- Chapter Books
- Ages 9–12
- Contemporary
The Insiders
Part of Cath HoweView the full series
When a tight-knit group of friends realises someone has been secretly living in their school at night, they investigate, uncovering a classmate's hidden family troubles. A warm mystery about friendship, communication and the things we don't say.
- Best for9–12
- FormatChapter
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The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
Tone
- Warm
- Thought provoking
- Gentle
- Suspenseful
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Callie, Ted, Zara and Nico are more than best friends, they're like family. But since a school prank went badly wrong and left him humiliated, Ted has stopped talking to the rest of the gang. Then Callie, Zara and Nico make a strange discovery: someone has been living in their school, sleeping in the building after everyone has gone home. Determined to find out who, they start to investigate, without Ted. What they don't realise is that the answer lies close to home. Their classmate Billy, the boy behind Ted's embarrassment, has troubles of his own: with his mum away and his dad's work taking him out of town, Billy has been left with a colicky baby, an angry stepsister and nowhere he feels he belongs. Told from the shifting viewpoints of Callie, Ted and Billy, Cath Howe's fourth novel is a beautifully observed story about friendship, family upheaval and how much can go unspoken between people who care about each other.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
Pitched at independent readers of 9-12, with a mystery accessible to the younger end and emotional layers that reward older ones. The short, multi-narrator chapters also make it an easy shared read from about 8.
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- Best fit · 9–12
- Read aloud · 8–11
- Independent · 9–12
Prose load
Moderate
Visual support
None
Reluctant-reader friendly
Workable
Read-aloud quality
Workable
Preview before sharing if a child is sensitive to: absent parent.
Bedtime suitability
2 / 5 · Better outside bedtime
Sensitive-child
3 / 5 · Mostly fine
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Friendship troubles
- School stories
- Gentle mystery
- Emotional realism
Avoid if
- Wants high adventure
- Wants light escapism
Particularly good for children who are…
- Making friends
- New step parent or blended family
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The mystery of a hidden someone sleeping in the school after dark is a brilliant hook, and switching between three narrators means readers piece together the truth before the characters do. The secret den and detective work make it a page-turner with real heart.
- Being a detective
- Friendship and belonging
- Having a secret base
Why parents love it
Howe braids a genuine mystery with a compassionate portrait of a boy quietly struggling at home, showing how easily we misjudge each other. The multiple viewpoints make it a rich prompt for talking about empathy and communication.
- Conversation starter
- Great writing
In the series
Cath Howe.
6 books · open the series →
About the author
Cath Howe.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
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