Whirligig is a young adult novel. It was written by American author Paul Fleischmann and published in 1998. It tells the story of Brent Bishop who embarks on a journey of atonement across America, installing whirligigs in Maine, Florida, Washington, and California.

In chapter two we meet best friends Alexandra and Stephanie, two eighth-graders who live in Weeksboro, Maine. Alexandra is outgoing, pretty, and has a boyfriend. Stephanie is quieter, plain, and doesn't have a boyfriend. The chapter is written from Stephanie's point-of-view. The conflict in this chapter is that Alexandra thinks that Stephanie should get herself a boyfriend and that she should change herself in order to attract one. But, Stephanie is independent and isn't concerned about getting a boyfriend.

Alexandra takes Stephanie to the whirligig on the cliff which she believes has an energy that can make dreams come true. Alexandra describes a fantasy boyfriend for Stephanie, in the hope that the whirligig will make the fantasy a reality. When Alexandra has finished, they see a young boy standing behind them. Three years later, Stephanie is still in a relationship with the young boy's older brother, Kyle.