“It’s okay to disappoint other people. It’s what you want for your life that matters. Don’t let others squish you into their box.”

Things I Loved —
-Coming of age in the late 90s and early aughts were THE BEST. I loved this throwback and glimpsing all the nods to this time in history. The clothes, the decor, the sayings, the snail mail… yes. Reading this graphic novel was like speaking straight to middle school Danielle and I loved it.
-Even though most of us experience our first crush around this time (11-12), I’m not sure the feeling of crushes feeling amazing and terrible simultaneously ever really goes away no matter what age you might be.
-I loved seeing Katie come into her own through her experience acting in Annie. Acting seems to be an outlet many people use to work through the challenges they are experiencing in their every day lives.
-Changing friendships are so normal at this age. I’m so glad to see this normalized - friends moving away, friendships growing, changing, and evolving.

Things That Didn’t Work For Me —
-While I know this was all accurate both during this time period and for this religious group, I hated seeing Katie told she couldn’t like someone just because of her/their gender. Again, I know this was set during a different time but I hate young people seeing that in literature and possibly having things they have heard said to them “reaffirmed” in a setting that should be safe for them.
-The first book, Growing Pains, had a large focus on Katie’s OCD. While I know she said she had a better handle on it, I was surprised how little it was mentioned in this book. It was almost like it went away? Maybe my mental health journey is different but I’ve never had my mental illness practically disappear, even with medication and treatment. I wish this had been a little bit more present throughout this story.

Thank you to Random House Children’s, Random House Graphic, and NetGalley for the advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

I wasn’t aware this was a sequel until after I read it but honestly it doesn’t take away from the story if you haven’t read the first book.

I really enjoyed the art in this book and the subjects it touched on. I have a soft spot for Katie and I hope the story continues and things continue positively for her!


Thank you NetGalley and to the publishers for giving me this arc in exchange for my honest review.

This book was a great read! The story had a great pace and the characters were well developed. It was very easy to get sucked into the story and in just a few sittings, I was done reading the book!

This book is a great look at the life of a young person growing up in a religious community who has secrets that could change the way people look at them. Katie is looking forward to turning twelve, and sharing adventures with her friends, it will be the beginning of pool parties, friends and all sorts of new adventures. However when things change with her friends. And new rules like an unfair dress code at her church start to apply to her she begins to question the changes that are coming.

Is growing up not as fun as she expected it to be? One thing seems right in all the chaos though, her new friend grace that she met through theater. Both of them are playing orphans in Annie, and they slowly get close. Katie begins to question whether or not she has a crush on grace and the effects it will cause on her life. Can she stay true to herself despite the pressure?

This book goes into some great territory when it comes to the early 2000s culture around being gay. Like Katie I figured out I was queer around the same time, while I didn't have to do deal with the same religious issues I know many friends who did. The struggle of staying true to yourself despite pressure is a timeless story.

While I didn't read Growing Pains, the book previous to this. I'd like to go back and take a look at the story. Four stars, quality art and writing with great historical details.

Sweet sequel to Growing Pains. Definitely a book that can be read on its own, I didn't feel as if I was missing out. Focus on mental health/sexism. I liked the illustrations of sounds. Perfect for those who enjoy Break, etc.

Kathryn Ormsbee’s Turning Twelve is a heartfelt and relatable coming-of-age novel that captures the whirlwind of emotions and self-discovery that comes with pre-adolescence. The novel beautifully captures growing up's awkward, sometimes painful, and exciting parts. This will definitely be a read for my daughter when she gets to be 12 :)

Katie is just turning twelve and she realizes that the years between being a kid and an adult or really difficult. There are so many more things to think about such as jobs, friendships, losses of friends, mean girls, church groups etc. she is trying to be her own self but she finds that this comes with the angst of trying to fit it. She also realizes that she has feelings for another girl and going against her church and her feelings are difficult

I picked up this book as an ARC and I began reading it and felt angry at the way Katie was being treated. I also felt that she was so down on herself that it made me sad. I picked it up again, months later, and am glad I did. I enjoyed the painful transition into womanhood and her feelings of what might be expected of her. Her church was awful and she had no one to really talk to about her feelings. Her best friends moved away for a time to take care of their sick grandma and those were her confidants. She begins to realize that she must stay true to herself and not worry about what others think. But any woman going through that age has experienced the same difficult choices. I hope Katie will be the hero of her own story and have the life she deserves

Ormsbee’s illustrations and storytelling will appeal to those that enjoy relatable stories, and it’s nice to have another example of an LGBTQ perspective added to this genre. The development of Katie’s friendship with Grace (and eventual crush) is sweet and realistic, woven into her navigating church, school, and all the questions that are a part of growing up. Though I haven’t read the first book, Growing Pangs, Turning Twelve worked fine on its own and I enjoyed it well enough that I plan to catch up with the first book as well.

I did not realize that this was a sequel until I started reading it, but luckily it gave enough background information about the first book, Growing Pangs, to fill in the blanks! Turning Twelve is a graphic novel about 12 year old Katie who is going through A LOT. She was recently diagnosed with OCD, her best friends are moving away, she gets her first crush on a girl, and her church group/homeschool co-op are telling her that girls are supposed to be modest for boys. Plus a bunch of other normal 12 year old things! I think it’s a pretty realistic portrayal of the anxiety and confusion that comes with being 12, but I wasn’t expecting it to be about a homeschooled Christian. That’s just not something I typically choose to read. I’m glad Katie learns to follow her heart and not always her church’s ideas throughout this book.

