This interview originally appeared in the November/December 2024 Horn Book Magazine as part of the Publishers’ Previews: Picture Books and Graphic Novels, an advertising supplement that allows participating publishers a chance to each highlight a book from its current list. They choose the books; we ask the questions.

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Katie is Turning Twelve in this standalone companion to Growing Pangs, and seventh grade offers many challenges (puberty, a strict church) as well as delights (a job, a part in Annie, and an intriguing new friend).

Photo (R): Molly Brooks.

1. Kathryn, theater saved a lot of us. Why do you think that is?

I could be loud, daring, bold, more myself. It’s also where I was introduced to queerness as something worth embracing, not fearing. I think introverts like me are also drawn to theater to express ourselves through fictional dialogue. That emotional release can be lifesaving.

2. Molly, what book was your middle-school escape?

To choose just one: Mariel of Redwall by Brian Jacques. I devoured the series (warrior mice! the feasts!), but I read Mariel of Redwall over and over for that triumphant reveal at the end.

3. Kathryn, same question.

Jane Austen’s books provided a cozy-yet-angst-filled landscape for endless scenarios of Regency-era escapism.

4. Kathryn, what can book creators do to help librarians who want to provide queer content to young readers?

Create more queer content, across all genres. Contemporary coming-out novels are vital, but books in which queerness simply appears on the page are equally important. The latter can reach young readers who gravitate to a specific genre and/or don’t feel safe with a noticeably queer book.

5. How did collaborating on Growing Pangs prepare you both for this sequel?

MB: I could dive in and focus on telling the emotional story from the first round of sketches, instead of stopping to map out the furniture.

KO: I knew Molly would understand how to perfectly convey Katie’s story — from its early-aughts setting to its humorous beats to its joyful, queer heart.

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