Como pez en el árbol: Una novela sobre la dislexia

Lots of kids will relate to Carley's struggles of anger & self worth. Strongly written & emotionally satisfying.

I liked the premise of this book a lot, but I think I would have liked it a lot more if I'd read it rather than listened to the audiobook. The audiobook was fine, but sometimes it made the characters seem more like caricatures of people rather than fully developed characters. There were just some moments when their dialogue didn't seem like what a kid would actually say. That said, it's still definitely a book worth reading. Great underdog story about learning to believe in yourself and not let other people's opinions (or what you THINK other people's opinions are) have an impact on how you see yourself.

Ally Nickerson is having a difficult year. Finding new friends in a new school, grieving for her recently departed grandfather, missing her deployed dad, and trying to hide her inability to read from classmates and teachers alike. She's a smart, talented girl and this is a solid book about figuring out what is important and finding ways to stand up for yourself.



Advance copy provided by Edelwiess

 This book is told from the point of view of an elementary school student named Ally. Ally has a hard time with school, and when she hears their class is going to get a new teacher she is worried. Ally has gone to a lot of schools and had several teachers, but none of them have really caught on to how much she struggles with reading. When Mr. Daniels arrives she is wary, but she soon finds that he has taken a genuine interest in her and he even seems to find ways for her to excel, without having to read or write. He eventually helps her discover that she has a reading disorder and that with extra help she can learn. This book was a great way to see into the struggles of someone with a "hidden" disability who has fallen through the cracks of the educational system. The dedication of the teacher to take the time to notice Ally's struggles and figure out ways to help her was inspirational and heartwarming. So was Ally's courage as she learned to accept and trust in the help that was being given. I would definitely recommend this book, not just for younger readers but also for those interested in literacy issues.

children's fiction (realistic fiction/dyslexic 6th grader with military parent, trying to fit in at school). Just about every other chapter made me cry--what's the big idea, LMH?

This was a family listen in the car and though it trends a little young for my boys, they both enjoyed it. Ally Nickerson is a 6th-grade girl with dyslexia, which she doesn't know yet. All she knows is she hates school and finds the written homework near impossible, is the object of the "cool girls'" (Shay and Jessica) derision, is frequently in the principal's office and thinks of herself as stupid. She is also dealing with the recent death of a beloved grandfather and the deployment of her own father overseas in the military. Ally's Mom is supportive, but overburdened and her older, high-school brother Travis is her biggest fan. Ally and Travis both have non-traditional intelligence. She is an amazing artist and sees "mind-movies" for much of the day-to-day situations in her life, which are insightful and creative, but have the effect of making her seemed "zoned out" and not paying attention. Travis is a fantastic mechanic and excels in his shop class and his after-school job at the garage. The story does not reveal the learning difference immediately, though the reader can guess. Instead it is shown little by little through Ally's first-person narration and reaction to events. When she gives her pregnant teacher a Sympathy card (Ally picked it for the flowers on the front) at her class shower/party, it becomes crystal clear to the reader, but surprisingly not to the adults. That is the only criticism of the book: that she could make it to 6th grade with so many school issues and not be discovered/diagnosed seemed a little far-fetched -- though sadly, probably realistic. Also the students portrayed in Ally's class definitely seem younger than 6th grade, (except for the mean girls -- they seem right on!) and the students don't change classes but stay with one teacher all day, which doesn't seem to be the norm for what is typically middle school or junior high. A 4th or 5th grade setting would've been more believable. When Ally's teacher takes her maternity leave and Mr. Daniels steps in to sub, Ally's life and world change. He is the classic "good" teacher who takes an individual interest in his students, quells the bullying, promotes fun, meaningful learning and ultimately discovers Ally's secret and helps her overcome it. In the process, she becomes friends with Albert and Keisha, 2 other misfits in the class whose own gifts become evident and valued as well. Well-written and thoughtful, this book does a good job of examining the feelings and situations surrounding dyslexia. Ally's transformation is beautiful and touching. She shares some of her grandfather's wisdom: "Be careful with eggs and words because neither can ever be fixed." The additional meaning this has for her really resonates.

Now I understand why Grade 8s new to our high-school library react so positively to seeing this book on our shelf. They have great memories of reading it in elementary school and feeling like hey, maybe I’m not the only one struggling to fit in and afraid to ask for help. If students don’t see their own struggles reflected in the book, it will certainly build empathy for their peers who do.

