AMONG THE HIDDEN Margaret Peterson Haddix Grades - 5-7 HONORS/AWARDS Top 10--ALA Best Books for Young Adults An ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers YALSA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults Nominee for the Askews Children’s Book Award in Great Britain Bank Street College’s Children’s Book Committee’s "Best Children’s Books of the Year" list State readers choice awards (voted on by kids) California Young Readers Medal Maud Hart Lovelace Award (Minnesota) Nevada Young Readers' Award Great Stone Face Award (New Hampshire) Nutmeg Children's Book Award (Connecticut) Sunshine State Young Readers' Award (Florida) Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award Young Hoosier Book Award (Indiana) Indian Paintbrush Book Award (Wyoming) Iowa Children's Choice Award ANNOTATION This futuristic novel revolves around a twelve-year-old boy named Luke, who is a third child in a country where families are only allowed to have two children. If third children are caught, they face execution. Luke spends his life in hiding until he finds another third child. Together they try to defy the Population Police in their attempt to be free. Note: This is the first book of the series called The Shadow Children. For those who wish to read further, there are six more books - 2. Among the Impostors 3. Among the Betrayed 4. Among the Barons 5. Among the Brave 6. Among the Enemy 7. Among the Free NOTE :This story can be read independently or as a read aloud. Instructions for both follow. FOR INDEPENDENT READING USE THE BOOK TALK BOOK TALK - READ TO YOUR CLASS Suppose there was a law that every family could have no more than two children due to a food shortage? Your parents have a third child and it is you. If the Population Police find out, they will kill you. In this story, Luke is the third child. He is twelve years old and he spends most of his time living secretly in an attic. When his parents go to work, and his brothers go to school, Luke must stay inside. No one must know that he exists. One day Luke notices a child in the house next door. Two children and their parents already left. Could this be another third child? Luke investigates and learns that not only is the child illegal, but she plans to start a revolution freeing all illegal children. In the following passage, Luke does something he never did before. He leaves the house during the day to meet the girl next door. Read aloud chapter 13 and part of chapter 14.Stop after reading the sentence that ends with "...stop them?" This is on page 59 of the paperback version. It may be on another page if you have the hardcover edition. NOTE: You have just sold this book. Say, "Who would like to read it?" Choose someone who usually does not raise his or her hand, someone who can read the book, someone who hasn't been chosen recently, or someone who has a special interest in the subject matter. ____________________________________________________________ IF YOU CHOOSE TO READ THE STORY ALOUD Suppose there was a law that every family could have no more than two children due to a food shortage? Your parents have a third child and it is you. If the Population Police find out, they will kill you. In this story, Luke is the third child. He is twelve years old and he spends most of his time living secretly in an attic. When his parents go to work, and his brothers go to school, Luke must stay inside. No one must know that he exists. One day Luke notices a child in the house next door. Two children and their parents already left. Could this be another third child? Luke investigates and learns that not only is the child illegal, but she plans to start a revolution freeing all illegal children. AFTER READING EACH CHAPTER If you read this story aloud ask the class one or two critical thinking questions after each chapter. These questions should not focus on one right answer, as you want to encourage thinking rather than memorizing. Here are some examples that you can use with any story: 1. Why do you think ___ did what he or she did? 2. If you were___, what would you have done? 3. Could ___ have done something else to solve the problem? 4. Would you like to be friends with the story character? Why or why not? 5. How do you think ____felt when... 6. How did you feel when... 7. What was the funniest (scariest, saddest) part of this chapter? 8. What do you think ___ meant when he/she said____? 9. What do you think would happen if...? 10. What do you think will happen to ____ in the next chapter? CRITICAL THINKING RESPONSES 1. Compare and contrast yourself with Luke. Use personality traits and specific examples of behavior in your answer. Luke’s personality - He doesn’t like his life. He wants to go to school like the other children. He is curious. He peeks through the cracks in the attic and spies on the other families. He is brave. He goes outside during the day to find out who is living next door. He leaves his family to start a new life with a new identity. He is smart. He gives his father the idea of growing food indoors. He studies the other houses and learns that a third child must be living next door. He is caring. He wants to go to school and learn how to grow more food to save the third children. He is against revolutionary tactics. He is determined. He wants to learn how to save the third children. To do this, he must lead a secret life. 2. Jen and Luke want to save the third children, but they have different ideas. Explain their ideas and choose the method you would use. Give reasons for your choice. Jen wants to start a revolution to force the government to change its policy toward third children. Luke wants to solve the food shortage so there will not be a need to curtail the population. 3. Everyday people take risks. Describe the risks people take in this story. How do they compare to the ones you have taken in your life? 4. Rate this book on a scale of 1-10. Explain your answer. Teacher Note: As you collect these ratings, hopefully you will get verification of the awards and continue to recommend this book to your readers. .