The Secret Commonwealth: The Book of Dust Volume 2

"What to say about Philip Pullman and The Secret Commonwealth ? It’s the fifth book in his series about Lyra, a girl from Oxford. They’re not chronological, but you probably do need to read them in order, starting with Northern Lights , the first book of His Dark Materials trilogy. The Book of Dust , the second trilogy, is both about when Lyra is a baby ( La Belle Sauvage , published in 2017) and when she’s a student, in this book. There’s some discussion in our family about whether The Secret Commonwealth is as good as the previous ones. Philip Pullman is a born storyteller and he can make almost any scene interesting, but as my husband says, in this book it does seem as if he’s making it up as he goes along. Sign up here for our newsletter featuring the best children’s and young adult books, as recommended by authors, teachers, librarians and, of course, kids. And yet, sitting down to read it in the evenings is always one of the highlights of the day. My children are now in their tweens, but since they were little we’ve always had one book (or preferably series) that we read together as a family. It has to appeal to both grown-ups and children, and spin a fine yarn so that the kids are keen to get their teeth brushed and into bed early enough to have time to listen to it. The Secret Commonwealth fits the bill, and we’re already looking forward to the final installment, which will presumably be out either this year or in 2021."