This is a great book! I don't know anyone who wouldn't like this. The only innapropriate parts aren't used for people. When the book says, "humped", it means the colors of the sunsets were mixing. I don't see how anyone sees that innapropriate.
The Golden Compass: His Dark Materials, Book 1
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
A violent fantasy, with elements of mystery.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 10 and Up
The good stuff
What to watch out for
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Violence:
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Sex:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of The Golden Compass: His Dark Materials, Book 1 was written by Matt Berman
Parents need to know that there are some vivid descriptions of battle scenes. There are also some tense escapes from evildoers, two of whom are the heroine's parents, and two children are killed. One of Lyra's virtues is her ability to lie convincingly, but she prizes friendship and loyalty. The British dialogue and clever twists on common words may confuse some Americans, but the fantasy will make readers' imaginations soar.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about the concepts of other worlds and daemons. What is the same and what is different about Lyra's world and ours? If you had a daemon, what do you think he or she would look like? How did a character's daemon help you decide whether they were friend or foe?
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More on The Golden Compass: His Dark Materials, Book 1
Book Summary
Enter a parallel world, dark and cold, with daemons, boat-dwelling gypsies, armored bears, and a street child with a strange destiny. As this feisty little heroine battles the Gobblers, who separate children from their souls, and follows a mystical device to a universe-altering confrontation in the Arctic, your teens will be gripping this book with white knuckles long past lights-out.
Children, even Lyra's best friend Roger, start disappearing, victims of mysterious kidnappers called Gobblers. Lyra is given a magical instrument that tells the future and is sent off with the glamorous Mrs. Coulter. When she learns that Mrs. Coulter runs the Gobblers, she escapes, touching off a race to save the kidnapped children.
With the help of the Gyptians, a boat-dwelling people, and Iorek Byrnison, a talking, warrior polar bear, she travels to the Arctic, where she finds that the children are being subjected to ghastly experiments that separate them from their daemons. Meanwhile Iorek battles for control of the warrior bears, and Lyra's uncle, Lord Asriel, prepares to blast a hole between worlds.
Is It Any Good?
Nail-biting suspense grabs readers until they can't shake themselves loose from this strange world -- familiar, but definitely not the Earth we know. It has many of the same places, such as Oxford and London, but with some strange differences. The magical quality of Lyra's world sets readers' imaginations soaring. This place is so convincingly portrayed that the experiments performed on the children seem as gruesome to the reader as to Lyra. Readers soon accept her world, and they especially love this smart, rowdy heroine. Forget about sweet, honest girls -- this scrappy street fighter uses all her wits to outfox the villains, and discovers mystical talents that she never knew she had.
For avid readers, fantasy buffs, and kids who are outgrowing children's fantasies, this is a great treasure. Even reluctant readers may get hooked if you begin by reading it aloud. Since it ends in a true cliff-hanger, the next stop is The Subtle Knife.
Publisher’s Details
Publisher: Del Rey, Publication date: 10/05/1998
Number of pages: 368, Price: $6.99 (paperback)
Read Aloud: 10+, Read Alone: 11
Number of pages: 368, Price: $6.99 (paperback)
Read Aloud: 10+, Read Alone: 11
Our Members Say
See all 71 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
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I rate this title iffy for age 10 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
Great!
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I rate this title on for age 9 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
Intelligent and Exciting Fantasy Novel
This was my favourite book for years. Every child (and adult) should be exposed to this imaginative adventure story.
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I rate this title off for age 5 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Inappropriate language
- Excessive consumerism
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
- Negative role models
bad bad bad bad bad for older kids
bad bad bad dont read it it is for little kids
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I rate this title off for age 5 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Inappropriate language
- Excessive consumerism
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
- Negative role models
better for 5 year olds
i hate beacause to much inappriote stuff
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I rate this title on for age 9 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- Good role models
Wonderful adventure story
This was my favourite book for years. A story every child should be exposed to.
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Ratings at a Glance
| 100% | of parents say there are good role models |
| 100% | of parents say it gives kids positive messages |
| 50% | of parents say it's educational |
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