Among the Hidden by Margaret Haddix

Reading is an important task we need to instill in our children. It is important for children to want to read and in order for that to happen they must find books that are interesting to them. The novel that I read is the first in a series. It is an excellent book and keeps the reader intrigued throughout the story. I introduced many students to this book and they all came back to me to say how much they liked it and that they were reading the entire series. Haddix is an excellent author and does a good job of grasping the attention of the reader.

The novel I read was Among the Hidden by Margaret Haddix. It was published by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing on March 1, 2000. This book is appropriate for students in grades 5 - 8. I

This novel is set during a time of a totalitarian regime when it was against the law to have more than 2 children. All the third children had to be kept hidden to ensure their safety. The idea that was engrained in the minds of society during this time was that all third children were responsible for the lack of food and supplies and therefore they should be exterminated. This book focuses on the lives of people in hiding and how it feels to have to be trapped inside when the whole world is going on outside.

An example of the position on third children safety is explained in the explanation of the main character. Luke Garner is the main character in this book. He is twelve years old and has never gone to school, church or the store. This is because it is against the law for women to have more than two children. He is a very obedient child and has never disobeyed his mother when she told him to hide. He realizes that disobeying the order to hide would bring harm to him and his family. So to protect his family he gives up his own basic needs of sunshine, fresh air, friendships and freedom.

The author wrote this book during a time when she and her husband were deciding if they wanted to have another child; they already had two. During their discussions, they talked about issues that related to if they were finished having kids, no more diaper bags, backward facing car seats, or spit-up. Then their conversations transitioned into other topics that were related to global issues. Their conversations were about how their decisions would affect issues such as overcrowding and limited resources. They then discussed the one-child policy in China.

As she thought about the policy in China, she began to think about the impact such strict policies would have on children and their families. She imagined what it must be like to live with such strict policies and lack of freedom. At that point she began thinking about a young boy who had remained hidden his entire life because the government said he didn't have the right to live. At this point she began writing the book Among the Hidden, with 6 more books following.

The cover of this book fits the title completely.