The Shadow Children: Among the Hidden; Among the Impostors

by Margaret Peterson Haddix

In a future where the Population Police enforce the law limiting a family to only two children, Luke, an illegal third child, has lived all his twelve years in isolation and fear on his family's farm.

In Among the Hidden , Luke discovers the existence of another shadow child, and his world is turned upside down. How much is Luke willing to risk for the chance of freedom?

In Among the Impostors , Luke has the chance to come out of hiding at last. Under a fake identity, he is enrolled in the Hendricks School, where he discovers that there is a lot going on under the surface. Luke doesn't know whom he can trust, where the truth will lead him -- or what price he'll have to pay for the answers he seeks.

Genres: Dystopia, Fiction, Middle Grade, Science Fiction, Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Family

352 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2001

About the author

Margaret Peterson Haddix grew up on a farm near Washington Court House, Ohio. She graduated from Miami University (of Ohio) with degrees in English/journalism, English/creative writing and history. Before her first book was published, she worked as a newspaper copy editor in Fort Wayne, Indiana; a newspaper reporter in Indianapolis; and a community college instructor and freelance writer in Danville, Illinois.

She has since written more than 25 books for kids and teens, including Running Out of Time; Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey; Leaving Fishers; Just Ella; Turnabout; Takeoffs and Landings; The Girl with 500 Middle Names; Because of Anya; Escape from Memory; Say What?; The House on the Gulf; Double Identity; Dexter the Tough; Uprising; Palace of Mirrors; Claim to Fame; the Shadow Children series; and the Missing series. She also wrote Into the Gauntlet, the tenth book in the 39 Clues series. Her books have been honored with New York Times bestseller status, the International Reading Association’s Children’s Book Award; American Library Association Best Book and Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers notations; and more than a dozen state reader’s choice awards.


Haddix and her husband, Doug, now live in Columbus, Ohio, with their two children.

Reviews

[Kate Willis · Rating 3 out of 5]

What an interesting idea! Outlawed third borns that spend their whole lives hiding? Yeah, I’ll give it a try. I liked Luke, and the author did a great job of portraying how his already small world was shrinking with the changes in his area. His brothers especially were realistically complicated in their relationship towards him as they clumsily tried to hold out friendship. His dad was interesting and made me sorry for him when his hopes for a new farming method were crushed. But I loved his mom especially. She was so caring, sweet, and sad; and I love her story behind Luke’s birth. That made the end even more heartbreaking. One big theme of this book was the choice between revolution and quiet, level-headed change. Even though it was pretty tragic, I liked the side it ended up on. And can we all talk about how AWESOME Jen’s dad was?!! I didn’t expect it of him, but I ended up really, really loving him. Not recommended for young readers because of some crude comments and the discussion of children being killed and it eventually happening in a tragic and descriptive way. Also there was a very inappropriate exchange on a topic relating to womanhood.

Best quote: “I always wanted a John, too,” she said. “‘Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, bless the bed that I lie on.’ But then I thank the Lord that I have you, at least. And it’s worked out, the hiding, hasn’t it?”

Altogether, I enjoyed this book, but I’m not sure I’ll continue with the series even though I do have a few questions...

[28lucas2]

Among the hidden is a great book I would have to give it five stars. What had me draw into the book was its interesting story line. The idea of a society where families are only allowed to have two children really had me invested. As I got farther into the book, I was impressed how the author explained every detail and the word choice. The concept of population control with only having two children, had me hook from the beginning.
What had me excited was not just the storyline, but the characters. The anticipation Luke felt about visiting Jen's house had me on the edge of my seat. Jen's determination and her protest were so moving. I found myself invested in her cause. Even through the ending was sad, it was very well written and had me dying to read the next book in the series.

[Lance L · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was a good book

[India Ellison]

