I really enjoyed this book about family, friends, a family member dealing with a mental illness and science. The main character, Zinny, was easy to identify with and the character development throughout the book is important to note.

<u>My Life in the Fish Tank</u> tells the story of Zinnia Manning, a twelve year old with a seemingly ideal family life. But one day, her big brother has an accident while away at college and the aftermath changes her entire family dynamic. Soon, Zinnia finds her relationships with her family and friends falling to pieces around her as she struggles to handle her brother's newly diagnosed mental disorder.

I felt this was a decently paced contemporary middle grade fiction novel with mostly strong, believable characters. I enjoyed Zinnia's perspective and felt connected to her immediately.

A winner: realistic presentation of how the different family members tackle the reality of mental illness; it effects on their other relationships; the benefit of intervention by counselors. Zinny’s efforts to hide her brother’s illness and eventual realization of the need to be honest and trusting is believable; the resolution is hopeful, character growth persuasive.

There are just not enough books that take on mental illness in a way for middle grade readers. Thankfulky, Barbara Dee has worked to correct that! As a parent of a child with bipolar a d an educator, this book does so much to help families and students to realize that they are not alone. #EndTheStigma

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. Not many middle grade books about kids suffering from Mental Illness. Excellent addition to our collection.

Poignant and "real" feeling MG novel that explores the difficult topic of mental illness (specifically bipolar disorder) on a family. The narrative style intermixes flashbacks, prose, and script-style in short chapters that pack a punch despite their brevity.

Zinny is part of a close knit family and even though her father always makes them take yearly family pictures, she loves these times together. Her brother Gabriel goes to college and begins to act in a way that finally ends in a warning call back home to his mom and dad. Gabriel is found to be bipolar and this book shows how his family is affected by his mental illness . Zinny sees how it affects her entire family . This book is written to help middle aged kids understand mental illness and how they are also affected by it. Good school setting and realistic reactions from students and adults as they attempt to help Zinny through this tough year in school.

Yes! I flew through this book!

What an important topic to address in classrooms. I love how Barbara Dee's books are just the right amount of drama -- not overdone or brushed over. The reactions and emotions are authentic and real. I like how the struggles of each family member are examined to some degree. Each sibling handles things differently depending on age and connection to the older brother. The parents struggle and mess up but keep trying. There isn't an easy or quick fix, but there is also hope.

EXCELLENT addition for my classroom library!

When Zinnia's brother was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, her whole family's life came to a crashing halt. Her mother took a leave of absence from her teaching job and stopped cooking or caring for the home, her father worked more hours and was rarely home, her sister was grouchy and pushed everyone away, and her friends distanced themselves because they were offended when Zinnia would not talk to them. The strong support systems in the school: a compassionate science teacher and a school counselor, patiently help Zinnia come to terms with her brother's illness and taught her how to deal with it while still taking care of herself and her interests.

I loved this book! Barbara Dee had a book ("Halfway Normal") on our state reading list last year, but this one was much better. I'm hoping to see it on next year's Mark Twain Readers Award list. Zinnia's family is very real and it is a very powerful look at exploring the emotions and the impact on a family when one of its members is dealing with a very serious and often misunderstood disease. Barbara Dee is very skilled at dialog and I found myself zipping through this story faster than I thought I would - It really pulled me in. A must-have addition for an upper elementary-middle school library!

Zinny is a seventh grader whose life begins to fall apart when her brother Gabriel is in an accident at college. Gabriel is diagnosed bipolar and is sent to a residential treatment facility and the family struggles to keep it together. Zinny and her siblings are directed by their parents to not tell anyone about Gabriel’s hospitalization and struggles. Zinny’s friendships suffer because of secret keeping.

This story is so important for middle grade students because it deals with the stigma associated with mental illness and how difficult it is for families to cope. Our students need to be informed about these issues to gain empathy and understanding. I think Barbara Dee did an amazing job humanizing both Zinny and Gabriel and portraying their family’s predicament. I look forward to getting feedback from my students on this one.

Zinny is the second youngest of four children. Life seems pretty chill until her older brother goes off to college and has an accident that turns the family upside-down. The story is told through Zinny's day-to-day of dealing with what happened and flashbacks that show what life was like before, many hinting at her brother's diagnosis. Personally, I struggled with the story because a lot of this was my childhood growing up. It didn't help that right after I started reading this, my brother had another episode (yes, this is still going on now that we're both in our 30s), I really connected with the older sister and loved this line "Can Gabriel's mental problems please not take up my entire existence?"

The writing is solid and believable for a middle school student. I really liked the running gag of silly how-to scenarios Zinny would create for her younger brother and Zinny's love of science. My only complaint would be there are a lot of scenes where the author chooses to just have dialogue. There was one scene where the kids are playing a game where I thought this worked but for the other scenes, I thought it seemed a little lazy.

Possible Spoilers:
The ending seemed a little too neat and tidy for me as someone who has lived with a family member that has a mental illness, but it is a middle-grade book so I can't really fault it for that. Also, I can't remember what the dad's job was, but the mon was a teacher (who quit working after the accident) so how did the family afford to pay for the fancy rehab-center? I don't think it's even brought up.

My Life in the Fish Tank by Barbara Dee is such an important book for middle grade readers. I can't wait to share it with my students. It addresses mental health issues in a direct and unapologetic way which is really refreshing for a middle grade book. Zinnia, the main character, is torn apart when her college age brother is diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Her parents would like to keep it "private", which Zinnia equates to "secret". She doesn't quite know how to deal with her brother's illness, her parent's request, and her new friendship troubles which stem from her reluctance to discuss her brother. I can't say enough good things about this book! Definitely another winner for Barbara Dee!

