Book Title: The Golden Compass
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Copyright Date: 2006 10th Anniversary Edition
Selection Choice: Book in the "His Dark Materials" series
Brief Annotation: In the beginning of this sprawling adventure, Lyra is an orphan growing up in Oxford University. Along with her daemon, or animal manifestation of her soul, she inadvertantly stops a murder attempt on her uncle, Lord Asriel. Soon after, her friend Roger is kidnapped by the "Gobblers" or children-snatchers that she thought was only a legend, and she vows to rescue him...but her plans are soon thwarted by the appearance of the creepy Mrs. Coulter, who offers to take Lyra in as her apprentice. Soon Lyra learns of Mrs. Coulter's sinister nature and her connection to Roger's disappearance, and is rescued from Mrs. Coulter's clutches by a group of people headed to the North. Aiding Lyra in her quest are a giant, talking armored bear, friendly witches, and a southerner with a giant hot balloon. Will Lyra and Roger find the other missing children? And what connection do they have to Mrs. Coulter and Lord Asriel?
Your Rating: 5/5 stars. I was very hesitant because of the controversy surrounding these novels, but I was very pleasantly surprised with this book. The book is large but extremely engrossing and easy to read. Pullman creates a fantasy world that isn't too unlike our own, and I found the characters engaging and fun to read.
Readers who will like this book: Readers who like adventure and fantasy, readers who like series or trilogies.
Question to ask about this book before reading: What is a quest? Does a quest have to be in a fantasy book or can it be in other genres?
Question to ask about this book during reading: How is the world Pullman created like ours? How is it different?
Question to ask about this book after reading: Does the ending make you want to continue reading the series?
1. Interest Level (age): 11-15 years old
2. Grade Level Equivalent (grade): 5th-9th grade.
3. List awards:
Carnegie Medal Recepient 1995
Carnegie Medal Recepient 1995
You wrote a terrific summary of a long and complex book. Well done. I especially like the way you end with a few questions. You're all ready to turn your summary into a book trailer--when you have a spare 4-5 hours to learn that technology :-)
ReplyDeleteI have to admit, I've never read The Golden Compass. I know I'd love it, but the length is daunting given all the other books I need to keep up with. My son read all the Dark Materials books and is still asking when I'm going to read TGC. I know I will someday.
Did you notice the similarity between Lyra's daemon's name (Asriel) and the lion in the The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe whose name is Aslan? Hmmm . . . Many of these fantasy books are derivative of earlier fantasy works with C. S. Lewis being the guy who most influences other fantasy writers. Just ask JK Rowling!
Last thing--your questions. #1 is smart because it introduces the idea of the hero cycle (quest)--this is a major understanding elementary kids should have about the way some stories are organized. #2 makes me want to see your graphic organizer. What tool could you create to help kids hold their thinking as they compare our world with Pullman's? And #3 is a good way to conclude a discussion about books that appear in a series. I imagine interesting conversations about what makes a reader continue with sequels; there's also room to talk about the trend (going on a decade now) of books written in a series. We're definitely in a boom era in that regard. It seems like more books are written in a series than not. What do you think?