The New York Times Best Seller Fish in a Tree, by Lynda Mullaly Hunt, is a book that students love, but every teacher should read also to remind us why we became teachers.

“Everybody is smart in different ways. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its life believing it is stupid.”

Ally has been smart enough to fool a lot of smart people. Every time she lands in a new school, she is able to hide her inability to read by creating clever yet disruptive distractions. She is afraid to ask for help; after all, how can you cure dumb? However, her newest teacher, Mr. Daniels, sees the bright, creative kid underneath the troublemaker. With his help, Ally learns not to be so hard on herself and that her dyslexia is nothing to be ashamed of. As her confidence grows, Ally feels free to be herself and the world starts opening up to her. She discovers that there’s a lot more to her—and to everyone—than a label, and that great minds don’t always think alike.

Fish in a Tree is the most recent novel that I have added to my Disabilities and Awareness Unit. Last year, I did a series of posts about this unit and about four of my favorite novels covered in it: Wonder by R.J. Palacio, Rules by Cynthia Lord, out of my mind by Sharon M. Draper, and Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin. In case you missed them, click on the links at the bottom of this article.

I added Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt to this unit because it touched me in such a profound way. As teachers, it is easy for us to get caught up in data collection or to focus on covering every standard in the curriculum, but this book reminded me exactly why I became a teacher... I want to help students discover a love of learning, especially through the kind of reading that I didn’t do when I was younger. I want to make a difference in the lives of children in order to inspire them to overcome obstacles and to work to their greatest potential. Mr. Daniels is the kind of teacher that I aspire to be. He is intuitive, dedicated, and passionate about supporting all of his students.

Fish in a Tree follows the unlikely friendship of three misfits, Ally, Keisha, and Albert. By supporting each other the three kids turn around what started out as a difficult school year for them, for three different reasons. Use the Fish in a Tree Character Chart download with your students to track their friendship.

With the Fish in a Tree Character Chart students are encouraged to notice the problems that the individual characters encounter and then note how that character's friends support him or her in overcoming their problem. Finally, students will describe any realizations the characters make about themselves.

This simple character analysis will not only enhance students' literacy skills, but will encourage them to be supportive friends and reach out to others when faced with challenges! What a great message to kick off the school year.

DISABILITIES & AWARENESS RESOURCES:

Part 1: Disability Awareness Activities Unit for Grades 4–8
Part 2: Wonder Lesson Plans That Teach Students About Acceptance
Part 3: Teaching Students About Disabilities Using The Book Out of My Mind
Part 4: Using the Text Rain Reign in a Disability Awareness Unit