| Booktalk
#1
Doon and Lina were not sure
anyone from Ember would follow them. Would they believe that there
was a way out of Ember? That there was another world? That
they had been living in a cave? But the people came.
Not all of them but many. Doon counted 417 people from Ember as they
set off in search of civilization. When the reached the town of Sparks,
they couldn't believe their eyes. The city seemed primitive in comparison
to Ember. There was no electricity or technology of any kind.
But the people of Sparks reluctantly welcomed the travelers and opened
their homes to them. But the relationship was strained. The
town was small and had limited supplies. Taking in 417 people meant
less for everyone. As the summer passed, the people of Sparks began
to resent having to share with others. And the people of Ember resented
having less than their hosts. Will these two towns find a way to
work together? Or will ages-old resentments bring hostility?
Booktalk #2
Torren was the one who saw
them first. The people from the town of Ember. More than 400 of them. More
than there were in the entire town of Sparks: a town that was just now
getting to the place that it was self-sustaining and even a bit prosperous,
just recovering from the disaster that had almost wiped out the human race.
They claimed to have come from an underground city and knew nothing of
the world on the surface. They had no food or supplies of any kind. They
were totally dependent upon the people of Sparks for food, shelter, and
knowledge of how to live. So, the people of Sparks agreed to take them
in, share their food, and teach them skills that would help them survive.
For six months. Then, the people from Ember would be on their own. But
Torren, who was never the most well-mannered boy, and who missed his brother,
a roamer, started a feud by blaming Doon, the hero of Ember, for wasting
food when it was really Torren himself who had been the culprit. Tick,
a power hungry youth from Ember, fed the fireof discord between the people
of Ember and those of Sparks. Soon, there was open animosity and threatening
violence between the two factions. Could Doon and Lina, his fellow champion
in initially rescuing the people of Ember, once again save the day?
(Sam Marsh, Colorado
Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award Nominees 2009) |
