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Among the Hidden
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Shadow Children: Book 1

Among the Hidden (2000) (edit title/settings)

by Margaret Peterson Haddix (Author) (edit contributors)

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Description edit see section history

Government regulations limit families to two children each, so Luke, an illegal third-born, must live his life in secret, hidden in his family's farmhouse next to the woods. Luke likes it next to the woods because even though he has to hide he still could go out because none was close. But... read more

Summary edit see section history

Luke is illegal. At least, that's what the Government considers him. Families are only allowed to have 2 children, and to have more is abominable. He is an extremely luck shadow child, as they are called, as his father owns a farm, so Luke is allowed to go outside, something almost no other... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)

Luke is illegal. At least, that's what the Government considers him. Families are only allowed to have 2 children, and to have more is abominable. He is an extremely luck shadow child, as they are called, as his father owns a farm, so Luke is allowed to go outside, something almost no other shadow children are able to do. But when the Government orders his father to sell his farm so they can build houses, Luke is confined to the house. He takes to spying out his bedroom window in the attic, and notices the face of a girl in a house that has two boy children already. Suspicious, of this, Luke sneaks out while his family is gone to see what is going on. He discovers another shadow child, Jen Talbot. They quickly become friends, and Luke discovers that Jen is the head of an online organization of shadow children, and they are planning to march for their freedom. She invites Luke to join, but he declines.
Luke visits Jen all the time, until the day when the shadow children protest. They are all killed-including Jen. Luke realizes he has to make a change, and Jen's father, who discovers Luke in his house after Jen dies, is able to get Luke a fake ID as a child of a different family. Their real son is dead, but now Luke has some of the freedom he has longed for his whole life. But it's not enough. Luke will not rest until the shadow children have been freed.

Characters edit see section history

  • Luke Garner: A small, pale, shy twelve year-old boy. He is not allowed to leave his house due to the fact he is the third child in his family, illegal in the futuristic society. He can't even look out the window or go downstairs; he just hides in his attic all day. He sometimes tries to sneak outside but usually that is too dangerous
  • Jen Talbot: Luke's neighbor. She is also a third child but lives more recklessly than Luke.
  • George Talbot: Mr. George Talbot is Jen's baron father.
  • Mark Garner: Luke's middle brother
  • Matthew Garner: Luke's oldest brother.
  • Population Police: The police that run the government.
  • Edna Garner: Luke's mother. She is a plain middle-aged woman who has had to work hard for everything. Her strong will is one of the main reasons Luke is alive
  • Harlan Garner: Luke's father. Harlan works on a farm with pigs. He is one of the strictest people with Luke about avoiding being discovered
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Quotes edit see section history

  • “It's people like you who change history , people like me we just let things happen”
    Luke
  • “The Government justifies keeping everyone else in pverty because people seem to work hardest when they're right on the edge of survival,”
    Jen's Dad
  • “Sure, you can be a coward and hope someone else changes the world for you. You can hide up in that attic of yours until someone knocks at your door and says,' oh, yeah, they freed the hidden. Want to come out?' Is that what you want? You've got to come, Luke, or you'l hate yourself the rest of your life. When you don't have to hide anymore, even years from now, threr wil always have a small part of you whispering ' I don't deserve this. I didn't fight for it.I'm not worth it.' and you are, Luke, you are. You are smart and funny and nice, and you chould be living life, instead of being buried alive in that old house of yours.”
    Jen Talbot
  • “The classic dystopian novel!”
  • Popular Highlights from Kindle Customers
  • A face. A child’s face. In a house where two boys already lived.
    Highlighted by 31 Kindle customers
  • “It’s all about food,” Jen said. “The Government was scared we’d all run out of food if the population kept growing. That’s why they made you and me illegal, to keep people from starving.”
    Highlighted by 30 Kindle customers
  • Our Government is totalitarian, and totalitarian governments never like truth.”
    Highlighted by 29 Kindle customers
  • Barons were unbelievably rich, Luke knew. They had things ordinary people hadn’t had in years. Luke wasn’t sure how the Barons had gotten rich, when everybody else was poor. But Dad never said the word “Baron” without a curse word or two in front of it.
    Highlighted by 29 Kindle customers
  • one last moment of feeling warm soil beneath his bare feet. He reminded himself, “I will never be allowed outside again. Maybe never again as long as I live.”
    Highlighted by 28 Kindle customers
  • There was a law against Luke. Not him personally — everyone like him, kids who were born after their parents had already had two babies.
    Highlighted by 26 Kindle customers
  • They had defied the Government once, with Luke. That had taken all the defiance they had in them. Maybe more.
    Highlighted by 25 Kindle customers
  • “Told you before. We didn’t have a choice. Government wanted it. You can’t tell the Government no.”
    Highlighted by 23 Kindle customers
  • “‘Matthew, Mark Luke, and John, bless the bed that I lie on.’
    Highlighted by 21 Kindle customers
  • He saw the first tree shudder and fall, far off in the distance. Then he heard his mother call out the kitchen window: “Luke!
    Highlighted by 11 Kindle customers
Show all 14 quotes from this book

Setting & Locations edit see section history

this book takes place at lukes house
  • Luke's House: Luke has spend his whole life in his house till one day he sees a face in the window of the Sport Family's House, with two boys already living there.
  • Jen's House: Luke runs to her house one day and meets a third child, a shadow child, named Jen.

Organizations edit see section history

First Sentence edit see section history

He saw the first tree shudder and fall, far off in the distance.

Glossary edit see section history

  • Barons: People who have more money more than others
  • Population Police: A group that goes house to house checking if they only have two children.

Themes & Symbolism edit see section history

  • Freedom: Since third children are illegal, they are forced to stay in hiding and are not free to be real citizens.

Series & Lists edit see section history

This is book 1 of 7 in Shadow Children. (standard series)

Followed by Among the Impostors.

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. Margaret Peterson Haddix (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: English
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Country: U.S.A.
Publication Date: March 1, 2000
ISBN: 0689824750
Page Count: 153

Classification edit see section history

  • Library of Congress: PZ7.H1164 Am 1998
  • Dewey: <Fic> 21

Notes for Parents edit see section history

Reading Level: Ages 9-12

I would say 8-12 year olds, actually. Depends on your kid. They have to understand this series. It changed me forever, I must have read it when I was 8. Depending how well the child reads, it really should be read by 8-13 year olds. This book teaches kids of many possibilities of what the future could end up like. The government can control many things, but how it is controlled in the book, that is normal. It has happened in China before.

Links to Supplemental Material edit see section history

  • Secondary Solutions: Common Core and NCTE/IRA Standards-Aligned Literature Guide for teaching Among the Hidden

More Books Like This edit see section history

   
  • Among the Impostors
  • Among the Betrayed
  • Among the Brave
  • The Ninth Orphan
  • Among the Free
  • Among the Enemy
  • The City of Ember
  • The Giver
  • Uglies
  • The Sky Inside
  • The Declaration
  • The Hunger Games
  • Incarceron
  • Matched
  • Among the Barons

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