Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt by Robert Cannone

Sonya

2015-11-13 21:16:41 UTC

One challenge I faced was when my uncle that I was very close to was in an accident about one month ago. When I found out I was sad and confused. But I remember that one day were I was told that he was going to be alright it was a sigh of relief and hope. Hope that tomorrow is going to get better. Today he is still not able to walk but I know he is OK. But no matter what not one second goes by were I don't stop thinking of him and I will never stop loving him no matter what he looks like. This is like how Ally lost her grandfather and is common for her to say " I miss grandpa".

Justin

2015-11-13 21:36:08 UTC

One challenge I once faced in my life was when we were on a trip to Hong Kong one summer, my sister got seriously sick, and one day when were having lunch, my grandma told me that my sister may have to go to the hospital. I was extremely worried that our vacation would end. But then I realized that the vacation was not important at the moment. Each night, from that day I would pray for my sister so that she would become healed. I overcame this when I found out that my sister was going to be fine as my grandfather, who is a doctor, said that she would be well-cared for, with my parents and doctors by her side. When my sister finally recovered we were heading back to Toronto. I was so relieved that my sister was back to a healthy girl once again. A connection that I can make with Ally is that we both had difficulties in our lives with people that we loved. Just like in the book, Ally was protecting her brother from Shay and her bullying, while I was trying to protect my sister and her health with the help of doctors and nurses. Honestly, I think that doctors these days have really aided and helped us with medical concerns such as diseases and sicknesses. I couldn't be more thankful for the doctors and nurses that I have in my life. I think that my sister got ill because of the weather conditions in Asia which were humid each day. However, each human being is unlike and will adapt different conditions at different cities. Thankfully, the rest of my family was able to handle the weather conditions in Hong Kong and help out with my sister's concerns.

Jin

2015-11-13 21:56:55 UTC

The challenge that I faced was when I had to move from a big city to a small town of 1500 people. I really missed the city and actually preferred it. I missed all my friends and found it kind of frustrating to not be able to get to a bus stop or go shopping without having to drive. School wasn't that big of an issue for me, but it was the first time that I had to come to school being very shy, instead of being a clueless, joyful toddler. Overcoming this wasn't easy, because I wasn't that happy there. Though, I managed to make some friends and get to know the place. Eventually, I became familiar with everyone and enjoyed the tranquility of the country. A couple of years later, I moved back to the city. I was happy that I had experienced life outside the city and couldn't help but dream about what it would be like if I returned. I am not exactly sure how this would relate to Ally, but I think it is similar because her Grandfather's death affected her life greatly, and this story affected mine. I also learned another thing from living in the country, that bug repellent is a miracle.

Laura

2015-11-13 22:01:09 UTC

The challenge that I faced was when I came to Canada, everything was different (since I use to live in Brazil). Even though I was born in Canada, when I was 3 years old I moved to Brazil. It was very hard to learn the language, English was basically a new language to me. Now I find English much easier to speak and understand, even though I still make a few mistakes. I overcame it by improving my writing skills at school. I think that my challenge relates to Ally because she tries to fit in, like how I used to when I did not understand English.

Janel

2015-11-14 17:49:52 UTC

When I tried out for the basketball team, I noticed that one of the practice times was after school. That moment, I immediately remembered that I have skating after school. I was ecstatic to start tryouts but, then I realized I had to make a decision. I talked about it with my mom about it we decided that I'll attend the after school practice and leave a few minutes early to go to skating. It wasn't easy as I thought it would be. The first time I tried this plan I was exhausted at the end of the day and I felt lightheaded. The weeks after that were better, but I still felt like I was going to faint. When I made the basketball team, the practices became more tiring and I had negative thoughts about incomplete projects and homework. How did I overcome it? Well, I didn't really have some sort of plan to avoid being exhausted but, I began to adapt to the schedule and enjoyed the basketball and skating. By that time, I was able to complete my homework without being overwhelmed. This challenge shows a connection to Ally because Ally has to adapt to the different schools she goes to every year, like I had to adapt to a new schedule. This challenge taught me that if you try something new, you're not necessarily going to be great at it, but you should never lose hope and stay positive because no one is perfect.

