On Assignment Day, a day where 12 year-olds are assigned jobs, Lina Mayfleet’s desperation for wanting to be a messenger finally pays off! Doon Harrow trades his job, messenger, with Lina’s job, pipeworker, because he wants to be useful to Ember and make the blackouts stop. Ember barely has any electricity and its running out of foods and supplies. One afternoon, Lina’s grandmother starts rummaging through stuff and Poppy, Lina’s sister, finds a beautiful box with some important papers in it. Poppy likes to chew on things and so she chews on the paper. Lina figures out that these papers are important and that they could lead to another world where they don’t need anything. Where everything is there and the skies are blue. Read along as Lina and Doon find out the puzzle to the instructions and as they journey underground through dark tunnels to this mysterious, new world. I recommend this book to all young adults and I hope they’ll journey along with Lina and Doon. Enjoy!
Kelly H.
I also read The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau.
Lina Mayfleet and Doon Harrow, two preteens along with everyone in their city try to survive the dark and quiet place they call home. The city the live in is called Ember. Everyone must draw a card to decide their jobs at the age of twelve. Lina got the job of working in the Pipeworks where there is a fast river and damp, moist grounds covered in layers of thick mud. Doon got the job of Messenger. He must deliver messages in the city of Ember from the wide and open roads to the dark corners of the town. Doon wanted the job of Pipeworks and Lina wanted the job of Messenger. Doon wanted to make himself useful to the town now that food, supplies, and electricity is running out and Lina wants to investigate the deepest corners while delivering messages. They switch jobs so they’re both happy, at first. As they work in thier jobs, Doon gets tired of the muddy grounds and sometimes Lina is exhausted from running back and forth of the same town. When Lina comes home from a long day of hard work she finds her grandmother looking through bags and closets full of junk. On the side Lina sees Poppy, her little baby sister chewing on a piece of paper stored in a unique box. Lina takes the chewed up paper and the box to her room to investigate. She threw away the viscid scraps of paper. There were many missing letters but, Lina and Doon together figure out the secret to this significant piece of paper. They follow the instructions through the fast river, underground tunnels, and to a new world where the sun shines through the thick clouds.
I loved this book and I loved the sequels too. I recommend it for boys and girls.
Heather
I love this book!!!!
I also read The City of Ember. I really agree with you. I really liked the part where Lina and Doon put together the important paper. I just couldn’t put this book down. I think that this book is great to read for both boys and girls. This is one of my favorite books, great job Kelly! I think that was a great summary.
Jodie C. : )
I also read the City of Ember! It’s so exciting! I love that when Lina and Doon find another part of the ripped paper, it gives you more clues so you can guess what it is,and in the end you see if your correct. I was very nervous when Lina tried to deliver a message and the guards tried to catch her. Also, when Poppy was chewing on the paper it made me mad because Lina would of knew what the paper was for. My favorite part of the book was when Lina and Doon find out what the paper is used for.If you are reading this book don’t stop reading it. I recomend this book to boys and girls and grades four and up.
J.T.L.
P.S. You guys have great book clubs!
WOW! I read the book the City of Ember also and it was amazing. If I were Lina I would be pretty tired running around the city all the time. I was amazed that Poppy found a document of how to get out of ember. Although the document was interesting, I wonder how long ago it was written. I also wonder if Lina and Doon already knew if they lived underground before they reached the city of light. I was surprised when Lina and Doon found the mayors room full of goodies. I am anxious to find out what happened after Mrs. Murdo found the letter that Doon dropped.
Alexandra C.