2011Macmillan
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Frost, Helen. 2011. HIDDEN. New York: Frances Foster Books. ISBN 978-0-374-38221-6
PLOT SUMMARY:
Wren and Darra, aged 14 meet at summer camp and are housed in the same cabin. Although each has never met face-to-face, they know who the other is upon hearing their name. This is the first year that Darra has come to summer camp, and even though she is reluctant to go, she has agreed to spend two weeks there. Being the new girl in cabin 8, she does her best to stay to herself. Wren has been coming for several summers, housed in the same cabin 8 where the girls already know each other. But unbeknownst to the other girls Wren and Darra share a secret and even though they have never come fact-to-face they knew immediately who the other one was upon hearing each other’s name. What are the chances that after 6 years fate would have them come together at the same camp and in the same cabin.
When the girls were 8 years old, Wren was in waiting for her mother in their van when Darra’s dad stole it. She was able to hide from him and he drove the van home and it was there that she came to know of Darra. Hiding out in a boat, she heard the kind of life that Darra lived and was unaware that she knew anything about Wren hiding out in her boat. Wren was able to get away and Darra’s dad was arrested and sent to jail having lasting effect on both girls.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
Helen Frost does an amazing job of telling a story through poetic form. She is able to delicately craft the voice of two characters giving each their own individuality through using two different forms to give each one their own. Darra and Wren survive an ordeal that happened to them at the age of eight years old, which is horrifying for anyone to live through.
The amazing intertwining of each character’s perspective brought together to form a story in poetic style added something personal to each voice. The story is told from different points of view which complement each other and draws in the reader. I like the way you could read along what each girl was thinking and experiencing and feel as though you were right there with them. Each style was different as were the girls, and yet connected in a way that made it feel real and not made up.
Touching on something as horrific as being in a car that gets stolen is something that younger readers can think about and believe that it’s a possibility that could happen to anyone, and not just through the pages of a book. Frost touches on this carefully without over doing it in such a way that it would bring fear to the reader, she also shows two different perspectives of the same event and the outcome it brings to both.
I found this to be a mesmerizing book and I was unable to put it down, the characters were very realistic and believable. The way that Helen Frost used two poetic styles was amazing and it gave the girls personality, it also had the feel of almost a diary in the way that you were able to know each point of view. This is a great book for middle school-aged students because it isn’t overbearing to read or heavy, they would be able to relate to how the character voice.
On Helen Frost’s website, she has a link at the bottom of the page for this book which takes you to an article that discusses realistic accounts of cases where children were left in a car that is stolen which is good to accompany this book so that students reading will know that it’s based on real-life events and not on something that is made up.
Courtesy of Helen Frost’s website, probabilities of this happening in real life:
…Beginning with a horrific story of an accidental kidnapping, this poetic novel is impossible to put down. Two eight year olds experience the event from totally different perspectives and are left with unanswered questions, anger, and fear. Years later, the girls meet and have a chance to finally face their feelings about what really happened. Frost in her notes at the end explains yet another way to read the story in her intricately constructed poems. Like finding a hidden picture within a picture, the second reading tells yet another point of view. A masterpiece! - Shirley Mullin, Kids Ink Children's Bookstore
From KIRKUS, Starred review, April 1, 2011: Frost's tale exhibits her trademark character development that probes the complexities of intimate relationships. ...
Both tender and insightful, this well-crafted, fast-paced tale should have wide teen appeal. (notes on form) (Poetry. 10-16) - from BOOKLIST:
....Like Frost’s Printz Honor Book, Keesha’s House (2003), this novel in verse stands out through its deliberate use of form to illuminate emotions and cleverly hide secrets in the text.— Heather Boot from SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL:
... This original blend of crime tale, psychological study, and friendship story is a page-turner that kids will love...Wren’s captivity in the garage is truly suspenseful, and the various interactions of the kids at the sleepover camp are a study in shifting alliances. The book also touches on some deeper issues, like how you can love a parent who is sometimes abusive, and how sensitive kids can blame themselves for things that aren’t really their fault. Smoothly written, this novel carries a message of healing and hope.–Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL
Extras:
Interview with Helen Frost:
TO Enjoy a chapter excerpt:
CONNECTIONS:
Have students read “HIDDEN” by Helen Frost; discuss it to assist them in forming higher order level questions, and have them write about how they feel about it. Read the article from the link on Frost’s website so they can see the number of cases documented in it.
Propose questions such as:
· How does this make you feel?
· What do you think about the relationship between Wren and Darra?
· What would you do if you were in Wren’s/Darra’s shoes?
Encourage readers try their hand at writing poetry.
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