Paris

2015-11-14 21:56:52 UTC

When I was in grade four,I was wanting to be in a group.I try to do anything to be in that group.Sometimes I feel stupid what I 'm doing to be in that group,but I don't know if they will be nice to me but a big part of me was eager to do it to have friends because of no company.They all lied to me every single one of them,I didn't tell because I thought it was useless and I will still be alone.What I did to solve this situation is to move school.I decided to do that because I thought I will be at a new chapter with friends and I was right ,everybody welcomed me like I was already part of the classroom family.I think my situation relates in fish in a tree when Ally wanted to be in the group of Shay and even said something nasty to Albert just to join in.When I heard that part I knew exactly how Ally felt being alone in the corner with no friends at all.This was one of the most challenge in my life.

Catherine

2015-11-15 02:02:09 UTC

When I started to take piano lessons, I was excited to play an instrument like my sister. But, when I advanced to level 10, I had to be fully committed to this activity because it was now an important part of my life. At times, I felt like quiting because of the stress and demanding working load of doing my homework from school, and piano. Did I forget to mention my many extra curricular activities? Every year, my school work is increased because of me attending a a higher grade with higher expectations. I can relate to Ally because piano is a big part of my life, just like how school is a big part of her life. Sometimes, I have difficulty with piano, while Ally has trouble with school. For example, I sometimes wonder if I should quit piano because of the stress, it's just like how Ally would do anything to skip school. However, I overcame this problem by working efficiently at school so that I would limit my homework. I also didn't waste time when I got back from school everyday so that I could finish my crucial tasks immediately! Lastly, I worked harder and did my best at all times!!!

Demetri

2015-11-15 14:34:48 UTC

One thing in my life that I was struggling with is when my sister got hit by a car and had stitches on her face. When I found out, I was so scared and worried about it. I didn't know what to do at that point. So when she came back from the hospital, she was in so much pain. But now from the hospital she seems so much better. My whole family went through this challenge together and faced it. Because of what we all went through our ups and downs in our life, we can't forget that there is always a solution to a problem. So, if you have any challenges that you face in your life you should know that there is always a solution and that that god will lead through the whole way to peace.

Alfred

2015-11-15 15:36:54 UTC

One challenge I faced in my life was losing my Grandma. I miss her so much and it is hard to let go of someone that has been by your side your whole life. My grandma was not only my grandma, she was my friend too. She would always talk to me and teach me. She taught me so much and I have so many memories with her. My grandma takes her time to take care of us. The only thing she ever wanted was for us to be happy. She would never want us to worry, even if she hurt herself. It is so hard to let go of someone who has devoted their life to you. A million words would never describe how much I miss and love my grandma. I overcame this challenge by always remembering that my grandma is happy in heaven. Me and my family always say that "In heaven, we know grandma has nothing to worry about. She is in God's kingdom now." Their will be many more challenges to face in our lives; we can't change the past but we can write our own future.

Samantha

2015-11-15 15:59:55 UTC

One of the challenges that I have had thus far is when I tried out for the girls basketball team.It was a lot of work, but it was also fun .I over came it by practising and believing in myself.It was hard because there were so many good players who tried out,but that did not stop me from trying hard and doing my best. When we got back the results for who made it and who did not I was looking at the list and I say my name I was so happy that I made the team but I new that,that was just the beginning. But at least all of my hard work paid of.

Ashton

2015-11-15 20:28:59 UTC

A challenge for me was when I went tubing because I had never done it before. We went to my Uncle's cottage and he offered to take me tubing which is an inner tube that is pulled behind his boat at a super fast speed. When I went tubing for the first time it was really fun and after my first time I went multiple times. Each time I went tubing my sister and I liked it even more than the last time. A connection that I can make to Ally is when she is always scared to do something because I was scared at first. Lastly, another connection I can make to Ally is when she makes mind movies when I was tubing I had a mind movie that I would go flying off the tube and into the water.

Emma

ekolandjian — 2015-11-15 20:48:56 UTC

In my life there has been many challenges. The one I would like to share is when I got bullied in second grade. There were four girls who kept switching on and off between being my friend and not being my friend. One day I was hanging out with them and the bell rang for the end of recess. In the line, there was a third grade boy's jacket, and the four girls kicked it out of the line. Since I wanted to be in their group, I really wanted to kick it, too. Instead I gently nudged it with my toe. Then the boy came up to the girls and gave them a good punch in the chest each. He hesitated as he came up to me, because he knew I had asthma. I was rooted to the spot in fear, so I couldn't move or run. I think Ally also feels like this when a teacher asks her to read out loud. But he punched me equally as hard as the other girls. When my mom came to the school to complain to the boy and teacher, I knew in my heart that it was my fault, too. From then on, I always avoided the boy. I have overcome that episode by moving to Christ the King Catholic Elementary school in third grade. Now that I can take charge who I am and have a say in what I want, I am ready to face the challenges ahead of me. This story relates to Ally because she has dyslexia and Shey bullies her for it. I have asthma, which is not fun at all, but when bad things come to worst, I can try my best to deal with it. Because of my condition, simple things like running can affect my life tremendously. But I am not going to let bullies stop me in becoming a person who can stand up for herself.

