Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was only given a free sample of the book. I can't wait to read the rest of it! Check out all my book reviews at www.myliterary2cents.blogspot.com

Plot Summary: Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt is a touching story about a little girl who obviously cannot read. I only got to read the first 4-5 chapters of this book since it was just a sample of the book, not the whole work. Ally is a very talented, strong-willed little girl who tries to hide the fact that she cannot read from everyone. She constantly gets in trouble at school and is often told to try harder. Her response is if you wanted a fish to climb a tree, would you tell him to try harder? She does not get along well with her teacher. She accidentally gave her a sympathy card when she has a baby shower at school. She gave her the card because she couldn't read it, she just liked the pictures. Of course everyone else thought she was just being mean. The end of the story where my copy leaves off is when her teacher takes maternity leave and she gets a new "man" teacher. He is trying very hard to encourage her... I can't wait to read the full copy!

Notes about the author/writing style: I have never read any other books by Lynda Hunt, but I enjoy her style. She doesn't write words just to be writing them, she values the readers time and gets to the point of the action. I love stories that are told from the point of view of a child, and I would love to know how this author is able to get into the mind of a dyslexic child so well.

What I loved about the book: As a teacher who works with struggling kids, I really sympathize with Ally. I always enjoy books that are told from a child's perspective. I love the way the author goes into detail about how Ally feels and what she sees when she tries to read.

What I disliked about the book: I honestly have not found anything that I dislike about this book.

Who should read this book? All teachers and anyone who has worked with struggling children. This would also be a wonderful story for someone to read who has gone through the torture of reading difficulties (and came out on the other side of course).


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