Golden Compass

            Philip Pullman wrote a fascinating novel called The Golden Compass. This is a fantasy story about the adventures of a young girl from the motley streets of Oxford to the vast expanse of the Arctic in the North. .
             Lyra's adventures begins when she overhears hushed talk of the magic dust, an extraordinary particle microscopic in size that possessed mystical powers that could unite whole universes. Her uncle Asriel sets forth on an expedition to the North on a fact-finding mission about this magic dust. With her uncle gone, Mrs. Coulter becomes Lyra's new legal guardian. The plot takes a sinister turn when children begin disappearing in Oxford. Rumor has it that they were abducted by Gobblers. With the help of an altheiometer, a machine that tells the truth, Lyra learns that Mrs. Coulter is the mastermind behind these abductions. The children are shipped north where they are subjected to experiments with the magic dust. Feeling betrayed, Lyra journeys north to rescue the captured children with the help of witches, invincible armored bears clothed in protective gears, and Daemons, small creatures who take the physical embodiments of the souls of the human owners. But unbelievable danger awaits Lyra as there are those who will stop at nothing to gain the mystical powers of the magic dust.
             I rate this book a nine. It is one of the best fantasy/adventure stories that I have read in years. It has a story line that keeps you turning the pages because you just can't put it down until you find out what happens. As well, it has a spunky heroine and other terrific characters full of charm and courage.