligig because it was Lea's favorite toy as a child. The whirligig also symbolizes the many twist and turns of Brent's life. Paul Fleshman has a very unique style of writing by throwing in the tiniest detail to make the story an ounce better. I recommend this book from anyone eleven through nineteen.

Rating:
Summary: thought-provoking reading for all ages
Review: As a high school senior in an Advanced Placement English class, I enjoy reading good literature -- and when I saw a copy of "Whirligig" on my teacher's desk for her freshmen students, it caught my attention. Although not Jane Eyre or Great Expectations, I begged my teacher to allow my class to read it -- it sounded mesmerizing from its description on the jacket. And mesmerizing it was. A great book which not only alludes to topics such as forgivness and self-realization, Whirligig presents a timely and entertaining story about the consqeunces of our actions. Recommended for readers of any age, Whirligig can be a springboard for an enlightened discussion on several aspects. Though it probably won't surpass The Scarlett Letter or Macbeth in the literary canons of English teachers, Whirligig proves a valid educational point: someties Juvenile Literature can be just as influential to young minds as the classics.

Rating:
Summary: cried all the way home
Review: i am a community health nurse and a songwriter/musician...i listen to books on tape during my long hours in the car. whirligig, though a little difficult to get into, was well worth the effort. i found that the whirligig motif, repetitive as it was, became memorably mythic, a rare trick in literature these days. the power and simplicity of the theme, as well as the fun and pretty symbolism of the many characters and events, made this one of the most memorable books i've ever read. i was entranced, touched by the authors clear love for life and people, had a deep wish to thank him, and indeed cried all the way home. unashamed.

Rating:
Summary: A book to ponder.
Review: Though written and recommended for a younger audience, I feel high school and even college students may be more appreciative of the transformative nature of the book. After all, it focuses on a high school student traveling on his own around the country. Brent's experiences much more closely mirror that of the older teenager branching out toward the life of an adult than that of the younger student. High school English teachers looking for a book with substance that will not intimidate slower readers should consider Whirligig for a good character study. But most important is the message that our actions, large and small, good and bad, have a huge impact on others lives. It is also a book of hope and promise.

Rating:
Summary: Whirligig is a good book for YA readers
Review: I found "Whirligig" to be a good book, even though it was hard to follow at times (because of the narration, which jumps, chapter to chapter). It details the perils of drinking and driving, in a way that is easier for YA readers to deal with. While I did not find this to be Newbery material, it would make a good addition to anyone's reading list.

Rating:
Summary: If I read one more book about Whirligigs, I will scream
Review: This is the second book about whirligigs I have had to read for school, after a book called MISSING MAY. MISSING MAY was a lot better. At least it had a halfway believable plot. What is also starting to get to me is books where people react to tragic death in un- lievable ways. This is another one of those. Read this novel only if you must. A book for grownups to tell kids to read, not a book for kids to like on their own.

Rating:
Summary: My pick for the Newbery
Review: I thought this book was one of the best children's books I've read this year -- and as a children's librarian, I've read a good number! Brent's feelings of isolation and depair, and later, renewal, are hauntingly real. His realization that even our smallest actions have a ripple effect and his resulting maturation are masterfully portrayed. My pick for the Newbery Award this year.

Rating:
Summary: This is an excellent book to read.
Review: I think that this book is a life-like situation. The author makes this story seem like it is really true. I was amazed that Lea's mother had enough insight and love to send Brent out on a mission to build the whirligigs and set them up in Washington, California, Florida, and Maine-the four corners of the United States. This is truly a book worthy of the Newberry Award.