- Contemporary
- Cath Howe collection
- Ages 9–12
Cath Howe
Part of the collectionCath Howe→The standalone contemporary novels of Cath Howe — honest, warm-hearted fiction about friendship, family and belonging for 9–12s, readable in any order.
- Books6
- Arcs1
- Span2018–2026
- StatusOngoing
The series
At a glance.
This is the body of standalone contemporary novels by Cath Howe — not a numbered series, but a consistent run of nine-to-twelve fiction sharing a voice and a set of preoccupations. Across the books she returns to the pressure to belong, the difficulty of being honest, sibling rivalry and repair, grief and family upheaval, told with real warmth and an unflinching but gentle eye. Several use alternating or shifting viewpoints to show how differently people experience the same events. Each novel stands entirely alone with its own cast, so they can be read in any order; readers who connect with one will find the same honesty and emotional intelligence across the rest. Suited to thoughtful readers at the top of primary and start of secondary.
The standalone contemporary novels of Cath Howe — honest, warm-hearted fiction about friendship, family and belonging for 9–12s, readable in any order.
Primary themes
Overall tone
- Warm
- Bittersweet
- Thought provoking
- Gentle
These are independent standalone novels, not a sequence — read in any order.
One arc
The shape of the series.
- IStandalone collection arcModerate sensitivity
The standalone novels
Six independent contemporary novels for 9–12s, sharing a voice but no continuing story.
Cath Howe's novels are wholly standalone — Ella on the Outside (belonging and the pressure to fit in), Not My Fault (sibling guilt and forgiveness), How to Be Me (grief and finding your voice), The Insiders (friendship and hidden family troubles), My Life on Fire (loss and temptation after a house fire) and Two is a Crowd (starting secondary school and shifting friendships). Each has its own cast and can be read in any order, but they share Howe's warm, honest register and her interest in the things children feel but don't say. The emotional weight is real — bereavement, bullying, family upheaval — always handled with care and resolved toward hope, which keeps the collection at a moderate rather than heavy sensitivity.
Fit check
Right for your reader?
Where the series lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- 15
- 17
- 19
- Best fit · 9–12
- Read aloud · 8–11
- Independent · 9–12
Reluctant-reader friendliness
Workable
Read-aloud quality
Workable
Adult crossover
High
Grows with the reader
Not especially
Sensitivity envelope
Moderate overall, and consistent.
Content notes
- Bullying
- Grief
- Death of parent
- Absent parent
- Poverty or hardship
- Illness or disability
Where it sits
In conversation with other series.
Similar in feel
Different shelves, same wavelength.
- Lisa Thompson →
About the author