Northern Lights

A classic quest that takes on several major themes, this Carnegie Medal-winning novel was originally published in 1995 as the first in the His Dark Materials trilogy, of which the concluding episode, The Amber Spyglass, won the 2001 Whitbread Prize. We are quickly and deftly drawn into the world of the feisty young heroine Lyra and her daemon, Pantalaimon. In this world - much like our own in many respects yet unbelievably different in others - everyone has one of these shape-shifting constant companions, something like a guardian angel or an extension of themselves, reflecting moods and tempers while providing protection and friendship. Lyra, described as 'a half-wild cat', lives in Oxford, in Jordan College, a renowned seat of learning, where she is under the care of the Master and the other rather stiff and starchy officials. Seemingly an orphan, she's a child divided, one minute getting into trouble with her bratty companions, the next worrying about how her life is changing, and all the time fascinated by tales of fantastic lands to the north. Her life's about to change more than she could ever guess, though, as the mysterious Mrs Coulter takes her away by airship to live in London, and strange tales spread of the lady with the golden monkey and the cruel, dreaded Gobblers, who kidnap children to perform unspeakable acts. Accompanied only by Pantalaimon and a truth-telling device called an alethiometer, Lyra finds herself as one of the central characters in a compelling and consummately written tale of lost innocence, shocking truths, fabulous lands and epic adventures. A book that deserves to be enjoyed by adults and children alike. (Kirkus UK)