Secondary Characters
What do Ally and Keisha do after Albert is always teased for his shirt?
They make matching shirts that say 'magnesium' and 'steel'. When combined, they can start a fire (set the world on fire)!
What is Ally's reading disability called?
Dyslexia
What is the name of Ally's favorite fictional character?
Roy G. Biv. (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet)
What does Mr. Daniels call his students?
Fantasticos
"Reading for me is like dumping a can of alphabet soup on a plate."
* What type of figurative language is this and what does it mean?
SIMILE
Reading for Ally does not make sense because all of the words and letters are a huge mess.
Describe Shay and Jessica's friendship at the beginning and end of the novel.
Beginning: Jessica is a follower and does whatever Shay does.
End: Jessica begins to stray away from Shay. She returns the friendship bracelets and even apologizes to Ally.
What did Ally do at the beginning of the book that got her sent to the principal's office?
She gave her teacher a sympathy card when she was having a baby.
What award does Ally win at the end of the book?
Student of the Month
Why does Shay nominate Ally for class president?
Shay wants to win and she believes that it will be easy to win against Ally.
"The letters on the page squiggle and dance."
*What type of figurative language is it and what does it mean?
PERSONIFICATION
The letters appear to be moving to Ally's eyes
How does Albert react to other people picking on him? Why?
Albert is not bothered by people bullying or picking on him. He prefers to stay out of trouble and is secure in himself. He does not think that violence is the answer to problems.
What is the sketchbook of impossible things?
It is the notebook where Ally draws all of her mind movies. She does this while avoiding her school work.
Why does Ally run out of the room after winning the poetry award?
She thinks it is just a pity award from Mr. Daniels and that she is not smart enough to actually deserve the award.
How did Ally and Keisha become friends?
When Ally gave Keisha some of her flowers during the concert at school.
"Every word is a shovelful of dirt from the hole I've dug for myself."
*What type of figurative language is it and what does it mean?
METAPHOR
Ally is having a hard time saying what she wants to say and no matter what she says, she can't make sense or get her point across (This happened when she was talking to Keisha before they became friends).
Why can we infer that Travis also has trouble reading?
He was asking Ally detailed questions about what she works on with Mr. Daniels and has been unable to help her with homework in the past.
Why doesn't Ally ask for help from her teachers at the beginning of the book?
She is afraid and does not believe that anyone can help her. She has low self-esteem and believes that she is dumb.
What does Ally draw in her first journal entry to Mr. Daniels and what did it represent?
She drew a black cube and said it was a picture of a dark room where no one could see her. It represents how Ally wants to be invisible.
Why is Albert's nickname for Ally 'The Flying Tiger'? What did that mean?
'Flying Tiger' refers to pre-World War II planes with shark teeth painted on them. Pilots would repaint the planes so that enemies would think there were more planes in the sky than there actually were. Albert says that Ally 'repaints' herself for teachers and presents herself differently to different people.
"I'll be celebrating another birthday before I get it written down."
*What type of figurative language is it and what does it mean?
HYPERBOLE
It will take a very long time for her to write it down.
How does having Mr. Daniels as a teacher impact Ally?
She gains more confidence and begins trying more at school. He sees her and does things like high five her and tell her she's proud of her, things no teacher has ever done for her before. He actually cares about helping her in an individual way and because of this, she wants to work hard and impress him.
Why does Ally eventually start trying harder at school and putting forth more effort?
She has Mr. Daniels's help and support and she enjoys making him proud.
Why does Ally deliberately turn in a poorly done paper to Mr. Daniels?
She wants to be told that the work she knows is terrible isn't good enough. She wants Mr. Daniels to believe she is capable of more.
What is the meaning of the title 'Fish in a Tree'?
The title comes from Albert Einstein's quote, "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." There are themes in the book that coincide with this quote. The book teaches us that everybody is unique and smart in their own individual ways. We can't judge people on the things they don't know how to do.
"You can hit it out of the park." (ch. 39)
*What type of figurative language is it and what does it mean?
IDIOM
She will do it very well.