"Among the Hidden" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

I chose to review this book because it is included on the 3rd-5th grade list for the 2011-12 Oregon Battle of the Books (OBOB).

Among the Hidden (Shadow Children #1)
Author: Margaret Peterson Haddix
Genre: Science Fiction
Age Level: 9-12 years

SUMMARY
It is the future and there has been a worldwide famine. The Government, in an attempt to control the population, has passed a Population Law that decrees families can have only two children. However, some families have chosen to disobey this law.

Luke Garner is a "third child" who has spent his entire life hiding from the Population Police. Life hasn't been too bad for Luke since his family lives on a farm where there is no one around to see him. But then the government forces the Garners to sell some of their land, and the woods behind their house are torn down to build a subdivision. Luke is forced into the shadows. He quickly becomes lonely and bored.

Then one day he discovers another "third child" living in a nearby house and he summons up the courage to make contact with her. Unlike Luke, Jen has experience of the outside world and she is committed to changing the status of shadow children like herself. Luke has to decide whether or not to join her cause and risk the potentially serious consequences.

CRITIQUE

I was not impressed with this book. The plot and character development were lacking, and the author failed to construct a believable futuristic society. I would describe this book as a "lazy" attempt at science fiction. The author tried to depict a society in which a totalitarian government reigned supreme, but the scenario was inconsistent with reality as well as overly simplistic. Also, considering the amount of time spent on character development, the characters and their relationships were not very compelling. Furthermore, an effort was made to create moments of suspense, but the plot was too predictable to make this very effective.

It is apparent from the writing style that this book was intended for young children. In my opinion, the author both underestimated the ability of children to understand complex issues if fully explained and, at the same time, introduced material that is perhaps unsuitable for young children.

The bottom line is: If you are looking for a good science fiction book for your upper-elementary-aged child, this is NOT one I would recommend. Try The Giver by Lois Lowry or A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle.

RATINGS
Disrespectful/Bad Attitude: Mild
Frightening/Suspenseful: Mild
Profanity: Mild
Sex: None
Substance Use: None 
Mature Themes: Moderate
Violence: Moderate

SPECIFIC CONTENT
Disrespectful/Bad Attitude:
-Luke's brothers call him a "baby" when he doesn't blow out all the candles on his birthday cake.
-Luke's dad and brothers refer to the barons' style of dress as "sissy clothes."
-Luke briefly considers what would happen if one of his older brothers were to die and wonders if that would mean he could come out of hiding. He feels guilty for having these thoughts.
-Luke tells Jen his brothers talk about bras when they are "being dirty."

Frightening/Suspenseful:

-Suspenseful scene when Luke sneaks across the yard over to Jen's house for the first time and isn't sure what he will discover.
-Suspenseful scene when the Population Police show up at Jen's house and Luke has to hide in a closet.

Profanity:
-Words used include idiot, shut up, dopey, and stupid.

Mature Themes:
-Death and grief.
-Mass infanticide.
-Totalitarian government.
-Luke leaves his family, after obtaining a fake ID, in order to find a way to free the shadow children.

Violence:
-Luke's dad "grabbed Luke by the arm and jerked him back a good three feet" when Luke tried to look out the window.
-Jen "knocked him down. Then she pinned him to the floor, his arms twisted behind his back, his face buried in the carpet."
-Jen's dad points a gun at Luke, a gun "meant to kill humans."
-Jen and forty other children are gunned down outside the president's house. "The blood flowed into his rosebushes."
-Luke and Jen's father wrestle for the gun. Luke points it at Mr. Talbot, but eventually allows him to take it and set it on the desk.

"Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings

I chose to review this book because it is included on the 6th-8th grade list for the 2011-12 Oregon Battle of the Books (OBOB).

Red Kayak
Author: Priscilla Cummings
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 12-15 years

SUMMARY
Brady, a 13-year-old, is grief-stricken when the young son of his new neighbors dies despite his best efforts to save him from the cold waters of a creek. His family tries to help him as he, in turn, seeks to comfort the grieving mother and deals with feeling abandoned by his best friends. Then, as discoveries are made and the details fall into place, Brady realizes that perhaps this horrible tragedy was not an accident after all. Brady faces an extremely difficult decision: Does he tell the truth even when he knows that it will forever change the lives of his family and friends?

