The insiders

Title:

The insiders

Author:

Summary:

San Francisco and Orangevale may be in the same state, but for Héctor Muñoz, they might as well be a million miles apart. Back home, being gay didn’t mean feeling different. At Héctor’s new school, he couldn’t feel more alone. Most days, Héctor just wishes he could disappear. And he does. Right into the janitor’s closet. (Yes, he sees the irony.) But one day, when the door closes behind him, Héctor discovers he’s stumbled into a room that shouldn’t be possible. A room that connects him with two new friends from different corners of the country—and opens the door to a life-changing year full of friendship, adventure, and just a little bit of magic.

Audience:

Ages 8-12. HarperCollins.

Grades 4-6. HarperCollins.

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

375 pages ; 22 cm

Subject Term:

Space and time -- Juvenile fiction.

Friendship -- Juvenile fiction.

Bullies -- Juvenile fiction.

Gay youth -- Juvenile fiction.

Belonging (Social psychology) -- Juvenile fiction.

Mexican Americans -- Juvenile fiction.

Middle schools -- Juvenile fiction.

Publisher:

Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers,

Publication Date:

2021

ISBN:

9780063008106

Publication Information:

New York, NY : Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, [2021]

Call Number:

M OSHIRO

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003552315	Middle Fiction	OSHIRO	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year * An ALA Rainbow Book List Top 10 Title for Young Readers

Three kids who don't belong. A room that shouldn't exist. A year that will change everything.

Perfect for fans of Rebecca Stead and Meg Medina, this debut middle grade novel from award-winning author Mark Oshiro is a hopeful and heartfelt coming-of-age story for anyone who's ever felt like they didn't fit in.

San Francisco and Orangevale may be in the same state, but for Héctor Muñoz, they might as well be a million miles apart. Back home, being gay didn't mean feeling different. At Héctor's new school, he couldn't feel more alone.

Most days, Héctor just wishes he could disappear. And he does. Right into the janitor's closet. (Yes, he sees the irony.) But one day, when the door closes behind him, Héctor discovers he's stumbled into a room that shouldn't be possible. A room that connects him with two new friends from different corners of the country--and opens the door to a life-changing year full of friendship, adventure, and just a little bit of magic.

"Sometimes hilarious, sometimes devastating, but always full of heart, The Insiders carves out a space for us all to be our true selves." --Kwame Mbalia, New York Times bestselling author of Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky

Reviews (2)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 4--6-- Oshiro's middle grade debut follows a young Latinx boy, Héctor Muños, as he starts a new school in an unfamiliar town. Back in San Francisco, Héctor's personality, style, and sexuality weren't an issue with his classmates. In Orangevale, however, Héctor, who is gay, quickly becomes the victim of a particularly aggressive bully. Luckily for Héctor, a magical door appears exactly when he needs it most. Héctor discovers a secret room that caters to his needs and comfort. On subsequent visits to the room he discovers that two other tweens are also there: Juliana, who is Black and Chinese, and Sal, who is white and Filipino and uses they/them pronouns. Héctor, Juliana, and Sal all have deeply personal problems to solve, and while the mysterious room is never fully explained, it's clear that it exists to bring the tweens together--across time and space--to learn from and help one another. Oshiro uses a diverse cast to demonstrate many positive ideals regarding race, family, friendship, gender, and sexuality. While the ending is a bit pat, the overall themes of love and acceptance are bright and encouraging--readers will wish they had a mystical door to spirit them away from their troubles. VERDICT Many readers will find resonance in this magical tale. Recommended as a general purchase.--Taylor Worley, Springfield P.L., OR

Publisher's Weekly Review

Injecting a contemporary story of middle school cliques with magical realism, Oshiro's (Each of Us a Desert) gentle, imaginative novel drops 12-year-old Héctor Muñoz, a gay theater kid of Mexican descent from San Francisco, into an inland suburb where his family moves for his mother's new teaching job. Targeted by Mike, a white kid who declares that being gay is "so... gay," Héctor takes refuge in a janitor's closet that seems to appear whenever he needs it. He soon finds that the room is a sort of pocket dimension; it not only roves, but also morphs to meet the needs of anyone drawn there from their own school--including Juliana Chin, a hot-tempered, gay Black and Chinese girl in Charleston, and Sal Ocampo, a quiet nonbinary Filipino and white kid outside Phoenix. Oshiro literalizes every middle school kid's dream of occasionally disappearing, while investigating the idea of safe spaces and, eventually, brave ones, as the three Roomies venture into their respective schools to navigate their specific difficulties. Starring an assured queer protagonist who turns his flair for drama into a means of helping others, and a number of supportive adults, Oshiro's intersectional saga conveys a strong message about letting go of secrets and, with help from loved ones, reclaiming space. Ages 8--12. Agent: DongWon Song, Howard Morhaim Literary. (Sept.)