Fish in a Tree
Lynda Mullaly Hunt's Fish in a Tree is a middle grade novel told in the wry, defensive voice of Ally Nickerson, a smart twelve year old who has spent her school career disguising the fact that she cannot read. Ally has been moved between seven schools as her mother chases work, and at each new building she perfects a routine of distractions, faked stomachaches, and class clown stunts to keep teachers from finding out. Then she lands in Mr. Daniels's classroom, where the new teacher refuses to let her hide and quietly recognizes the signs of dyslexia that everyone else has missed. Hunt tracks Ally's slow, often humiliating journey from shame to self advocacy alongside her unlikely friendships with math whiz Albert and outspoken Keisha, all while a queen bee classmate keeps her dyslexia exposed and weaponized. The result is a warm, accessible book about how the difference between feeling broken and feeling brilliant is often just one adult who pays attention.
Themes & atmosphere
What you might want to know about Fish in a Tree
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
Ally has spent years hiding the fact that letters move on the page, until a new teacher begins to notice. With two oddball friends, she starts to believe she might not be as broken as she has been told.
Fish in a Tree is middle grade, recommended for readers 9 to 12. It is widely used in classrooms because of its respectful depiction of dyslexia and learning differences. Many schools include it in fifth and sixth grade reading lists.
Yes. The protagonist Ally has undiagnosed dyslexia and has been hiding her struggle to read for years. Lynda Mullaly Hunt's portrayal is widely praised by educators and children with reading differences.
Fish in a Tree was written by Lynda Mullaly Hunt, published in 2015 by Puffin.
Fish in a Tree is 290 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Fish in a Tree takes most readers 4 to 6 hours to finish.
Fish in a Tree is a standalone novel by Lynda Mullaly Hunt, not part of a series.
Fish in a Tree is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.