Hidden by Helen Frost

Spotlight on Poetry

Hidden by Helen Frost

Two girls reunite at summer camp with a secret past neither of them wants to share.  Will their secret be exposed?  Let’s shine the spotlight on this uniquely written verse novel:

Summary

Two girls, Wren and Darra, share their perspectives about the same event: Wren’s mom went into a gas station, while Wren waited in the car.  Darra’s father is inside the gas station with a gun.  Wren hears a gunshot and hides under a blanket in the backseat.  Darra’s father flees the gas station and steals the car Wren is hiding in.  Wren stays hidden in the car while Darra’s father drives home, then hides in a boat in the garage.  Darra knows someone was in the car and tries to help provide food and water without her parents noticing.  Wren ends up escaping the garage, finds help and makes it home safely.  The police arrest Darra’s father and send him to jail.  Darra’s parents divorce and she and her mom move to another town.

Flash forward six years to summer camp at Camp Oakwood.  Both girls are assigned to Girls Cabin Eight.  Darra knows Wren’s face from a photograph left in the car.  Wren knows Darra’s voice from hearing her speak to her parents while she was hiding in the garage.  They both figure out who each other is, but they do not speak about their past.  The tension of their memories builds as they engage in camp activities together.  Wren gets caught up in her emotions during the game “Drown Last” and ends up holding Darra underwater too long.  This event brings the memories to the surface and leads the girls to begin talking about their past.  They develop a friendship throughout the rest of their time at camp.  On Darra’s last night, Wren engages in a camp tradition and writes Darra a message on the stone that will be given to Darra before she leaves.  Wren writes, “None of it was our fault” (Frost, 2011, p. 140).  The book concludes with Darra introducing her friend, Wren, to her mom before she leaves camp.

Discussion

This narrative story unfolds in verse novel form.  The unique way the book is put together with two voices telling the story will engage adolescent readers.  Part One is told from Wren’s perspective.  Wren details the accidental kidnapping and her escape.  Part Two carries the story from the point where Wren leaves off and is told from Darra’s perspective.  She discusses the aftermath of her father’s decisions and its effect on her and her mom.  Part Three is told in both voices, alternating between Wren and Darra.  The girls detail their experiences at summer camp and how they eventually come to reconcile their past and become friends.  Adolescent readers will be driven to continue reading as they wonder what will happen next. 

Wren and Darra have distinct voices and formats to allow instant recognition of who is telling the story.  Wren’s perspective is written in phrases and short paragraphs laid out in free verse form.   The short paragraphs or phrases are spaced out along the page with indentions.  Italics are used to signal words which are spoken.  Darra’s perspective is written in longer sentences in a block format without paragraphs or indentions.  Italics are also used to signal conversation.  There is a special detail about the format used during Darra’s perspective.  The last words of the longest lines on the page (on the right side) can be read from top to bottom to reveal additional messages.  Therefore, the last words of the longer lines tell a story, too.  In Part Two, Darra shares memories of her father through this special format.  In Part Three, Darra remembers details about her father’s decisions which led to his arrest.

The imagery is strong in this verse novel.  Adolescents will be able to visualize Wren and Darra’s experiences throughout the book.  Frost engages the readers senses to aid in the creation of mental pictures while reading.  She also uses some figurative language to support visualization.  When Wren is hiding in the car while Darra’s father is driving, Frost (2011) writes,

“Sand on the floor of the car.  I pressed hard.  It stuck to my skin.  I pressed harder.  (Breathe if you have, but don’t move a muscle).  Like a small rabbit that knows a cat is close by, I paid attention.  I didn’t twitch” (p. 5).

Readers can picture Wren trying to become as small and as still as she can on the floor in the backseat.  

Frost’s writing also evokes emotion.  Readers can feel Wren and Darra’s emotions throughout the book.  As Wren continues riding in the car, Frost (2011) writes,

“Sound of gravel.  Dust in my throat. (Don’t cough!)  Bumping along that dusty road, screaming inside.  (Dad, where are you? Mom?)” (p. 7).

By sharing Wren’s thoughts to herself in parenthesis, readers can feel the tension and fear she faces in her difficult situation.  

As Frost (2011) writes about Darra’s experience in the dining hall, she says,

“I kept searching for someone my age to sit with, but all the tables were either empty or reserved – you know how people can make you feel like something is saved for other people, and even if they don’t say who, you know it isn’t you?  That’s how it was” (p. 84).

 Darra’s voice and experience elicits emotions of empathy for readers who have been in a similar situation.  Both character’s perspectives are written in a relatable way.

The title of the book seems to have multiple meanings.  Wren was “hidden” away from Darra’s family in the car and in the garage.  At camp, the previous relationship between Wren and Darra was “hidden” from the other campers.  And when reading Darra’s perspective, an additional meaning is “hidden” in the last words of the longest lines.  It seems like a fitting title because of the multiple meanings connected with it.

Overall, the strength of this book is the way author set up the verse novel with two voices telling details about the same story.  Frost used distinct formatting as a signal to the reader and included the uniquely hidden meaning in Darra’s perspective.

Awards/Reviews

Helen Frost is the author of several young adult books.  Her book, Keesha’s House, was selected an Honor Book for the Michael L. Printz Award.  Diamond Willow won the Lee Bennett Hopkins Award.  The Braid and Crossing Stones were both ALA Best Books for Young Adults.  Frost received the National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in Poetry in 2009.  

Here are samples of a few reviews:

"Many teen readers will identify with Wren and Darra and how events that happened to us when we were younger help shape the person we become." - VOYA

"Beginning with a horrific story of an accidental kidnapping, this poetic novel is impossible to put down....A masterpiece!" - Kids Ink Children's Bookstore

“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.” - Booklist  

“Both tender and insightful, this well-crafted, fast-paced tale should have wide teen appeal.” - Kirkus Reviews

Teacher’s Tools

Students could discuss the perspective of the two girls related to the stolen car and accidental kidnapping.  Similarities and differences could be discussed using a Double Bubble Map.

Students could evaluate the way the girls’ emotions changed throughout the verse novel.  A Cause and Effect Map could be used to discuss how the experience at summer camp changed how the girls felt about each other.

Students could review the hidden messages included in Darra’s perspective.  Students could discuss the significance of these messages in the story.

Helen Frost is an award-winning author.  Students could engage in an author’s study.  Students could select another book she has written and engage in Literature Circles to discuss the selected books. 


Bibliographic Information

Frost, Helen. 2011. Hidden. Harrisonburg: RR Donnelley & Sons Co. ISBN 978-0-374-38221-6.