| "HIS DARK MATERIALS TRILOGY - 3 BOOK SET"
Author: Philip Pullman
Interest Level: Upper Grades (9-12)
ATOS Reading Levels: 6.2-7.1
AR Points: 16.0-26.0 each
Publisher Recommended Age: Young Adult
Publisher: Random House/Knopf
Series Overview:
His Dark Materials, a trilogy of fantasy novels by Philip Pullman, comprises Northern Lights (1995 — released as The Golden Compass in North America), The Subtle Knife (1997) and The Amber Spyglass (2000). This trilogy has been published in 40 countries, and has graced the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, Book Sense, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists.
The trilogy follows the coming-of-age of two children, Lyra Belacqua and Will Parry, as they wander through a series of parallel universes against a backdrop of epic events. The story involves fantasy elements such as witches and armoured polar bears, and alludes to a broad range of ideas from fields such as physics, philosophy, theology and spirituality.
Books in the Series:
The Golden Compass (Book #1, 432 pages):
Northern Lights, known as The Golden Compass across North America, is the first novel in British novelist Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. Published in 1995, the fantasy novel is set in a universe parallel to our own and tells of Lyra Belacqua's journey north in search of her missing friend, Roger Parslow, and her imprisoned father, Lord Asriel, who has been conducting experiments with a mysterious substance known as Dust. Winner of the Carnegie Medal in 1996, the novel has been adapted into a Hollywood feature film, released in 2007 as The Golden Compass.
School Library Journal: "Accompanied by her daemon, Lyra Belacqua sets out to prevent her best friend...from becoming the subjects of...experiments in the far north." Grades 5+.
The Subtle Knife (Book #2, 304 pages):
As the boundaries between worlds begin to dissolve, Lyra and her daemon help Will Parry in his search for his father and for a powerful, magical knife.
School Library Journal: "The philosophical nature of the quest becomes clearer...possible relationships among Dust, the bridges between worlds, angels, supreme beings, and cosmic forces." Grades 5+.
The Amber Spyglass (Book #3, 480 pages):
Lyra finds herself in a shimmering, haunted underworld—Cittàgazze, where soul-eating Specters stalk the streets and wingbeats of distant angels sound against the sky. But she is not without allies: 12-year-old Will Parry, fleeing for his life after taking another’s, has also stumbled into this strange new realm. On a perilous journey from world to world, Lyra and Will discover an object of devastating power. And with every step, they move closer to an even greater threat—and the shattering truth of their own destiny.
Publisher's Weekly: "Pullman's exuberant work stays rigorously true to its own internal structure. Stirring and highly provocative." Ages 12+.
School Library Journal: "This is a subtle and complex treatment of the eternal battle between good and evil." Grades 6+.
Book Group Guides:
Book Awards:
UK: Carnegie Medal 1995
UK: Whitbread Children's Book Award 2001 (Now called the Costa Book Award)
About the Author:
Philip Pullman is the Whitbread Award-Winning author of the bestselling His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spylass, and Lyra's Oxford. His books for young readers also include I Was a Rat!,Count Karlstein, and Spring-Heeled Jack. In 2005, Pullman won the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in honor of the body of his work. To learn more about his books, please visit www.hisdarkmaterials.com The author lives in Oxford, England. |
