Among the Barons (Shadow Children) [Library Binding]

Margaret Peterson Haddix (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 11, 2008 | Series: Shadow Children

Smits had nothing left of his brother.

He was gone.

And Luke had taken his name.

How could anyone hear Smits sobbing and think he was merely a foolish, homesick kid? Luke knew what grief was like....What if Oscar suddenly understood, too?

Smits's grief was dangerous. Smits's grief could kill Luke.

As a third child in a society that allows only two children per family, Luke Garner was in hiding for the first twelve years of his life. Then he was given the freedom of an identity card that had belonged to Lee Grant, a Baron (a member of the highest class of society), and was sent to boarding school as Lee. But now, just when things are finally starting to go right, Lee's little brother, Smits, arrives at school, and Luke finds himself caught in a web of lies that gets more complex with every passing day -- and possibly even lethal. Can Luke trust the grief-stricken Smits to keep Luke's secret? And can he trust Smits's menacing bodyguard, Oscar?

Luke finds that living among the Barons puts him in the deadliest danger he has ever faced.

As she did in Among the Hidden and the other Shadow Children books, Margaret Peterson Haddix depicts one individual trying to make sense of a world in which nothing is what it seems.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8-In this fourth installment of a series about a society that allows only two children per family, Luke Garner is finally adjusting to his new life at Hendricks School as Lee Grant. While the Grants belong to the highest class of society called the Barons, Luke avoids snobbish affectations and befriends his classmates, who are also illegal thirds. When the real Lee Grant's younger brother arrives at the school, along with his fierce body guard, Luke worries that Smits will expose him to the government. However, Smits has come to enlist Luke's help in discovering how his older brother really died, suspecting that he was murdered. The intrigue and danger grow more acute when both boys are called "home" and Luke discovers that the Grants have plans for him that could turn out to be fatal. As in the previous books, characters who seem honest turn out to be dangerous while others who seem suspicious end up as allies. The climax hints at a further installment. Fans of the series are the most likely audience for this story of Luke's continuing struggle to survive.
Farida S. Dowler, formerly at Bellevue Regional Library, WA
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Gr. 5-8. This exciting fourth installment in the series that began with Among the Hidden (1998) focuses on "shadow child" Luke Garner, a third child in a futuristic society that allows families only two children. Luke, who has gone underground to escape the Population Police, reemerges after 12 years in hiding to assume the identity of Lee Grant, a member of the society's most privileged class, and is sent off to boarding school. The impersonation goes smoothly until Smits, Grant's younger brother, enters the picture. Luckily, Luke, who lives in constant fear that grieving Smits will turn him over to the Population Police, eventually manages to elude the authorities, which leaves open the possibility for more adventures. There is enough background information in the opening chapter to fill in readers new to the series, and series fans of the books won't be disappointed; there's plenty of suspense, and there are lots of thrilling twists and turns. Ed Sullivan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Library Binding: 182 pages
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1439528217
• ISBN-13: 978-1439528211
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (58 customer reviews)

More About the Author

I grew up on a farm outside Washington Court House, Ohio. As a kid, I liked to read a lot, and was also involved in 4-H, various bands and choirs (I played flute and piano), church youth group, the school newspaper, and a quiz-bowl type team. I was pretty disastrous as an athlete, although I did run track one year in high school. After graduating from Miami University (of Ohio), I worked as a newspaper copy editor in Fort Wayne, Indiana; a newspaper reporter in Indianapolis; and a part-time community college instructor and freelance writer in Danville, Illinois, before my first book was published. I've moved around a lot as an adult, having also lived in Luxembourg (during a college semester abroad) and in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania. Several years ago, I moved back to Ohio with my husband and kids; we now live in Columbus, Ohio. My husband trains investigative journalists, and my kids are in high school, so there's always a lot going on around our house.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very involved!, June 10, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Among the Barons (Shadow Children Books) (Hardcover)

I've been religiously keeping up with Margaret Haddix's Shadow Children series ever since I picked up Among the Hidden in the library about three years ago.

The series has been getting more involved and intricate, and Among the Barons is easily *the* most intricate of the current set of four.

In the other three novels Luke's (or Nina's, in the third book) problems are pretty straightforward by comparison - their actions revolve around achieving specific goals that don't involve too much political intrigue, which, I find, always introduces more complexity in novels because other characters' motivations and thoughts become equally important as the main character's, and not just of secondary importance; an example of this is the contrast between Mr. Talbot's interactions with Luke (and Luke occasionally questions his faith in Mr. Talbot) and Oscar's interactions with Luke (where Luke's decisions start to affect other people).

