Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Shadow Children

I just finished the Shadow Children book series by Margaret Peterson Haddix. They're geared toward children ages 8-12, but I found them fascinating. Each of the seven books is short, only a couple hundred pages at most, which is nice because I only spend a few hours each time I pick up a book!

Imagine our country when there's a huge famine, so the government sets a population limit. All families are allowed only two children, in order to survive the food shortage. The books take place from the point of view of a few Shadow Children, third children. They live in hiding but still do everything they can to liberate and protect each other.

This series would be a great discussion starter, especially considering the population laws in China. I like that it doesn't see everything from one angle only. There are different people and different points of view. There are no simple, easy answers when faced with some of life's big questions. It really makes you think.

On a slightly different topic, I have been using a website called 'Good Reads' which keeps track of books I read, as well as books my friends read, and our reviews. I have gotten some great book recommendations through this site and would recommend it to all avid readers.

1 comment:

Donna said...

Sounds like interesting books.

The sight sounds like it would be really fun to do, but I don't know if I need another computer time sucker. I can see myself getting sucked in to that, since I love reading and books so much. I'll have to think on it.

Thanks for the heads up!