Fish in a Tree

“Alice in Wonderland—a book about living in a world where nothing makes sense made perfect sense to me.”

Ally and her mother talk about her connection to the book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, which her recently deceased grandfather read to her. Ally identifies with the book, not only because she associates it with her grandfather—a wise man who seemed to understand Ally’s unique way of thinking—but because she identifies with Alice. School and social interactions are often befuddling to Ally, and she feels like she, too, is living in a Wonderland where “nothing makes sense.” Her connection with this book is also significant because Ally has great difficulty reading due to her dyslexia. She is only able to establish her relationship with Alice's Adventures in Wonderland through her grandfather’s reading.

“Whoa, Ally. I can give you new spark plugs. Change your oil. Even rebuild your carburetor. But the writing? No can do. When it comes to that, my brain is like gears with no grease.” 

When Ally asks her older brother, Travis, for help on a writing assignment, he reveals that he, too, struggles with reading and writing. Like Ally, he is highly intelligent, even gifted in certain areas (including his mathematical ability and his talent for fixing old machines), but he struggles with school due to his own dyslexia. Travis views his reading and writing difficulties as permanent disabilities, declaring, “No can do,” rather than working toward the possibility of alternative learning (83). Through Mr. Daniels’ teaching, Fish in a Tree works to dismantle the simplification that some people have certain skills and are doomed to feel permanently disabled in other arenas (such as reading and writing). 

“But why are the toys all misfits? Square wheels on a train can be fixed easily enough […] And what’s wrong with the doll, anyway? Why is it a misfit? It seems to adhere to the standards of a typical doll […] The Charlie-in-the box […] is just like a Jack-in-the-box in every way but his name. Something is not a misfit simply because it has a different name.” 

Mean girl Shay teases Ally, Keisha, and Albert about sitting together at lunch, calling their table “The Island of Misfit Toys” (after the movie Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer). Albert then launches into a clever deconstruction of the label “misfit,” examining how the term not only fails to apply to the toys (whom Albert deems perfectly adequate), but how “something is not a misfit simply because it has a different name.” Albert implies that the labeling of a person does not determine the content of that person’s character. This idea empowers Ally to reevaluate her own label of “slow reader.” 

“People act like the words ‘slow reader’ tell them everything that’s inside. Like I’m a can of soup and they can just read the list of ingredients and know everything about me. There’s lots of stuff about the soup inside that they can’t put on the label, like how it smells and tastes and makes you feel warm when you eat it. There’s got to be more to me than just a kid who can’t read well.” 

Following Albert’s critique of labels, Ally realizes that the term “slow reader” doesn’t define who she is as a person. This revelation is one of her first steps toward striving to improve her reading and writing skills.

“I’ve always had one important rule in the classroom, which is to try to lie low. If I’m called upon, I’ll say ‘I don’t know,’ even if I do. I discovered that giving a teacher an answer makes them expect more from me, and then everyone gets disappointed. If they never get an answer from me, they stop asking.” 

Ally’s original “rule” of lying low in the classroom exposes why her past teachers have been unable to recognize her dyslexia and help her develop strategies for learning to read. Because she feels the need to conceal her learning differences—and lower others’ expectations for her—past teachers would “stop asking” her to demonstrate her learning. Mr. Daniels, however, seeks to help Ally, and he sees through Ally’s self-destructive coping mechanisms. 

“Well…alone is a way to be. It’s being by yourself with no one else around. And it can be good or bad. And it can be a choice. When my mom and brother are both working, I’m alone, but I don’t mind it […] But being lonely is never a choice. It’s not about who is with you or not. You can feel lonely when you’re alone, but the worst kind of lonely is when you’re in a room full of people, but you’re still alone. Or you feel like you are, anyway.” 

Ally defines “alone” and “lonely” for a vocabulary lesson. Ally’s mature response—which vividly reveals her experience of loneliness in coping with her learning differences—inspires Mr. Daniels. Likewise, Mr. Daniels’ praise of her responds builds Ally’s self-confidence. 

“This isn’t a poetry award. This is a pity award.” 