I Read The Book Among The Imposters, By Margaret Peterson Haddix. This Book Is About A Boy Who Is A Shaddow Child(Third Child), And Has A Fake Iddentity So He Can Live A Normal Life.His Real Name Is Luke but his Fake Name Is Lee. Jen's Dad Get's Him Into A School That He Finds Weird And Doesnt Like, But He Really Has No cHoice. Luke doesnt Go To the Classes He's Suppose To, And Is All Mixed Up. Well one Of His Roomates He Calles Jackal Boy Literally screws Up His Life. He Makes Him Do Unnessary Things Before He goes To Bed Like Pushs, And Makes Him Call Himself Names. Well One Day Luke discovers A Door To The Outside. Luke Loves The Outdoors So Everyday he Would Sneak Out. Then He Built A Garden From Seeds He'd Saved During Lunch. One Day Luke Went Outside, And Saw That His Garden Had Been Distroyed. Suddenly luke heard Voices In The Forest, and Relized He Wasnt The Only One Out There. He Was Hidding Behind some Trees, And Then Reveled Himself. They Had A Talk, And Luke discovered that The Rest Of Them Were Also Shawdow Children. But One Of Them Was Jackal Boy. For A Couple Of Days Luke Followed Jackal Boy Around. They Became Friends. One day Luke Over Heard Jackal Boy Turning In The Shawdow Children To The Population Police. So Luke Knocked Jackal Boy Out. Then the Next Day The Population Police Were At The School. And So Jackal Boy Followed and Trieed To Rat The Rest Of Them Out, But The Only One That Got In Trouble Was Jackal Boy. Luke Relized That The School Was Full Of Shawdow Children That Were Hidding And Wanted to Live A Regular Life.
I would Recccommend This Book To aAnyone Who Loves drama. This book Really Made Me Think About How We shouldnt Take Life For Granteed, And We Should Cherish The Things We Have, And Live Life To The Fullest.. but I really Loved This Book, and I Am Going To Contine To Read The Rest Of The Series. but if You Want to Read This You must First Have To Read The Book that Started it all it Is called Among The Hidden.

[Lucina Aguirre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Among The Hidden is a great book because it’s not boring and it’s interesting to read. This book made me feel excited and anxious to find out what is going to happen next. I had a lot of predications and most of them were right and some of them were wrong but they were reasonable. This book also made me feel really kind of frustrated and some points because when I found out all about their government and the rules that they had and they had to follow those rules or they will face the Consequences. By reading that it made me realize how different our government is compare to theirs and i know that this book in fiction but could happen. In this book you will discover some brave, mean, selfish characters, the best thing I read about this book was learning about the shadow children.

I recommend this book to anybody because it’s a good book and if you’re the type of person that doesn’t like reading that often try reading this book its simple and easy to understand for if your about 13-18 years old. I like reading books about drama and realistic fiction so I thing this book could be realistic fiction so if you’re interested of any of those categories then this book is for you.

[Lacie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book because it made me feel scared, happy and sad. This book is about the government not letting the people have more than two children because they think that there isn't enough food for everyone. Lots of people have third children or Shadow Children. All the Shadow children have to hide from the Population Police and they don't go outside because they are scared the people will see them and turn them in. My favorite part was when Luke saw a girl in their neighbors house and decided to go outside and see if there is actually a third child in the next door neighbors house. When he got there there was a girl named Jen and they became good friends and Jen had an idea of having a rally to have freedom. Luke didn't like it. This book was very exciting and made me want to read more and more overall this is a great book.

[Colin Rissler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was without a doubt the best book I have ever read. I usually don't like to read but when I was told to read this because of a assignment our teacher gave us I was hooked. I am going to summer in 3 weeks and I am defiantly going to read the next book in the series. The writer did a great job making it easy to imagine you were there in all the events. Thank you for making this book; you have made me love reading again.

[Gabriel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Among the hidden by Maragaret Peterson Haddix is an amazing book. This book takes place in th future where there is a law where a family can only hold two childeren. Luke is illegally the third child, and is hidden away from society. He spends 12 years at home all day everyday. One day Luke discovers a girl. He finds out that she is also illegally a third child. They become friends / neighbors. There is a group called the population police and Luke is very scared of them. The girl is named Jen and she shows Luke what she thinks the government is doing wrong. Jen comes up with the idea to make a rally for all the third childeren. After not hearing from Jen for about a month, Luke goes to her house and find out that everyone at the rally was shot and killed including Jen. While at jen's house, the population police break in and Luke hides in the closet. Mr. Talbot (jen's dad) finds Luke and asks him if he wants to be a normal person and have a fake I.D. Luke accepts the offer and takes the place of a boy named Lee who died in an accident. Lee came from a rich family so Luke has to say goodbye and is sent to boarding school. I reccomend this book for 6th graders and anyone above. This book had so much tense moments and shocking momemts. It is full of twists and turns and lots of suspense.

[Spalony82 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Książka była w porządku, jednak nie wywarła na mnie ogromnego wrażenia. Historia dość ciekawa, ale szybko wypadnie mi z pamięci. Była to jak najbardziej dobra przygoda, chociaż prawdopodobnie nie sięgnę po następne tomy „Dzieci cienie”. Wydaje mi się, że historia bardziej mogłaby wciągnąć młodszych czytelników.

[Flowerpowerkid · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was my absolute favorite series growing up. My favorite all time author as well. The characters are well developed, and the story line is so thrilling that I would often go through a book a day with these, never putting it down. it completely captivated me.

[Emily H · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think that this book is really interesting if your up for kind of a mystery or drama.

[Zoya · Rating 3 out of 5]

liked it

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good read aloud. I enjoyed it.