GianMichael

gianmichael_barone22 — 2015-11-15 21:00:11 UTC

One of the challenges that I have faced thus far is running cross country, which is a three kilometre race. During this race, there were 96 boys running at cross country and I was so nervous! When I was well into the race, I was placing 10th and my heart was beating fast, not to mention it was cold. These were the Regional's and I had to push myself as hard as I could, to come in the top five. Earlier in the month, at the qualifying race, I pushed myself so hard to reach the goal of coming in the top 3 that I actually surprised myself and came in first place! What kept me motivated and focused was the thought about how good it felt to place first. At that moment, I started to pass people that were in front of me, which gave me hope and courage to keep running. I persevered so much, that I came in third in the York Region School Board race. A connection that I can make to Ally is that you should never give up because you will never know what you are capable of. If you give up you will never achieve anything and you will never feel proud of yourself of who you are. Even if you don't come in first or second you are always a winner because you tried and gave it your all!

Martin Muñoz

2015-11-15 21:03:34 UTC

One of the challenges I had to face in life is when I bumped my 2 central incisors.Those teeth were brutally bumped on the slippery and silky pavement. I was in a lot of trauma when this happened. I was crying, full of pain and I forgot to mention that I bumped both of my permanent central incisors. Without them, I will look like a football player playing in 24/7 games or a hockey player always getting bumped on my face from the protective walls in the arena. When I was screened to see if there is any infections, the dentist said one of my central incisors will die out and I will look like those people I just talked about (football player or a hockey player)! What I can do to overcome this challenge is to not eat candy a lot, carefully brushing my teeth, drink high in calcium foods and drinks and listen to doctor’s advisories. A connection I make is that Ally is having a hard time in her personal matter which is struggling from dyslexia; a disability to read and is cautious on what should she do to help herself. There is a struggle for me too because I have a struggle to bite hard foods like hamburgers which is sort of one of my favourite foods. Honestly, all those things from eating candy and running fast on wet pavement makes me think I will lose my teeth forever. In that case, I will be cautious on taking these risks that will affect my life. I should also have a monthly check - up in the dentist in order to overcome this challenge in life.

Zoe

2015-11-15 23:50:48 UTC

One time I faced a challenge was when I moved schools and felt extremely sad because I thought that I wasn't good enough, compared to others. In one of my first weeks here, we had a math assessment and I got almost perfect but almost everyone else got perfect so I felt bad and down in the dumps. To this day I still haven't overcome this annoying problem. However, it is getting better. I still do get disappointed when I do not accomplish a perfect grade but I have learned that life isn't about getting a perfect grade and one of the best things in life is realizing the mistake that you have made and fixing and understanding what you did wrong. You learn more by making mistakes than you do getting everything correct. My philosophy is that you do better by trying harder not comparing yourself to others. This is similar to Ally's life because she doesn't get excellent marks. However, she tries hard and, eventually and she learns to accept her differences. Life is nothing if you don't make mistakes and try hard.

Jessica Zhang

2015-11-15 23:55:58 UTC

An example of a time when I faced a challenge is when I got my braces. It was very close to Halloween, and I was picked up from school to get braces. I was really nervous because most people told me it felt sore for a few days. When I was at the orthodontist with my older sister, the orthodontic told me to relax. Getting braces took about 1 hour and 30 minutes, although it didn't seem that long. My experience of getting braces wasn't as bad as I had expected, It just felt a bit numb for the first few days. But the orthodontic told me that they are a big responsibility, and I had to make sure they where clean. Also he told me to not eat that much candy which was hard for me because Halloween is coming up, but I still went tricker treating. Lastly, he told me to not chew gum and lots more. This was bad because I love chewing gum. Now, I have gotten use to these braces and I knew that this is only the start. This relates to Ally because, she had to change teachers, just like how I had to get braces. They are both big changes in life, and in the end they will both be good for both of us.