When Mr. Daniels gives Ally an award for a poem she wrote in class, Ally retreats from his praise of her ability. She is so used to being criticized that she doesn’t know how to respond to positive feedback. This moment is an important learning experience for Ally as she works to undo negative thought patterns related to herself and her abilities. 

“Imagine if every single time you got on your bike, you had to worry that the wheels would come off. And every time you ride, they do. But you still have to ride. Every day. And then you have to watch everyone watch you as the bike goes to pieces underneath you. With everyone thinking that it’s your fault and you’re the worst bike rider in the world.” 

Ally describes the day-to-day experience of dealing with dyslexia to her friend, Keisha. Though this moment embodies the shame Ally feels, believing that others observe her failures—that they “watch you as the bike goes to pieces underneath you”—it also demonstrates her bravery. Through her conversation with Keisha, Ally begins to understand how much courage and determination it takes for her to come to school each day. Ally thus sees that she has as much courage as Keisha, who not only defends others against bullies, but struggles daily with her own sense of difference.

“And you know what? You’re brave […] Coming to school every day, knowing what you’re in for. Knowing school will be hard. And that other kids are going to razz you. And you still come every day and decide that you’re going to try again.” 

Mr. Daniels recognizes not only Ally’s exceptional abilities, but her bravery in dealing daily with her dyslexia. By demonstrating this recognition, he helps Ally feel she can conquer her fear of reading and writing. 

“Now, don’t be so hard on yourself, okay? You know, a wise person once said, ‘Everyone is smart in different ways. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life thinking that it’s stupid.’” 

Mr. Daniels quotes Albert Einstein, a brilliant scientist who also struggled with dyslexia, much like Ally. This quote suggests that in order to learn, people must respect their own different approaches to learning, thinking, and processing the world. Otherwise, they will continue to follow the same negative thought cycles and believe that they are “stupid.” 

“I see a mind movie where chess pieces come to life. They can travel around the board all day by themselves and they are happy that they don’t have to just stand there and wait for somebody to pick them up and move them. I know how relieved they are, being able to do something for themselves.” 

As Ally learns to play chess, the function of her “mind movies” expands to strategic thinking and problem solving. Ally’s natural way of thinking and processing the world can be used to her advantage when learning a new skill. 

“When you ride your bike home, is there more than one way to go? […] Well, just like there are different ways for you to get home, Ally, there are different ways for information to reach the brain.” 

Mr. Daniels explains to Ally that far from signaling she is “dumb,” her dyslexia is a sign that she thinks and processes the world differently. He compares Ally’s processing to riding her bike home, suggesting that there are “different ways for information to reach the brain” just as there are “different ways for you to get home.” Thus, he implies that Ally’s thinking differences may allow her to approach problems in an innovative way, seeing possible paths that other people might not.

“I want you to rip the paper in two pieces. Right where that line is […] So, now, Ally…that big piece of paper in your hand says possible. There is no impossible anymore, okay?” 

With this paper exercise, Mr. Daniels demonstrates that “impossible” is merely a word: another label, like the “misfit” label Albert dismantled earlier. By tearing apart the word “impossible,” Ally realizes she has the ability to transform any situation that feels “impossible” into one that is “possible.” Ability is all a matter of perspective.

“Well, in the wild, killer whales never attack people. Like never. A stonefish is way more dangerous with its thirteen venomous spines. It’s the words. If the killer whale were called the friendly whale, no one would be scared.” 

Once again, Albert explains the significance of labels, suggesting that the label of “killer” does not fit with the content of the whale (who is not a “killer” at all and could just as easily be called the “friendly” whale). Following Mr. Daniels’ line of thought (changing “impossible” to “possible”), Albert suggests that changing the idea of the whale might be a simple matter of changing the word used when thinking about it.

“And I think of words. The power they have. How they can be waved around like a wand—sometimes for good, like how Mr. Daniels uses them. How he makes kids like me and Oliver feel better about ourselves. And how words can also be used for bad. To hurt.”

