When the lights were on, they cast a yellowish glow over the streets people walking by threw long shadows that shortened and then stretched out again. The only light came from great floodlamps mounted on the buildings and at the tops of poles in the middle of the larger squares. In the city of Ember, the sky was always dark.

There it sat, unnoticed, year after year, until its time arrived, and the lock quietly clicked open. The box ended up at the back of a closet, shoved behind some old bags and bundles. And before he could return the box to its official hiding place or tell his successor about it, he died. All he managed to do was dent the lid a little. He took it from its hiding place in the basement of the Gathering Hall and brought it home with him, where he attacked it with a hammer.Д«ut his strength was failing by then. He was illвЂ“he had the coughing sickness that was common in the city thenвЂ“and he thought the box might hold a secret that would save his life. But the seventh mayor of Ember was less honorable than the ones whoвЂ™d come before him, and more desperate. When she grew old, and her time as mayor was up, she explained about the box to her successor, who also kept the secret carefully, as did the next mayor.

So the first mayor of Ember was given the box, told to guard it carefully, and solemnly sworn to secrecy. There may be no one left in the city by then or no safe place for them to come back to.вЂќ вЂњWhat else can we do?вЂќ asked the Chief Builder. вЂњSo the first mayor will pass the box to the next mayor, and that one to the next, and so on down through the years, all of them keeping it secret, all that time?вЂќ вЂњNo, just that itвЂ™s information they wonвЂ™t need and must not see until the box opens of its own accord.вЂќ вЂњAnd will we tell the mayor whatвЂ™ s in the box?вЂќ the Assistant asked. вЂњWeвЂ™ll put them in a box with a timed lock, set to open on the proper date.вЂќ вЂњThe mayor of the city will keep the instructions,вЂќ said the Chief Builder.

вЂњBut who will keep the instructions? Who can we trust to keep them safe and secret all that time?вЂќ вЂњWeвЂ™ll provide them with instructions, of course,вЂќ the Chief Builder replied. вЂњAnd when the time comes,вЂќ said the Assistant, вЂњhow will they know what to do?вЂќ вЂњIs that long enough?вЂќ asked his Assistant. вЂњThey must not leave the city for at least two hundred years,вЂќ said the Chief Builder. When the city of Ember was just built and not yet inhabited, the Chief Builder and the Assistant Builder, both of them weary, sat down to speak of the future. вЂњA harrowing journey into the unknown, and cryptic messages for readers to decipher.вЂќ - Kirkus Reviews,В Starred вЂњWhile Ember is colorless and dark, the book itself is rich with description.вЂќ - VOYA,В Starred вЂњAn electric debut.вЂќ - Publishers Weekly,В Starred DuPrauвЂ™s book leaves Doon and Lina on the verge of undiscovered country and readers wanting more.вЂќ - USA Today But if they fail? The lights will burn out and the darkness will close in forever.ДЄn American Library Association Notable ChildrenвЂ™s BookДЄ New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing SelectionДЄ William Allen White ChildrenвЂ™s Book Award Winner If they succeed, they will have to convince everyone to follow them into danger. Now, she and her friend Doon must race to figure out the clues to keep the lights on. When Lina finds part of an ancient message, sheвЂ™s sure it holds a secret that will save the city. Two hundred years later, the great lamps that light the city are beginning to dim. The city of Ember was built as a last refuge for the human race. This highly acclaimed adventure series is a modern-day classic-with over 4 MILLION copies sold! But when its lamps begin to flicker, two friends must race to escape the dark.

Green ember series reading level