  | Among the impostors (Shadow Children) Author: Haddix, Margaret Peterson | |
| Price: $23.28 | ||
Summary:
In a future where the law limits a family to two children, third-born Luke has been hiding for the twelve years of his life, until he enters boarding school under an assumed name.
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| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: MG Reading Level: 4.90 Points: 5.0 Quiz: 50379 | Reading Counts Information: Interest Level: 6-8 Reading Level: 5.20 Points: 10.0 Quiz: 25445 | |
Common Core Standards
Grade 3 → Reading → RL Literature → 3.RL Key Ideas & Details
Grade 3 → Reading → RL Literature → 3.RL Craft & Structure
Grade 3 → Reading → RL Literature → 3.RL Integration & Knowledge of Ideas
Grade 4 → Reading → RL Literature → 4.RL Key Ideas & Details
Grade 4 → Reading → RL Literature → 4.RL Range of Reading & Level of Text Complexity
Grade 4 → Reading → RL Literature → 4.RL Craft & Structure
Grade 4 → Reading → RL Literature → 4.RL Integration & Knowledge of Ideas
Grade 4 → Reading → RL Literature → Texts Illustrating the Complexity, Quality, & Rang
Grade 5 → Reading → RL Literature → 5.RL Key Ideas & Details
Grade 5 → Reading → RL Literature → 5.RL Integration & Knowledge of Ideas
Grade 5 → Reading → RL Literature → 5.RL Range of Reading & Level of Text Complexity
Grade 5 → Reading → RL Literature → Texts Illustrating the Complexity, Quality, & Rang
Grade 6 → Reading → RL Literature → 6.RL Range of Reading & Level of Text Complexity
Grade 6 → Reading → CCR College & Career Readiness Anchor Standards fo
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (05/01/01)
School Library Journal (07/01)
Booklist (04/15/01)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (09/01)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 07/01/2001 Gr 5-7-Luke, a third child, hides quietly in his house, eluding the Population Police because he lives in a society in which families are only allowed two children. Now he has a chance to come out of the shadows by taking on an assumed identity and leaving home. This sequel to Among the Hidden (S & S, 1998) has Luke, now Lee, entering the Hendricks School for boys and a completely new existence where he feels lost and confused by his surroundings. He has gone from a furtive solitary existence to one in which he is never alone, from being desperate for company to being hazed by his classmates, particularly his roommate, "the Jackal." Lee learns to cope with the changes before him by escaping through the door to the outside. The story is artfully told with suspense and interesting twists. As Lee's confusion dissipates, readers begin to see what is going on. Lee is a fully realized character, developing courage and a true sense of self. Peripheral characters are not as fully developed, serving solely to further the story. Repeated references to Jen, another third child from the first book and martyr to all third children, may cause readers to wonder what they have missed. By the end of the story, the main character evolves into "L" and the author has created the possibility for another sequel. This compelling read can be enjoyed alone but it's sure to leave readers wanting to know the whole story.-Susan M. Moore, Louisville Free Public Library, KY Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information. - Copyright 2001 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
Bulletin for the Center... - 09/01/2001 Picking up where Among the Hidden left off, Haddix follows the life of ten-year-old Luke Garner as he enters a school under the alias of Lee Grant, a boy who died on a skiing trip, but whose family donated his identity to allow a forbidden third child to come out of hiding. Though expecting a milieu vastly different from his attic bedroom and rural upbringing, Lee is unprepared for the skewed academic world he encounters at Hendricks School for Boys, filled with strangely unresponsive teachers and students. His only hope lies in a note from Mr. Talbot (a family friend who has taken him to this school), but when Luke finally finds a private space to open it, the contents make him realize he is on his own. In addition to developing a plot that creates a kind of reality quicksand for young Luke, wherein he must constantly reevaluate the trustworthiness of those around him (he discovers his first “friend” is an informer for the population police, for instance), Haddix allows Luke to grow from a participant to a leader in this milieu, surprising himself with his own solutions when confronted by the mysterious Mr. Hendricks and Mr. Talbot. Haddix once again hits the mark with her ability to ask intriguing questions (what would happen if there were only two children allowed per family, and any third child had to die?) and successfully weaves them into a believable plot-driven, edge-of-your-seat tale. Fans of the previous title will not be disappointed, and they’ll clamor for a third book. - Copyright 2001 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.
Booklist - 04/15/2001 In Among the Hidden (1998), Luke Garner was growing up as a forbidden third child in a society that has outlawed more than two children per family. Here, he's 12 years old and enrolled with fake credentials in a boarding school as Lee Grant. Homesick and scared, he tries to keep a low profile; but there is no privacy whatsoever--eight boys to a bedroom, communal bathrooms, and hall monitors and guards everywhere. Finding his way around school is a nightmare, classes are incomprehensible, and teachers are indifferent. When he spots a door open to the outdoors, he sneaks out, returning reluctantly at dusk. He soon discovers others slipping through the door to meet regularly in the woods. Unfortunately, there's a traitor in the group who's working for the Population Police to unmask and turn in the shadow children. Can the illegals be saved from certain death? Luke and his experiences are believable in the appealing, simple futuristic story. Kids who've read the first book will welcome this one. - Copyright 2001 Booklist.