Ally realizes that Albert’s description of the “killer whale” exemplifies the power of words. She understand that words can be used to “help” or to “harm” and that she always has a choice in how she uses them (and how she applies them to herself). 

“And then there’s the knight. The piece Mr. Daniels says is the clever one. The best piece for catching opponents in a fork. A piece that moves only in an L. I feel like I am the knight, as I’ve spent my whole life jumping over things.” 

As Ally’s chess skills improve, she realizes that she is skilled at this game because she is not afraid to try over and over again, strategizing around mistakes and learning from them. As she explains, she has “spent [her] whole life jumping over things,” and this ability to anticipate obstacles actually makes her a thoughtful problem-solver. Because of chess, Ally imagines the many other ways her learning differences—previously thought of as mere obstacles or disabilities—may actually be used as advantages.

“I can’t believe it. My experience with endless frustration and having to work on things for so long has actually paid off. I guess maybe ‘I’m having trouble’ is not the same as ‘I can’t.’” 

When Ally solves a challenging problem in class (after most students have grown frustrated and given up), she realizes that her struggles to learn have helped her cultivate a strong work ethic. Because she is used to trying over and over again when learning a skill, Ally is able to stick with difficult problems until she finds a solution. In this sense, Ally’s experience of “having trouble” has now “paid off,” and she realizes that working hard through struggles will lead her on the path to success.

“You care so much about everything. Always looking out for others. And that, my fine young fellow, is going to make for a great man someday.” 

Mr. Daniels demonstrates his appreciation of Oliver’s caring personality, suggesting that Oliver’s high energy levels and passionate displays—which many teachers might write off as disruptive behaviors—actually indicate the qualities of “a great man.” Thus, Mr. Daniels shows that he cares greatly about all of his students as individuals and appreciates the qualities that make them unique assets to the classroom (and the world beyond it). In Oliver’s case (as well as Ally’s), difference is a sign of special ability.

“That’s right. As children, they struggled to read even simple words and, based on some other clues as well, most experts now believe that they had dyslexia. But, of course, we know their struggles weren’t because they were stupid. It’s just that their minds worked differently. And thank goodness they did, because otherwise we may not have telephones or lightbulbs or stunning works of art.” 

To illustrate how learning differences can be used as creative advantages, Mr. Daniels fills the classroom with photos of famous people who have struggled with dyslexia, including Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Winston Churchill, George Washington, Walt Disney, and many others. He suggests that these great thinkers were able to reach their achievements precisely because their “minds worked differently.” He thus encourages his students to appreciate the ways their own difference can inspire them to greatness and originality.

“And looking around the room, I remember thinking that my reading differences were like dragging a concrete block around every day, and how I felt sorry for myself. Now I realize that everyone has their own blocks to drag around. And they all feel heavy.” 

After Mr. Daniels’ dyslexia exercise, Oliver approaches Ally and bonds with her over his own reading struggles. Ally then understands that all of the other students in her classroom have dealt with their own struggles and differences, and even though she has often felt “lonely,” she was never really “alone.” 

“I’m tired of you beating on me all the time […] You have no right to treat me like that. And you don’t even fight one-on-one. You gang up on people like cowards.” 

When Albert’s bullies pick on Keisha and Ally, Albert is inspired to finally stand up for his friends and himself. Doing so, he affirms his own worth as a person and confirms the great value of his friendship with Keisha and Ally.

“When Mr. Daniels told us about people with dyslexia…I mean some of the greatest minds the human race has ever seen…I’ve been kind of wishing I could have it, too.” 

Albert confides in Ally, confessing his admiration of her dyslexia. He understands that her different way of thinking signifies great creativity and intelligence that he wants to possess (being a very intelligent person himself). Seeing that an extremely smart person like Albert admires her dyslexia empowers Ally to think of herself as equally capable and intelligent.

“Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is ask for help.”

Mrs. Silver, the principal, asks Ally to read the poster in her office that Ally was unable to read at the beginning of the book. Not only does Ally now know how to read the message, she also understands its meaning and importance. She responds by giving her older brother, Travis, the opportunity to ask for the help he needs from Mr. Daniels, passing on the power of learning.