Fish in a Tree: A Novel
Written by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Narrated by Kathleen McInerney
4.5/5
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Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this audiobook
The author of the beloved One for the Murphys gives listeners 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.
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.
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.
Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Lynda Mullaly Hunt (www.lyndamullalyhunt.com) has received many honors for her debut novel, One for the Murphys, which is on over twenty state award lists, including Bank Street’s 2013 Best Books of the Year. She’s a former teacher, and holds writers retreats for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. She lives in Connecticut with her husband, two children, impetuous beagle, and beagle-loathing cat.
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Reviews for Fish in a Tree
328 ratings47 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A wonderful story about a teacher who doesn't give up on his students and about a child who overcomes a learning difference to find out how very special she is. I loved this book! I read it to my 7th-grade class and they wanted to hear it every day.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ally hates to read - the letters move around and make it hard to focus. She loves to draw, though, and envisions the words people say as images. After years of struggling in school, a teacher finally takes time to identify what is bothering Ally - dyslexia - and works with her to overcome it. The overall story is probably a little hokey, but it’s beautifully written and really draws in the reader.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5What a delightful book this was! I found myself cheering for Ally from page one, and soon fell in love with Mr Daniels. I just wish there were more teachers like him in our schools - teachers who see the potential in their students rather than worrying about the content they 'have' to teach. Children like Ally don't always say thank you, but they always remember the hand that stretches out to help them. Another winner, Ms Hunt.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Perfect book for novel studies with students. I loved it!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I liked the premise of this book a lot, but I think I would have liked it a lot more if I'd read it rather than listened to the audiobook. The audiobook was fine, but sometimes it made the characters seem more like caricatures of people rather than fully developed characters. There were just some moments when their dialogue didn't seem like what a kid would actually say. That said, it's still definitely a book worth reading. Great underdog story about learning to believe in yourself and not let other people's opinions (or what you THINK other people's opinions are) have an impact on how you see yourself.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5children's fiction (realistic fiction/dyslexic 6th grader with military parent, trying to fit in at school). Just about every other chapter made me cry--what's the big idea, LMH?
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ally Nickerson is having a difficult year. Finding new friends in a new school, grieving for her recently departed grandfather, missing her deployed dad, and trying to hide her inability to read from classmates and teachers alike. She's a smart, talented girl and this is a solid book about figuring out what is important and finding ways to stand up for yourself.
Advance copy provided by Edelwiess - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Now I understand why Grade 8s new to our high-school library react so positively to seeing this book on our shelf. They have great memories of reading it in elementary school and feeling like hey, maybe I’m not the only one struggling to fit in and afraid to ask for help. If students don’t see their own struggles reflected in the book, it will certainly build empathy for their peers who do.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ally has made it to sixth grade, largely hiding from everyone the fact that she can barely read. She is treated by both peers and teachers as a stupid kid, likely to be a troublemaker. When her regular teacher leaves school for the year to have a baby, a new teacher comes in. Mr. Daniels immediately recognizes that Ally is quite bright, and that she has severe dyslexia. He makes it his mission to help her. She is also helped by something else she has never had before... two good friends. Albert, an uber-nerd, who seems to know everything and tries to model his personality after Mr. Spock on Star Trek; and Keisha, who is (I gathered) the only black student in the class. Between her new friends and her new teacher, Ally begins to see herself in a totally diffent light than ever before.Only drawback: it's highly predictable. By a quarter of the way through, you can pretty well guess the rest of the story line.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ally Nickerson knows she's just dumb, and she's managed to get by in school up 'til now by causing a little bit of trouble when it's time to write in class. She can't read - the letters dance along the page and give her headaches. And getting bullied by the popular girl, Shay, doesn't help. But when a new teacher, Mr. Daniels, starts teaching and Ally begins making friends, her attitude starts to turn around.This was a really well-done story featuring a main character with dyslexia by an author who experienced it herself. Adults will probably have no trouble diagnosing Ally's school trouble from the start. This made the beginning for me a little less enjoyable, but I think this was in part because listening to it rather than reading it made me spend a little more time in the part where Ally was really down on herself than I would have if I was just reading at my normal speed. I enjoyed the well-drawn characters in Ally's classroom, including her friends Albert and Keisha; even the mean girl had a little more of a back story hinted at. An affirming story I will be recommending to upper elementary-age kids who like Wonder.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mr. Falker: the Novel, with a side of Mr. Terupt. This book is utterly predictable and so very, very satisfying. The characters are nicely drawn, but it's the voice that is really memorable. Make sure you have some tissues for the end; it'll kick you right in the feels.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I absolutely loved this book! It is about a girl named Ally who doesn’t know at first but she has dyslexia. It goes through her struggles as a student and personally. Ally gets miss labeled as troubled instead of finding out what is actually going on with her. When reading this book you will noticed how not not handle certain situation and how to help students with dyslexia.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Amazing! Very emotional for me. Loved how the end had a great twist. Again, AMAZING!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Excellent book. Every teacher K-12 and above should read this book. As many as possible should read it to their students. It will open their mind to the world of a dyslexic child, but it is also eye opening about other difficulties students face. Hopefully it will teach empathy.