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Growing Pangs #1
Growing Pangs: (A Graphic Novel)
New grade. New friends. New worries? Introducing a graphic novel about friendship, anxiety, and growing up!
Katie knows there's stuff that makes her different. She's homeschooled, she has freckles, and her teeth are really crooked. But none of these things matter to Kacey. They're best friends forever--just like their necklaces say. But when they go to summer camp, Kacey starts acting weird. What happened to the "forever"? And when Katie gets home, she can't stop worrying. About getting braces. About 6th grade. About friends. She knows tapping three times or opening and closing a drawer won't make everything better . . . but sometimes it helps stop the worrying. Is something wrong with her? And will anyone want to be friends with her if they find out?
Katie knows there's stuff that makes her different. She's homeschooled, she has freckles, and her teeth are really crooked. But none of these things matter to Kacey. They're best friends forever--just like their necklaces say. But when they go to summer camp, Kacey starts acting weird. What happened to the "forever"? And when Katie gets home, she can't stop worrying. About getting braces. About 6th grade. About friends. She knows tapping three times or opening and closing a drawer won't make everything better . . . but sometimes it helps stop the worrying. Is something wrong with her? And will anyone want to be friends with her if they find out?
256 pages, Hardcover
First published May 3, 2022
163 people are currently reading
1255 people want to read
About the author
Kathryn Ormsbee
10 books273 followersKathryn Ormsbee is the author of contemporary novels for children and young adults, including Growing Pangs, Candidly Cline, and Tash Hearts Tolstoy.
Her books have been critically acclaimed, translated into eight languages, selected for the Indie Next List and Junior Library Guild, and made “best of” lists at NPR, Amazon, Kirkus, and the Chicago and New York Public Libraries. She lives with her wife in Texas.
Her books have been critically acclaimed, translated into eight languages, selected for the Indie Next List and Junior Library Guild, and made “best of” lists at NPR, Amazon, Kirkus, and the Chicago and New York Public Libraries. She lives with her wife in Texas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 260 reviews
February 17, 2022
I wish I’d had this book when I was a kid, but am so glad I have it for my kids to read! Mental health is less taboo than it was when I was young, but still not talked about enough. I love books that show that it’s normal and okay to deal with mental health things, whether it’s anxiety or depression or OCD. And that it’s okay to ask for help and to talk about. Bravo to the author and wonderful artist who brought this book to life. I’m buying an extra copy for my classroom.
January 14, 2023
Kathryne Ormsbee fictionalizes her childhood as a home-schooled child who struggles with anxiety and OCD. Like a lot of middle school graphic novels nowadays, it is a bit too long and meandering and spends too much time on BFF strife, but it is a good depiction of OCD to have available for kids. I really liked the use of bees to symbolize her intrusive thoughts.
(Another project! I'm trying to read all the picture books and graphic novels on the kids section of NPR's Books We Love 2022.)
(Another project! I'm trying to read all the picture books and graphic novels on the kids section of NPR's Books We Love 2022.)
March 5, 2023
A cute graphic novel about a fourth grade girl who had friend trouble, and OCD episodes. Katie is just a normal girl growing up with two very supportive and loving parents. A great read!!
March 27, 2023
4.5⭐
An engrossing slice-of-life graphic novel that reads like a memoir because a lot of it is based on the author's own experiences. I loved it from start to end.
As the title suggests, the book explores growing pains and does a wonderful job. Not only does it capture the complexities of adolescence and friendship perfectly, it also tackles issues such as mental health and OCD with nuance and sensitivity. I felt sad about Kacey but that's the thing: Growing Pangs paints such a realistic portrait about the breakdown of relationships and how sometimes people simply drift apart.
I felt so much for Katie and it's hard to think of her as a fictional character because she just came across as so real and authentic.
Just as commendable is the artwork and I liked how buzzing bees are used to portray the protagonist's OCD and chaotic mind.
Absolutely would recommend this to everyone!
An engrossing slice-of-life graphic novel that reads like a memoir because a lot of it is based on the author's own experiences. I loved it from start to end.
As the title suggests, the book explores growing pains and does a wonderful job. Not only does it capture the complexities of adolescence and friendship perfectly, it also tackles issues such as mental health and OCD with nuance and sensitivity. I felt sad about Kacey but that's the thing: Growing Pangs paints such a realistic portrait about the breakdown of relationships and how sometimes people simply drift apart.
I felt so much for Katie and it's hard to think of her as a fictional character because she just came across as so real and authentic.
