Ally Nickerson

Ally is the book’s protagonist, its central character and narrator. She is in the sixth grade, at her sixth school in as many years: she and her family move around a great deal because Ally’s father is in the military. As the narrative begins, he is posted overseas, leaving Ally, her mother, and her brother Travis struggling, to a degree, to find a sense of security in his absence. This absence is perhaps one of many reasons why Ally, as the narrative begins, having such a difficult time in school, having gained a reputation, even in her short time there, as something of a troublemaker.

The more significant reason for her struggles has to do with the fact that she has considerable difficulty reading. As the novel begins, her situation is something that she is very much ashamed of, going to considerable lengths to keep...