Among the Hidden

The Shadow Children, Book #1

• 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

Luke has never been to school. He’s never had a birthday party, or gone to a friend’s house for an overnight. In fact, Luke has never had a friend.

Luke is one of the shadow children, a third child forbidden by the Population Police. He’s lived his entire life in hiding, and now, with a new housing development replacing the woods next to his family’s farm, he is no longer even allowed to go outside.

Then, one day Luke sees a girl’s face in the window of a house where he knows two other children already live. Finally, he’s met a shadow child like himself. Jen is willing to risk everything to come out of the shadows–does Luke dare to become involved in her dangerous plan? Can he afford not to?

“A chilling and intelligent novel.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“As in Haddix’s Running Out of Time (S & S, 1995), the loss 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.”
—School Library Journal

FAQs Bonus Material Discussion Guide (PDF)