Phoenix Rising, by Karen Hesse, is about a 13 year old girl, Nyle, and a 15 year old boy, Ezra.  Ezra and his mother, Miriam Trent, are the victims of an accident that occurred at a local nuclear power plant.  Both are infected with radiation, Ezra more than his mother, and they need housing because all the local hospitals are filled to capacity.  This is where Nyle and her grandmother come in; Nyle's grandmother decides to house them until they are ready to live on their own.  In the beginning Nyle is hesitant about having them in the house in the back room, which she considers to be the room of death because it is where her mother died 7 years earlier, and her grandfather 2 years earlier.  Nyle believes that Ezra will also die there, and because of this she does not want to get close to him.  But during this time, while she helps to care for Ezra, she is the one who gives him the hope and will to live, Nyle must keep their visit a secret, so she keeps it from her best friend, Muncie, who is considered a "freak" at school, which caused problems in their friendship.
The event, which eventually bonds Nyle, Ezra and Muncie together, occurs when they finally go against the bully of the story, Ripley Powers.  Ripley consistently antagonizes Muncie and Ezra, as well.  Both characters finally fight him.  This fight causes Ezra to get worse, because he secretly had leukemia, which no one, not even his mother knew.  The bond which they formed caused Nyle to be able to let go, to realize that simply because people may leave does not mean that they story loving you.  She is able to tell Ezra that she will be okay; therefore, he is able to die in peace.

Click here to return to lesson index.