2012 Puddly Awards
 
 
Follow us on TwitterFollow us on FacebookFollow us on Google+Follow us on TumblrSubscribe to RSS

Recently Viewed clear list

Interviews | May 7, 2012

Jill Owens: IMG Gideon Lewis-Kraus: The Powells.com Interview

0 comments By Jill Owens

Gideon Lewis-KrausI started and finished A Sense of Direction in one evening; I couldn't really stop thinking about it, so I couldn't put it down. I found it... Continue »
  1. $18.87 Sale Hardcover add to wish list

    A Sense of Direction: Pilgrimage for the Restless and the Hopeful

    Gideon Lewis-Kraus 9781594487255
spacer
Ships free on qualified orders.
$4.50
List price: $6.99
Used Trade Paper
Ships in 1 to 3 days
Add to Wishlist
Qty Store Section
1 Beaverton Children's- Science Fiction and Fantasy

eBook editions

People of Sparks

by Jeanne DuPrau

People of Sparks Cover

ISBN13: 9780375828256
ISBN10: 0375828257
Condition: Worn Condition or Underlined
All Product Details

Only 1 left in stock at $4.50!

 

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

The People of Sparks picks up where The City of Ember leaves off. Lina and Doon have emerged from the underground city to the exciting new world above, and it isn’t long before they are followed by the other inhabitants of Ember. The Emberites soon come across a town where they are welcomed, fed, and given places to sleep. But the town’s resources are limited and it isn’t long before resentment begins to grow between the two groups. When anonymous acts of vandalism push them toward violence, it’s up to Lina and Doon to discover who’s behind the vandalism and why, before it’s too late.

Review:

"At the end of The City of Ember, DuPrau's spellbinding debut, Lina Mayfleet and Doon Harrow, having made it safely out of their underground city, toss a message down through a chasm. This ambitious sequel opens as a boy, Torren, spies the survivors of Ember heading toward him, and he's 'terrified.' Torren's reaction foreshadows those of his fellow citizens. After Lina and Doon and the 417 people of Ember arrive in the town of Sparks ('We have not been aware of any post-Disaster settlements nearby, much less a city,' their leaders claim), its citizens share their food and shelter, and they train the people of Ember to work in the fields with the goal of helping them set up a town of their own. But two lone acts of sabotage begin to eat away at the fragile trust between them. DuPrau takes on a sprawling world on the surface of the planet, and once again skillfully and confidently develops the idea of scarcity and how human beings react to a depletion of resources. However, the characterizations here take a back seat (for instance, Lina never visits Clary, an adult friend who played a pivotal role in Ember; and Sadge Merrall and Mrs. Polster, both with strong personalities in Ember, melt into the masses while virtually invisible citizens such as Tick become major players). Lina stows away in a wagon headed for the city (to see if it could be the one she drew in Ember); her experience at its ruins result in an epiphany for Lina that, oddly, has little impact on the rest of the novel. DuPrau offers a thought-provoking novel about brinkmanship and the way societies can plant the insidious seeds of war. Her overall message is ultimately uplifting, but it comes at the expense of the development of characters that made Ember so memorable. Ages 8-12." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Review:

"[T]his title will hold...appeal for readers who enjoy speculative fiction. This novel will make them stop and think, and its immediacy and drive make it a good choice for even reluctant readers." School Library Journal

Review:

"[T]his fast-paced tale of post-Apocalyptic strife will resonate with new and returning fans alike." Kirkus Reviews
back to top

About the Author

Jeanne DuPrau has been a teacher, an editor, and a technical writer. She lives in Menlo Park, CA, where she keeps a big garden and a small dog.
back to top

What Our Readers Are Saying

Add a comment for a chance to win!
Average customer rating based on 3 comments:
Shoshana, May 2, 2010 (view all comments by Shoshana)
The City of Ember concludes with Lina and Doon having reached the surface from the cavern in which their city is built. They have written a note explaining how to leave Ember and flung it through a fissure far above the city. Now, joined by many of their compatriots, they travel across an empty land, eventually encountering the village of Sparks. Fortunately, the war feared by Ember's creators was, though horribly devastating, not the complete conflagration they had feared. There are some villages in the former California, Sparks being the most prosperous. The leadership and people of Sparks must contend with the unexpected drain on their resources posed by the larger group of Emberites, and both groups struggle to make sense of the other. Though there are plot lines about particular people and discoveries about the world, the story is centered on the ways in which economic tension increases in-group/out-group problems and leads to racist or exclusionary policies based on fear. The novel ends with a triumphant rediscovery and the promise of further emotional development for both Lina and Doon.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(1 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
moneymaker, November 26, 2007 (view all comments by moneymaker)
This is one of the best books I have ever read. It is so interesting and it makes you want to read on. After I finished The city of Ember I wanted to read more and when I found out there was a sequel I was so happy!

