by Margret Peterson HaddixYear Published: 2000
This is a series book by the same author as Running Out of Time, and the students like it just as much.
A brief synopsis:
"Luke has never been to school. He's never had a birthday party, or gone to a friend's house for an overnight. In fact, Luke has never had a friend. Luke is one of the shadow children, a third child forbidden by the Population Police. 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.
Then, one day Luke sees a girl's face in the window of a house where he knows two other children already live. Finally, he's met a shadow child like himself. 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?
If you're not hooked after reading that, listen to what one third grader said about the book.
"I loved this book because it was very exciting! I also liked it because it was intense to stop reading because it was a great book. I was always saying "No, don't stop reading!"". - CALEB MCILROY