CRITIQUE

At the beginning of this book, the author quotes Sophocles as saying, "Truth is always the strongest argument." The obvious message of this book is that one ought to do the right thing (tell the truth, in this case) even when it is difficult. As Brady's father tells him, "Doin' what's right is not always the easiest thing...it's just that sometimes, even when the right answer is smack in front of you, you got to reach deep inside yourself to act on it."

I appreciated the author's underlying worldview, particularly in an age when the moral fabric of our society appears to be unraveling. The writing style itself is average and the ending leaves a couple of story lines unresolved, but the characters are authentic and compelling.  This was a heart-wrenching story with many individuals dealing with some very difficult circumstances. Parents may want to interact with their children about some of the mature themes (see "Specific Content" below) that are addressed in this book.

Another story that discusses the themes of death and telling the truth (without the additional issues presented in this book) is On My Honor, a Newberry Honor book by Marion Dane Bauer.

RATINGS
Disrespectful/Bad Attitude: None
Frightening/Suspenseful: Mild
Profanity: Moderate
Sex: None
Substance Use: Mild
Mature Themes: Moderate
Violence: Moderate

SPECIFIC CONTENT
Frightening/Suspenseful:

-Brady finds Ben hanging from a piling, his eyes half shut and his lips blue. Brady has to perform CPR to try to revive Ben.

Profanity:
-Words used include ass, damn, stupid, shut up, hell, bastard, shit, idiot, and frickin'.

Substance Use:
-Digger smokes a cigarette and pressures his friends to join him. J.T. takes one puff, while Brady refuses.
-Several comments about Digger's father drinking too much.

Mature Themes:
-Death of toddler due to drowning and infant due to SIDS.
-Adults struggling to deal with their grief and the marital problems that ensue.
-Financial hardship and poverty.
-Young teenagers being accused of second-degree murder.

Violence:
-Several references to Digger's father getting drunk and beating up his wife. No specific details given.
-Boys punching and sparring with each other. Described as friendly fighting between friends.
-J.T. culls out dead birds from the chicken house on his farm.
-Couple of brief references to J.T. being hit by a bully at school.
-Digger wishes harm to Mr. DiAngelos. He and J.T. drill holes in the bottom of Mr. DiAngelos' kayak.

"All the Broken Pieces" by Ann E. Burg

I chose to review this book because it is included on the 6th-8th grade list for the 2011-12 Oregon Battle of the Books.

All The Broken Pieces
Author: Ann E. Burg
Genre: Historical Fiction (written in verse)
Age Level: 12-16 years

SUMMARY
It has been two years since 12-year-old Matt Pin was airlifted out of war-torn Vietnam to be adopted by a loving American family. Matt is haunted by his memories of a father who abandoned him, a brother maimed by a mine, and a mother who gave him away. Even as he seeks comfort in his music, he encounters hostility from his teammates on the baseball field. It is not until he learns to forgive others and accept forgiveness in return that the healing process can truly begin.

CRITIQUE

All the Broken Pieces is a haunting tale written in spare verse. It is a story of forgiveness and redemption. I appreciated that there were many positive adult role models who were present to help Matt as he grappled with difficult emotions from both the past and present. This novel touches on various aspects of the Vietnam war and its aftermath, without being too graphic. As such, I believe it would be an appropriate book to use to introduce youth to the various consequences of war. However, I suspect that this book will be more fully appreciated by adults, particularly those who lived through the Vietnam era.

RATINGS
Disrespectful/Bad Attitude: Mild
Frightening/Suspenseful: Mild
Profanity: None
Sex: None
Substance Use: None
Mature Themes: Moderate
Violence: Moderate

SPECIFIC CONTENT
Disrespectful/Bad Attitude:
-Matt's baseball teammates call him "Frog-face" and "Matt-the-rat." They bully him when the coach isn't around.

Frightening/Suspenseful:

-Mildly disturbing scenes of Matt's Vietnamese mother pushing him into the helicopter to be taken away by the American soldiers.

Mature Themes:
-The novel speaks extensively about the ugliness of war and its aftermath.
-Matt deals with the negative feelings resulting from his biological father abandoning his family.
-Matt struggles with the fact that his biological mother gives him up for adoption even though she said she loved him. He fears that it will happen again.
-Coach Robeson gets cancer and Matt has to come to terms with the fact that his coach may die.

Violence:
-Repeated brief images of war with blood, screaming, and the smell of burnt flesh.
-Description of Vietnam veterans who have been maimed and/or disfigured in some way.
-Several scenes describing Matt's Vietnamese brother losing his legs and fingers after stepping on a mine.