Ī graphic novel adaptation by comic book artist Niklas Asker was released on September 25, 2012. In 2008, the book was adapted into a film by Walden Media and Playtone. It is the first book in the Books of Ember series, which also includes The People of Sparks, The Prophet of Yonwood (a prequel), and the final installment, The Diamond of Darkhold. The young protagonists, Lina Mayfleet and Doon Harrow, follow clues left behind by the original builders of the City of Ember, to safety in the outside world. The story is about Ember, a post-apocalyptic underground city threatened by aging infrastructure and corruption. Ages 10-13.The City of Ember is a post-apocalyptic novel by Jeanne DuPrau that was published in 2003. Readers will sit on the edge of their seats as each new truth comes to light.

Thanks to full-blooded characters every bit as compelling as the plot, Lina and Doon's search parallels the universal adolescent quest for answers. Together, the pair become detectives in search of the truth-part of which may be buried in some strange words that were hidden in Lina's grandmother's closet. Meanwhile, the messages Lina carries point to other sorts of subterfuge. Through their perspectives, DuPrau reveals the fascinating details of this subterranean community: as Doon repairs leaks deep down among the Pipeworks, he also learns just how dire the situation is with their malfunctioning generator. Lina gets 'pipeworks laborer,' a job that Doon wants, while Doon draws 'messenger,' the job that Lina covets, and they trade. The story opens on Assignment Day in the year 241, when 12-year-olds Lina Mayfleet and Doon Harrow draw lots for their jobs from the mayor's bag.

They tuck 'The Instructions' to a way out within a locked box programmed to open at the right time. The city of Ember, 'the only light in the dark world,' began as a survival experiment created by the 'Builders' who wanted their children to 'grow up with no knowledge of a world outside, so that they feel no sorrow for what they have lost.' An opening prologue describes the Builders' intentions-that Ember's citizens leave the city after 220 years. In her electric debut, DuPrau imagines a post-apocalyptic underground world where resources are running out.

The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau