FOUND by Margaret Peterson Haddix

I am a huge fan of Margaret Peterson Haddix.  I love the Shadow Children series as well as many of her others (RUNNING OUT OF TIME is also a favorite.)  So, I was thrilled to see that Haddix has a new series.  The first book in the THE MISSING series is called FOUND.  I read it last week--in a day.  Once I started, I couldn't really put it down.

The book starts out letting us know that 13 years ago, an airplane landed at the airport. This was an airplane with no pilot. The plane was filled with babies. Records were sealed and not many people knew about the plane. But now, 13 years later, 2 boys (both adopted as babies) begin to get letters that say things like "You are one of the missing." and "They are coming back to get you."  The rest of the story continues with the characters trying to figure out what is going on, working through their own adoptions, and thinking about the histories they don't know.

This book is definitely a page-turner.  A great concept with Haddix's great writing. The ending is a bit of a surprise but quite good. I am anxious to see where she goes with the rest of the series.

I am interested in how the adoption community is responding to this book.  I know as an adoptive mom, I read the book with that eye.  I am not sure how I feel and am not sure how adopted kids will take the book.  It was clear to me that either Haddix has experience with adoption or else she did her homework. All of the adoption talk in the book seemed politically correct. She seemed to have a good sense of the things adopted kids struggle with.  And she seemed to create characters and families that deal with their adoptions in different ways. And she hits the identity issue from lots of angles--an issue that all kids struggle with at this age. But, the storyline and the letters captured a fear that I am not sure adopted kids at age 9 would be ready to deal with if they read this book on their own--THEY ARE COMING BACK TO GET YOU.  On the other hand, I don't think you can ever know what another person will take away from a book.  I am just curious to know how other people involved in adoption (kids, parents, etc.) feel about the book and the premise. 

Sorry for babbling. I loved the book and all of the students who have read it seemed to love it too. It is a great series and it keeps you engaged throughout. I don't want to give much away so I'll stop here but definitely worth a read!