Pullman's The Golden Compass envelops the reader in the tale of Lyra, a young girl on the cusp of adulthood.  The first in a trilogy titled His Dark Materials, The Golden Compass embarks on a long journey which follows Lyra through much of her own world.  On a mission to save a friend, the brave Lyra, whose losses are only beginning, finds true strength in the form of friendships forged for a lifetime.

A must read, this novel gets the reader emotionally involved with all characters and with their missions. Despite, what others may have said, the novels "anti-religious" statements are not as prominent...