Module 8: The City of Ember

Book Summary:

Lina faces Assignment Day, this is the day she leaves school and begins her work. She does not draw the job she wants but is able to trade with Doon. She can't understand why he would want to work in the pipeworks when he could be in the streets running messages Lina can't understand. Her sister finds a strange piece of paper and chews part of it. Her grandmother seems to be ever more forgetful then normal. With Doon's help Lina decodes the paper and discovers the way out of Ember. No one will listen and Lina is about to be put in jail when she escapes and meets up with Doon. They take Poppy,, Lina's sister, and escape. When they reach the surface this is the first time readers realize for sure they have been underground the entire time. Items like matches and candles can't be used because these words are unknown to the citizens of Ember. The book end leaving readers waiting for the next book.

APA Reference:

DuPrau, J. (2003). The city of Ember. New York, NY: Random House Children's Books.

My Impressions:

I enjoyed this book. I liked there I was surprised at the end. That doesn't happen often in books. I was impressed that the author thought to include items that the characters where have no idea how to use, what they, or what to call them. Matches and candles came with instructions. I liked that they never did find out what the boat paddles were for. At the end when they see the moon and tress and again have no words for them I realized they never knew they were under ground. That made me go back and think about why Lina didn't want to work in the pipeworks. Through out the book I kept wondering what happened to the other people in the war. They must be out there somewhere. I look forward to reading the next book.

Professional Review:

Ember, a 241-year-old, ruined domed city surrounded by a dark unknown, was built to ensure that humans would continue to exist on Earth, and the instructions for getting out have been lost and forgotten. On Assignment Day, 12-year-olds leave school and receive their lifetime job assignments. Lina Mayfleet becomes a messenger, and her friend Doon Harrow ends up in the Pipeworks beneath the city, where the failing electric generator has been ineffectually patched together. Both Lina and Doon are convinced that their survival means finding a way out of the city, and after Lina discovers pieces of the instructions, she and Doon work together to interpret the fragmented document. Life in this postholocaust city is well limned--the frequent blackouts, the food shortage, the public panic, the search for answers, and the actions of the powerful, who are taking selfish advantage of the situation. Readers will relate to Lina and Doon’s resourcefulness and courage in the face of ominous odds. — Sally Estes    
Estes, S. (2003, April 15). [Review of the book The City of Ember, by Jeanne DuPrau]. 
    Booklist. Retrieved from: http://booklistonline.com/The-City-of-Ember-Jeanne-DuPrau/pid=592238

Library Uses:

I would use this book in high school to introduce post-apocalyptic writing.