A very worthy sequel to a 5-star first book, The City of Ember. The story, which pits the Emberites as refugees in a prospering post-Disaster town, drA very worthy sequel to a 5-star first book, The City of Ember. The story, which pits the Emberites as refugees in a prospering post-Disaster town, drew many relevant real-world parallels to refugee crises around the world. What happens when your homeland becomes unlivable? Do prospering places have a respinsibility to take in, shelter, feed and teach refugee populations? The story was told with a heaping dose of reality and humanity - hats off to DuPrau. The end was much more exciting than the beginning and, for me, it doesn't live up to the wonder of The City of Ember, but it was wonderfully told....more
This audiobook is very short, but I'm about 45% of the way through and I can't continue.
The story is quite dull - it's about a 100-year-old man whose This audiobook is very short, but I'm about 45% of the way through and I can't continue.
The story is quite dull - it's about a 100-year-old man whose claim to fame is inventing twisted candles - you can get the picture just from that tidbit, I think. The narrator is also quite childish.
I doubt I'll ever pick up the book to complete the story. I'm just not interested in the fate of this man and I have no idea why Nancy and Carson Drew have rallied around him so decisively to try to handle his affairs. There's no real mystery here. Just a drawn-out tale of a man whose family feud has shaded the last years of his life....more
What a wonderful story and what wonderful writing. Take a look at this paragraph:
Winnie had grown up with order. She was used to it. Under the pitileWhat a wonderful story and what wonderful writing. Take a look at this paragraph:
Winnie had grown up with order. She was used to it. Under the pitiless double assaults of her mother and grandmother, the cottage where she lived was always squeaking clean, mopped and swept and scoured into limp submission. There was no room for carelessness, no putting things off until later. The Foster women had made a fortress out of duty. Within it, they were indomitable. And Winnie was in training.
I read Tuck Everlasting as a child, and listened to the audiobook as an adult. What a magical concept, and what a smart way to introduce to children the concepts of life, death, growth and change. The book is a little on the slow and ponderous side, but it's a beautiful story filled with absolutely perfect sentences....more
What do I love about children's literature? An ordinary rabbit hole becomes the passage to another world. The back of a wardrobe gives way to a magicaWhat do I love about children's literature? An ordinary rabbit hole becomes the passage to another world. The back of a wardrobe gives way to a magical land. A bit of horse hair and tree bark in the hands of a young talent can perform magic. And, in The City of Ember, a letter tucked away into an elaborate safe programmed to unlock after 220 years changes forever what Lina and Doon understand about Ember, the only city left tucked within the pervasive darkness of the Unknown Regions. Ember is dying, running out of supplies, and succumbing to the encroaching darkness. With this letter, though, Lina and Doon may be able to unlock the secret left by the city's Builders to save Ember. This book is part adventure, part mystery, and full of discovery. It was full of discovery, two endearing lead characters and one funny toddler, and a wonderful plot. A great addition to children's literature, in the same vein as classics and personal favorites like The Giver, The Indian in the Cupboard; it's leagues better than other new children's lit such as Inkheart....more
What a fantastic re-read of a childhood classic. Flipping open this book again, the most surprising discovery was that Lynn Reid Banks was a British aWhat a fantastic re-read of a childhood classic. Flipping open this book again, the most surprising discovery was that Lynn Reid Banks was a British author! I had no idea, and I don't remember being 10 years old and realizing that, although the English turns of phrase are apparent upon re-read.
I absolutely loved this. It's magical, it's imaginative, it's well-written, and the characters are unforgettable. Banks draws a perfect Little Bear and a perfect Omri, particularly in their dialogue and their relationship with one another; in fact, all of the characters are outstandingly portrayed.
Loading...
