Books With Bean ~ The City of Ember

Title: The City of Ember

Author: Jean DuPrau

Published: 2003

Genre: Children’s adventure/Post Apocalyptic 

Summary: Ember is in the year 241 and it is starting to wear out. The lights go off at random times and the supplies from the store rooms are running low. Lina is worried but it takes an old school friend named Doon to get her actively seeing the problems with the city and wanting to try and do something about it. At first there seems little they can do but then Lina finds a piece of paper with some holes in it working with Doon she tries to find the missing words thinking it might just be the key to saving their city.

What I liked about it: I first learned of the book when the movie came out back in 2008 and like all good bookie kids I had to know if the movie was accurate and if the book was better. I found out like most book inspired movies that the book was indeed better and went on to read all four books. I like the book because when I first read it I was near the same age as Lina and Doon who are 12 and because the story was interesting and a lot different then any other book I had ever read before. I have read the book so many times and I’m pretty sure I almost wore out the Playaway copy of it that my library has from listening to it dozens of times over the years.

Language: None

Romance: None in this book but there is a bit later in the series.

Violence: Lina gets taken by the city guards a few times when they believe her to be causing trouble, but she is only grabbed a bit hard around the arm and does not get hurt. 

Magic: None

Recommended Age: The book is designed for upper elementary middle grade and the MC’s are 12 so I would say 9 and up should be fine.