Just as commendable is the artwork and I liked how buzzing bees are used to portray the protagonist's OCD and chaotic mind.
Absolutely would recommend this to everyone!
July 30, 2025
"This book isn't really about the types of growing pains that I've been having in my legs. It's about growing up and making new friends even if it makes your other friends jealous." -Cadee, age 10
May 12, 2022
Great graphic memoir-style story! Kids will feel seen, less alone in their thoughts, and know how to ask for help.
June 1, 2022
I requested this new graphic novel from the library without even reading the synopsis, and I let out two huge gasps when I read the back of the book later. This graphic novel is about a homeschooler with OCD, and it was absolutely surreal and amazing to read something that reflected my life experiences so well. This story is partly based on the author's life, and both she and the illustrator suffered from OCD as children. The mental health element of this book is absolutely pitch-perfect, and I wish that I could have read something like this when I was younger.
The story also includes a strong emphasis on dealing with shifting relationships, pursuing your interests, and building healthy friendships. The book includes lots of different elements that will appeal to middle grade readers, and it covers the main character's growth over a long period of time without seeming too episodic. This graphic novel shares a lot of common ground with other, well-known titles while still being totally unique, and it is sophisticated enough to appeal to adults as well. I highly recommend this.
The story also includes a strong emphasis on dealing with shifting relationships, pursuing your interests, and building healthy friendships. The book includes lots of different elements that will appeal to middle grade readers, and it covers the main character's growth over a long period of time without seeming too episodic. This graphic novel shares a lot of common ground with other, well-known titles while still being totally unique, and it is sophisticated enough to appeal to adults as well. I highly recommend this.
January 25, 2024
Fans of so many other graphic novels based on authors' childhoods like Smile & Guts by Raina Telgemeier, Smaller Sister, the Sunny series will enjoy this one based on both the author's and illustrator's tween experiences in the late 1990s/early 2000s with OCD and unusual surgery. Older tween or young teens who enjoy this story may also want to give Tillie Walden's Spinning a look after reading this.
September 20, 2022
A good story that normalizes the struggles with friends and anxiety and OCD. It tells the semi-true tale of Katie, the homeschooler who goes to homeschool Co-op once a week and sees her friends. She also has many buzzy thoughts that need to be calmed with a certain number of things.
I think my fourth graders would like reading this book as much as Raina Telgemeier’s books.
I think my fourth graders would like reading this book as much as Raina Telgemeier’s books.
March 4, 2023
I am not sure how this middle grade graphic novel got on my radar but I am happy that it did. This was such a well done read and it has very important messages for kids to read about. We are following Katie a young girl who feels different from others and mostly that is okay for her. She has red hair, freckles, is homeschooled, and sometimes has a buzzing she has to deal with. When she hears it she has to do certain things like tap five times, not step on a crack, or turn the faucet on 10 times. Her anxiety, starts to get worse when her best friend Kacey start to have difference of opinions on things. I thought that this was really well done and I loved the colorful illustrations. One of the reasons I loved this one is that the author doesn't try to smooth over the relationship between Kacey and Katie. Sometimes that happens and you can probably think of a friend that you grew apart from. The anxiety/OCD deptiction was something that I had not seen before in a graphic novel and I thought the visual of a bee buzzing did a good job showing how constant it was for her. I highly recommend this graphic novel to kids and also if it interests you.
October 28, 2023
A graphic novel with a main character who experiences anxiety and struggles with OCD. Well done!
November 26, 2023
Vividly illustrated fictionalized memoir about starting middle school, navigating friendships, and dealing with mental health issues.
December 6, 2023
Great middle grade graphic novel about friendships and what anxiety/OCD feel like.
September 17, 2025
3.75/5
October 15, 2022
Great book for upper elem/middle. Reminded me a lot of Allison Britz's book Obsessed: a memoir of my life with OCD, but written and illustrated in a way that's accessible to a younger audience.
July 2, 2023
Author Kathryn Ormsbee's enlightening coming of age graphic novel about one young girl's struggle with growing pains in the form of feeling "different" (red hair and freckles, severely crooked teeth, home schooled, suffering from intrusive obsessive thoughts, etc.), losing her best friend (first to misunderstandings and arguments, then to the friend actually moving away), the trauma of getting braces and needing surgery, and the worsening of controlling, disruptive thoughts (aka OCD). Demonstrates the fact that no one needs to suffer in silence or alone.
Great illustrations by Molly Brooks.