Read this book its awesome!!!!
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(11 of 21 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
Amazed Reader, May 30, 2006 (view all comments by Amazed Reader)
Well it kind of dissapointed me the first novel was good and I was very interested in finding out Lina and Doon's fate but it was a letdown. Still if you liked the first one you should read it if you want to satisfy your curiosity.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(16 of 33 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
View all 3 comments
back to top

Product Details

ISBN:
9780375828256
Author:
DuPrau, Jeanne
Publisher:
Yearling Books
Location:
New York
Subject:
Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic
Subject:
Children's 9-12 - Fiction - Science Fiction
Subject:
Fantasy
Subject:
Children's 12-Up - Fiction - Science Fiction
Subject:
Juvenile
Subject:
Action & Adventure - General
Subject:
Science fiction
Subject:
Fantasy & Magic
Subject:
Conflict management
Subject:
General Juvenile Fiction
Subject:
Children s-Science Fiction and Fantasy
Copyright:
2005
Edition Number:
1st ed.
Series:
Books of Ember
Series Volume:
89
Publication Date:
20050431
Binding:
TRADE PAPER
Grade Level:
from 5 up to 8
Language:
English
Pages:
352
Dimensions:
7.95x4.95x.82 in. .52 lbs.
Age Level:
08-12
back to top

Other books you might like

  1. $16.95 Used Hardcover add to wish list

    Eldest/Eragon Boxed Set (Inheritance Cycle #1 and #2)

    Christopher Paolini 9780375836589
  2. $1.95 Used Trade Paper add to wish list

    The Amulet of Samarkand: The Bartimaeus Trilogy #01

    Jonathan Stroud 9780786852550
  3. $4.50 Used Hardcover add to wish list

    Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception (Artemis Fowl #04)

    Eoin Colfer 9780786852895
  4. $1.95 Used Hardcover add to wish list

    Children of the Red King #05: Charlie Bone and the Hidden King

    Jenny Nimmo 9780439545303
  5. $3.53 Used Hardcover add to wish list

    Zach's Lie

    Roland Smith 9780786806171
  6. $3.50 Used Trade Paper add to wish list

    Money Hungry

    Sharon G. Flake 9780786815036
back to top

Related Subjects


Children's » Action and Adventure » Adventure Stories
Children's » Middle Readers » General
Children's » Science Fiction and Fantasy » General
Languages » Foreign Languages » Spanish » Children's » Action and Adventure » Adventure Stories
Languages » Foreign Languages » Spanish » Children's » Science Fiction and Fantasy » General

People of Sparks Used Trade Paper
0 stars - 0 reviews
$4.50 In Stock
Product details 352 pages Random House Books for Young Readers - English 9780375828256 Reviews:
"Publishers Weekly Review" by , "At the end of The City of Ember, DuPrau's spellbinding debut, Lina Mayfleet and Doon Harrow, having made it safely out of their underground city, toss a message down through a chasm. This ambitious sequel opens as a boy, Torren, spies the survivors of Ember heading toward him, and he's 'terrified.' Torren's reaction foreshadows those of his fellow citizens. After Lina and Doon and the 417 people of Ember arrive in the town of Sparks ('We have not been aware of any post-Disaster settlements nearby, much less a city,' their leaders claim), its citizens share their food and shelter, and they train the people of Ember to work in the fields with the goal of helping them set up a town of their own. But two lone acts of sabotage begin to eat away at the fragile trust between them. DuPrau takes on a sprawling world on the surface of the planet, and once again skillfully and confidently develops the idea of scarcity and how human beings react to a depletion of resources. However, the characterizations here take a back seat (for instance, Lina never visits Clary, an adult friend who played a pivotal role in Ember; and Sadge Merrall and Mrs. Polster, both with strong personalities in Ember, melt into the masses while virtually invisible citizens such as Tick become major players). Lina stows away in a wagon headed for the city (to see if it could be the one she drew in Ember); her experience at its ruins result in an epiphany for Lina that, oddly, has little impact on the rest of the novel. DuPrau offers a thought-provoking novel about brinkmanship and the way societies can plant the insidious seeds of war. Her overall message is ultimately uplifting, but it comes at the expense of the development of characters that made Ember so memorable. Ages 8-12." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
"Review" by , "[T]his title will hold...appeal for readers who enjoy speculative fiction. This novel will make them stop and think, and its immediacy and drive make it a good choice for even reluctant readers."
"Review" by , "[T]his fast-paced tale of post-Apocalyptic strife will resonate with new and returning fans alike."
spacer
spacer
  • back to top
Follow us on...



Powell's City of Books is an independent bookstore in Portland, Oregon, that fills a whole city block with more than a million new, used, and out of print books. Shop those shelves — plus literally millions more books, DVDs, and eBooks — here at Powells.com.