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His Dark Materials Omnibus
Author: Philip Pullman
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
ISBN-10: 0375847227
ISBN-13: 978-0375847226

When I first heard of The Golden Compass I wanted to read it, but held off doing so because I had a lot going on at the time. When I was ready to read it, there was so much buzz about it that I was inundated and put it down yet for a later time when I could pick it up without being influenced too much by that buzz. Then I forgot about it and I think the books are over at one of my son’s houses.

Just recently, I received a review copy of the His Dark Materials Omnibus and got all fired up to read it. I just wish I hadn’t done so right before bedtime. I was so fascinated that I stayed up all night, stayed home the next day and read till it felt my eyes were bleeding. It was that good. Now I’m kicking myself for waiting so long.

The first book in the series is The Golden Compass, where Lyra Belaqua and her dæmon, Pantalaimon are first introduced. They live in an alternate Oxford where science, theology, and magic are all very closely aligned and everyone seems to understand it all.

Lyra herself is an incredible character. She’s spunky, brave, smart and determined as well as being the despair of the college folk who raise her. She lives in Jordan College within Oxford and delights in running wild, organizing great battles with rival children and has such an inordinate curiosity and sense of adventure.

When her Uncle Asriel visits the college she goes a little too far and finds out more than she should. He's there to solicit funds for a return journey to the North, where he has observed strange goings-on, including a mysterious phenomenon called Dust. After he leaves, Lyra finds herself placed in the charge of the mysterious Mrs. Coulter and in possession of a strange and mysterious golden compass that can answer questions if she learns how to read it. Lyra discovers Mrs. Coulter's connection with the dreaded children-stealing Gobblers and runs away, joining a group of gyptians to find the missing kids, in particular, her beloved friend Roger.

This action-packed, highly literary adventure is filled with wonderful things – armored bears who speak, flying witches, secrets and lies, evil, a flying balloon piloted by a wild Texan and one hell of an intricate plot.

The Subtle Knife is the second book in the series and continues the adventure. This book starts in another universe and centers on a boy named Will Parry. His universe is modern day London and he’s got just as much going on as Lyra had in her universe. Will’s mother is incapable of taking care of herself, his father is missing and there are bad men trying to find out something. Desperate, Will finds someone to care for his mother and somehow manages to stumble into another world, a world that Lyra has stumbled into as well. The second book is just as intense and wondrous as the first with just as much, if not more excitement and drama. The plot twists and turns with the grace and power of an Olympic gymnast, never missing a beat. New characters as well as old abound and each is as detailed and finely drawn as the main characters. What an amazing talent Mr. Pullman has! Absolutely riveting and completely entrancing!

The Amber Spyglass, the final chapter is incredible. I kept thinking that the last book would somehow miss the mark but I have no idea why I would think that. The Amber Spyglass if anything surpasses the other two and concludes the series in a most phenomenal way.

The beautiful witch Serafina Pekkala is back as she seeks out the armored bear Iorek Byrnison to help her with Lord Asriel’s crusade. Worlds are explored, mysteries are solved, the war is raging, angels are wandering, the worlds are changing and Lyra, Will and their friends must somehow save it all.

Philip Pullman has written a masterpiece of literature that is literary and smart, funny and sad, heart-wrenching and amazingly wonderful. The fact that kids are reading this high-minded, intelligent and almost Dickensian literature warms my heart. I think that 500 years from now, these books will still be in print and every child and grownup will know of Lyra and her worlds.


Book Description from the publisher:

FOR THE FIRST time, all three books of Philip Pullman's award-winning His Dark Materials trilogy (The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass) will be published in their entirety in one volume. Perfect for both new and established Pullman fans who want to read (or reread) the whole trilogy before The Golden Compass movie debuts on December 7, 2007, this handsome 6 x 9 omnibus will feature every word of the trilogy as well as Philip Pullman's chapter opening art. Also, new and exclusive to this edition: Philip Pullman has written two pages of new vignettes for each book in the trilogy. Readers will be delighted to discover these intriguing new passages at the end of each book's section in the omnibus. About the AuthorPhilip Pullman won the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in honor of the body of his work. He lives in Oxford, England.

