The Amber Spyglass ~ Philip Pullman

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf (2000)
ISBN: 0-679-87926-9
518 pgs

Classification: YA fiction
Genre: Fantasy, adventure
Age Level: 13+

Reader’s Annotation: In this conclusion to the His Dark Materials trilogy, beings from countless worlds converge to battle the Authority in a cosmic showdown, but the outcome is all down to young Lyra and Will.

Summary: Moving between worlds with the golden compass and the subtle knife, Lyra and Will face incredible dangers and unknown enemies. With help from Lyra’s beloved Iorek Byrnison, the armored bear king, and two tiny spies, Lyra and Will make a journey to a world where only the dead have ventured before. There they make a stunning discovery that can alter the course of history—if only they can manage a safe return to the world of the living. Meanwhile, in a world peopled not with humans but with other intelligent creatures, physicist Mary Malone fashions a spyglass of amber through which she sees that Dust is streaming away at an alarming pace. Unbeknownst to them all, the fate of Lord Asriel’s war against the Authority, and indeed the fate of all the worlds, rests on Lyra, Will and Mary, and their ability to make the right choices at the right time.

Notes: This is book 3 of the His Dark Materials trilogy; the preceding books are The Golden Compass and The Subtle Knife. The entire trilogy is outstanding, probing at philosophical and theological issues in ways that only the genre of fantasy can.
Flags: 5

Does My Head Look Big in This? ~ Randa Abdel-Fattah

Publisher: Orchard Books (2007)
ISBN: 978-0439919470
368 pgs

Classification: YA fiction
Genre: Realistic fiction
Age Level: 12+

Reader’s Annotation: Australian-Palestinian teenager Amal decides to wear the hijab, or Muslim head scarf, full-time, a formidable challenge at her private school in a Melbourne suburb.

Summary: Sixteen-year-old Amal is intelligent, sarcastic, focused and loyal, and she needs to be all that and more when she decides to wear the hijab as a symbol of her commitment to her faith. With the support of her truest friends, Amal copes with the narrow-mindedness of classmates, the stress of preparing for exams, and the complexity of her relationship with crush-worthy Adam. Then Amal’s own convictions are tested when her best friend runs away from home and Amal must confront her own prejudices and ignorance.

Notes: Amal’s wit, insight and self-awareness make her a role model for all time. This novel offers an engaging glimpse into a world seemingly different from—yet surprisingly similar to—that of most middle-class families.
Flags: 5

The Golden Compass (Movie)

Based on The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
Studio: New Line Cinema (2007)
Rating: PG-13

Genre: Fantasy
Director: Chris Weitz
Main Cast: Dakota Blue Richards, Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig

Viewer’s Annotation: When children begin mysteriously disappearing from her community, 12-year-old Lyra Belacqua promises her best friend Roger that if he goes missing she will find him…and she makes good on her word when Roger is abducted.

Summary: In an Oxford of a different world, precocious orphan Lyra Belacqua runs wild at Jordan College, dodging the scholars who try to educate her to play on the rooftops and in the fields with her Gyptian and servant friends. But children are disappearing and rumors of Gobblers and child snatchers circulate. Eavesdropping on a meeting, Lyra hears her uncle, Lord Asriel, talk of Dust, Ice Bears, and the far North. When a glamorous woman called Mrs. Coulter invites Lyra to assist her on a journey North, Lyra happily leaves the only home she has ever known. At the same, Lyra is worried because she cannot find her friend Roger to say good-bye. While staying with Mrs. Coulter, Lyra discovers the woman’s connection to the Gobblers and flees with only her daemon Pan and a mysterious gift from the Master of Jordan. In her flight, Lyra encounters a band of Gyptians who vow to protect her as they all venture North to rescue Roger and the other children.

Notes: Though the acting and visual effects in this film are great, the movie as a whole is not. Because the story itself is the first part of a trilogy, many elements of the plot are fully resolved by the end of the film, which makes for a frustrating viewing experience. As an adaptation, the movie is a poor representation of a masterful work.
Flags: 3

Life of Pi ~ Yann Martel

Publisher: Harcourt, Inc. (2001)
ISBN: 0-15-603020-9
401 pgs

Classification: Fiction
Genre: Adventure, survival
Age Level: 14+

Reader’s Annotation: Pi Patel is stranded on the Pacific Ocean in a rowboat with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker.

Summary: Pi Patel has grown up in a zoo—literally. His father is the founding director and owner of the Pondicherry Zoo and his family lives on the premises. A solitary boy by nature, Pi’s inner life is as rich and colorful as his upbringing in 1960s India. As a young teenager, Pi encounters Christianity and Islam, and becomes dedicated to both in addition to loving his Hindu background. Baffled and frustrated by Pi’s devotions, his family attempts to dissuade him from his bizarre religious practices until the political and economic climate of their country prompts them to move to Canada…with the inhabitants of their zoo. When the family is shipwrecked, young Pi is stranded in a row boat with Richard Parker, the Bengal tiger, and Pi suddenly needs an act of God—whether He be Christian, Muslim or Hindu—if he hopes to survive.

Notes: There is only one word for this novel: profound.
Flags: 5

The Silver Cup ~ Constance Leeds

Publisher: Viking Juvenile (2007)
ISBN: 978-0670061570
240 pgs

Classification: YA fiction
Genre: Historical
Age Level: 12+

Reader’s Annotation: In medieval Germany, superstition and prejudice abound, so when young Anna takes an orphaned Jewish girl into her home, she faces open hostility from her entire village.

Summary: The Silver Cup is set in 1095 in a small village of no more than 60 families. The village is half a day’s travel from the city of Worms, Germany. Anna is a hard-working 16-year-old, filled with compassion that shines through her lovely singing voice. Unfortunately Anna’s father Gunther, still grieving for the loss of his wife, is too often away from home to conduct trading to notice much about his daughter. Anna’s Aunt Agnes has nothing kind to say about her late sister’s daughter. To Agnes, Anna is a burden, neither a competent housekeeper nor a worthy match for any of the young men of the village. So there has been little joy in Anna’s life when a horrific massacre takes place in Worms. Anna, stunned by the slaughter, rescues Leah, a young Jewish girl, and takes her into her home. As a result, Anna is completely ostracized by her family and the rest of the village, yet discovers her first friend in Leah. Remarkably, as she heals from her ordeal, Leah brings laughter and hope to Anna and Gunther’s home, and they each find the strength to face an uncertain future.

Notes: This historical novel, with its engaging characters, is a great read that illuminates a kind of prejudice that persists in our modern world.
Flags: 4