Among The Hidden (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "He saw the first tree shudder and fall, far off in the distance..." (more)
Key Phrases: Population Police, Sports Family, Population Law

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Haddix (Running Out of Time) chillingly imagines a dystopia in this futuristic novel. Born into a totalitarian state that brutally enforces a two-children-only policy, 12-year-old Luke Garner, an "illegal" third child, has spent his entire life hiding from anyone outside his immediate family. His troubles multiply when the government makes his dirt-poor parents sell the woods surrounding their farm in order to build a housing development for "Barons" (the privileged elite), and it therefore becomes too dangerous for Luke to go outside. Next, the Garners are hit with a crippling tax bill and ordered to sell their hogs, so Mom has to get a factory job. Luke spends every day alone, hidden in his attic room, until he meets Jen, a "shadow child" secreted in the Baron house next door. She turns his whole world upside-down, introducing him to her secret Internet chat room and giving him literature analyzing the government's repressive policies. After Jen's foolhardy rally of shadow children ends in bloodshed, Luke is faced with a decision that will irrevocably determine his fate. The plot development is sometimes implausible and the characterizations are a bit brittle, but the unsettling, thought-provoking premise should suffice to keep readers hooked. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8-Born third at a time when having more than two children per family is illegal and subject to seizure and punishment by the Population Police, Luke has spent all of his 12 years in hiding. His parents disobeyed once by having him and are determined not to do anything unlawful again. At first the woods around his family's farm are thick enough to conceal him when he plays and works outdoors, but when the government develops some of that land for housing, his world narrows to just the attic. Gazing through an air vent at new homes, he spies a child's face at a window after the family of four has already left for the day. Is it possible that he is not the only hidden child? Answering this question brings Luke greater danger than he has ever faced before, but also greater possibilities for some kind of life outside of the attic. This is a near future of shortages and deprivation where widespread famines have led to a totalitarian government that controls all aspects of its citizens' lives. When the boy secretly ventures outside the attic and meets the girl in the neighboring house, he learns that expressing divergent opinions openly can lead to tragedy. To what extent is he willing to defy the government in order to have a life worth living? As in Haddix's Running Out of Time (S & S, 1995), the loss of free will is the fundamental theme of an exciting and compelling story of one young person defying authority and the odds to make a difference. Readers will be captivated by Luke's predicament and his reactions to it.
Susan L. Rogers, Chestnut Hill Academy, PA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (September 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689817002
• ISBN-13: 978-0689817007
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (423 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #380,369 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Content bleak and violent, February 5, 2005

By	Attorney momma (council bluffs, iowa United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Among the Hidden (Shadow Children #1) (Paperback)

I read this book today and for the first time am suggesting that prents and teachers think carefully and preread this book before deciding to use it with children younger than 12. The themes are well worth discussing but my 9 year old reads Dickens yet this is inappropriate for her based on content. Among the themes raised by the book are the following:infanticide, mass murder, totalitarian government, subterfuge, and complete isolation . This was recommended as a candidate for a youth book club and will not be used for the suggested age range as the content while worthy of consideration is not appropriate for 9 or 10 year olds unable to comprehend the enormity of the issues raised in the book. Many contemporary educators and librarians fail to look beyond the readability of a text and ask the harder questions about content and age appropriate themes-I urge you to do so before jumping on the bandwagon and sharing this well written yet fairly adult book with those too young to appreciate and understand it.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A complete page turner!, January 22, 2000

By	Lexi (New York, USA) - See all my reviews

Among the Hidden was a great book and an absoulute page turner! I loved the book and was unable to put it down for 2 days. I don't know how to explain the book.With Luke's farm and very few appliences you think you are looking at a hard life from the past but when he meets Jen it is like a whole new world opens for him. Being hidden seems hopeless for Luke until he sees Jen's view. She may not be allowed to be 'FREE' but she still knows a way to make a good life out of captivity. Luke gets a daring chance to make history with Jen, but will he go? Or will he stay at home like a coward, safe, but coward? You have to read the book to find out, but once you do, trust me, you won't regret it. I am now searching for another novel by Haddix, and praying it is as good! :)

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fast-paced series!, July 23, 2005

By	Jenni "jenni35" (Louisville, KY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Among the Hidden (Shadow Children #1) (Paperback)

If you want to start reading a good book series, you may want to grab this book. This is the first of several books. In this one, you get all of the background information.

Luke is a third child in a futuristic society, where families are only allowed to have two children. His parents hide him away and he knows a quiet family life, one in which he is made to hide a lot and keep quiet, so that the population police will not know that he exists. It is a lonely life for Luke, who wishes he could go outside and play, like his brothers do, and also go to school, to leave the house and go anywhere.

When the land behind their farm is developed into a neighborhood, Luke is shocked to meet another child like him, Jen. She tells him all about other "shadow children" who live hidden away from the rest of society. When Jen tells him about a big rally that she's organizing to support the hidden children, will Luke risk his life by going to it? Does he trust his new friend with his life? Read this book and you'll find out. It will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat (and you'll want to have the 2nd book in the series, "Among the Impostors" ready and waiting to read when you're done with this one).