Among the Hidden
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Luke is one of the shadow children, a third child forbidden by the Population Police. He's lived his entire life in hiding, and now, with a new housing development replacing the woods next to his family's farm, he is no longer even allowed to go outside.
Then, one day Luke sees a girl's face in the window of a house where he knows two other children already live. Finally, he's met a shadow child like himself. Jen is willing to risk everything to come out of the shadows -- does Luke dare to become involved in her dangerous plan? Can he afford not to?
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Book details:
- Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers |
- 160 pages |
- ISBN 9780689817007 |
- September 1998 |
- Grades 3 - 7 |
- Lexile 800L
Teaching Resources
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- The Missing and Shadow Children Teacher's Guide (pdf)
- The Missing and Shadow Children Teacher's Guide (jpg)
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- Book Cover Image (jpg): Among the Hidden
Hardcover 9780689817007(2.3 MB)
- Author Photo (jpg): Margaret Peterson Haddix
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Book Reviews
Reading Group Guide
THE SHADOW CHILDREN BOOKS
Among the Hidden
Among the Impostors
Among the Betrayed
By Margaret Peterson Haddix
A Guide for Reading Groups
About the Books
Sometimes in this world it's hard to know who is telling the truth, who isn't, and what can be done about all the things that are wrong. The government claims that there isn't enough food for everyone in the world, and so they have made it illegal for any family to have more than two children. Yet hundreds of these illegal shadow children exist, and they want desperately to find a place for themselves in society. But these are children who have been forced to hide their entire lives, and who are only allowed to venture out with fake IDs in their hands and fear in their hearts. How can they sort through the conflicting information about shadow children and find out where they belong? And will they be able to find the courage to defy the government and stop hiding?
Discussion Topics
- What are some of the ways in which having more than two children would be a burden in this society? Why do some families decide to have illegal shadow children in spite of this added strain? Do you think that the benefits of having another child outweigh the sacrifices that must be made?
- Luke often feels hurt by the way his father treats him, especially when he is making his
Margaret Peterson Haddix: Power
Margaret Peterson Haddix: Time
