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

Three kids who dont belong. A room that shouldnt 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 whos ever felt like they didnt fit in.

San Francisco and Orangevale may be in the same state, but for Hctor Muoz, they might as well be a million miles apart. Back home, being gay didnt mean feeling different. At Hctors new school, he couldnt feel more alone.

Most days, Hctor just wishes he could disappear. And he does. Right into the janitors closet. (Yes, he sees the irony.) But one day, when the door closes behind him, Hctor discovers hes stumbled into a room that shouldnt be possible. A room that connects him with two new friends from different corners of the countryand 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