Among the Hidden

Reading Check and Short Answer Questions on key plot points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Chapters 1-6

Reading Check

1. How old was Luke when he began to question why he couldn’t be seen?

2. Where is Luke’s bedroom?

3. What gives Luke his only view of the outside world?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What are some privileges Luke loses in the first six chapters of the book?

2. Why is Luke upset about his mother going to work at a factory?

Paired Resource

China’s One-Child Policy

• This Encyclopedia Britannica entry describes China’s one-child policy and traces its outcomes.
• Teacher-appropriate; not student-facing
• Content Warning: This article may not be appropriate for all groups, as it contains mentions of birth control and abortion.
• This article might be used as background information for discussing questions such as the following: Why did China implement its one-child policy? What problems did China’s one-child policy lead to? Consider the immediate effects of enforcement and the broader, more long-term effects of its implementation. What cultural factors contributed to the problems with the policy? Is it important for a nation to control its population growth?

Chapters 7-12

Reading Check

1. What does Luke decide to do when he notices the shades have been left down?

2. What does Luke see in the window of the house next door?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why does Luke believe there’s a third child at the Sports Family house?

2. Why do the jokes about poison bread make Luke uncomfortable?

3. Why is it important that the trees outside still have leaves?

Paired Resource

“How Does Social Isolation Affect a Child’s Mental Health and Development?”

• This article discusses the research surrounding the effects of isolation on young, developing minds.
• What are some ways isolation can negatively impact one’s development? How does Luke show he’s impacted by the isolation he feels? Do you think Luke’s isolation motivates his actions in Chapter 12?

Chapters 13-18

Reading Check

1. What does Luke say to get Jen to let him go?

2. What do Luke and Jen decide on as their signal?

3. What food does Jen offer Luke?

4. What is the password to Jen’s chat room?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why is Luke afraid of Jen using the phone and computer?

2. Why does Jen want to have a rally?

Paired Resource

The Projected World Population Through 2100

• This interactive graph reflects data from the United Nations World Population Prospects 2022 assessment and shows the predicted population of the world by the end of this century.
• Do you believe the world will be able to support a population of 11 million by 2100? How do you think the world will change to accommodate the growing population? Do you believe the government in Luke and Jen’s country handled population growth properly?

Chapters 19-24

Reading Check

1. What does Luke suggest his dad try?

2. When is Jen’s rally?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why does Luke feel guilty at mealtimes?

2. Why does Jen believe her rally will be successful?

3. Why is Luke afraid to join Jen?

Paired Resource

“The Story Behind the Iconic ‘Tank Man’ Photo”

• This 6-minute VICE interview with the man who took the iconic photo of a protestor in Tiananmen Square in 1989.
• What parallels do you notice between the 1989 Chinese government and the government of Luke and Jen’s country? Do you believe the government of Luke and Jen’s country would react similarly to Jen’s rally as the Chinese government? How does the attempted censorship of the “Tank Man” photo parallel the government of Luke and Jen’s country?

Chapters 25-30

Reading Check

1. Who finds Luke at Jen’s house?

2. What does Jen’s dad offer Luke?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why does Luke steal the gun from Jen’s dad?

2. What does Jen’s dad think of the Population Law?

3. Why does Luke accept Jen’s dad’s offer?

Recommended Next Reads

Among the Imposters by Margaret Peterson Haddix

• This is the next installment in the Shadow Children series. This book continues to follow the journey of Luke Garner as he assumes the identity of Lee Grant and attends an all-boys boarding school.
• Shared themes include Legality Versus Morality.
• Shared ideas include subverting the government and living in secrecy.
• Among the Imposters on SuperSummary

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

• This non-fiction diary was written by 13-year-old Anne Frank, a Jewish girl, as she and her family hide from Nazis during World War II.
• Shared themes include The Power of Propaganda and Legality Versus Morality.
• Shared ideas include persecution and hiding from the government.
• The Diary of a Young Girl on SuperSummary