Nathan's Wish: A Story about Cerebral Palsy [Hardcover]

Laurie Lears (Author), Stacey Schuett (Illustrator)

Book Description

Grade Level: 1 and up

Nathan lives next door to Miss Sandy, a raptor rehabilitator. Nathan wishes he could help Miss Sandy with some of her chores, but he is confined to his wheelchair because of cerebral palsy. Then Fire, an owl with a broken wing, comes to Miss Sandy.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3-Nathan struggles with cerebral palsy. The plot centers around a wounded owl that ends up in the care of the boy's neighbor, Miss Sandy, a Raptor Rehabilitator. The bird, named Fire because of her bright yellow eyes, fails to regain the use of her broken wing, and both she and Nathan take the defeat extremely hard. However, the youngster comes up with the idea of allowing Fire to care for orphaned baby owls, and the plan eventually works. Fire finds renewed interest in life while showing Nathan that even with physical limitations, there are important ways to help. Warm illustrations with bold brush strokes complement this feel-good story. A preliminary note provides useful information about cerebral palsy. An additional title for libraries in need of books featuring young children with disabilities.-Julie Roach, Watertown Free Public Library, MA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"Warm illustrations with bold brush strokes complement this feel-good story."

School Library Journal

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company; 1 edition (January 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807571016
• ISBN-13: 978-0807571019
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 8.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #495,994 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fly Like an Eagle!, June 29, 2006

By 

BeatleBangs1964 (United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Nathan's Wish: A Story about Cerebral Palsy (Hardcover)

"I want to fly like an eagle, till I'm free. Fly like an eagle, let my spirit carry me." -- Steve Miller Band, 1976

Nathan is a young boy who has cerebral palsy. He uses a walker and a wheelchair for mobility.

Nathan's neighbor, Ms. Sandy is a raptor rehabilitator. She takes in injured raptors (birds of prey) and nurses them back to health. In time, she retains them to survive in their natural habitat.

Nathan dearly wishes he could be more helpful to Ms. Sandy and her birds. When an injured female owl named Fire is brought to her, it is Nathan who helps Ms. Sandy work with her. The bird's wing is broken and had to be reset; while Fire is healing, Nathan cleans the aviaries and fills the water pails.

In time, the owl's wing heals. Eager to be on her way, she tries to fly, only to crash to the ground. Dispirited, Fire languishes in the cage while Ms. Sandy explains to Nathan that she cannot be returned to the wild with that traumatized wing. Nathan bonds with the bird, knowing just how painful it is to wish for freedom and mobility, only to find it inaccessible. He brainstorms to come up with an idea to help the bird.

Going online, Nathan reads about injured female birds acting as "mama" birds to orphan birds. Suggesting this to Ms. Sandy, the pair bring some orphaned owlets to Fire. That is very heartwarming, as is Fire's feeding the little owlets.

This is a beautiful and very moving story that might make you cry. The boy's love for the bird and the parallels he sees in his own life and that of the bird named Fire are truly heartwarming. It is this kind of indomitable spirit that makes one think of the Steve Miller 1976 classic, "Fly Like an Eagle."

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring tale about a child coping with disability, January 11, 2010

By 

Z Hayes (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Nathan's Wish: A Story about Cerebral Palsy (Hardcover)

"Nathan's Wish: A Story About Cerebral Palsy" is a well-written book that addresses the challenges faced by a young boy, Nathan, who suffers from cerebral palsy. Nathan's next-door neighbor, Miss Sandy, is a raptor rehabilitator and one day she rescues a screech owl with a broken wing. Nathan empathizes with the injured bird as he witnesses the bird's futile attempts to free itself from its cage, though its too weak to do so. This is how Nathan himself feels - he feels trapped by his lack of mobility, confined to his wheelchair or walker. When Fire, the screech owl loses its appetite and becomes listless due to lack of activity, Nathan tries his best to find a solution - resulting in a happy outcome for all. Nathan too finds that he can help out after all, in more ways than one.

As classrooms in the United States become more inclusive, it is imperative that children and young adults learn about some of the disabilities faced by their peers such as cerebral palsy, autism, ADHD, etc. This book is pitched perfectly for children grades K-3, and I would highly recommend it for school libraries. It is also a wonderful book for parents to read with their children and discuss the issues within. The color illustrations are vivid and enhance the narrative. Highly recommended!