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Fish in a Tree is a realistic fiction story written by Lynda Mullaly Hunt. Realistic fiction means it's a made up story, but it could really happen. The narrator and character are in first person of a girl named Ally. This means Ally is telling the story from her perspective. The story takes place during the school year, at Ally's middle school, house or her mom's work, the ice cream shop.

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Ally Nickerson is the main character in the book Fish in a Tree. She is a middle school girl, who is very creative, witty, and good at math. Ally is not very confident in herself though. She doesn't know how to read or write like her friends. Ally does everything she can to hide the fact that she can't read or write, including getting sent to the office to avoid assignments. Ally doesn't have very many friends at the beginning of the story and is picked on and teased by others in her class. Ally often feels alone and describes herself as dumb. Ally is a visual person, she likes to make movies in her head and she loves to draw in her book of impossible things.

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Albert and Keisha - these are two friends Ally gains in the middle of the story. Like Ally they are social outcasts so they all get along well.

Shay and Jessica: These are the mean girls of the story. Shay is the leader and Jessica does everything Shay does. They tease Ally, make fun of her and try to make her life miserable.

Mr. Daniels: He is the long term substitute that is filling in for Ally's teacher while she is on maternity leave. Mr. Daniels is young and works hard to help student feel comfortable in class. He is the one that ends up figuring out that Ally is not "naughty or lazy" but that she has dyslexia. Mr. Daniels is the first teacher Ally trusts.

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Ally Nickerson is a sixth grade student who doesn't know how to read or write. She hides the fact that she is not able to read and write by getting in trouble, pretending she is injured, or writing the same thing on her paper over and over. Ally's main teacher and principal, think Ally is a lazy trouble maker who doesn't want to do her work. When Mr. Daniels takes over the class, Ally slowly learns to trust him and reveals to him that she can't read.

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In Trouble Again

Ally is embarrassed when she is caught doodling instead of writing a page about herself. Shay and Jessica start making fun of her and calling her names like dumb and loser. After hearing them Ally scribbles on her desk on purpose to get sent to the office, to avoid her assignment and the class laughing at her.

"Embarrassed, I slide my drawings underneath my blank writing assignment." Page 2

"Knowing she loves clean desks and things just so. I grip my pencil with a hard fist and scribble all over my desk." Page 5

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Ally is Smart

Ally is in a group project with Oliver, Suki, Max and Jessica. They all have to look at a shoe box with a mystery item in it. Ally's classmates quickly discover that Ally is really good at this. Ally figured out that Mr. Daniels tied a rope to the mystery object, something no kid has ever figured out. At the end of the chapter, Mr. Daniels gives Ally a high five, something no teacher has every done before.

"Wow, Ally Nickerson. That's amazing. I have done this with ever a hundred kids and no one -- in all those times -- has ever been able to figure that out!" Page 80

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Ally's regular teacher goes on maternity leave and Mr. Daniel fills in as the long term sub. Ally learns that he is different from all the other teachers and seems to actually care about his students. He is very careful not to embarrass or call out the kids in front of everyone. He tells Ally he won't be sending Ally to the office anymore because he wants to help her. He promises that what happens in the classroom stays in the classroom.

"I'm happy that Mr. Daniels cares so uch. He actually seems to like that we are all different." Page 52

I think how cool is it that they have the ear pulling signal. That way he doesn't always have to tell Oliver that he's doing something wrong in front of everyone." Page 52.

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Ally starts afterschool tutoring sessions with Mr. Daniels to help improve her reading. Ally's confidence begins to build when she learns to be herself, changes her mindset, and finds friends. She is even nominated as the class president. Ally learns that learning to read is not impossible like the drawings in her notebook. Finally Ally begins to realize that having dyslexia doesn't mean that she won't be successful in life as she used to think it did.

"My head swims with all that's changed. In School. And in me." Page 243

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Filled with Hope

After being humiliated by Jessica and Shay's drawing of Ally with a dunce cap during their class field trip, Ally runs away to be by herself. Mr. Daniels follows her soon after and Ally finally admits for the first time to anyone, that she can't read. Mr. Daniels tells Ally he think she has Dyslexia. He describes it to her as a learning difference and not a disability. He tells Ally that she is very smart, but dyslexia makes it had for words to process in her mind because she thinks in pictures. Mr. Daniels tells Ally he wants her to do some fun puzzle tests and then he wants to spend time with her after school to help her improve her reading.

"No one can help me, I'm dumb, and I can't read!" Page 157

"I'm filled with fear and happiness and questions. But I'm mostly filled with hope." Page 167