Fish in a Tree Kindle Edition

This is a good book to read to help understand about certain disabilities that school children have. This one is about a girl who has a learning disability and hast to do class work at home work a different way than kids who don’t have disabilities. It would be good for people to read so they understand the different things that happen when children are learning.

An inspiring read for anyone, but especially as a book club book for students struggling in school. I loved it.

Love this book

For ten years, I led a book club for adult learners through Creek County Literacy. The adult students met with a tutor weekly. Once a month, tutors, students, and I would gather to discuss a book together. These adults were bright people who had struggled with reading and writing for a variety of reasons. At some point as adults, they had the courage to seek help. Admitting that they needed help was the first step toward becoming readers. Our book club meetings were joyful events that involved time together to talk about a book we had all read and to enjoy food together. What’s better than that?Recently, I read Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt. Reading the book caused me to think back on the times I spent with the adult learners and our book club. In Fish in a Tree, Ally, an elementary student, is constantly in trouble. She practically has a seat with her name on it in the principal’s office. The problem is that Ally, bright and articulate and talented in math an art, cannot read or write well.Sadly, no one has realized what Ally’s problem is. When she is called upon to write in class or to read aloud, she acts out. She might draw wild circles on her desk with her pencil, thus annoying the teacher and getting her sent to the principal’s office yet again. But going to the principal’s office is a better alternative in Ally’s mind that having to read aloud and have the whole class make fun of her.Ally looks at the copy of Alice in Wonderland that her beloved grandfather has given her and the book he used to read to her. She thinks to herself: “It’s like having a gift that’s locked in a glass box.”When her regular teacher goes on maternity leave, Mr. Daniels steps in as the substitute. He is a breath of fresh air. He calls the students “my fantasticos!” At the end of the first day, Mr. Daniels tells Ally that he knows about her troubled past. He encourages her with these words: “I just want you to know that I’m going to try really hard not to send you to the office. If we have something to deal with, you and I will deal with together.”Before long, Mr. Daniels figures out Ally’s problem and begins helping her cope with the dyslexia that has been holding her back and causing her to act out in school. Along with her own problem, Ally faces Shay, the class bully, and her sidekick Jessica. But Ally find allies in Keisha and Albert, two other students who also face Shay’s meanness.Fish in a Tree is must-read book for parents and children, especially any children who are struggling with an issue in learning. It is an uplifting story of perseverance and the kindness and help from a teacher.Lynda Mullaly Hunt maintains a robust website where readers can find a wealth of material. The paperback version of the book I read also has discussion questions and “The Sketchbook of Impossible Things” much like the one Ally herself keeps.

My granddaughter left her book at school and was stressing out because she couldn’t do her homework so for $9.95 grandma saved the day!

Lovely transformative story about a rebellious elementary school girl who feels inadequate in her class and constantly gets into trouble meet a new teacher who realizes that she has dyslexia but a very creative mind. With his help and that of some of her two classmates (who are also different in other ways) she discovers how to confront her reading difficulties and tap into her hidden strengths, which opens up a whole new perspective on life and her relationships. A wonderful story dealing with topics such as "identity" and "coming of age" and "friendship" and "fitting-in with society", highlighting the beauty and value of being different. Engaging read with fun language and short chapters. My 11-year old pre-adolescent son was fully absorbed by it and finished it in a couple of days. Even picked-up a number of quotes from the text.

Have you ever watched a movie or read a book with a main character that really touched a chord with you? Someone who related to you so much that you felt EXACTLY like that character? That you had virtually the same experiences as that character? This was one of those rare times where it happened to me. Of course, over the years, there's been plenty of fictional characters I've really liked and/or related to, but this was one of the few times where I thought I was reading a book about me and not someone else.Sixth grader Ally is a genius at math, and a gifted artist with an active imagination. But she also has a big secret--she has an extremely difficult time reading. Because of this, she believes herself to be a hopeless idiot, and will do anything to keep her problems under wraps, even if it means acting out in class and denying any sort of friendship with anyone. But everything changes when her class gets a new teacher--an unconventional man named Mr. Daniels who has a strong suspicion of what Ally's problem is, and he'll do anything and everything he can to help her succeed. And in doing so, Ally just might discover how smart she actually is...with a little help from some special teaching methods and a few unlikely friends.Ally is a great protagonist who is incredibly clever and smart, and it's inspiring to see her transformation over the course of the story--going from someone who believes herself to be dumb and a hopeless cause, to a happy and confident person who recognizes the strengths both in herself and in others. And while I've never had dyslexia, I still found myself really relating to her in regards to her struggles to fit in, make friends, and her passion for art and her wandering imagination. Her classmates are also a joy to get to know, from loud and outspoken Keisha with a talent for baking, to the quiet and logically minded Albert (who is clearly on the autism spectrum and also discovers a new found strength in himself to stand up to the bullies who torture him). Only the vain and snobby popular girl, Shay, comes off as a one note bully, but thankfully, she gets a taste of poetic justice in the end.And therein lies the book's biggest strength--to show both kids and adults the different kinds of struggles everyone faces, and how kindness and the proper support can bring out the best in anyone. This is never better exemplified than in Mr. Daniels--a quirky, kind, fun, and understanding man who's arguably the greatest teacher character I've ever come across. He understands that some people learn differently than others, and by book's end, his unconventional teaching methods have changed the minds of the teachers who once thought Ally just wasn't trying hard enough.There's a saying that goes, "Everyone is a genius in their own way. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it'll go its whole life believing its stupid." This perfect quote (and title for the story) sums up a book that I believe every student and teacher should read, both in the lessons it teaches, and its ability to inspire anyone to keep trying, no matter how hard their own personal challenge may be.

Read this with the third graders I tutor. They loved it! Highly recommend.

Compré el libro para regalar a un niño de 13 años.Sin duda, acerté.El libro llegó en la fecha indicada.Muy Recomendable!

Sehr gut

Perfecta lectura para niños, mi hija de 10 años está encantada ¡no puede parar de leer!

What a great read! A thought provoking and compassionate story with so many layers. A very heartfelt journey exploring the struggles of dyslexia, while also touching on other students neuro diversities, exploring the trials with in themselves and greater social structures.

The story was amazing. I loved every bit of it. sadly, there wasn’t a pre-crease on the cover so I had to make my own. But the book itself is amazing. It’s written so well