“Complex and rewarding, this is a stellar addition to a consummate writer's body of work.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“This is a cathartic story of redemption. Brent, filled with self-doubt, guilt, and a host of worries, is a character today's adolescents will recognize and agonize with. Fleischman's writing is filled with beautiful imagery, no more so than in the twirling arms of his whirligigs that remind readers that sustaining the human spirit in an imperfect world requires reaching out to others.” —Voice of Youth Advocates

“Though Whirligig has linear movement, it impresses readers more with its sense of interconnected spiraling. . . . There is enormous vitality and hopefulness expressed in this brief masterwork.” —School Library Journal

“In an intricately structured novel, Fleischman skillfully connects the stories of several people to the evolution of his main character. . . . Brent's journey is an embracing and an edifying one.” —The Horn Book

“The story as a whole and the inner sense of self that Brent achieves through his experiences are mesmerizing. The language of the whirligig stories gleams and soars: a metaphor of movement, dance, laughter, and irrepressible life.” —Booklist