Everyone is smart in their own way. It is wrong to judge everyone on the same standards and write off all those who do not confer, or are different, for they must be having their own kind of smartness.

Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt is a book for grades four to eight that should be read by not only kids, but parents and teachers too for the insight and lessons it imparts in the guise of an interesting tale. Many children who have ever been called or thought about as dumb and have fallen short when judged by the same conventional standards as everyone else, will relate to the main character Ally.

Ally has reached grade six without being able to read and write — yes, that is pretty unbelievable. But the author tries to make us believe that this can happen by showing Ally switching schools frequently due to her father’s military job taking him to different places and Ally being a very smart kid who is able to come up with ways to distract attention from the troubles she is having in studies.

In walks an angle in teacher’s disguise when their usual teacher goes on leave and Mr Daniels is as perfect a teacher as can be. He soon realises the issues Ally has and patiently helps her to make inspirational progress both in studies and in her behaviour.

Once her dyslexia is diagnosed and Ally has someone who can help her learn according to her abilities, she blooms into a bright child and learns not to be too hard on herself.

Though the theme may seem serious, the story moves in a light way, covering school life and other issues of growing up too, such as friends and bullies.

Fish in a Tree is a highly recommended book about a topic — dyslexia and learning disabilities in general — that people still seem to ignore and schools are not equipped to deal with. What is important in schools is the development of children to achieve their full potential and acceptance of who they are, no matter how different they may be from others.

Published in Dawn, Young World, January 19th, 2019