Details

Length: 266
Story Build: quick pace 
Character development: strong, characters with personality shown through actions and their dialogue  
Age Recommendation: 5th grade (to beyond!) 
Reasoning: no language or inappropriate content,  there is bullying and some slight violence between boys during the bullying–but it is explained.  

Summary and Review

Fish in a Tree was exactly what I needed when I picked it up: refreshing, funny, and tender. It is the story of Ally, a young girl whose father is deployed, whose mother works as a waitress, and whose brother dreams of one day owning a shop where he refurbishes things. Ally herself is a talented artist who is constantly doodling in “The Sketchbook of Impossible Things.” 

While Ally is clearly creative, talented, and smart, she doesn’t believe those things and suffers from low self-esteem and a lack of friends because of that. Furthermore, she is constantly getting into trouble, most often on purpose, and the readers can clearly see this is because she struggles in school but not because she isn’t intelligent. 

This is where the new substitute steps in to alter Ally’s world and make her see her potential. With this newfound change, she acquires some friends, specifically Keisha and Albert, who add humor and a touch of silliness to the novel. I found myself giggling, reading lines to my husband, and underlining sarcastic (unknowingly) comments made by Albert that I wanted to come back to reread. I also dogeared most pages so that I could compile a list of inspirational and funny lines that could be applicable to my students, and, really, any person of any age. 

So many lessons are embedded in this quick read, and you will find yourself rooting for Ally from the first page. The reason I even picked up this book (besides the cover) was due to the inscription at the beginning. Hunt writes: 

“For teachers… 

who see the child before the student, 

who remind us that we all have special gifts to offer the world, 

who foster the importance of standing out rather than fitting in. 

And for kids… 

who find their grit to conquer life’s challenges– 

no matter what those challenges may be. 

You are heroes. This book is for you.” 

Thank you to Hunt for making me remember why I love to teach and why I should always be trying to be the best version of an educator that I can be because those little heroes need us. 

Celebrations

Oh, there are myriads of celebrations within this novel. First, Hunt creates such endearing characters. The class where Ally spends her time is filled with little personalities, some goofy, caring, and even a bit cruel (such is real life). But the lessons they learn along the way are real, and we see these children grow in actual real ways that we could feasibly see in our own kids and students. Furthermore, her characters of Oliver and Albert add much needed humor to this tale of overcoming challenges. Even Ally has her moments where she spits out some one liners that I want to recall for my students. Finally, the substitute teacher, the one who calls his students his “Fantasticos!” is someone to admire and hopefully encounter a replica of because he is inspiring. He breathed some life into my vision for my upcoming school year, and I will strive to be more like him every day. And, also, just the WHOLE story, the point of the novel, the theme, Ally’s struggle– it’s all a celebration because it made me think and tear up and laugh, and I just want to shout to everyone: READ THIS BOOK! 

Hesitations

My only hesitation is that I really wanted the characters to continue their story because I was sad to say goodbye.