I really enjoyed this story and consumed it within a few hours. Jimmy's a lot of fun to listen to. It seemed as if he had the classic small town American childhood. He lives in a home with both of his parents and his older brothers, until they move out when they come of age, and he spends the majority of his time fooling around with his group of friends that he's probably known for almost all of his life.

It was interesting to watch Jimmy's relationship with his father, a man he doesn't understand. They were by far the two most captivating characters in this book. Things got really interesting when Jimmy started trying to figure out exactly who his father was.

When the Whistle Blows has a lot of fun stories, from throwing cabbages at a car to Jimmy's championship football game, but at its heart it's a heartwarming story of a boy and his father, as well as a boy's journey to becoming a man.

This book has been reviewed as a part of a Traveling to Teens tour.