Blurb:
“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 trouble maker. With his help, Ally learns not to be so hard on herself and that dyslexia is nothing to be ashamed of. As her confidence grows, Ally feels free to be herself and the world starts opening up with possibilities. 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. (from goodreads.com)
My Thoughts
I really enjoyed this book. It made me want to cry, it was relatable, it was so, so satisfying. For readers who might not know, I teach Grade 7, and I am always looking for new read-alouds for my class. I’m going to start the year with this one.
The likelihood of a student is making their way to Grade 6 with an undiagnosed reading difficulty is more probable that you might imagine. Kids are smart and wily creatures. They are so good at hiding their weaknesses beneath exteriors that put us off. They might be “shy”, or “defiant”, or a “class clown”, but every behaviour in a child has purpose. It can be so easy to decide we know what’s going on, deal with any problems that occur, and not look too closely. Of course, they’re counting on that, because what does every kid just want to do? They want to be just like their friends, especially in upper intermediate, which is the grade level that this character is in. This book is such a good reminder to pay attention to what is underneath the behaviour.
If it’s one thing I’ve learned about kids through more than 15 years of teaching, it’s that the more the off-putting the behaviour, the more closely the kid needs you to look. It’s amazing what you will see.
I want to read this book to my class at the beginning of the year to set that tone. None of them have to be perfect and none of them are just like the other. That’s to be embraced and appreciated.
I highly recommend this book to kids and adults alike. Even if you aren’t a kid, a teacher, or a parent, this is such a valuable book to read to remind us that everyone is just doing their best.
5 stars.