In the book Whirligig, Paul Fleischman tells the story of Brent Bishop. Brent is a sixteen-year-old boy who attempts to fit in with a group of popular students by attending a party where there is alcohol. He then makes the fatal mistake of driving after drinking. The result is that Brent ends up causing the death of a young woman. The punishment for his actions is that he must travel across the country placing whirligigs in the four corners of the country, honoring the young girl’s memory. In creating these whirligigs Brent leaves behind him a legacy of hidden meaning and diverse emotions experienced by a young man wracked with guilt over his thoughtlessness that had ultimately caused a death. The finality of his actions does not fully come home to roost until he completes his journey. He travels from Washington to California, then to Florida and finishes in Maine. In each locale he places a creation of his own to remind the world of the girl whom he had killed. Each creation is a wind chime or toy that allows the blowing wind to spike the imagination of those individuals who take the time to observe them. The story tells of the self-discoveries made by Brent, and describes the growing up process he must endure to finally find redemption. The story also tells of the many individuals affected by Brent’s journey and the whirligigs he leaves behind him. It is a novel that lends credence to the fact that young adults can find what they are seeking, even when they are not quite sure what it is they are actually looking for. Whether the reader empathizes with Brent, or with Brent’s victim, the words still have the intended effect, to treat a serious societal problem with the alacrity it deserves.