When the Lights Go Out, Courage Lights the Way

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• Amazing Books
  Every Kid Should Read
• What would you do if the lights in your city started going out - and nobody knew why? The City of Ember (2003) is a thrilling adventure about two young friends who discover that their underground city is in serious danger. It is a story about curiosity, clever thinking, courage and the hope of finding a way out.

I magine a city with no sunlight, no sky and no way to leave. That is Ember, an underground city built long ago by mysterious people called the Builders as a safe refuge for humanity.
For generations, Ember's people have believed that their city is the only safe place in the world. But now something is going badly wrong. The city's huge generator is getting old, the lights are beginning to flicker, food supplies are shrinking and important machines are breaking down.
Enter Lina Mayfleet, a curious and energetic girl, and Doon Harrow, a thoughtful boy who loves understanding how things work.
Lina discovers a mysterious, damaged message that was left behind by the Builders. Parts of it are missing, but she realises that the message may contain instructions for escaping Ember.
Lina and Doon decide to solve the puzzle. They have to piece together the broken message while dealing with adults who either do not understand the danger or would rather ignore it.
Their investigation takes them through secret places, forgotten records, mysterious tunnels and the city's enormous Pipeworks. The closer they get to the truth, the more dangerous their situation becomes.
The exciting question at the heart of the book is simple:
Can two ordinary children discover the secret of Ember before the lights go out forever?
And when they finally discover what lies beyond their city, their entire understanding of the world changes.

Why Is This
Book Important?
The City of Ember is important because it makes children think about something wonderfully powerful: question everything.
The people of Ember have accepted the rules of their city for generations. They have been told that there is nothing outside. Lina and Doon, however, are willing to ask, "How do we know?"
That makes the book a great introduction to ideas such as curiosity, critical thinking, problem-solving and scientific thinking. It also quietly explores what happens when a society stops maintaining the systems it depends on. Ember's failing generator, disappearing supplies and neglected infrastructure show that problems do not become smaller simply because people refuse to look at them.
The book has become a modern children's classic and has sold millions of copies.
What Should Kids Learn from the Book?
Be curious.
As one character says, "Curiosity leads to trouble." But the story shows that curiosity can also lead to answers - and sometimes save lives.
Think for yourself.
Don't automatically believe something just because everyone else believes it.
Learn how things work.
Doon's interest in machines becomes extremely useful. Knowledge is not just for exams - it can solve real problems.
Notice small clues.
Lina learns that paying attention can reveal things other people miss.
Work together.
Lina and Doon have different strengths. Together, they are much more effective.
Don't give up hope.
Even when Ember seems doomed, the possibility of another world keeps them moving.
Final Words
The City of Ember is exciting because it treats children as thinkers and problem-solvers. Lina and Doon are not superheroes. They are simply two young people who notice that something is wrong and decide to do something about it.
And that is perhaps the book's biggest lesson: you don't need to be powerful to make a difference. Sometimes you just need to ask the right question.
There was a feature-film adaptation, City of Ember (2008), directed by Gil Kenan and starring Saoirse Ronan, Harry Treadaway and Bill Murray. It was a standalone film; the other Ember books were not adapted into subsequent films or a TV series.
So, when the lights start flickering, don't just sit in the dark. Grab a flashlight. Start asking questions. And look for the way out.

Best quotes from the book
Here are a few memorable lines that capture the spirit of the story:
"The main thing to do is pay attention. Pay close attention to everything, notice what no one else notices."
"Curiosity leads to trouble."
"All it would take was the courage to walk away from Ember and into the darkness, and then to keep going."
These lines beautifully capture the book's message: observe, question, be brave and keep moving.

About the Author

Jeanne DuPrau is an American author, teacher, editor and technical writer best known for The Books of Ember. She has said that she began writing very young - her surviving first book, Frosty the Snowman, was written when she was about six.
DuPrau's fascination with mysterious happenings and imaginary worlds is easy to see in The City of Ember. Her writing turns big ideas - survival, society, technology and human behaviour - into an adventure children can enjoy.
The book is actually the first of four Ember books: The People of Sparks, The Prophet of Yonwood (a prequel) and The Diamond of Darkhold.