★ 07/19/2021
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.)
“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
“The story about finding your place and your people that I wish I’d had as a kid. Héctor has my whole heart and I want to hug him and keep him close, but he belongs out in the world where he can inspire readers to honor themselves." — New York Times bestselling author Adam Silvera
“A classic in the making.” — Dhonielle Clayton, New York Times bestselling author of The Belles
“Oshiro’s intersectional saga conveys a strong message about letting go of secrets and, with help from loved ones, reclaiming space.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Heartfelt and laugh-out-loud funny. The perfect adventure for anyone who’s ever felt they didn’t fit in, with characters that jump off the page, pull you in, and don’t let go." — Claribel A. Ortega, author of Ghost Squad and the Witchlings series
“A transportive and magical world made for kids who are true to themselves and misfits at heart. Mark Oshiro's debut middle grade is a must-read!" — Zoraida Córdova, award-winning author of Labyrinth Lost and The Way to Rio Luna
“Achingly funny, relatable, and heartfelt.” — John David Anderson, author of Ms. Bixby’s Last Day
"[A] brave and earnest quest for happiness and belonging set among a richly diverse cast of characters. Sweet and full of heart." — Kirkus Reviews
“With its modern dialogue, engaging cast, and painfully real depictions of bullying, this middle-grade debut is written with an expert hand.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
"[An] empowering novel, filled with knotty but relatable problems for its empathetic characters to solve." — Booklist
“Bright and encouraging. Many readers will find resonance in this magical tale.” — School Library Journal
"An appreciation of intersectional identity and a story of resilience." — Horn Book Magazine
Achingly funny, relatable, and heartfelt.
The story about finding your place and your people that I wish I’d had as a kid. Héctor has my whole heart and I want to hug him and keep him close, but he belongs out in the world where he can inspire readers to honor themselves."
New York Times bestselling author Adam Silvera
A classic in the making.
Heartfelt and laugh-out-loud funny. The perfect adventure for anyone who’s ever felt they didn’t fit in, with characters that jump off the page, pull you in, and don’t let go."
A transportive and magical world made for kids who are true to themselves and misfits at heart. Mark Oshiro's debut middle grade is a must-read!"
"[An] empowering novel, filled with knotty but relatable problems for its empathetic characters to solve."
With its modern dialogue, engaging cast, and painfully real depictions of bullying, this middle-grade debut is written with an expert hand.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Sometimes hilarious, sometimes devastating, but always full of heart, The Insiders carves out a space for us all to be our true selves.
"[An] empowering novel, filled with knotty but relatable problems for its empathetic characters to solve."
"An appreciation of intersectional identity and a story of resilience."
With its modern dialogue, engaging cast, and painfully real depictions of bullying, this middle-grade debut is written with an expert hand.
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
09/01/2021
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
2021-07-13
The Mexican American 12-year-old starts Orangevale Middle School with optimism, hopeful that new friends will appreciate his flair for fashion and confident that he will find fellow musical theater–obsessed peers. His optimism wanes when he finds out there is no drama club or theater program; Ms. Heath, the head of school security, seems to have targeted him for harsh discipline; and the Table of Misfits, a ragtag group of outsiders, is the only place for him to sit at lunch. Matters get worse when Mike, a relentlessly homophobic bully, and his so-called Minions target Héctor. When a janitor’s closet magically appears whenever and wherever Héctor most needs to hide, he finds a respite from the bullying. The room not only offers him safety, it also connects him to other outsiders who find their ways there from their own schools when they need escape: Black and Chinese Juliana from South Carolina and Filipino and White Sal from Arizona. With compassion and humor, Oshiro creates a fantastical scenario that holds deeper implications for three outsiders who face struggles as queer and biracial youths. Reading this heartwarming blend of realistic fiction and fantasy, young people will appreciate Héctor’s brave and earnest quest for happiness and belonging set among a richly diverse cast of characters.
Sweet and full of heart. (Fiction. 8-12)