*Cover of my personal book that I've had since I was eight.

When I started AmoxCalli a couple of years ago my main goal was to get classic children’s literature in front of a new audience. I’m always surprised and dismayed when I talk to people about books that I think everyone grew up with and I get blank stares. It breaks my heart.

There is so much out there. I love all the new books that are coming out, books I’ve reviewed and recommended like Octavian Nothing, Hattie Big Sky, Anahita’s Woven Riddle, The Lighthouse Land, etc but I have a special place in my heart for the books that made me a lifelong reader, the ones that moved me and introduced me to new worlds. Because AmoxCalli is a book recommendation site (you won’t find any bad reviews here – if I don’t like it, I don’t post it), what better to recommend than those wonderful old books? I’ve been so busy reviewing the new stuff (not complaining, I love it) that I recently realized that I’ve not done what I set out to do with the blog – get people informed and interested in those old classics.

I put out a call for submissions and got a couple of responses from people who were just as excited as I am about showcasing those wonderful books. Look forward to seeing an eclectic and wonderful series of reviews from guest bloggers in the near future. If there’s a book that makes your heart go pitty-pat, that you remember fondly and want mentioned on the site, shoot me an email. If you’re interested in writing your own review of the books you love, email me and I’ll post it. The more of those books on this blog, the better.

For my first in the Reviewing the Classics of Kidlit posts, I’m choosing a personal favorite, Little Women not just because I love it so much but because I’ve bought so many copies of it to give out to young women I know – nieces, daughters of friends, girls I meet in the library or at bookstores, goddaughters, granddaughters. Each one has always come back to me amazed at how much they loved that book. They laughed, they cried, they learned something and each has their favorite part that they read over and over. One young girl in particular, the daughter of a dear friend who hated reading, refused to read it till I sat with her one day and read the first chapter aloud while she sat pouting. I finished the chapter and set the book down, went about my business and came back in to see her completely engrossed in the book an hour later.


Little Women
Author: Louisa May Alcott
Publisher: various but I chose this illustrated edition by Gramercy
ISBN-10: 0517221160
ISBN-13: 978-0517221167

Louisa May Alcott wrote many books but this is my all-time favorite of hers and one that I read over and over. Little Women tells the tale of four sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy March who are growing up in Civil War era North America. Their father, a minister is away at war as an army chaplain and their mother works very hard to keep her little family fed and clothed while still managing to do good charity works in the community. The Marches were once very rich, but because of bad investments, they have lost their money and are very poor.

Despite having very little money, worrying about their father and having to work very hard, the girls are good, cheerful, honest and strong willed young women. While they have their moments of jealousy and envy of others, they always manage to choose the right in the end and rise above their trials. Each of them is very human and very different from the other.

Jo is the tomboy writer with a nasty temper and hasty mouth that often gets her into trouble. Her more feminine and decorous older sister Meg is usually at her wits end trying to get Jo to be more ladylike. Meg is very sweet and gentle and always the voice of reason. Third child Beth is the most gentle of the girls. Beth is musical, tender and very, very shy. Amy, the youngest is an artist and just a bit affected. She’s always trying to use big words and ends up saying the wrong thing. Jo and Beth are the closest to each other, while Amy and Meg seem to understand each other the most. Jo and Amy often battle it out as their personalities really clash. Alcott’s characters are very, very human and real. Any girl can relate to fighting with her sister.

Next door to the girls lives rich Mr. James Laurence a gruff old man with a hidden soft heart. His grandson Theodore “Laurie” Laurence is handsome, friendly and lonely. He becomes friend to the girls after Jo throws a snowball into his window. The friendship is equal between the poor girls who bring love and family to him while he brings material things that they wouldn’t normally have.

There’s also the wonderfully nasty Aunt March who always has something to say about everything.

There is so much to say about this wonderful book which tells the story of growing up, lessons learned about life, love, duty, charity and caring that I can’t possibly sum it all up. It’s a book every young girl should have in her library and read with her mother. There are some strong lessons here that are defy time and will always be relevant. The lessons on strength, wisdom, love, patience and quiet service apply to us all.