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Great story about a girl with a learning difference and how her teacher helps her cope. Very little is said about diagnosis, and the process. The book just mentions taking a couple of tests. This is actually a good thing because it doesn't detract from the story itself.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Ally's got a bit of a reputation as a class clown and occasional troublemaker. She's good with numbers and art, but has trouble reading because of the way the letters seem to move on the page. She makes her difficulties into a joke, and she's fooled a lot of teachers so far. But when Mr. Daniels, a long-term sub, takes over for her regular teacher, he sees Ally's smart, creative side in a way that nobody else ever has. Over time, Mr. Daniels helps Ally overcome her difficulties while celebrating her unique skills and talents.This book falls firmly into the category of "inspirational teacher story," as you can see from the summary above. There aren't a huge number of novels featuring dyslexic protagonists out there, so there's some value in that. I was displeased to find that this book perpetuates the "Einstein did poorly in school" urban legend that's been pretty well debunked; I thought the book would have been better served if the author had used a less controversial example of a famous person who struggled with academics. On the other hand, Ally's voice is smart and funny, and that made for an enjoyable read.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Ally struggles in school. She hides the fact that she can't read behind a tough act and bad behavior. When she is moved to a new class, she starts to blossom thanks to a caring teacher earning his special ed credentials and two new friends. Seeing Ally start to shine and gain confidence in herself, despite the mean girls in her class is inspiring and touching.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Can't wait to dive into this text. It's a great pairing with Because of Mr. Terupt and Mr. Terupt Falls again!One teacher truly can change everything!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Teacher bait. A young girl has difficulties in school and begins to overcome them slowly but surely. Absolutely adored Hunt's earlier book, One for the Murphys.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I love ally she is such a great character and she inspires me so much
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Amazing book! This story is about a child who struggles academically and deals with the a bully at school. With the help of her teacher she gains confidence and begins to enjoy school.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This book was a great JFic/YA novel. It highlighted several key problems facing middle-school aged children that they are often too embarrassed to admit. On top of that, there was dialogue and internal thoughts in the book that suggested the kids were taking notice of the other children's secrets, which I also liked.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ally is in yet another school after bouncing around with her father's military job. So far she's been able to hide her inability to read at grade level behind her other talents and her not-so-great attitude. But a new teacher challenges Ally in ways that make her face her fears -- not only of being dyslexic but also of making friends and standing up to bullies.This was a well thought out piece of literature. Although part of me wondered about the wisdom of talking about dyslexia through a book (although the audiobook is very well done and accessible for those with reading difficulties), the story could easily be transferable to other issues that involve working hard and asking for help when needed. In addition, there's more to the story than simply Ally's learning difference -- there are also her woes and triumphs when dealing with other kids in school as well as some things on the homefront.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This is wonderful novel is about a girl named Ally who is in the 6th grade and struggles from dyslexia. The novel starts with Ally thinking that something is wrong with her brain, while her teachers perceiver her as a behavior student. This soon changes when a new teacher takes the time to understand the reasons behind Ally's behaviors. Together they discover Ally's learning difference as she navigates the struggles of being a middle schooler and developing friendships with unlikely characters.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Das ist ein sehr schönes Jugendbuch über ein Mädchen mit hochgradiger Legasthenie. Mit Hilfe eines Lehrers schafft sie es, sich ihrer Stärken bewusst zu werden und ihre Schwäche anzugehen. Außerdem findet sie Freunde. Das Buch hat viele traditionelle Motive (gemeinsam stark sein, Lehrer als Helfer, einen geliebten Bruder usw.), aber genau das gefiel mir gut. Ich musste am Ende auch ein bisschen weinen. Auch meine Tochter (14) mochte es sehr.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This book was about a sixth grade girl named Ally who has dyslexia but doesn't get diagnosed until a teacher, Mr. Daniels, who finally sees that she needs differentiated instruction. At first, Ally thinks very low of herself and doesn't think anybody can help her learn how to read. Soon, Mr. Daniels helps Ally after school and gets her to realize that she is worth fighting for. She realizes that she can do anything she puts her mind to. This book would be considered realistic fiction because it's likely to happen, but didn't actually happen. This book could be read by students in upper elementary school and middle school.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This book is about a girl who struggles with dyslexia. To cover up her set back she acts out to get out of class. With the help of a new teacher, they are able to diagnose her and get her the help she needs. I would use this book for 4th to 5th graders due to it's a little bit bigger.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Ally is a wonderful character who struggle with dyslexia is very realistic and a lot of children can relate to her. Her previous teachers made me very anger, but her new teacher is an inspiration and reminds me of the reason I became a teacher. Ally's friends also struggle and overcome their own problems and the development of this friendship reminds the reader to look past the surface when meeting new people.
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- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5"wonderful book" by a 5th grade boy that has dyslexia.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This book was so powerful and would make a great read aloud. Ally's resilience in coming to terms with her dyslexia was so very inspirational. Also, Mr. Daniels is the type of teacher that every teacher wants to be, which gave this book points for me. I am a big believer that everyone has their own unique strengths and viewpoint to present to the world, and this book really shows why continuing to hold this belief as a teacher can be life changing for my students.
1 person found this helpful