Young Brent Bishop is connected to little in his life - not his parents, his friends, nature and least of all, himself. He commits a drastic act without thought of consequences and, in retribution embarks on a journey to the four corners of the USA. This is a story of a young soul's journey of self-discovery and ultimately one of hope and promise.

A young man is humiliated at a party and attempts suicide behind the wheel of a car in heavy traffic. In a dreadful accident, a young girl dies instead. Four readers bring to life the tragic story of 16-year-old Brent Bishop and the people affected by his reckless action. Robert Field, reading Brent, offers the least appealing delivery. His clipped, sometimes overly dramatic, reading lacks authenticity. An emphasis on the odd preposition or verb, together with frequent, unexpected pauses, separates the reader from the inner life of the character and the flow of the story. Significantly inaccurate (and worthy of note in a recording by a Maine publisher) is the Downeast accent of the campground owner. The other voices are appealing and well suited to the text, particularly those read by Lily Christian. T.B. (c) AudioFile, Portland, Maine

 

"Four talented actors realistically bring this coming of age novel to life. A welcome addition to audio collections."

 

"In the audio version of his novel, Fleischman again demonstrates his talent for weaving several different narratives into an emotionally resonant whole. The...obvious choice to cast four different actors here makes for an affecting listening experience."

 

About his youth, Paul Fleischman writes: "I was exposed to books, but was not a reader and certainly had no plans to be a writer." He spent his childhood days in Santa Monica, California, riding his bike, playing at the beach, and searching in neighborhood alleys for "neat stuff." All these activities shape and influence Paul Fleischman the writer, for he maintains that his experiences growing up are an integral part of his books for children and young adults. Passionate about music, history, and nature, Fleischman has written highly acclaimed books on these subjects; more importantly, they are books that children and young adults savor reading. Fleischman garnered the 1989 Newbery Medal for his Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices, a slim volume that celebrates the insect world. Click here for more www.paulfleischman.net.

Whirligig by Paul Fleischman
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