The Insiders

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