“Everybody is smart in different ways. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its life believing it is stupid.” ~Fish
in a Tree
Ally is in sixth
grade and has moved from school to school. Up until this point she has been
smart enough to fool almost everybody she meets. Of course this also
involves getting in a lot of trouble, but it's worth it, or so she thinks, to
save face. Everything changes when she gets a new substitute teacher Mr. Daniels,
who refuses to send Ally to the principal like her other teachers did. He seems
to believe in her and makes her want to read and do better in all of her
subjects. But she just can't understand the words she sees on the pages of her
books and papers! It doesn’t help that there is a group of girls who seem out
to get Ally and they make fun of her whenever they can. When Mr. Daniels offers
to work with Ally after school, it isn’t long before he thinks he’s discovered why
she's been having such a hard time learning to read and write, even though she is
very smart and good at figuring out puzzles. Will Ally be able to catch up with the work? What about the girls that are mean to her? Is it possible to ignore their taunts? Read this heartwarming
story to find out more.
Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt is a book I have wanted to read
since I first heard the title and saw the cover. My heart went out to Ally
because I know what it's like to be a struggling reader. I liked getting
to know some of the kids in her class. Ally was kind to everyone, even the
people that weren't nice to her. I kept wishing she would ask for
help instead of getting in trouble all the time, so I was glad when a
teacher came who wouldn't let her continue that cycle. This book will inspire
teachers to help kids who need extra practice and may be seeking out attention
as a way to distract from that fact. The
title of the book is fitting because all creatures have special things they are
good at, as well as areas that are hard or impossible for them (a fish climbing
a tree). Ally judges herself for not being able to read like everyone else, but
she has reasons that make it hard for her to decipher words. I recommend this book
to people in fourth grade and up who like realistic stories that make
them feel good.
Has anyone else read Fish in a Tree? Or have you read another
book by Lynda Mullaly Hunt? We’d love to hear your thoughts!
Happy reading!
~L
