Fish in a Tree

Before she meets Mr. Daniels, many environmental forces prevent Ally from feeling capable and confident in her abilities. What are some of these environmental forces, and how does Mr. Daniels’ teaching change them? 

Near the end of the book, Ally looks around her class and reflects on how her perspective has changed. She remembers feeling as though her “reading differences were like dragging a concrete block around every day (245).” She then observes how other students in the classroom have overcome their own difficulties and realizes “everyone has their own blocks to drag around” (245). How would you characterize the struggles Ally’s fellow students go through? How does the book illustrate their growth through these struggles?  

Mr. Daniels strives to make every student in his classroom feel unique because of his/her abilities. What are some of his strategies for making each student feel uniquely appreciated? 

Before Ally meets Mr. Daniels, she creates a number of tools that help her cope with day-to-day challenges, including “mind movies” and The Sketchbook of Impossible Things. How does Ally use these coping tools to help her get through each day? How does her use of these coping tools change from the beginning to the end of the book?

The power of friendship is a prevailing theme in Fish in a Tree. How does Ally’s friendship with Albert and Keisha evolve over the course of the book? What does she learn through these friendships? 

Albert’s reflections on labels, including his evaluation of the label “killer whale,” demonstrates the theme of the power of words. Albert says, “Well, in the wild, killer whales never attack people […] It’s the words. If the killer whale were called the friendly whale, no one would be scared” (184). How do you interpret Albert’s reflection? How does it apply to Ally’s personal challenges?

Albert uses analogies to help him understand the world. Similarly, Ally latches on to symbols, images, and metaphors to help her learn (and describe her learning process). Choose one of the reoccurring motifs in the book and describe how it develops from beginning to end. Possibilities include (but are not limited to) coins, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, chess, bike riding, butterflies, baking, words, and fish.

Mr. Daniels encourages his students to see the ways in which learning differences (such as dyslexia) can actually serve as advantages. Identify three or more of these advantages that are demonstrated by characters in Fish in a Tree.