The City of Ember

The First Book of Ember

De: Jeanne DuPrau

Narrado por: Wendy Dillon

ALA Notable Children's Book

Ember is the only light in a dark world. But when its lamps begin to flicker, two friends must race to escape the dark. This highly acclaimed adventure series is a modern-day classic—with over 4 MILLION copies sold!

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 dim. When Lina finds part of an ancient message, she’s sure it holds a secret that will save the city. Now, she and her friend Doon must race to figure out the clues to keep the lights on. If they succeed, they will have to convince everyone to follow them into danger. But if they fail? The lights will burn out and the darkness will close in forever.

Nominated to 28 State Award Lists!

An American Library Association Notable Children’s Book

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

A Kirkus Reviews Editors’ Choice

A Child Magazine Best Children’s Book

A Mark Twain Award Winner

A William Allen White Children’s Book Award Winner

“A realistic post-apocalyptic world. DuPrau’s book leaves Doon and Lina on the verge of undiscovered country and readers wanting more.”—USA Today

“An electric debut.”—Publishers Weekly, Starred

“While Ember is colorless and dark, the book itself is rich with description.”—VOYA, Starred

“A harrowing journey into the unknown, and cryptic messages for readers to decipher.”—Kirkus Reviews, Starred

Don't miss Lina and Doon's other adventures in The City of Ember.©2003 Jeanne DuPrau (P)2004 Random House, Inc. Listening Library, an imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group

Reseñas de la Crítica

A Kirkus Reviews Editors’ Choice

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

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."

How do you know what you know?

How do you know what you know? If your entire experience is one context; if your community's entire shared and accumulated knowledge is one unvarying existence; can you be responsible for what you do not know outside your own world? What reasons would you have to look for new knowledge about your world?

Very good opportunities in the book to discuss lessons with the kids and to think about implications for yourself. What would life be like without telephones? What if electricity came on only at certain times? This is how many people in the world live today.

Excellent book to listen to with the family on a road trip. The prologue hooked the kids and the story never let up. The kids are already asking to listen to the sequels.

A new family classic

My 9 year old son and I choose a book every month to listen to when we travel to and from places. He heard great things about City of Ember. We were both at the edge of our seats. Excellent book!! Enjoyable for all ages.

A Modern Children's Classic

I first heard of this story back in 2008 when the movie came out, but it took until the second time my mom and I watched it (and some disappointment when we realized they weren't making a sequel) to check and see if it was based on a book. My mom read the books first and enjoyed them, but we talk about our books so I ended up needing to wait a few years until I'd forgotten what mom said about the sequels so I could read them myself.

This first book in the series was very fun. I enjoyed the puzzle aspect (that's part of what I enjoyed about the movie, too) and I love how the main characters work together to solve the problem that almost everyone else has become too complacent to bother with. Bonus points that it's an almost-teen girl and boy working together without any romance whatsoever! Woot woot!

I thought the interactions between Lina and Doon and their friends and family were done well. For one thing, I liked that they *had* family to interact with and they clearly loved their families and wanted to help make things better for them as much as for everyone else. Lina was so patient and loving with her baby sister and strange grandmother. While Doon had a little friction with his father I appreciated that his father wasn't portrayed as stupid or wrong. It was simply a difference in personality and outlook.

I also enjoyed seeing what it might be like for people who'd never known anything but the underground to see things like (view spoiler)

While this isn't the deepest middle grade book I've ever read, nor is it my favorite one ever, I feel it was appropriate for its target audience while also being enjoyable for an adult like me who hasn't been a tween for a while. I give it 4 stars and am looking forward to the rest of the series.

This book was so good !! the finish was the best

This book was so good ty for making this good book for so much more people to like.

Magnificent

There in story were plots and twists and turns , there were so many detail perfect

awesome!!!?

it was amazing.i loved it. I wish I was a author

u. r amazing.i love you

Not bad. Interesting concept. Thought provoking.

Would recommend for middle school kids. Some of the character voices were strange and unnecessarily elaborate.

awesome

this book was well read. and honestly really fun to listen to. and it was the first time I was excited to read a book.

review

descriptions were vague. the author was simple in writing. best female voice actor I've ever heard.

Distracting Narrator

This book is great! Please read it! BUT... I REALLY wish that there was another narration available. As a teacher, I use this audiobook because I teach three different grade levels, so it is impossible for me to read books out loud because I would lose my voice reading three books out loud all day long... but this audiobook is terrible. My students do not mind listening to it, because they truly enjoy the story, but there are times that they cannot even hear the story because of the noise in the background. It is SO loud that it drowns out the narrator. I really wish that someone would do another version of this book.