Among the Hidden

Module 5

SLIS 5420/Module 5/July 5-11

Book for this module

Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Bibliographic

Peterson,. (1998). Among the Hidden. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Summary
Among the Hidden is about a boy named Luke who lived in the attic always avoiding being seen by the Population Police. At night he is confined to the attic since the shades in the house are sheer and shadows can be seen and people possibly counted. Later on as Luke looks from the attic he discovers a hidden child such as himself. At first he thought he was seeing things until he watched constantly to confirm what he saw was real. Luke's dad was really over the top and forbid him to go anywhere in the house, look out the window; help out around the house or cook.

My Impression
This book was sad to me since this child was not allowed to live like a human being. Luke should have been a piece of furniture since he was not allowed to do anything a normal person could do. I did enjoy this book but moved by the young man's emotions and determination to please his family and live at the same time.

Reviews
School Library Journal
Grade 5-8 Born third at 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 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 the controls all aspects of 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? The law 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 .

Use in Library Setting
This could be used as a great icebreaker discussing peer pressure, low self-esteem, and develop a skit for children to act out with a child being present but everyone overlooks. This could then be followed up with questions and answers.