Reading highly acclaimed children's books is a hobby of mine - taking me back to the good ol' days before social consciousness dawned on me and I was happy sitting around for hours with my nose stuck in one book or another. I read about the highly anticipated Amber Spyglass some months ago so I though that I'd start at the beginning, and am I ever glad that I did. Pullman is incredibly inventive, and does an amazing job of pulling the reader into the many worlds of the trilogy. I highly encourage both younger readers (but not too young; some of the subject matter is quite heavy) and older readers alike to journey to the land of daemons. I wouldn't recommend the book to folks who aren't open-minded or are easily offended by religious commentary. A wonderful Christmas gift for those who have already devoured all of the Harry Potters and might have whet their appetite for something a little bit more serious, for seasoned fantasy fans (if you liked C.S. Lewis and Lloyd Alexander growing up, you're in for a treat) and novices alike.