Watching out the vents becomes the best part of Luke’s day, especially since Dad decides that it’s too dangerous to allow Luke to eat meals at the table with the rest of the family (someone might see his shadow through the window shade and get suspicious). From one he can watch Government workers tear down the woods. Over the next few weeks, Luke discovers that he can see out the roof vents at either end of the attic. Instead, he’s confined to his windowless attic bedroom to play with toys that suddenly seem juvenile and read the same books over and over again.

But with the woods coming down so the Government can build houses, Luke can’t go outside anymore. Though Luke has never gone to school or met people aside from Mother, Dad, and his brothers Matthew and Mark, he’s been able to play and work outside on Dad’s farm a little bit, sheltered from sight by the woods. Luke is the third child in his family, and per the Population Law, his existence is illegal-families can only have two children. Readers will be captivated by Luke’s predicament and his reactions to it.On the day that his dad sells his woods, 12-year-old Luke’s life changes. “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. 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? Finally, he’s met a shadow child like himself. Then, one day Luke sees a girl’s face in the window of a house where he knows two other children already live. 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. Luke is one of the shadow children, a third child forbidden by the Population Police. He’s never had a birthday party, or gone to a friend’s house for an overnight. Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award.Sunshine State Young Readers’ Award (Florida).Nutmeg Children’s Book Award (Connecticut).State readers choice awards (voted on by kids):.

Bank Street College’s Children’s Book Committee’s “Best Children’s Books of the Year” list.Nominee for the Askews Children’s Book Award in Great Britain.YALSA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults.An ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers.Among the Hidden The Shadow Children, Book #1

Margaret haddix among the hidden series