Among the Brave (Shadow Children #5)

Fifth in the Shadow Children series, which began with Among the Hidden, Among the Brave by Margaret Peterson Haddix centers on third child Trey, who must rescue Mark and Luke Garner from the Population Police. Copyright 2004 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.

Gr 5-8-This fifth book about third-born children who must go into hiding to avoid elimination picks up where Among the Barons (S & S, 2003) ended. The ruthless head of the Population Police has taken over the government, and executions are common. Trey has gone to Mr. Talbot's home seeking help to rescue Luke and his other third-born friends just as the man is taken away in handcuffs. Desperate, he teams up with Luke's older, more reckless brother, Mark, to try to find the others. Mark is caught and Trey enlists in the Population Police, his only hope of freeing him. To escape, the boys make a deal with a resistance member disguised as a guard to rescue a prisoner from another torture camp. The prisoner turns out to be none other than Mr. Talbot, who headed the resistance movement. Mark and Trey are able to rescue their friends, but are unable to help the guard who helped them. The adults are ready to give up but the third-born children vow to keep up the fight. Even though elements of the plot seem timeworn and not all of it is plausible, this book provides a fast and wild ride that will appeal to reluctant readers. Once again, Haddix makes real how hard ordinary and not-so-ordinary actions would be for kids who've spent most of their lives hidden away. Although this installment could be read on its own, this series works best when read in sequence.-Tina Zubak, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA Copyright 2004 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

"Haddix continues to tell a fast-paced and suspenseful story."—VOYA