Whirligig

Whirligig by Paul Fleishman is a book about decisions large and small and how we have to live with the consequences of our actions. In this book the main character is a 16 year old named Brent Bishop. He goes to a high school party where there is alcohol, in pursuit of a girl. He ends up leaving the party and hitting and killing a girl. He goes to the girl's parents and asks them if there is anything he can do that would ever let them forgive him. They send him on a cross-country trip building whirligigs and leaving them for people in need to find them.

I think this book would really hit home for many kids in high school. Many people have felt the effects of drinking and driving and many schools have had students die from accidents as the results of parties. This story is a good reminder to kids that there is life after the sad times, and that we need to keep hope alive for ourselves and we need to be aware that even the little decisions can end up changing someone's life.