Nathan's Wish

A Story about Cerebral Palsy

Plot Summary

Nathan lives next door to Miss Sandy, a raptor rehabilitator. She’s very busy taking care of injured birds of prey, like owls and hawks. 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. Fire is desperate to fly and Nathan can’t wait for Fire to get her wish. But on the day Fire tries to fly, she cannot do it. Miss Sandy says the owl’s wing will never be strong enough. The light goes out in Fire’s eyes and she stops eating. Nathan desperately searches for a way to help Fire, not realizing that what he finds will help transform his life as well.

Reviews

"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 limitation, 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." School Library Journal

Associated Keywords
handicapped, owl, handicap, owls, nathan