My friend Kathy just sent me a most exciting link!
The City of Ember is being made into a movie!
We read this book several years ago and foisted it upon several of our friends claiming it was one of the best read-alouds we had found in a long while. We liked the second book, The People of Sparks, just as well. (disclaimer: We did not care much for the third book and supposed prequel The Prophet of Yonwood –FYI)
Can I say again that we loved the first book? 
It is slated to come out in October this year. Yay! We will be back in Chiang Mai at that point and may have a chance of catching it in the theatres. We are eagerly waiting. If you have NOT read it yet, you MUST before the movie comes out.
On my friend Kathy’s blog, she has a list she found of all sorts of books that are being made into movies. I did not know many of the titles, (and just from some of those titles I am glad I am not familiar with them,) but did see The Giver listed among them.
The Giver by Lois Lowry, another one Leah and I highly recommend. Maybe we can make that one our next evening read-aloud since Leah and I are the only ones who have read it in our family. Again, you really should read that one before even thinking of seeing the movie. Another we are excited about the possibity of seeing.
Taking the family to the movies in Chiang Mai is relatively cheap and so we have gone several times in the year and a half that we have lived here. But there are so few movies that we are even willing to take the kids to see. Nearly every Thai movie is some kind of ghost story with dead people coming back or horror-style movies. Or a movie completely laden with shall we say people being much too friendly with each other.
Umm, not appropriate.
I cannot speak for the spiritual condition of either Jeanne DePrau (The City of Ember), or Lois Lowry (The Giver), but their books were clean, entertaining and encouraged some good discussion at our house with some of the issues being talked about in the books.
Bring on the movies!
Thank you so much for leaving a comment on my blog! It’s funny you mentioned the toilet on that train because I by the time I was there I had lived in Asia for about 18 months, and I remember the “normal” toilet felt odd to me. There are many New Tribes missionaries from my church, Clairemont Emmanuel, in San Diego, CA, and I am closely following some exciting things going on with the Yembi Yembi people of Papua New Guinea.
And even more things in common to talk about in this post. I was a homeschool teacher when I was in the Philippines, and my 5th grader and I read the book The Giver. Very thought provoking book. I’ll have to check out the one you’re recommending here! Great to find you. I’m adding you to my reader!
Brooks and Nina Buser are from our church, and Brooks dad Brad Buser is our missions pastor. It’s a very exciting time. I’m so glad I found your blog and look forward to reading more about your family and activity in Thailand!