[Leanna B]

This book is sad book but a page turner for the 2 friends and their family's

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fearing food shortages, the Government implements a Population Law limiting family size to two children. This first book in the Shadow Children Series focuses on Luke Garner, the third child in his family. Luke is illegal. If discovered Luke would be turned in to the Population Police and the consequences would be dire. Fortunately, Luke grows up on a farm and is allowed to work and play with his two older brothers in the privacy of the back yard, vegetable garden, and barn. Luke's never allowed to be in the front yard for fear someone on the road might see him and report him. After the government buys part of the Garner's farm, a housing development is built next to their home. Sadly, Luke becomes confined to his home for his safety and protection. He isn't one to complain, though he misses being outside. After discovering another third child, Luke becomes brave enough to venture to her home to meet her. Then, Jen becomes his friend. Jen tells Luke about her Children's Crusade, with it's goal of being able to come out of hiding and live life fully. The consequences of Jen's actions impact both of their families; and, prove pivotal to Luke's future.

My eleven-year-old Grandson read the entire book the day he got it. It was a quick and easy read that we both enjoyed and could discuss. All books in this series were good, with the last book leaving me in tears.

[Jay-An G · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book, the society is different from ours. The government only allowed two children's per family which mean a family who has a third child has to hide their kids or else the government will take them away. In this situation, Luke is a third child who has been hiding his whole entire life. Now the government is building houses near their house replacing Luke's family barn which means Luke is not allowed to go outside; for the first time in Luke's life, he's met a third child like him. One thing I like about this book is that its very detailed and it has lots of actions but one thing I dislike about this book is when one of the main character dies.

[Riley Peters · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book suprised me. I just grabbed a book that I hoped I might like and started reading because I needed a book for our silent sustained reading in English class. I started reading it and it really drew me in. It started to Interest. I ended up finishing it before I knew it. I was very pleased with the book. The story was told very well and it made you want to keep on reading it. Usually I hate reading but this was one of the only books I have found that has interested me. There are many more books in the "among the ..." Series and I would love to find a couple more if he books in that series and read them also. If they are anything like " Among the Hidden" then I know they will interest me and I will like it a lot. Overall I would give this book a 4 star rating because I liked it a lot and it was a well written story, but I think it could be a little bit better. This book didn't let me down at all. It is hard for me to find a book that interests me and when I do I usually love it and this was one of those books. Overall a great book!

[Manuel Alvarez]

I liked the book for the fact that it could happen since the food source might run out do to over population. Although there are many people starving in our country and the world there are many people that can do with out but dont which is a fact. The one thing that is sad but true is that the biggest law breakers is the government employees themselves and most stand to ignore the fact and tend to do nothing about. I thought the story did not end good but it is what it is. To have children in hiding happens everyday this is a sad fact. Another thing is that the government does keep tabs on what happens on the internet and can keep track of certain subjects and can come a knocking if you go to a site that is thought to be illegal by their standards. The book brings many things to light and is a good book for young teenage children so they can start to express their feelings about certain subjects and can give opinions in literature circles or clubs.

[Ian Tymms · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first of a dystopian series (of four books) exploring a world where population growth has resulted in a "two child" law and a repressive government who rule by force. The protagonist, Luke, is a third child and must lead a hidden life or risk death if he is discovered. It's a nicely paced novel which will have students wanting to read on into the next three books. What I particularly enjoyed was the exploration of some tough issues around food, equity and justice.

[Kealoha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is pretty interesting because there was a boy named luke and the sports family is moving in but he saw a third child so he starts spying on the neighbor and he finds a 3rd child and luke start sneaking into the sports family house and talking to the 3rd child "Jen" . Jen has been chatting with other 3rd childs and planned to do something about the 3rd child policy.

[Sunshine K · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really interesting, because this book is about their government making a population law about 3rd child. And this boy name luke is one of the 3rd child. He can't go outside at all, in his life. What I didn't like about this book is when his friend name Jen died in the end, it made me feel so depressing.

[Janessa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book but the ending was a disappointment. I like how Luke is and Jen is two shadow children and that Luke has never done the things that Jen did. I also like how Jen is the more chill kind of person and Luke is the scaredy cat of the book.

[Soup . (Sarah) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book as well as the first book in the series. I would totally recommend this book to a friend.

[Gabe The · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is more of a science fiction novel and it made me think a lot about future life and what it would be like to live other places other than peaceful America.

[Anna Carmel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this book because it is very unpredictable but it is sad.

[Darian Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was good.Sad but good.I really wouldve liked to see what wouldve happened if Jen didnt die.

[Autumn K · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!

[Gerek Tupy · Rating 1 out of 5]

It just another look at our future. The plot was boring, the characters balder than soy. Every one loves this stuff. I do not recommend it. I will be updating this review soon in the future.

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this as a class when I was in elementary school and it was great from what I remember

[Jillian T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!