Fish In A Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

"Fans of R.J. Palacio’s Wonder will appreciate this feel-good story of friendship and unconventional smarts.” —Kirkus Reviews Ally has been smart enough to fool a lot of smart people. Every time she lands in a new school, she is able to hide her inability to read by creating clever yet disruptive distractions. She is afraid to ask for help; after all, how can you cure dumb? However, her newest teacher Mr. Daniels sees the bright, creative kid underneath the trouble maker. With his help, Ally learns not to be so hard on herself and that dyslexia is nothing to be ashamed of. As her confidence grows, Ally feels free to be herself and the world starts opening up with possibilities. She discovers that there’s a lot more to her—and to everyone—than a label, and that great minds don’t always think alike. The author of the beloved One for the Murphys gives readers an emotionally-charged, uplifting novel that will speak to anyone who’s ever thought there was something wrong with them because they didn’t fit in. This paperback edition includes The Sketchbook of Impossible Things and discussion questions. A New York Times Bestseller! * “Unforgettable and uplifting.”—School Library Connection, starred review * "Offering hope to those who struggle academically and demonstrating that a disability does not equal stupidity, this is as unique as its heroine.”—Booklist, starred review * “Mullaly Hunt again paints a nuanced portrayal of a sensitive, smart girl struggling with circumstances beyond her control." —School Library Journal, starred review

I was immediately drawn to this book, thanks to the title. Albert Einstein once said, “Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” That is exactly how the characters in this book feel.

Ally has been tricking people her entire life. She moves a lot because of her dad's job. He's in the service and she has been at 7 different schools in almost as many years. Generally, she tries to lay low and not draw attention to herself. Her latest school though, has been nothing but trouble. She lands in the principal's office almost daily and her secret is getting harder to hide.

Especially after she picks out a card for her pregnant teacher because it has flowers on it but doesn't realize that it's actually a sympathy card. Everybody sees her as a troublemaker and she constantly calls herself dumb. Ally is in 6th grade and can't read. She says that the words like to float around and doesn't understand how people can read like that.

With her teacher now on maternity leave, she has to start the whole charade over with the new guy. Mr. Daniel's turns out to be a blessing in disguise. He sees Ally as a creative kid and notices that she's special. Working together, Ally becomes more confident and slowly starts to read. It's the ultimate story of believing in yourself!

What I loved about this book was the concept. I'm sure there are a lot of kids that go to school and go unnoticed. They may have significant needs that no one has bothered to help them with. All it takes is one teacher that pays attention. That's what teachers are for right? All of my favorite people growing up were my teachers. I felt connections with them and that was a major reason I only went to school. Just by knowing that there is someone that cares can really make a kid open up (I see it all the time – I'm a teacher now, too).

I also love the mind movies that Ally has. She is incredibly creative and keeps a journal of impossible things. The things in her mind movies are sometimes crazy like teaching cats to play hockey. You can even see some of the impossible things at the end of the book!

Ally's friends are the best. Her relationships with other kids have been strange because she moves so much but once she gets the opportunity to reach out and learn about the kids in her class (thanks to the awesomeness of Mr. Daniels), she becomes great friends with Keisha and Albert. We also learn about their eccentricities and they learn to love why their different and they work together to stay positive and help each other out.

This book gave me goose bumps. The story of redemption and being yourself really hit home with me. If you have a kid (or not) I recommend that they read this book. It could have the ability to change the way they think about themselves and the things that make them “different.”

My rating: 5/5

This was such a wonderful book! I like how Ally grew and changed throughout. I'm hoping tonite it I. My classroom at some point-it'll be a great way to teach my students that having a disability is okay and that asking for help does not mean you're weak.