So, in Among the Barons, Luke has to deal with problems of greater difficulty - there's some people who show up who really don't care much about Luke and would as soon see him gone in one way or another.

The book also fleshes out some of the chronology and politics that make up the back story of the Shadow Children series; it introduces the first organized rebel movement as well as actual Barons besides just Mr. Talbot, and the Barons often act self-centered and arrogant, which is a change from the humanistic Mr. Talbot.

Interestingly, Luke continues to follow a kind of "middle path"; he never wholly commits himself one way or another, and this adds a great deal of depth to Luke's character, and makes him more real. For example, he chooses a different way to achieve Jen's goal; one that suits his naturally cautious nature - instead of vocally organizing protest rallies and attracting the attention of the Government (which is ready to shoot first and ask questions later if the wrong people are crossed), he chooses to hide in plain sight, adopting the identity of a Baron. Later, when asked to move on from Hendricks, Luke decides he wants to improve his education and understanding before accepting Mr. Talbot's offer. And finally, in Among the Barons (can't spoil too much of the plot here), he does not wholly take sides with the rebel movement, but finds himself drawn into confusion over whose methods will accomplish the goal - Mr. Talbot's of working from within, or Oscar's of fighting from without? The book doesn't leave this clear-cut (although Luke's faith in Mr. Talbot's method isn't shaken), and I suspect the next book will probably show Luke's further evolution in this matter.

It's easy to imagine another person in the Shadow Children universe being a die-hard member of a nonviolent populist movement aiming to bring about political change, but this would reduce that person to a fairly flat character since the ideology puts constraints on what actions and thoughts are believable for the character.

Incidentally, Jen Talbot, had she lived, could well have been on her way to being such a leader; burning with desire to right wrongs, but not given to violence in her makeup, she could well have founded or risen to the top of such a populist movement in the Shadow Children universe.

Good book! I look forward to the upcoming books in this series. (The 4 stars rather than 5 is because of some minor nitpicks about the degree to which Smits gets his way in the school.)

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Book That You Won't Want To Put Down, August 1, 2003

By 

Jessica (San Antonio, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Among the Barons (Shadow Children Books) (Hardcover)

Margaret Peterson Haddix's book Among the Barons is simply amazing! Being the 4th book in the series about "shadow children" it keeps you guessing till the very end. Believe me, once you pick up this book you won't wan't to put it down. Haddix's writing makes you feel like you're actually in the story! All in all this book is a have to read , never wan't to put down book!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Among the Barons, March 31, 2004

By 

J Fujii (Cerritos, CA. USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Among the Barons (Shadow Children Books) (Hardcover)

Among the Barons
By: Margaret Peterson Haddix
Reviewed by: J. Fujii
Period: 5

Among the Barons by Margaret Peterson Haddix is the fourth book in the series of shadow books. The book is about a third child named Luke Gardner who gets a fake i.d. to become Lee Grant. Luke attends Hendricks School for Boys. After six months, Lee's real brother, Smits, goes to Luke's school. Smits arrives at Hendricks in a limo and he has a bodyguard named Oscar. Luke shows his "brother" Smits around Hendricks. Smits acts like the schoool which is a special school for the barons class isn't fancy. Smits tries to get Oscar fired because Smits doesn't want a bodyguard. Smits starts a fire in Hendricks and blames Oscar. After the fire, Luke finds two fake i.d. cards. They cause him to wonder who they belong to. In the meantime, Smits, Luke and Oscar go home to the Grants' house because the Grants say that want to watch over their children. Luke meets Mr. and Mrs. Grant and goes to Lee's room which is clean and very organized. Around midnight, the Grants talk to Luke about staging his death as Lee because the Grants are being blackmailed for Lee's illegal activities. On that same night, Oscar wakes up Luke and tells him about a secret resistance force that is fighting against the Barons. The Grants die when a huge chandelier falls on them. Luke then takes Smits home to his own family and Smits begins to live with Luke's family.
I enjoyed this book because I like science fiction. I also liked this book because it had some humor. A humorous line is when a boy said, "The new boy brought 4 suitcases, his own computer and a giant TV."
I also liked this book because it keeps you reading. For instance, when Oscar says, "Watch out for the chandelier," it made me want to keep reading to find out what was going to happen with the chandelier. The author made me want to read on and it was surprising to find out what happens next to Luke.
My favorite part of the story was when Smits comes to Hendricks. I liked this part because Smits was a man in a boys' body because he acted like a businessman. It was also my favorite part because of all the rumors being spread about Smits such as his reported gourmet meals being sent in from a restaurant in a city 1 hour away from the school.