Life for Zinnia "Zinny" Manning was busy and full. She had her two best friends, her parents, her three siblings, and her love of all that is science. To be honest she was having a few problems with her two best friends. All they seemed to want to talk about was James Ramos and how cute and incredible he was. Zinny found herself listening more than talking to them, and recently she had been slipping off to Ms. Molina's science room during lunch instead of trying to seem interested in their boring conversations.
Life suddenly became more complicated when Zinny's older brother Gabriel had an accident in a borrowed car. A few fairly minor injuries landed him in the hospital for a few days which is where another discovery was made. The accident may not have been an "accident." Gabriel's disoriented behavior led to a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Suddenly, he was being checked into a residential facility several hours away for treatment, and Zinny and her siblings were being told to keep it private.
When Zinny receives an invitation to Lunch Club, she doesn't know exactly what it means, but it quickly becomes clear that all the members have some sort of problem - step-parent trouble, divorced parents trouble, or sick parent trouble. Zinny knows she shouldn't mention Gabriel so why the heck should she even be in club?
Author Barbara Dee, recently known for her middle grade "Me Too" novel MAYBE HE JUST LIKES YOU, has tackled another hot topic in MY LIFE IN THE FISH TANK. A diagnosis of bipolar disorder doesn't just involve the person being treated but also the family surrounding that person. Dee unveils what it might be like to be part of such a family. Zinny is a likeable main character whose experience will be one readers can relate to and learn from. This one is a definite must-have for classrooms and libraries.
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