Paul Fleischman's Whirligig

Upon reading this book, I was unaware what a whirligig was. After conduciting a little research, I discovered that a whirligig is many things, but in essence is an object that whirls or spins. This book took me on many adventures in different ways, just like a whirligig spins and points in many different directions. While reading, the beginning of the book confused me, since I was waiting for a journey to occur, as the back description suggests, but then it seemed to totally switch stories. As I kept reading, it made more sense because each story that was different than Brent's somehow involved a whirligig that as the end of the book shows, he created. I enjoyed this book, the adventure Brent went on completely changed his life and his outlook. I wonder if instead of prison sentences, should society today encourage a life journey such as Brent's? Would the world be a better place? Would convicts actually learn something rather than just sitting in an empty cell, forced to think about whatever they're mind takes them? This book is great for teenagers, its not too long, but it is powerful.