Among the Hidden
Encyclopedia
Among the Hidden is a 1998
young adult
novel
by Margaret Peterson Haddix concerning a fictional future in which drastic measures have been taken to quell overpopulation
. It is the first of seven novels in the Shadow Children
series.
Luke Garner, a twelve-year-old child, lives on a farm with his mother, father, and two brothers, Matthew and Mark. As a third child, Luke and his parents are in violation of the law. Luke, like all third children, must spend his days hidden or away from public view. When the government starts building houses in the woods behind the Garners' house, Luke is forced to hide inside his house, in total isolation from the outside world. In the beginning of the story, Luke is quite scared of being caught by the Population Police. But toward the end of the story, he becomes more brave and faces his fears, the Population Police.
While Luke is looking out of a small vent from the attic, with which he can see outside, and not be seen from the outside, he sees the face of a child in a window of a house that he knows already has two children. He secretly runs over to the house about a month later, and meets twelve-year-old Jen Talbot, the daughter of one of the Barons living in the houses behind him and another third child. There he becomes a close friend to Jen Talbot.
Jen begins to show Luke that what the government has done is wrong. She organizes a rally in support of the third children, and asks Luke to come, but Luke refuses, afraid of what might happen. After not hearing from Jen for one week, Luke runs over to her house, where he meets Jen's father, George Talbot, a Population Police official. Luke finds out that everyone at the rally was shot and killed, including Jen. Mr. Talbot explains to Luke that he opposes the Population Law. The Population Police then break in to Mr. Talbot's house and Luke hides in the closet.
After the police leave, Luke tries to talk, but Mr. Talbot covers his mouth. He writes on a piece of paper that the Population Police had placed bugs and are listening for clues and evidence that can be used against Mr. Talbot and arrest him. He then writes to Luke and asks if he wants a fake I.D to live like a real person. Luke eventually accepts the proposal and gets the fake I.D. Mr. Talbot meets Luke's parents and gives it to him. Luke's new identity is Lee Grant, a wealthy boy that supposedly ran away from his family and took refuge at Luke's farm and is now being sent to a year-long boarding school as punishment. (The real Lee Grant was killed in a ski accident; his parents allowed Luke to assume his identity.) He then goes off in a very nice car with Mr. Talbot, his first car ride, ever. He sets off on his new journey to finally live his life.
1998 in literature
The year 1998 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*March 5 - Tennessee Williams' 1938 play, Not About Nightingales, receives its stage première....
young adult
Young adult literature
Young-adult fiction or young adult literature , also juvenile fiction, is fiction written for, published for, or marketed to adolescents and young adults, roughly ages 14 to 21. The Young Adult Library Services of the American Library Association defines a young adult as "someone between the...
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by Margaret Peterson Haddix concerning a fictional future in which drastic measures have been taken to quell overpopulation
Overpopulation
Overpopulation is a condition where an organism's numbers exceed the carrying capacity of its habitat. The term often refers to the relationship between the human population and its environment, the Earth...
. It is the first of seven novels in the Shadow Children
Shadow Children sequence
The Shadow Children series is a series of seven books by Margaret Peterson Haddix about a futuristic country which suffers food shortages due to a drought and the effects of the government's attempts to control resources as a way to solidify its power...
series.
Plot summary
In the setting of the novel , overpopulation has occurred. Because of this, there is far less food and all of it is monitored by the government. Because of the shortage of food, people are only allowed to have two children.Luke Garner, a twelve-year-old child, lives on a farm with his mother, father, and two brothers, Matthew and Mark. As a third child, Luke and his parents are in violation of the law. Luke, like all third children, must spend his days hidden or away from public view. When the government starts building houses in the woods behind the Garners' house, Luke is forced to hide inside his house, in total isolation from the outside world. In the beginning of the story, Luke is quite scared of being caught by the Population Police. But toward the end of the story, he becomes more brave and faces his fears, the Population Police.
While Luke is looking out of a small vent from the attic, with which he can see outside, and not be seen from the outside, he sees the face of a child in a window of a house that he knows already has two children. He secretly runs over to the house about a month later, and meets twelve-year-old Jen Talbot, the daughter of one of the Barons living in the houses behind him and another third child. There he becomes a close friend to Jen Talbot.
Jen begins to show Luke that what the government has done is wrong. She organizes a rally in support of the third children, and asks Luke to come, but Luke refuses, afraid of what might happen. After not hearing from Jen for one week, Luke runs over to her house, where he meets Jen's father, George Talbot, a Population Police official. Luke finds out that everyone at the rally was shot and killed, including Jen. Mr. Talbot explains to Luke that he opposes the Population Law. The Population Police then break in to Mr. Talbot's house and Luke hides in the closet.
After the police leave, Luke tries to talk, but Mr. Talbot covers his mouth. He writes on a piece of paper that the Population Police had placed bugs and are listening for clues and evidence that can be used against Mr. Talbot and arrest him. He then writes to Luke and asks if he wants a fake I.D to live like a real person. Luke eventually accepts the proposal and gets the fake I.D. Mr. Talbot meets Luke's parents and gives it to him. Luke's new identity is Lee Grant, a wealthy boy that supposedly ran away from his family and took refuge at Luke's farm and is now being sent to a year-long boarding school as punishment. (The real Lee Grant was killed in a ski accident; his parents allowed Luke to assume his identity.) He then goes off in a very nice car with Mr. Talbot, his first car ride, ever. He sets off on his new journey to finally live his life.
Characters
- Luke Garner - A small, pale, shy twelve year-old boy. He is not allowed to leave his house due to the fact he is the third child in his family, illegal in the futuristic society. He has never gone to school and must stay in his room(the attic) for most of the time when the Barons start to move in when the forest is knocked down. Later in the story Luke becomes very brave. He also has no friends and has never been to school before.
- Mr. Garner - Luke's father. Harland works on a farm with hogs. He is one of the strictest people with Luke about avoiding being discovered.
- Mrs. Garner - Luke's mother. She is a plain middle-aged woman who has had to work hard for everything. Her strong will is one of the main reasons Luke is alive. "I wouldn't even let your dad talk about getting rid of you," she says.
- Mark Garner - Luke's middle brother.
- Matthew Garner - Luke's oldest brother.
- Jen Talbot- Luke's neighbor who he discovers is also a third child. Jen is the first non-family member Luke has ever met. The daughter of extremely wealthy government official George Talbot, Jen grew up with more freedom than most third children and knowledge of the world as it actually is. She organizes a rally to convince the president to repeal the Population Law. At the end of the book, it is revealed that she and everyone at the rally was shot by the Population Police, directly in front of the Head Government House (as Jen's father says, "The blood actually flowed into the president's rose bushes").
- George Talbot - Jen's father, an extremely wealthy man, one of the top officials of the Population Police and thus one of the most powerful people in the country. He is in fact a double agent, sabotaging the Population Police from within. His daughter, Jen, attempts to rally against the Population Police. In the end, he assists Luke with his escape into the real world.
- Population Police - The faceless characters who are sent to find third children for a large reward. Luke and the rest of the characters in the book are in constant fear of these shadow-like men. "...The Population Police shoot first and ask questions later."