A. A. (ninesevenpotatoes)

This has to be one of my favorite graphic novels, and it's a beautiful book that gets basically everything right: The art is outstanding, drawn by Molly Brooks, and the writing is very admirable, because it shows the overarching story about Katie's mental health issues. Speaking of which, the way they portray OCD and anxiety in this book is both simple but mature enough for kids to understand. The representation of animals as anxiety is awesome. It also shows upon how debilitating and hard having OCD can be. It's a common stero those with the disorder are clean freaks who are very organized. In reality, those with OCD do as what the disorder is named after: They're OBSESSIVE over certain parts of life that makes them anxious. In the book, Katie worries about all the changes in her life, especially of friends, after he relationship with her best friend crumbles. Other worries can be about death, contamination, and much more. To subdue their anxiety, they often do nonsensical things over and over again, which is CONPULSIVE behavior, as seen in Katie. It may washing hands, locking doors, opening the drawer, stepping on things, and so much more. Those with OCD often recognize what they're doing is weird, but can't control themselves. With all that said, the book manages to simplify a complex neurological disorder in a relatable way., as Katie is able to talk out her problems and things get better. It's a really...real book and Kathryn Ormsbee is a legendary book. I highly suggest you get this for your middle grade child.