Ally has been to seven schools in seven years, and she's hidden the same secret at every one: she can't read.
Warm, funny and genuinely moving, and one of the best books for understanding dyslexia. The bully is one-note and the ending is very tidy. Four and a half out of five.
Every guide comes as a video and a full written article. Pick the one you need: the review is spoiler-free, the ending explained is not.
Is Fish in a Tree worth reading? An honest review of Lynda Mullaly Hunt's middle grade novel about Ally, a sixth grader hiding that she can't read: Mr. Daniels, Keisha and Albert, what doesn't work, and my score.
Fish in a Tree ending explained (spoilers): Ally's dyslexia diagnosis, the impossible paper, the election, Albert's stand, Shay's fall, and why the final chapter is about Travis.
A book club and classroom guide to Fish in a Tree: the characters, four big themes, ten discussion questions and hands-on activities for grades 4 to 7.
Loved Fish in a Tree? Six middle grade books to read next: Wonder, Out of My Mind, Hank Zipzer, The Lightning Thief, One for the Murphys and Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing.
Is Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt worth reading? A one-minute, spoiler-free review: the setup, the catch, and my score.
Fish in a Tree (2015) by Lynda Mullaly Hunt follows Ally Nickerson, a sixth grader who acts out to hide that she can’t read, until a new teacher, Mr. Daniels, realizes she has dyslexia.
Below you’ll find a review, the ending explained, a book club guide with discussion questions and activities, and six middle grade books to read next.
Ally Nickerson has been to seven schools in seven years. Her dad is in the army and deployed, her mom works long shifts as a waitress, and her big brother Travis fixes cars.
At school, Ally gets sent to the office a lot. She jokes, acts out, and fakes injuries to avoid writing, because the letters on the page dance and blur, and she'd rather be seen as a troublemaker than as dumb. Then a new teacher arrives, Mr. Daniels, and he starts to notice what nobody else has.
Ally Nickerson has been to seven schools in seven years. Her dad is in the army and deployed, her mom works long shifts as a waitress, and her big brother Travis fixes cars.
Warm, funny and genuinely moving, and one of the best books for understanding dyslexia. The bully is one-note and the ending is very tidy. Four and a half out of five. Read it if: school is hard for you or your child; you're a parent or teacher; you want a read-aloud for grades 4 to 7. Skip it if: you want a fast plot; you want fantasy or adventure. Review: Fish in a Tree →
Our ending explained covers the final chapters in full, with spoilers. Fish in a Tree ending explained (spoilers): Ally's dyslexia diagnosis, the impossible paper, the election, Albert's stand, Shay's fall, and why the final chapter is about Travis. Ending explained: Fish in a Tree →
Wonder by R. J. Palacio, Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper, Niagara Falls, Or Does It? by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver, The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume. Books like it: Fish in a Tree →
It's an easy read for kids around ten and up, and a great read-aloud for grades 4 to 7. Adults, especially parents and teachers, read it too.
Ally is the narrator, a sixth grader who has been to seven schools in seven years and hides that she can't read. She's great at math, art and chess, and thinks in pictures she calls mind movies.
Ally, her friends Keisha and Albert, and her teacher Mr. Daniels. The supporting cast includes Ally's brother Travis, classmates Oliver and Suki, and the bully Shay with her follower Jessica.
Albert is Ally's friend, a gentle giant and science genius who wears the same Flint shirt every day. He has five identical copies, and he refuses to fight the boys who bully him.
Fifty-one short chapters, written in first person, present tense, in Ally's voice. That splits easily into about thirteen chapters a week over four weeks.
Lynda Mullaly Hunt. The middle grade novel was published in 2015.
Ally's new teacher, who realizes she has dyslexia. He uses chess, shaving cream and colored overlays, and the author says he's based on her own sixth grade teacher.
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