• Age: 12 to 18
• Grade: 8 to 12
• Reading age: 12 to 18

Josh is less than thrilled that he has a new stepfather, and finds his personal habits—and his personality—irritating. When his mother leaves town, Josh is left to spend a week alone with Clay. Resenting his new living arrangements and his unorthodox home life, Josh finds himself drawn to the idea of a "regular" family and, on a whim, sneaks into a neighbor's house to see how others live. When another opportunity arises to be a fly on the wall, Josh takes it and finds himself becoming bolder. Considering it a harmless pastime, Josh continues entering people's houses, until he is witness to a violent home invasion. Josh must use all his courage to save himself and bring the home invader to justice.

MONIQUE POLAK écrit régulièrement pour le Montreal Gazette et a été publiée dans de nombreux autres quotidiens de renom tels que le Globe and Mail, le National Post et Newsday. Dans la collection SideStreets, elle a écrit All In et On the Game, ainsi que Flip Turn pour la collection Sports Stories. D’ailleurs, ces deux derniers ouvrages ont figuré sur la liste des meilleurs livres pour enfants du Centre du livre jeunesse canadien. Monique enseigne l’écriture ainsi que la littérature anglaise. Elle vit à Montréal, au Québec, avec son mari et sa fille.

MONIQUE POLAK is the author of 26 novels for young readers, as well as two non-fiction titles and a board book. Her books Hate Mail, Room for One More, and the historical novel What World is Left, which was inspired by her mother’s experience during the Holocaust, were all winners of the Quebec Writers’ Federation Prize for Children’s and YA Literature.

Her books have also been nominated for the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People and the Arthur Ellis Award, and several have been selected as Best Books for Children and Teens by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre.

She is also a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in The Globe and Mail, Macleans, and Postmedia newspapers across the country, and is a columnist on ICI Radio-Canada’s Plus on est de fous, plus on lit Monique lives in Montreal, Quebec, where she teaches English and Humanities at Marianopolis College.

Monique Polak's profile page

• Long-listed, ALA Popular Paperbacks
• Commended, American Library Association (ALA) Popular Paperback for Young Adults
• Long-listed, ALA Popular Paperback for Young Adults

"The author's two ways of addressing the issue of home invasion are clever and insightful."

Montreal Review of Books

"This book captures the thrill of spying on someone without their knowledge as well as giving tips on home security."

Resource Links

"A short little book with a lot going on; it will definitely appeal to YAs, especially reluctant readers. Josh's voice is convincing as he struggles with his family, his girlfriend, and other personal issues."

KLIATT

"It's a good read! Recommended."

CM Magazine

"Reluctant and struggling readers will enjoy this fast-paced story from the Orca Soundings series. Short chapters, easily accessible language, and a swiftly moving plot combine to make this book and the series popular with teens."

VOYA

“A tightly written [book] about developing new relationships, learning to trust, and taking responsibility...Like other Soundings titles, Home Invasion presents a realistic teen with a problem that lends itself well to discussion.”

Hip Librarians Book Blog