Jeanne DuPrau
Encyclopedia
Jeanne DuPrau is an American writer
, best known for The Books of Ember, a series of novels for young people. She lives in Menlo Park, California
.
in Claremont, California
. She has been a high school English teacher, an editor for educational publishing companies, a technical writer for Apple Inc. and a freelance writer. On her website and several other online biographies, DuPrau is described as a gardening enthusiast and dog lover! She is also an ice skater, a bird watcher, a meditator, a house builder, a gardener, a piano player, and gourmet vegetarian cook. DuPrau has no children. She has two nephews and a niece. She also had a Cairn Terrier
named Ethan who was almost 16 years old when he died. She now has a new puppy named Jockey, who is a Norfolk Terrier
.
On her website, Jeanne DuPrau writes:
I didn't really set out to "be a writer." I just wrote. Reading and writing have always been my favorite things, though for a while I wanted to be a writer and an illustrator. I still have my very first book, which I wrote when I was about five years old. It's called Frosty the Snowman, has five pages, and is illustrated with red and green crayon.
, was released in October 2008. It was filmed in Belfast
, Northern Ireland
and stars Bill Murray
as the Mayor of Ember, Saoirse Ronan
, Harry Treadaway
, Tim Robbins
and Martin Landau
.
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, best known for The Books of Ember, a series of novels for young people. She lives in Menlo Park, California
Menlo Park, California
Menlo Park, California is a city at the eastern edge of San Mateo County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, in the United States. It is bordered by San Francisco Bay on the north and east; East Palo Alto, Palo Alto, and Stanford to the south; Atherton, North Fair Oaks, and Redwood City...
.
Home life
DuPrau received a BA in English Literature from Scripps CollegeScripps College
Scripps College is a progressive liberal arts women's college in Claremont, California, United States. It is a member of the Claremont Colleges. Scripps ranks 3rd for the nation's best women's college, ahead of Barnard College, Mount Holyoke College, and Bryn Mawr College at 23rd on the list for...
in Claremont, California
Claremont, California
Claremont is a small affluent college town in eastern Los Angeles County, California, United States, about east of downtown Los Angeles at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. The population as of the 2010 census is 34,926. Claremont is known for its seven higher-education institutions, its...
. She has been a high school English teacher, an editor for educational publishing companies, a technical writer for Apple Inc. and a freelance writer. On her website and several other online biographies, DuPrau is described as a gardening enthusiast and dog lover! She is also an ice skater, a bird watcher, a meditator, a house builder, a gardener, a piano player, and gourmet vegetarian cook. DuPrau has no children. She has two nephews and a niece. She also had a Cairn Terrier
Cairn Terrier
The Cairn Terrier is the oldest of the terrier breeds, originating in the Scottish Highlands and recognized as one of Scotland's earliest working dogs...
named Ethan who was almost 16 years old when he died. She now has a new puppy named Jockey, who is a Norfolk Terrier
Norfolk Terrier
The Norfolk Terrier is a British breed of dog. Prior to gaining recognition as an independent breed in 1960, it was a variety of the Norwich Terrier, distinguished from the "prick eared" Norwich by its "drop ears"...
.
On her website, Jeanne DuPrau writes:
I didn't really set out to "be a writer." I just wrote. Reading and writing have always been my favorite things, though for a while I wanted to be a writer and an illustrator. I still have my very first book, which I wrote when I was about five years old. It's called Frosty the Snowman, has five pages, and is illustrated with red and green crayon.
Ember series
- The City of EmberThe City of EmberThe City of Ember is a post-apocalyptic novel by Jeanne DuPrau that was published in 2003. Similar to Suzanne Martel's The City Under Ground published in 1963, the story is about Ember, an underground city that is slowly running out of power and supplies due to its aging infrastructure...
(2003) – This story takes place in a sunless,dark,moonless city where the only light comes from electric lamps. As supplies run low and the electrical system starts to fail, the city is headed for disaster. Two children, Lina Mayfleet and Doon Harrow, take on the task of finding the way out.
- The People of SparksThe People of SparksThe People of Sparks, a post-apocalyptic novel by Jeanne DuPrau that was published in 2004, is the second book in the Books of Ember series which also includes The City of Ember, The Prophet of Yonwood, and The Diamond of Darkhold....
(2004) – The story opens where The City of Ember left off, with the residents of the dying city of Ember joining young heroes Lina and Doon and making their way to a small settlement, where all at first goes well but conflict soon arises.
- The Prophet of YonwoodThe Prophet of YonwoodThe Prophet of Yonwood is an apocalyptic novel by Jeanne DuPrau that was published in 2006. It is the third novel in the series The Books of Ember. It is a prequel, rather than a sequel, to the other three books of the series...
(2006) – This is the third novel in the series. However, it is a prequel, rather than a sequel, to the other two books. It is set about fifty years before the Disaster and the establishment of Ember, and approximately three hundred years before the events of The City of Ember and The People of Sparks. The story focuses on a woman's frightening vision of the future and the townspeople's reaction to it.
- The Diamond of DarkholdThe Diamond of DarkholdThe Diamond of Darkhold is a post-apocalyptic novel written by Jeanne Duprau that was published in 2008. The novel is the fourth book in the Book of Ember series and was released on August 26, 2008. The fourth book picks up where The People of Sparks left off, during the Emberites' first winter...
(2008) – The Diamond of Darkhold is the fourth book in the series. It picks up where The People of Sparks left off, during the Emberites' first winter above ground. The two children must go back to Ember to discover something that was lost and left behind.
Nonfiction
- Adoption: The Facts, Feelings, and Issues of a Double Heritage
- Cells
- Cloning
- Daily Life in the American Colonies
Short stories
- "Pearl's Fateful Wish" included in the young adult short story collection What You Wish For, published September 2011.
Film adaptations
A film adaptation of The City of Ember, called City of EmberCity of Ember
City of Ember is a 2008 science fiction-fantasy film based on the 2003 novel of the same name by Jeanne DuPrau. It was directed by Gil Kenan from a screenplay by Caroline Thompson, and stars Saoirse Ronan, Harry Treadaway, Bill Murray, Mackenzie Crook, Martin Landau and Tim Robbins.-Plot:In the...
, was released in October 2008. It was filmed in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
and stars Bill Murray
Bill Murray
William James "Bill" Murray is an American actor and comedian. He first gained national exposure on Saturday Night Live in which he earned an Emmy Award and later went on to star in a number of critically and commercially successful comedic films, including Caddyshack , Ghostbusters , and...
as the Mayor of Ember, Saoirse Ronan
Saoirse Ronan
Saoirse Una Ronan is an Irish film actress. She began her career as a child and came to international prominence in 2007 after co-starring in the film Atonement, which gained her nominations for a BAFTA, a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.Ronan has since appeared in...
, Harry Treadaway
Harry Treadaway
- Personal life :Treadaway was born in Devon, England, and brought up in Sandford, near Crediton, Devon, with his father, an architect, his mother, a primary school teacher and two brothers - his slightly older twin Luke and their older brother Sam, an artist...
, Tim Robbins
Tim Robbins
Timothy Francis "Tim" Robbins is an American actor, screenwriter, director, producer, activist and musician. He is the former longtime partner of actress Susan Sarandon...
and Martin Landau
Martin Landau
Martin Landau is an American film and television actor. Landau began his career in the 1950s. His early films include a supporting role in Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest . He played continuing roles in the television series Mission: Impossible and Space:1999...
.