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June 15, 2015

Fish in a Tree

fish in a tree - final coverFish in a Tree

By: Linda Mullaly Hunt

[blockquote text=’“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.”’ text_color=’#8dc63f’ width=” line_height=’undefined’ background_color=” border_color=” show_quote_icon=’no’ quote_icon_color=”]

Ally, a 6th grader, has gotten through school with different tricks, distractions and witty comebacks to mask the fact that she has always had trouble with reading. The words on the page always seem to move and every time she tries to concentrate she gets a headache. Her classmates and teacher believe that she is either dumb or lazy and Ally believes she cannot prove them or herself wrong.

It is not until Ally gets a new teacher, Mr. Daniels, that she actually starts to believe in herself and her abilities. With encouragement from her new teacher and a couple of friends who also stand out from the regular crowd, Ally becomes more confident and successful with her schoolwork and making friends.

This book focuses on the fact that Mr. Daniels discovers that Ally has dyslexia. Although this is why Ally feels she is “dumb” in the book many people who have trouble in school or have been bullied can easily relate to Ally’s struggles and will cheer alongside her during her triumphs. Many of us who did have a hard time in school can point to one teacher that believed in us more than we did in ourselves, and this is what the story is truly about.

Everyone learns in a different ways and everyone has special skills and talents that make them unique. This book celebrates those differences in a very enduring way!

I would recommend this book to upper elementary and early middle grade readers, especially to those who often feel like they are different or an outsider.

Review By: Allison Kartman