I love Ally! By the end of the first page, I was in love with her narrative voice. As I was pulled deeper into the story I fell more in love with this spunky protagonist. The teacher in me ached for her and her struggles with reading and writing...by page 13 I was tearing up and wanted to hug her and tell her she was not stupid! It didn't take long for the little girl in me who struggled with math (and still does) to completely relate to Ally.
Lynda Mullaly Hunt does such a beautiful job capturing the struggle of having learning differences and believing the wrong voices. All her characters have a wonderful balance to them. I can see kids of a span of ages reading the book and relating comfortably to the characters. I believe this should be read by all educators. It will touch you and challenge you to be more mindful of what your students are dealing with. Kids are going to enjoy this too. They'll see that it's okay when your brain works different from others. It's okay to stand up for yourself and for others. That most mean kids have another side to them, but it doesn't excuse their actions. That you have a choice about how you respond and how you treat others, but sometimes you make the wrong choice.
This book goes next to books like Cynthia Lord's Rules as a book that will be impacting lives for years to come. A beautiful example of why we read...to know we are not alone.
Thank you, Lynda Mullaly Hunt for releasing Ally into the world and telling her story.
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