Ally has made it to sixth grade, largely hiding from everyone the fact that she can barely read. She is treated by both peers and teachers as a stupid kid, likely to be a troublemaker.
When her regular teacher leaves school for the year to have a baby, a new teacher comes in. Mr. Daniels immediately recognizes that Ally is quite bright, and that she has severe dyslexia. He makes it his mission to help her. She is also helped by something else she has never had before... two good friends. Albert, an uber-nerd, who seems to know everything and tries to model his personality after Mr. Spock on Star Trek; and Keisha, who is (I gathered) the only black student in the class. Between her new friends and her new teacher, Ally begins to see herself in a totally diffent light than ever before.
Only drawback: it's highly predictable. By a quarter of the way through, you can pretty well guess the rest of the story line.

Mr. Falker: the Novel, with a side of Mr. Terupt. This book is utterly predictable and so very, very satisfying. The characters are nicely drawn, but it's the voice that is really memorable. Make sure you have some tissues for the end; it'll kick you right in the feels.

Ally Nickerson knows she's just dumb, and she's managed to get by in school up 'til now by causing a little bit of trouble when it's time to write in class. She can't read - the letters dance along the page and give her headaches. And getting bullied by the popular girl, Shay, doesn't help. But when a new teacher, Mr. Daniels, starts teaching and Ally begins making friends, her attitude starts to turn around.

This was a really well-done story featuring a main character with dyslexia by an author who experienced it herself. Adults will probably have no trouble diagnosing Ally's school trouble from the start. This made the beginning for me a little less enjoyable, but I think this was in part because listening to it rather than reading it made me spend a little more time in the part where Ally was really down on herself than I would have if I was just reading at my normal speed. I enjoyed the well-drawn characters in Ally's classroom, including her friends Albert and Keisha; even the mean girl had a little more of a back story hinted at. An affirming story I will be recommending to upper elementary-age kids who like Wonder.

A wonderful story about a teacher who doesn't give up on his students and about a child who overcomes a learning difference to find out how very special she is. I loved this book! I read it to my 7th-grade class and they wanted to hear it every day.

Ally is in yet another school after bouncing around with her father's military job. So far she's been able to hide her inability to read at grade level behind her other talents and her not-so-great attitude. But a new teacher challenges Ally in ways that make her face her fears -- not only of being dyslexic but also of making friends and standing up to bullies.

This was a well thought out piece of literature. Although part of me wondered about the wisdom of talking about dyslexia through a book (although the audiobook is very well done and accessible for those with reading difficulties), the story could easily be transferable to other issues that involve working hard and asking for help when needed. In addition, there's more to the story than simply Ally's learning difference -- there are also her woes and triumphs when dealing with other kids in school as well as some things on the homefront.

This is wonderful novel is about a girl named Ally who is in the 6th grade and struggles from dyslexia. The novel starts with Ally thinking that something is wrong with her brain, while her teachers perceiver her as a behavior student. This soon changes when a new teacher takes the time to understand the reasons behind Ally's behaviors. Together they discover Ally's learning difference as she navigates the struggles of being a middle schooler and developing friendships with unlikely characters.

Fish in a Tree is a lovely book about a girl struggling with dyslexia. She's a strong character in that she struggles both socially and academically, but by the end of the book it's impossible not to cheer for her. This book is great in that it helps kids see that struggling with one aspect of academics does not mean that they are not intelligent, and helps show that everyone should have self worth. I think this is a perfect middle school book.

Fish in a tree is one of the best books I have ever read. Ally's story is one that touched every emotion and tugged on my heartstrings. Ally struggles with dyslexia and because she moves around a lot for her fathers job in the military, none of her teachers noticed that she needs help. In order to cover up her dyslexia, Ally acts out in class until the teachers get frustrated with her. It takes new teacher Mr. Daniels to recognize her struggle and he finds a way to reach out to her. He offers her help after school and teaches her in new creative ways to read and write. The way Mr. Daniels speaks to Ally and recognizes her struggle is inspiring for all teachers and Ally's story is inspiring for all students who struggle academically.

This book was a great JFic/YA novel. It highlighted several key problems facing middle-school aged children that they are often too embarrassed to admit. On top of that, there was dialogue and internal thoughts in the book that suggested the kids were taking notice of the other children's secrets, which I also liked.

Ally is a wonderful character who struggle with dyslexia is very realistic and a lot of children can relate to her. Her previous teachers made me very anger, but her new teacher is an inspiration and reminds me of the reason I became a teacher. Ally's friends also struggle and overcome their own problems and the development of this friendship reminds the reader to look past the surface when meeting new people.