Brian

2015-11-16 01:32:12 UTC

One challenge I faced in my life was when I was in grade 3 I didn't do well in math, I also didn't do my homework .All the time I had to go to interviews but I still didn't learn from that ,I didn't know what to do and I felt embarrassed because every one In my class could do better ,I was the only one who didn't do the work right. My parents weren't glad about what I did but they thought I would soon do better so they didn't worry too much. When I went to school I some times hid my things which was not completed so I don't get In trouble. One day my parents told my teacher to keep me inside for recess to help me,after doing that for a month I did well at work and because I was doing well I knew how to finish my math homework .In fish in a tree Ally doesn't do well in reading but I am predicting Mr. Daniels will help Ally to read.

Jorjet

2015-11-16 02:45:36 UTC

The challenge that I faced was having to move to three different countries three times. First, I was in Iraq and I moved when I was two years old. After, I went to Syria for five years, and finally I came to Canada when I was six years old. I was pretty exited to come to Canada,have new friends, and learn to speak their language.But none of that came true right away. When it was my first day in school, the teacher said that we are having a spelling quiz,so I looked at the person beside me because I didn't know how to spell anything. The person that I was copying got mad and covered his words. I would've not looked at his/her work if I Knew we were doing a quiz/test. Also, I always cried because I felt lonely most of the time, so my parents had to come and pick me up almost everyday. I overcame this problem by asking my parents if they can buy me books so I can learn new words and now how to spell them. One connection that I can make with Ally is when she tries to read but she can't and same thing with writing, it's hard for her to write her ideas down on the paper. Another connection I can make is that she doesn't know how to write or read An example of a comparison in the book is:" The letters on the poster look like black beetles marching across the wall". But now I have lots of friends and I'm thankful.

Roman

MrCannone — 2015-11-16 18:55:34 UTC

One day my dad said that my family was going to Saudi Arabia for 1/2 years. When I found out I wasn't happy because I was going to miss my family and friends. When I got to Saudi Arabia I met my neighbors who were really nice. On my first day of school the teacher announced to the class that we had a new student. When I felt comfortable I found out I was going to learn a new language. When I got home from the bus. I went to the pool and met new neighbors who came after me. My brother and I played with them and they felt comfortable like we did. When my family came back to Canada for the summer our neighbors asked where we were going and they said they were also going to Canada. When I got home in Canada we met them at their house. When we went back to Saudi Arabia I felt a lot more comfortable than the first day of school.

Steve

MrCannone — 2015-11-16 18:58:37 UTC

I faced challenge when I came to Canada because every my friends and my Grand parents are in South Korea.Most of all I didn't speak english so well because I was living in South Korea. But I over came it by working hard at english and I call to my Grand parents and my friends too with my cell phone.So now I'm not that bad at english.

Evan

2015-11-16 18:59:06 UTC

When Ally does not like reading or sharing her ideas with the class but she did, and I can reflect on that because I was shy wont's and and now I am reading very well . I can talk to the class so now I'm not shy any more so know I am happy.

Cindy

2015-11-16 18:59:51 UTC

When I was 6 I went to the doctors because my face was swollen very bad it was on new years eve what happened was ta school we had a party and my tooth was hurting very bad and I needed to call home then my mom came to pick me up my face was swollen for 5 day my mom dad brother and grandma tried to help and thats how I face my challenge in life your family will always be there with you and thats what I leaned

Michael

MrCannone — 2015-11-16 19:00:41 UTC

A challenge that I faced is when I had to choose if I was going to stop soccer lessons with the Richmond Hill Soccer Club. I participated in the program for many years and I didn't know what to do. I overcame this problem by asking my family members for advice and help on what I should do. Many of my family members said that I should follow my heart but if this meant stopping soccer then I had to keep staying active. Since I had to stay active I continued my swimming lessons and I rode my bike as much as I could either by myself or with my family. I can make a connection to Ally because even though Ally's challenges were very serious and mine wasn't it was still difficult and confusing to make a decision. Looking back, I do miss soccer but I am happy that I made this decision and that my family helped me overcome it.

Jessica Lee

MrCannone — 2015-11-16 19:01:52 UTC

I faced a challenge when I from Canada a new school, new friends,new food,and new house it was very amazing. I am very happy and now because I can speak with friends. I overcame this challenge by learning with nice people and living here has helped me.

Miranda

MrCannone — 2015-11-16 19:02:52 UTC

When i was in grade 3 i was teased on by my whole class ,so i can relate to Ally because i was bad in math so people thought i was dumb compared to them.I can't say I overcame this problem but i havent overcome anything so far but I hope to change that in my future to come