Fish in a Tree

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Hey,” I say, trying to get the thoughts floating around in my head to land on the paper. I don’t know why the things in my brain get lost on the way down my arm. word uncouth even means. Do you?” “I know what uncouth means,” Albert says. “I know something else, too. Only an uncouth person would wear snail snot.” She looks at us like we’re wearing it. “You say purple is the color of royals,” he says. “They only wore purple because it was the most difficult and expensive color to make. In medieval times, they needed to collect three thousand Murex brandaris snails to have enough slime to make one cloak. So, good for you. I’d prefer beige.” He turns to me. “What about you, Ally? Slime or beige?” “Oh, I’d have to go for beige.” I try not to smile, as much as I want to, and I try to keep my voice fromsounding as happy as it is, because the look on Shay’s face when she looks down at her new sweater, like she is actually covered in snail slime, is pretty unforgettable. The recurring characters were not a stroke of originality, of course - a band of outcasts, a posse of mean girls, a couple of kids not brave enough to stand up for the weaker ones until the weaker kids became willful enough to fend for themselves. But they were fun to read about. They also grew. along with Ally. I liked Albert the most. I was sad for him, but I was also proud of the way he carried himself and learned to live with his difficulties. Actually, come to think of it, I think he was my favourite character in the entire book. Alice and how she argued with Humpty Dumpty about using the right words. I turn to Keisha and blurt out, “Do you like eggs?” “Eggs?” she asks. Oh no. She thinks I’m a barrel full of crazy, but I keep going because sometimes my tongue goes on without my say-so. “Yeah. I love eggs. Scrambled eggs. Fried eggs. Poached on toast, and boiled eggs. I love peeling the shell off of a boiled egg, don’t you? I even like egg salad, which my brother won’t eat even if someone holds him down . . .” Her eyebrows scrunch up, reminding me of angry caterpillars. “That’s incredibly interesting.” Then she searches inside her desk for something. I know this move. It’s a polite way of ignoring me. People do it a lot. Finally, I just put my head down. Grandpa used to say that Alice in Wonderland falling down the rabbit hole was just like real life. I didn’t used to understand what he meant, but I do now. ••• There can’t be any place on the planet scarier than a school cafeteria. I hold my tray so tight, my fingers hurt. I hear, “Hey, Ally!” It’s Shay. She is standing with Jessica and a few others. “Yeah?” I ask. “Do you want to sit with us for lunch?” Of course I don’t want to sit with them. But I am getting tired of sitting alone. And having everyone else see me sit alone. Besides that, Shay, Jessica, and some other girls all have these woven friendship bracelets. And I have never had the kinds of friends who have matching bracelets, but I have always wanted them. It’s like the bracelet tells the world that the person wearing it has someone who cares about them. Not like a family member that has to care, but someone who just likes you. I want to feel a part of something. Anything, I guess. Shay is overly happy that I’ve said yes. I sit down after glancing at the seat to make sure I won’t be sitting in a pool of glue. Shay motions to me to sit next to her. She and Jessica smile CHAPTER 31 Lots of Ways Home “So, did your mom tell you that we talked?” Mr. Daniels asks. “Yeah.” I take a long breath, noticing that I can feel my own heart beating. “I have to talk to you about something.” This doesn’t sound good. “I need your help.” “You need my help?” “Yes, I do. You know how Miss Kessler gave you those tests?” “Yeah.” “Well, it appears you do have dyslexia, which, like I said, makes learning to read difficult, but doesn’t mean you’re not bright. In fact,” he says, half smiling like Travis, “you’re very bright, Ally. The tests show that, too.” I shift in my seat. “But you will need some help with learning to read better, and we’re going to get it for you. Thing is, it might take a little time. Sometimes the paperwork and meetings around that take a while.” “Okay . . .” “You know how I said we can’t play chess on Tuesday or Thursday? Well, that’s because I’mtaking classes to get a degree in special education. Basically, it’s a degree to help me help kids like you. Kids who are smart but have learning differences.” Smart? Learning differences? “So I spoke with Mrs. Silver and Miss Kessler.” He leans forward. “And your mom, of course. And we were thinking that I could help you after school a couple times a week. Until we can get you into formal services here at school.” I open my mouth, but he holds up his hands. “I know. Staying after school with me will be torture. But it would really help me out with the projects I have going on for my degree.

My daughter's class read Fish in a Tree when she was in 4th grade, and she was beyond excited. She felt seen for the first time because she had just been diagnosed officially with dyslexia a few weeks before. And getting that diagnosis and the help she needed was truly life-changing, just like it was for the main character in this book. Mr. Daniels is a young teacher who takes over for Mrs. Hall sometime around Thanksgiving and is the first to recognize that Ally has dyslexia. A kind and thoughtful man studying to become a special…One, because I know how to spell it right and two, because I’m hoping someone will finally give me an answer. With time, Ally turned out to be quite the wonderful character, brave, even though she was failing, stubborn, even though it seemed hopeless. I really liked how she grew up in the course of the book and the big little person she became at the end. Most of all. I liked the final scene with her brother and the teacher, it really moved me.

Quisque ullamcorper, sapien ut egestas faucibus, tortor mauris tempor odio, sed pretium risus dui sit amet lectus. Sed ligula mi, tincidunt nec porttitor vel, aliquet sit amet libero. Nulla sagittis ultricies sem, non pretium augue bibendum vitae. Nunc luctus tristique urna eu tincidunt. Etiam ultricies neque ante, ut placerat dolor iaculis dapibus. Curabitur luctus orci et gravida laoreet. Sed ultrices id nulla id mollis. Donec tempor dapibus sem, a convallis felis elementum sed. Aenean nisi tortor, dictum ac massa non, rhoncus sagittis leo. Interdum et malesuada fames ac ante ipsum primis in faucibus. Proin id justo sit amet mi euismod lobortis. Morbi at mauris condimentum, vestibulum risus eu, laoreet elit. Aenean posuere risus vel hendrerit dignissim. In leo tellus, feugiat sit amet purus laoreet, consequat tincidunt orci. Integer sit amet justo in mi rhoncus commodo. Duis sagittis augue nisi, in fringilla tortor iaculis id. The story’s protagonist, Ally is a sixth-grade student who, unbeknownst to herself for much of the novel, has dyslexia. Though Ally is extremely smart, good at math, and a talented artist, she can barely read… A popular and sporty boy in Ally's class. He loves parties and wants to throw one at school at every opportunity. Though he hangs out with Shay, Jessica, and the other popular girls… This novel follows the story of a group of fifth-graders and their new teacher, Mr. Terupt. He inspires them with his creative teaching methods. Because of Mr. Terupt is told from multiple perspectives and explores friendship, empathy, and the power of positive influence. So, it’s a heartwarming and relatable story that shows the impact that a good teacher can have on students’ lives. If you want the same story as Fish In A Tree, this book is for you. The teachers are game changers for both readers, and you can read if you are a teacher or parent. Albert is one of Ally's best friends. A hulking boy who loves science and logic, he comes to school every day wearing a shirt that reads "Flint" and a pair of jeans. He's also often…In a novel where the overall themes teach kids to be proud of what makes them different, why does Hunt feel the need to be so ordinary? Our hearts attach ourselves to this young girl immediately. Our heart continues to grow as we journey with Ally at school... with her teacher, and classmates. Living in a world of impossible things like in ‘Alice in wonderland’.....in a world where nothing makes sense makes perfect sense to Ally.