When Zinny’s older brother Gabriel is diagnosed with bipolar and living temporarily at a facility, everything changes. Her parents have asked her and her other siblings to not talk about Gabriel’s diagnosis. Her mother stops working to focus on Gabriel. Everyone struggles to handle the changes in the family. Zinny feels isolated and doesn’t know where to turn. One bright spot in her life is science class, and the other is Lunch Club, a group of students who are going through some challenging times.

This provides a realistic look at the ways in which some families are impacted by mental illness. The changes in the family dynamics, the difficulties of having someone living elsewhere for treatment, the personality changes that sometimes accompany medications, and more are compassionately portrayed here. This is a book that should be in classroom and school libraries, and it’s one that will help some children feel not so alone. It will also inspire compassion. I also think that teachers and pre-service teachers need to read this book.

With thanks to NetGalley for an early copy in return for an honest review.

Barbara Dee’s My Life in the Fish Tank is a middle grades novel about the impact on Zinny and her family when her older brother is diagnosed with bipolar disorder. It is a story about an incredibly important topic, mental health, told in an authentic way from the point of view of a middle schooler. I thought the relationships with Zinny's different friends, family members and teachers felt realistic.

This is a great read for kids who are navigating the mental health of their families and an excellent read for teachers to provide insight into what their students are navigating.

Due to the subject matter, I would suggest this as more of a mid-to-upper MG book, rather than a young-MG book.

Barbara Dee’s My Life in the Fish Tank is a novel that describes the impact on 12-year-old Zinny’s family and friends when her older brother is diagnosed with a mental health challenge.

This book had me hooked from the first pages until the last pages. The descriptive writing allowed me to quickly visualize the characters and events. It was as if I was shadowing Zinny from home to school and back home.

Zinny must find a way to manage the tension she faces between herself, her family, and her friends. The story clearly describes how Zinny has changed since ‘this’ happened and we follow how she navigates the difficult transition in both her home and school environments.

The flashbacks are placed at just the right intervals and with enough concise details to give depth and comparison to the characters’ developments.

This novel is a must read for middle- and high school-age students, educators, and all who desire to broaden their understanding of how family events can impact the lives of young adults.

The cover art is especially beautiful and representative of the events throughout the pages.

Barbara Dee knows middle grade readers. She consistently writes stories about important topics in an authentic way using characters that stay with you, while addressing those topics using honesty and humor. My Life in a Fish Tank is no different.

Twelve year old Zinny’s older brother Gabriel has just been diagnosed with a mental illness. And now her family is operating on “Abnormal Standard Time,” where her life moves slowly while the rest of the world moves on without her.

Zinny’s parents ask the family to keep Gabriel’s bipolar disorder private, so Zinny feels she can’t share what’s going on with her two best friends, pushing them away while deflecting their questions.
She also doesn’t want to talk with others in Lunch Club (how did she get stuck there anyway?) and plans on quitting it as soon as possible.

She finds solace at school in Science class where she’s learning about crayfish. And when she has the chance to attend an amazing marine biology program in the summer, she doesn’t know if she’s ready to move forward while the rest of her family isn’t.

The storytelling of this book is amazing. Each chapter heading is written as a snapshot in time and told in either flashbacks and current events. Highly recommend this MG novel with themes of acceptance, growth, change, and survival. Publishing in September 2020-preorder now!

Zinny's family struggles through her older brother's bipolar diagnosis. Her parents as her and her other siblings to keep his illness private. This request causes a lot of upheaval and confusion in Zinny and her relationships. Once again, Barbara Dee handles a delicate topic with grace. I think it's so important for young readers to learn about these topics and Dee does so admirably.

I loved this book! I can always count on a Barbara Dee book to be excellent!
First, I loved the characters. Zinny was such a great character and a great role model for the kids in school to read about. I admired how she let down her guard and made some new friends who accepted her for who she is. I loved Zinny's relationships with the other characters, especially Gabriel. They had such a nice relationship and they really cared deeply for each other.
I think the portrayal of bipolar disorder is very realistic. I think it's a great intro to mental illness for the age group that the book is intended for. I also liked that while bipolar disorder is a focus of the book, it isn't the sole focus. I was glad to see some focus on friendships, a love of science, and typical middle school issues were part of the book to make it a very balanced book.
I will definitely be purchasing this book for my 2 elementary school libraries!

Great read 4th and up. This is the first book that I’ve read that handles the mental illness of a sibling. Zinnia is strong and resilient. She’s navigating the world of being 12, a good friend, a good sister, and a budding scientist. Thankful for the support system depicted in this story and hopeful that kids living in “Abnormal Standard Time” have the supports needed to overcome. I loved the overall message of mental illness being treatable & how it shouldn’t be shameful or a secret. It does affect the whole family & together you can come out stronger.

Barbara Dee's ability to write in a middle schooler's voice never ceases to amaze me. This book is wonderful in giving voice to what it is like to live with a family member who has a mental illness. Zinny is a middle schooler who is struggling to deal with her brother's bi-polar diagnosis. The struggles that Zinny deals with are very relatable for kids. The questions that she asks herself will help other kids process their own questions and know that they aren't alone. Zinny spends time in a school sponsor support group called the Lunch Club. This part of the story will help readers know that they can find support from people who are possibly different from them. The books is also full of science references and analogies that give an extra layer to this story. I recommend this for all upper elementary and middle school classrooms.