The City of Ember: The First Book of Ember

Category: Book
By (author): Duprau, Jeanne
Series: Book Of Ember
Subject:  JUVENILE FICTION / Action & Adventure / General
  JUVENILE FICTION / Age 10-14
  JUVENILE FICTION / Dystopian
  JUVENILE FICTION / Social Themes / Friendship
Awards: New Jersey Garden State Children's Book Award Winner
Kansas William White Award (2006) Winner
Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award (2005) 07
California Young Reader Medal Winner
Texas Lone Star Reading List (2004) Winner
Kentucky Bluegrass Master List (2006) Winner
Illinois Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Award (2006) 07
West Virginia Children's Book Master List (2005) 07
New Hampshire Great Stone Face Children's Book Award Winner
Connecticut Nutmeg Children's Book Award Winner
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: May 2004
Format: Book-paperback
Pages: 288
Size: 7.57in x 5.19in x 0.71in
Our Price:
$ 11.99
Availability:
In stock

Additional Notes

From The Publisher*The city of Ember was built as a last refuge for the human race. Two hundred years later, the great lamps that light the city are beginning to flicker. When Lina finds part of an ancient message, she's sure it holds a secret that will save the city. She and her friend Doon must decipher the message before the lights go out on Ember forever! This stunning debut novel offers refreshingly clear writing and fascinating, original characters.
Review Quote*USA Today
"DuPrau's first foray into fiction creates a realistic post-apocalyptic world. Reminiscent of Robert O'Brien's Z for Zachariah, DuPrau's book leaves Doon and Lina on the verge of the undiscovered country and readers wanting more."

Starred Review, Publishers Weekly
"Thanks to full-blooded characters every bit as compelling as the plot, Lina and Doon's search parallels the universal adolescent quest for answers. An electric debut!"

Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews
"Well-paced, this contains a satisfying mystery, a breathtaking escape over rooftops in darkness, a harrowing journey into the unknown, and cryptic messages for readers to decipher. The likeable protagonists are not only courageous but also believably flawed by human pride. The cliffhanger ending will leave readers clamoring for the next installment."

Starred Review, Voice of Youth Advocates
"While Ember is colorless and dark, the book itself is rich with description. DuPrau uses the puzzle, suspenseful action, and lots of evil characters to entice readers into the story. They will find the teen characters believable and gutsy. Part mystery, part adventure story."

The Horn Book Magazine
"The device of a hidden letter, complete with missing words, is used with such disarming forthrightness that readers will be eagerly deciphering it right alongside Doon and Lina."

An ALA Notable Children's Book

A Kirkus Reviews Editors' Choice

A New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing Selection


From the Hardcover edition.
Biographical NoteJEANNE DuPRAU is the New York Times bestselling author of the City of Ember books, which have been translated into multiple languages and are an award-winning staple in elementary school classrooms. She's also the author of Escape the Vortex, a title in the multiplatform sci-fi adventure series Voyagers. Jeanne lives in Menlo Park, California. Visit her website at jeanneduprau.com.