Among the Hidden

Haddix Peterson, M. (2000). Among the hidden. (First ed.). New York, NY:

 Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

 

 

Among the hidden is a fantasy, science fiction novel that details the life of a boy named Luke Garner who has to hide from the government because he is a third child. The novel fits the fantasy genre because of the amount of control the government has over the people. Never before in American history has the government restricted the number of children that a house hold can have. Luke’s mother and father have three sons, which is illegal. Since Luke is a third child he has to hide from society and his family members that do not reside in his house. Luke’s life in hiding fits the genre of fantasy because it is not reality. The only people that he has ever had a conversation with are his two brothers, Matthew and Mark, and his parents. He doesn’t get to go to school like other kids. He doesn’t have neighborhood friends. He can’t talk on the phone or get on the computer. He is confined to his family’s attic. When the woods behind his home are cut down and new homes are built, Luke’s living situation only gets worse because he has to eat dinner on the stairs and stay confined to the attic. His parent’s paranoia is extremely troubling. As Luke goes through his daily life the reader is so uncomfortable and on edge thinking he is going to be discovered at any minute.  

I immediately connected to Luke because of the relationship he has with his siblings. Since he is the youngest and a third the older brothers tease him and alienate him. It reminded me of how I picked on my younger brother growing up. They make jokes about the population police being at the front door. This isn’t funny to Luke because his biggest fear is that the population police will come and take him away from his family. The conflict in Among the hidden is person vs. self. Luke feels like he is a burden on his family. As Luke begins to read about the causes for population control he starts to eat less because he feels that his birth is adding to the problem of food shortages. Luke beats himself up because he doesn’t want to be a problem for his parents. Another conflict present in the story is person vs. society. The strict governmental laws affect Luke’s family the most because they are poor. The government tore down the woods behind Luke’s house to build expensive homes. This made Luke’s family lose money from farming. The government also prohibited Luke’s family from raising hogs.

 This progressive plot takes a turn when Luke spots a person in a neighbor’s house after all of the people living there have left for school and work. Luke spends most of his days looking out the vents in his attic because he isn’t allowed downstairs. When he sees the blinds flick up then down Luke becomes fixated on the sport’s family house. When Luke gets enough courage he goes to the house and is opened up to a whole new world that he never knew existed. He finds out that the country is full of third children in hiding.

The best part about this story is Luke’s naivete.  He really didn’t think other thirds existed until he saw one with his own eyes. He and his family believe everything the government says. But even though he is naive, his pure spirit drives him to make decisions that are best for his life and his family. The relationship that Luke develops with the neighbor’s rebel daughter Jennifer drives the rising action. As Jen plans and sees out her rally against the population police Luke stays true to his character and doesn’t succumb to peer pressure. I could not have predicted what would happen next in Luke and Jen’s lives.

This book is a great read for middle school students because they can make many connections with Luke. They can also put themselves in Luke’s shoes to realize that their freedoms shouldn’t be taken for granted. Among the hidden is a great book to teach the ideas of totalitarianism societies.  Among the hidden had me on the edge of my seat. I couldn’t wait to see what would become of Luke Garner. He drives the plot. In my opinion his character development made the story more intriguing. The plot’s twists and turns at the climax also made the book a fabulous read.

Big Idea Questions:

 What if our government developed a population law, how would your life change?

If you were Luke Garner, how would react and feel if the population police busted in your front door?