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Kathryn Ormsbee

    Kathryn Ormsbee crafts young adult novels that delve deeply into the complexities of adolescence and the search for self. Her prose is insightful and emotionally resonant, often exploring themes of friendship, love, and overcoming adversity. Beyond YA fiction, she also pens middle-grade fantasy, venturing into realms of magic and adventure. Ormsbee has a distinct talent for immersing readers in her narratives, leaving a lasting impact.

    Tash Hearts Tolstoy
    The Sullivan Sisters
    Growing Pangs
    Turning Twelve
    Candidly Cline
    • Turning Twelve

      (A Graphic Novel)

      • 240 pages
      • 9 hours of reading

      At 12 years old, Katie experiences the excitement of her first crush, but she quickly learns that navigating adolescence is filled with unexpected challenges. As she grapples with the complexities of growing up, Katie's journey explores the emotional ups and downs of young love and self-discovery.

      Turning Twelve2024
      4.2
    • Candidly Cline

      • 320 pages
      • 12 hours of reading

      A must-read for fans of Julie Murphy and Ashley Herring Blake, this queer coming-of-age story from critically acclaimed author Kathryn Ormsbee sings with heart, warmth, and hope. An ALA Rainbow Book List selection! Born in Paris, Kentucky, and raised on her gram’s favorite country music, Cline Alden is a girl with big dreams and a heart full of song. When she finds out about a young musicians’ workshop a few towns over, Cline sweet-talks, saves, and maybe fibs her way into her first step toward musical stardom. But her big dreams never prepared her for the butterflies she feels surrounded by so many other talented kids—especially Sylvie, who gives Cline the type of butterflies she’s only ever heard about in love songs. As she learns to make music of her own, Cline begins to realize how much of herself she’s been holding back. But now, there’s a new song taking shape in her heart—if only she can find her voice and sing it. “Empowering, affirming, and sweet as all get-out.” —Lisa Jenn Bigelow, author of Drum Roll, Please

      Candidly Cline2022
      4.3
    • Growing Pangs

      • 256 pages
      • 9 hours of reading

      NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR Introducing an irresistibly relatable graphic novel about friendship and growing up, "an excellent companion to Raina Telgemeier's Guts and Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham's Real Friends series."—Booklist, Starred Review New Friends. New grade. New worries? Katie's always felt 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?

      Growing Pangs2022
      4.1
    • The Sullivan Sisters

      • 384 pages
      • 14 hours of reading

      From the author of the “intense coming-of-age story” (School Library Connection) The Great Unknowable End and the “beyond refreshing…irreverent” (Booklist, starred review) Tash Hearts Tolstoy comes an introspective, atmospheric novel about sisterhood, coming-of-age, and learning that it’s never too late to reconnect with those you love. Time changes things. That painful fact of life couldn’t be truer for the Sullivan sisters. Once, they used to be close, sharing secrets inside homemade blanket castles. Now, life in the Sullivan house means closed doors and secrets left untold. Fourteen-year-old Murphy, an aspiring magician, is shocked by the death of Siegfried, her pet turtle. Seventeen-year-old Claire is bound for better things than her Oregonian hometown—until she receives a crushing rejection from her dream college. And eighteen-year-old Eileen is nursing a growing addiction in the wake of life-altering news. Then, days before Christmas, a letter arrives, informing the sisters of a dead uncle and an inheritance they knew nothing about. The news forces them to band together in the face of a sinister family mystery…and, possibly, murder. The Sullivan Sisters is an unforgettable novel about the ghosts of the past, the power of connection, and the bonds of sisterhood.

      The Sullivan Sisters2020
      3.6
    • Tash Hearts Tolstoy

      • 372 pages
      • 14 hours of reading

      Natasha "Tash" Zelenka's web series, Unhappy Families, goes viral after a shout-out from a vlogger, leading to newfound fame and pressure. As her show, a modern adaptation of Anna Karenina, gains popularity and a Golden Tuba nomination, Tash navigates her feelings for a fellow nominee while grappling with the impact on her friendships.

      Tash Hearts Tolstoy2017
      3.3