Fish in a Tree

When Mr. Daniels highlights Ally’s achievements, she initially responds with fear and frustration, believing that he pities her disability. After all, in the past, she has developed numerous maladaptive coping mechanisms—such as distracting her teacher, refusing to respond, and misbehaving in class—to avoid being noticed (and thus exposing her learning difficulties). As Ally explains to Keisha, struggling with a learning difficulty is akin to riding a faulty bike:

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 (138).

Luckily, Mr. Daniels is able to see through Ally’s anxiety and attempts to conceal her difference. He not only highlights the unique capacity of her metaphorical brain-bicycle—explaining that there are “different ways for you to [ride] home” just as “there are different ways for information to reach the brain” (166)—he explains how Ally’s bravery and perseverance will help her succeed, both in school and in life. “You’re brave,” Mr. Daniels tells her, “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” (157).

Ally proves that her dyslexia prepares her to solve complex puzzles when Mr. Daniels assigns his Fantastico Friday challenges. Her visual-spatial intelligence allow her to analyze the puzzles in unexpected ways, leading her group to success. Because she has had to struggle with reading and writings tasks, coping with repeated failure and mistakes, Ally is well-equipped to solve difficult problems that require trying multiple strategies and approaching the situation from many angles. As she explains, “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’” (197).

By the end of book, Ally understands that struggles and failures often train your brain to face difficult challenges in inventive ways. Furthermore, she sees how her struggles inspire her to work together with others to achieve success. As she reads—triumphantly—on the poster in Mrs. Silver’s office: “Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is ask for help” (261). 

At first, both Ally and Albert avoid drawing attention to themselves and their differences. Ally explains that she’s “always had one important rule in the classroom, which is to try to lie low” (122). Albert tells Keisha and Ally, “I don’t wish to be in the limelight […] I don’t like a lot of attention” (181). Their desire to “lie low” and deflect attention from themselves often leads them to passively absorb the criticism of others, such as the unkind words of bullies like Shay. With her bravery and enthusiasm for standing up to Shay, Keisha inspires both Ally and Albert to stand up for themselves (and, so doing, to elevate the value of their differences).

When Albert notices the harmful effects Shay’s words have on Ally, he uses his intelligence to defend her, exposing Shay’s small-mindedness. Furthermore, he helps Ally examine the role of labels, encouraging her to contemplate that an exterior name does not dictate the internal content of someone’s character. When Shay makes fun of their lunch table—calling them “The Island of Misfit Toys”—Albert responds with a humorous yet logically sound explanation of why none of the toys are actually misfits: “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” (94). Albert’s words lead Ally to realize that the label of “slow reader” doesn’t need to define her: “People act like the words ‘slow reader” tell them everything that’s inside […] There’s got to be more to me than just a kid who can’t read well” (95). Albert further examines labels with his reflections on the killer whale, explaining, “in the wild, killer whales never attack people […] If the killer whale were called the friendly whale, no one would be scared” (184). Through Albert’s explanation, Ally understands the power of words—that they can be wielded to help or to harm and that she always has a choice in how she uses them.

Empowered by this realization, Ally develops the confidence to serve as class president, speaking eloquently before the student body. Empowered by his ability to bolster his friend’s confidence, Albert ultimately stands up for himself, fighting back against the boys who bully him every day. Together, Ally, Albert, and Keisha learn that words can be used to help others and to affirm their own strength and self-worth.