The City of Ember

For this post I chose the book, The City of Ember by Jeanne Duprau. I actually read this book while it was in high school because I didn't know it was a book for children. This book is a great read and it will keep children reading until the very end. This book belongs in the genre of science fiction because it extends the physical laws of the world and includes scientific principles. None of what happened in this story could happen in the real world.

This book is about a city that was built to contain everything human's would need for human survival. For many years this city flourished, but now they are running out of food.The book follows two children, Doon and Lina as they try and discover what is happening to this city. As the pair does research into their city, they realize it was built underground. After their realization they try to tell the other members of the city, so they can save it. When no one believes them, they decide to take matters into their own hands. Lina finds a map in her closet that leads to the world outside of Ember. Lina and Doon believe this is their only way to save the city. 

This book is great for children and young adults to read. It will keep them interested and wanting to know what happens next. The first project that I would do is to have the student write about how they would feel if they found out they were living underground. The students could do this project in any way they wanted. The second project that I would do is to have the students add themselves into the story. The students could have themselves helping Lina and Doon or they could just be a bystanders.

DuPrau, Jeanne. The city of Ember. New York: Random House, 2003. Print.