Book Review #2: "Nathan's Wish: A Story about Cerebral Palsy"

Lears, Laurie. Illustrated by Stacey Schuett. Nathan's Wish: A Story about Cerebral Palsy. Morton Grove, Illinois: Albert Whitman & Company, 2005.

Nathan's Wish is about a boy who wants to find some way he can help his neighbor, Miss Sandy, to repay her for all of the time she spends talking with him about the injured birds that she takes care of and involving him in the processes. However, what Nathan can do for Miss Sandy it very limited because he has cerebral palsy and can't walk very well. However, with a little inspiration from a Screech Owl named Fire with a broken wing, Nathan realizes that there are many things that he can still accomplish even with his disability to be helpful to Miss Sandy.

While Nathan's Wish is not meant to be informative, it is a somewhat inspirational read for insiders who have this disability. This story shows that just because there are some things that you can't do and can't participate in doesn't mean that you are less important or useless. I have noticed a common theme in books about disabilities of the character feeling "trapped." This is a big theme in this particular book with Nathan feeling like he is not free. This story shows that there are many other options for people with physical limitations, and that those children can still make a difference in this world.

Something that I didn't like about this book was the fact that it seemed to make readers think that Nathan was not accepting of his disability. I did not understand how the title of the book fit into the story until getting towards the middle of the story. The dialog goes like this:
"Poor fire, says Miss Sandy, "She wished so badly to be free."
I turn away so Miss Sandy won't see the tears slipping down my cheeks.
I know just how it feels to wish for something that can't come true. (Lears)
This seems to show that Nathan does not like himself and wishes to be different. I don't necessarily think that this is negative because I understand that children might have these thoughts, but it might have the wrong affect on outside readers, making them think that children with this disability are unhappy and sad all of the time and always wish that they were different.

Author Laurie Lears taught special education for seven years. She has written many other children's picture books about other disabilities such as autism, epilepsy, and stuttering. She has also written a children's picture book about adoption.