Great illustrations by Molly Brooks.
July 5, 2022
This graphic novel belongs with the likes of Shannon Hale's "Friends" trilogy and Raina Telgemeier's works.
Yes, you read that statement correctly.
I was immediately a fan due to the protagonist, Katie, being homeschooled. This was me y'all. Katie is into musical theater, attends a co-op, isn't allowed to do certain things.....again, this is me y'all. Then, she goes to camp for the first time (also me in the year 2000) and she makes friends......which makes her "best friend" jealous.
I know most, if not all, people can relate to friendship sagas. What makes a friend? What do you do when friendships change? Can you have more than one "best friend?" I know as a middle schooler, I asked myself all these questions. And I know many of the kids I serve do as well.
See? I think it is an excellent read-a-like for Shannon and Raina. Let's give lesser known graphic novelists some love!
Yes, you read that statement correctly.
I was immediately a fan due to the protagonist, Katie, being homeschooled. This was me y'all. Katie is into musical theater, attends a co-op, isn't allowed to do certain things.....again, this is me y'all. Then, she goes to camp for the first time (also me in the year 2000) and she makes friends......which makes her "best friend" jealous.
I know most, if not all, people can relate to friendship sagas. What makes a friend? What do you do when friendships change? Can you have more than one "best friend?" I know as a middle schooler, I asked myself all these questions. And I know many of the kids I serve do as well.
See? I think it is an excellent read-a-like for Shannon and Raina. Let's give lesser known graphic novelists some love!
August 24, 2023
"Growing Pangs" by Kathryn Ormsbee is a touching and relatable middle grade autobiographical graphic novel that explores important themes of friendship, mental health, and self-discovery. The novel beautifully captures the challenges and complexities of navigating growing up and the struggles that come with it. The illustrations are expressive & convey the fears of the unknown related to OCD. This is an important and impactful read for any young reader to gain a broader understanding of someone’s struggles associated with friendship and mental health issues. Graphic novels like this invite young people into the conversation about the normalcy & importance of talking with someone to help you with something that you struggle with and don’t fully understand. Highly recommend this book & looking forward to sharing it with my students. #McDReads
April 9, 2024
Really cute quick read!! <3
May 13, 2022
“Duh ga bisa deh liat sesuatu yg ga sesuai, OCD gue”
“Duh garisnya ga lurus, gue tuh OCD liat beginian”
Sering banget denger celetukan gini, padahal belum tentu apa yang dilakukan termasuk OCD. Dari graphic novel ini aku belajar tentang pengalaman seorang anak yang tidak sadar dia memiliki OCD. Penulis mengibaratkannya sebagai “buzzing thoughts” yg menurutku cukup akurat. Ternyata buku ini juga merupakan memoir tentang penulis yang memiliki disorder yang sama.
Semoga buku ini bisa mengenalkan OCD lebih jauh dengan penceritaan yg mudah dipahami, sehingga semakin sedikit orang yang mengklaim bahwa mereka punya OCD tanpa diagnosis dari professional.
Selain tentang OCD, cerita tentang pertemanan juga relatable untuk teenager. Inget banget dulu takut kehilangan teman karena punya temen yang baru (kalo sekarang sih cuek aja hahaha). Buku ini bisa membantu memvalidasi perasaan anak2 yang seumuran. Ilustrasi yang menarik & gaya bercerita yang ringan juga membuat buku ini bisa dibaca siapa pun. Recommended!
“Duh garisnya ga lurus, gue tuh OCD liat beginian”
Sering banget denger celetukan gini, padahal belum tentu apa yang dilakukan termasuk OCD. Dari graphic novel ini aku belajar tentang pengalaman seorang anak yang tidak sadar dia memiliki OCD. Penulis mengibaratkannya sebagai “buzzing thoughts” yg menurutku cukup akurat. Ternyata buku ini juga merupakan memoir tentang penulis yang memiliki disorder yang sama.
Semoga buku ini bisa mengenalkan OCD lebih jauh dengan penceritaan yg mudah dipahami, sehingga semakin sedikit orang yang mengklaim bahwa mereka punya OCD tanpa diagnosis dari professional.
Selain tentang OCD, cerita tentang pertemanan juga relatable untuk teenager. Inget banget dulu takut kehilangan teman karena punya temen yang baru (kalo sekarang sih cuek aja hahaha). Buku ini bisa membantu memvalidasi perasaan anak2 yang seumuran. Ilustrasi yang menarik & gaya bercerita yang ringan juga membuat buku ini bisa dibaca siapa pun. Recommended!
