A part-by-part summary of the novel, the full character list, key themes and symbols, and a vocabulary glossary. All summaries are written in our own words for study — read the novel itself for the full experience.
Fish in a Tree (2015) is a middle-grade novel by American author Lynda Mullaly Hunt. It follows Ally Nickerson, a bright, artistic sixth-grader who has hidden an undiagnosed reading difficulty — dyslexia — for years by causing clever, disruptive distractions in class.
The title comes from a saying often linked to Einstein: "Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid." The novel explores empathy, neurodiversity, and learning differences — the idea that everyone is smart in different ways, and that a single measure like reading should never define a person's worth.
Ally avoids a "describe yourself" essay by causing distractions, then writing only "Why?" over and over. Unable to read a greeting card, she accidentally gives her teacher Mrs. Hall a sympathy card — a humiliating mix-up. Letters seem to "squiggle and dance" when she reads. Shay and Jessica mock her; new student Keisha defends her.
Her brother Travis shows his own cleverness negotiating antique coins, and shares that low expectations can sometimes be used to your advantage. Then Mr. Daniels arrives as the new teacher. Instead of punishing Ally, he offers support. He hands out ungraded journals; Ally draws a black cube — a dark room where no one can see her — and he responds that the class wouldn't be the same without her.
Seated next to Keisha, Ally at first joins Shay's group in teasing Albert — then feels guilty, realising loneliness drove her. She apologises; Keisha discovers Ally's talent for drawing. Ally shows loyalty by splitting her concert bouquet with Keisha, and solves a tricky box puzzle no student had cracked, revealing strong visual-spatial intelligence.
The three outsiders become friends. Albert reframes an insult with logic — "something is not a misfit simply because it has a different name" — and reveals he is beaten up daily by younger boys. When Shay's group mocks Travis's homemade car, Ally grows angry, and tired of always "walking away."
At a butterfly house, Ally gently catches a butterfly, hoping for a wish. She gives a thoughtful answer distinguishing "alone" (a choice) from "lonely" (never a choice), and creates an imaginative "Roy G. Biv" presentation. When Mr. Daniels gives her the Fantastico Poetry award, she flees, sure it is a "pity award," and Keisha finds her hiding in a bathroom stall.
On a field trip to the Noah Webster House, after Shay mocks her with a dunce-cap drawing, Mr. Daniels gently suggests she may have dyslexia — sharing the "fish in a tree" idea. He offers after-school chess games, and Ally discovers she excels at this visual game. Her struggle finally has a name, reframed as something she can work with.
Tests confirm Ally's dyslexia. Mr. Daniels explains it with the metaphor of "different ways home" — many routes for information to reach the brain — and uses multisensory methods like writing letters in shaving cream. Beating him at chess, Ally goes from feeling "invisible to invincible," and solves the classic chicken-wolf-grain river puzzle on her own.
Shay runs for class president and nominates Ally, expecting an easy win. Ally sets aside her script, speaks authentically, and wins. Celebrating at her mom's diner, she later sees Shay's mother criticise her harshly — and feels unexpected sympathy for her rival.
Shay's fake love letter fails when Ally simply hands it back, unread. Ally reads a whole short book. She and Keisha make "Steel" and "Magnesium" shirts to match Albert's "Flint" — symbols of unity that spark together. Albert nicknames the friends (Ally is "The Flying Tiger"), and Mr. Daniels reveals that Edison, Einstein, and Picasso all had dyslexia, giving Ally a Churchill paperweight: "Never, never, never quit."
Albert finally stands up to his bullies. Ally even offers friendship to Shay. In the end, Ally is named Student of the Month, Mrs. Silver apologises, and Ally reads the very poster she couldn't read at the start. She gives her "POSSIBLE" paper to Travis — recognising his dyslexia too, and passing the help forward.