The City of Ember

The City of Ember

by Jeanne DuPrau

DuPrau, J. (2003). The city of Ember  . New York: Random House.

 

Interest Level: 6 - 8

Grade Level Equivalent: 5.1

Lexile® measure: 680L

DRA: 50

Guided Reading: U

Genre/Theme: Fantasy

The dark city of Ember is in grave danger. The supply rooms are running out of everything. Soon there will be no supplies and no food to eat, not to mention the lights keep flickering and the city might soon be in total darkness. The only people who can save the city are 12 year olds, Lina and Doon. They hold the instructions to escape the city, but everyone believes they are just silly children with crazy imaginations.

The City of Ember is the first in a series of four books. It is really suspenseful and easy to get into. It is a series that I would keep in my 5th or 6th grade classroom.

This book would spark many writing prompts. I would have students write about a city that they have imagined. Who runs it? What does it look like? What is school like there?