December 14, 2022
Although I did feel the subplots could have had more page time and closure, Growing Pangs is still a fun and uplifting read about coming to terms with physical and mental change. Molly Brooks's art is also easy to follow, and the coloring makes it incredibly vivid. I liked the detail of anxiety and OCD manifesting as different animals. Young readers will also be happy with most of the supportive side characters and how the book is framed. I'm interested in Katie's journey following this point. It started off well. I think it will got further in the sequel, though.
December 31, 2024
My ten year old read this and was so excited to have me read it too. What a great book for kids struggling with OCD, anxiety, or mental illness to see a mirror in a graphic novel. Also so great that my daughter and I could take about intrusive thoughts and she could learn about what others could be experiencing. I loved the buzzing bee to illustrate intrusive thoughts. My 8 year old is reading the book now.
December 4, 2022
Upper elementary and middle school students will connect with Katie's relatable challenges in Growing Pangs, even if they aren't red-haired, homeschooled, and facing oral surgery. Fictionalized but based on the author's own experiences with OCD in childhood, this new graphic novel is likely to be a hit among fans of Jennifer Holm's Sunny series and Raina Telgemeier's graphic novels. The escalation of Katie's symptoms of compulsions and intrusive thoughts are introduced in a way that can build empathy among readers unfamiliar with the reality of OCD.
Growing Pangs is also another welcome MG novel, like Drum Roll, Please realistically addressing possessive friendships and painful changes in friendship dynamics. Illustrations by Molly Brooks are bright and engaging, and facial expressions tell as much of a story as Ormsbee's words.
Brooks attempts to depict characters with diverse skin tones, though Katie and major characters cue white.
Recommended as an additional purchase for elementary libraries and middle school libraries, particularly those with 6th grade.
Growing Pangs is also another welcome MG novel, like Drum Roll, Please realistically addressing possessive friendships and painful changes in friendship dynamics. Illustrations by Molly Brooks are bright and engaging, and facial expressions tell as much of a story as Ormsbee's words.
Brooks attempts to depict characters with diverse skin tones, though Katie and major characters cue white.
Recommended as an additional purchase for elementary libraries and middle school libraries, particularly those with 6th grade.
December 8, 2024
3.5, Graphic novel about a fellow Kathryn/Katie and it’s spelled the exact same way as mine! I heard about this through learning about the queer representation in the second book so I am looking forward to that. But I’m so glad kids with OCD will have a graphic novel that is helpful to affirm them! The bee symbolism was well done.
January 1, 2026
Content warnings: mental health, OCD, medical procedures, toxic friendship
A lovely graphic novel about all of the friendship dramas and life changes that start to happen right before puberty smacks you in the face. The OCD representation was well done and while this wasn't the first time I've seen bees used to represent intrusive thoughts (that was Buzzing by Samuel Sattin), it worked just as effectively here as there. All in all, this was a solid end to my 2025 reading!
A lovely graphic novel about all of the friendship dramas and life changes that start to happen right before puberty smacks you in the face. The OCD representation was well done and while this wasn't the first time I've seen bees used to represent intrusive thoughts (that was Buzzing by Samuel Sattin), it worked just as effectively here as there. All in all, this was a solid end to my 2025 reading!
February 28, 2023
I felt like honestly this book was a duplicate of Best Friends, True Friends, Real Friends. Katie and Shannon have very similar yet different stories. Katie has problems with being homeschooled and how people don’t necessarily get her, and Shannon goes to school and that plays a key role in HER story. I felt the everything happening was a little chaotic for me but I would definitely read again.
September 5, 2023
The story is definitely important and raises awareness on mental health. But the plot just didn’t work for me, it sounded too preachy and explanatory.. Raina Telgemeier did a better job discussing mental health in her graphic novels. I asked my 8yro what he thought about Growing Pangs and his answer was: “meh”. I guess he felt the same as I did.
November 3, 2025
This book had all of the feeling packed into one book, joy, anxiety, anger, sadness, excitement etc. I loved how the author really brought all of the events and felling in the book to life. Great read.
May 20, 2022
Such a cute put meaningful graphic novel! Includes topics like homeschooling, theater, friendship, OCD, and anxiety. So fabulous for middle graders who are growing up trying to find their places and be proud of who they are!
December 10, 2022
I love that this story is based on the author's story. very good read and very relatable.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 260 reviews