Turning twelve means big changes for Katie. Some of them are exciting, like her first time babysitting and her first crush, but sometimes it feels like the Adulthood Alarm is blaring too loud and she isn’t sure she’s ready for all of the changes. Can Katie enjoy the best parts of growing up, tackle the challenges, and stay true to herself?
This heartwarming story of adolescences hit me deep in my soul. It felt so true and honest, and reminded me so much of my tween years balancing the conservative teachings of the Catholic church and the relative diversity of folks that I was meeting in my community theater. I empathize deeply with Katie’s experience and wish I’d had a book like this to help me embrace who I was becoming and show me that it was okay to be different.

For many there is so much to navigate and figure out when you are about to turn 12 years old, the gateway to teendom and awkwardness. It’s not different for Katie. First bras, getting your period, fashion, losing and gaining friends, and crushes! Everyone remembers these milestones in their young life. Katie tries to fit in and figure out her place in society with her ongoing activities. She constantly feels like an outsider in her church youth group where she logically concludes that the rules are highly sexist (girls have a dress code but boys do not?) and the preachers/teachers and participants are hypocritical.

Where Katie finally feels right at home is with her theater group where she reconnects with a couple of previous peers. To complicate her feelings, her friends all talk about their crushes with boys. Katie finally develops a mad crush on a theater newcomer – but it’s a girl! She doesn’t know what to do with these feelings. All she knows is that she connected quickly and tightly with Grace and is happy when they are together. Katie feels like she’s starting to find herself. All a part of turning twelve.

I usually shy away from books that have a lgbt theme, not because I am opposed to the idea, but because it’s become a trend and the story is usually not well presented. However, I found this story incredibly sweet. The story is loosely based upon the author’s pre-teen life, just like her previous story in the series. I enjoyed this one much more and hope to see even more charming stories about Katie’s forthcoming maturation.

I was super excited to read Turning Twelve, especially after discovering it was a follow-up to Growing Pangs, which has been a popular read in my library. I thought the Turning Twelve was a strong follow-up and overall just an awesome story that didn't shy away from a lot of the realities both good and bad of growing up in the 90s. Highly recommend this series.

Turning twelve is a big time of upheaval. Puberty strikes, and the line between childhood and adulthood is unclear. Friendships change, crushes develop, and new experiences tilt your world view. Discovering who you are is the result of countless experiences and choices. Sometimes those choices are easy, other times they are full of fear and heartache.
I love that we have more LGBTQIA books available for young adults. Love is love and no one should feel ashamed. I wish this book ends up on shelves for young readers to find. May they see themselves and learn more about how others might feel.

My thanks to Penguin Random House for sending me a digital ARC to review. I whole heartedly support books that showcase minority youth.

This is a sequel and I did not even realize that going into it. Turning Twelve certainly stands on its own and it such a wonderful journey through Katie's twelve year old life, discovering she has a crush on a girl. I adored how this story was depicted, especially the church talk. I feel really lucky to have this book I'll be able to introduce to my daughter as she gets older.

Katie is about to turn 12, and the transition to adulthood is looming. Despite this, she has exciting prospects ahead, like babysitting, making new friends, and perhaps even developing crushes. Most importantly, she's thrilled about the opportunity to star in the play "Annie." With her red hair and acting skills, she felt perfect for the role. However, things didn't go as planned, and she was cast as one of the orphans instead of Annie. During the play, she forms a close bond with a girl named Grace, and she may even develop a crush on her. Through her experiences, Katie will learn about the challenges of growing up and the importance of acceptance.

This graphic novel is a timeless tale of friendship and the journey to adulthood. I have always been drawn to books in this genre, and this one didn't disappoint. Each character was carefully crafted, and the storyline was engaging from start to finish. While the book was enjoyable, it didn't quite reach the level of extraordinary, especially since I've encountered similar plots in other books. Nevertheless, it's a solid choice for those seeking a heartwarming story of friendship and love.

This is going to be an important book for a lot of kids, if they manage to get their hands on it. Katie is turning 12 and instead of life being fabulous her best friends move away, she has to start wearing a real bra, everyone is talking about crushes, and then there is periods and makeup. But what really starts to confuse Katie is that she is having feelings about a girl. That’s going to be hard enough for some to swallow, but Katie is very conservative and part of a Christian homeschool co-op. All she has ever heard is that it is wrong for her to like a girl. Turning Twelve shows Katie learning to be herself, to find friends who treat her with respect, and to enjoy every day. Growing up is hard, but Turning Twelve helps preteens know that they are not alone in their struggles and that it gets better.

This is a great coming-of-age graphic novel about a girl trying to find her place in the world. It does touch on some tough/deep topics, however, I do think it would help some students begin to address their thoughts/feelings on these topics. While I was not someone who grew up with religion, many of my friends did, so I watched them struggle with their thoughts/feelings about religion/church while discovering their identities. I have a feeling that their experiences were quite similar to what was described in the book, and I think students would enjoy having this connection if they were struggling.

A cute coming of age graphic novel. Overall I liked the story but felt like it explored some attraction questions that felt a bit unanswered in the end. While I don’t personally worry about who other’s are attracted to, I do think in this age of book banning, having it leave these questions unanswered may be problematic in some middle grades collections.

That being said, the illustrations were fun and the connections being made were relatable and will draw in middle grades readers.

The illustrations in this book were on point. Great imagery, beautiful colors. Just loved it. I just felt like as for the subject material, there was a lot going on and it would be hard to find a mid-grade girl that happens to fit in this niche. There's theater and homeschool and church and youth group and friends leaving and getting a period and curiosity about feelings towards the same sex. I know this time. In a child's life has a lot going on, but it didn't feel like it represented a certain individual.

This is a great story for young girls who are going through puberty. It's something that a lot of girls don't get taught about because, for a long time, it was something that was kept like a taboo secret. This is a great story because it is from the young girl's point of view and shows us how she is feeling as she is going through these new changes.