The City of Ember book cover by Jeanne DuPrau

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The store links use this book's US print edition, ISBN 9780375822735.

Where The City of Ember sits

Series
Book 1 of The City of Ember. See all The City of Ember books in order
The book before
None. This is where the series starts.
The book after
The People of Sparks
Order checked
Last checked: October 19, 2026, against penguinrandomhouse.com

Checked facts about The City of Ember

Under each line: where it was read, and when.

Publication
First published in May 2003. (Wikidata; read November 6, 2026)
This edition
The edition checked here is a 270-page edition from Random House. (Library of Congress; read November 6, 2026)

What The City of Ember is about

The setup only, with no spoilers. Each line names the record it rests on.

  • In the year 241, Lina, who is twelve, swaps jobs on Assignment Day so she can be a Messenger. (Library of Congress; read November 6, 2026) In the year 241, twelve-year-old Lina trades jobs on Assignment Day to be a Messenger
  • As a Messenger she can range across parts of the crumbling city she loves that she has not seen, and might even glimpse the Unknown Regions. (Library of Congress; read November 6, 2026) new places in her decaying but beloved city, perhaps even to glimpse Unknown Regions

All checked facts about Jeanne DuPrau

Topics in this book

A linked topic opens its page on bookslike.app, with every book on the site that shares it.

Topics

Reading ages

  • Ages 8-12
  • Children's

Other books in The City of Ember

4 books in this series

  1. Book 2: The People of Sparks
  2. Book 3: The Diamond of Darkhold
  3. Book 4: The Prophet of Yonwood

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