Fish in a Tree question

I think that the way Mr. Daniels talks, influences how we view him. He is very positive and always looks for potential in people. Also, he says "Welcome Fantasticos" which is a very cheerful way to welcome students. Because of the way he talks, readers can infer that Mr. Daniels is very friendly and is looking to make school a fun experience for kids. In addition, we can learn a lot about Shay through how she talks and the context of her dialogue. For example, while Albert is presenting, "Jessica and Shay lean forward to look at Max. Shay calls out, 'Yeah Albert. Where did you get it?" (45). Just by reading the dialogue you can tell that she is mean and is looking to upset people. Also, because it says "Jessica and Shay lean forward to look at Max", readers can tell that Shay knows she is doing something wrong. Since Shay is doing rude things intentionally, readers can say that she in an obnoxious character. I have also noticed a lot that the author of this book is constantly putting words that are being spoken in italics. I think she is doing this to help readers understand the tone of the character speaking. For example, when Shay is speaking, words are put into italics to show sarcasm. This also lets us know that Shay isn't very respectful of other people's feelings. In my opinion, unless a word or phrase is in italics, it is hard to figure out the tone of the speaker without looking at the context of what they are saying or if you have a good general knowledge of the character.

What do you think about dialogue in "Fish in a Tree" and how it influence how we view characters.

In addition, there is lots of conflict in the book. Conflict drives the plot in "Fish in a Tree", making the climax and resolution more entertaining. Ally faces the internal conflict of having dyslexia. This affects her ability to learn. Ally gets teased for her "disadvantage" and she has to go to school everyday hoping that she doesn't get called on. This is an internal conflict because she isn't physically fighting with anyone put she is mentally facing the problems that her disorder come with. In contrast, Ally's best friend, Albert faces external conflict very often. This is when he gets beaten up by the boys after school. One good quality that Albert has is that he doesn't let the fact that he gets beaten up bother him. He just keeps on going on with his life. This is an external conflict because Albert isn't emotionally getting hurt but he is physically getting hurt. Readers know this because Ally is always pointing out his bruises and black eyes. Luckily, Albert finally overcomes this conflict while the boys start teasing Keisha and Ally too. Albert was very brave when he stood up for himself.

What do you think about conflict in "Fish in A Tree"?