This book was about a girl named Ally that struggled a lot in school with reading and writing. Throughout this story, we see how her teacher helps her to be confident and be able to use various tools to be able to read properly. This was a good novel because of the way that the point of view of Ally is expressed it gives clear insight into what it is like to learn with dyslexia.

This book is about a girl who struggles with dyslexia. To cover up her set back she acts out to get out of class. With the help of a new teacher, they are able to diagnose her and get her the help she needs. I would use this book for 4th to 5th graders due to it's a little bit bigger.

This book was about a sixth grade girl named Ally who has dyslexia but doesn't get diagnosed until a teacher, Mr. Daniels, who finally sees that she needs differentiated instruction. At first, Ally thinks very low of herself and doesn't think anybody can help her learn how to read. Soon, Mr. Daniels helps Ally after school and gets her to realize that she is worth fighting for. She realizes that she can do anything she puts her mind to. This book would be considered realistic fiction because it's likely to happen, but didn't actually happen. This book could be read by students in upper elementary school and middle school.

I absolutely loved this book! It is about a girl named Ally who doesn’t know at first but she has dyslexia. It goes through her struggles as a student and personally. Ally gets miss labeled as troubled instead of finding out what is actually going on with her. When reading this book you will noticed how not not handle certain situation and how to help students with dyslexia.

If you know Connecticut well, then you may get a kick out of this book! Fish in a Tree takes place in West Hartford, and includes many landmarks. There is even a field trip to the Noah Webster House! Ally, a young girl who struggles to read, often uses her attitude to avoid her problems. Students can relate to Ally's struggles and feelings as she deals with learning disability, being bullied and family life. After year's of struggling, Ally's long term substitute teacher, Mr. Daniels, begins to notice that Ally does not have an attitude problem, but a reading problem. I love the emphasis the book places on different learning styles. Great for struggling readers on many levels!

Amazing book! This story is about a child who struggles academically and deals with the a bully at school. With the help of her teacher she gains confidence and begins to enjoy school.

While her Newbery award-winning book One for the Murphy's was excellent, this one fell flat for me.

A young girl struggles with a learning disability. She is excellent with making a thought into a wonderful image, but she cannot read. As a result, she learns many coping mechanisms, some of which get her into trouble.

Landing in the principal's office more than she would like, she is embarrassed to tell others that words simply mean nothing to her.

Finally, a very gifted teacher pays attention to the fact that she is bright, but is dyslexic. Eventually, she learns ways in which to compensate and use all senses to learn to read.

Das ist ein sehr schönes Jugendbuch über ein Mädchen mit hochgradiger Legasthenie. Mit Hilfe eines Lehrers schafft sie es, sich ihrer Stärken bewusst zu werden und ihre Schwäche anzugehen. Außerdem findet sie Freunde. Das Buch hat viele traditionelle Motive (gemeinsam stark sein, Lehrer als Helfer, einen geliebten Bruder usw.), aber genau das gefiel mir gut. Ich musste am Ende auch ein bisschen weinen. Auch meine Tochter (14) mochte es sehr.

I love this book! It is a great story of overcoming diversity, asking for and accepting help, friendship, and perseverance. I have already started looking for the Playaway version for two kids at school who I know will connect with it, if they are willing to give it a try. I'm sure many others would connect with Ally and her hesitations around school. She has dyslexia, she comes to find out, but that doesn't stop her from being a fantastic artist with a vivid imagination that comes through in every chapter of this engaging story.

This book was so powerful and would make a great read aloud. Ally's resilience in coming to terms with her dyslexia was so very inspirational. Also, Mr. Daniels is the type of teacher that every teacher wants to be, which gave this book points for me. I am a big believer that everyone has their own unique strengths and viewpoint to present to the world, and this book really shows why continuing to hold this belief as a teacher can be life changing for my students.

Reading this book made me happy for all the students that have passed through Lynda's classroom-it is obvious that she was an A+ teacher-kind, caring, and a champion for all- just like Mr. Daniels.

What a delightful book this was! I found myself cheering for Ally from page one, and soon fell in love with Mr Daniels. I just wish there were more teachers like him in our schools - teachers who see the potential in their students rather than worrying about the content they 'have' to teach. Children like Ally don't always say thank you, but they always remember the hand that stretches out to help them. Another winner, Ms Hunt.

Written for middle school readers, this is a sensitive story about a girl with undiagnosed dyslexia. She is a misfit, and along with two other misfits she finds her voice. Her teacher, Mr. Daniel, helps her admit she has a problem and helps her overcome it. Although , the dyslexic child probably won’t read it, the story has a lot to say about bullies and standing up for yourself.