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The Subtle KnifePhilip Pullman
The Subtle Knife
by Philip Pullman
Lyra crosses into a deserted city between worlds and meets Will, a boy from Oxford carrying a knife that can cut a window into anywhere.
A story about children and magical creatures, adventurous and epic in tone. We would put it with children of 11–13, and at a reading age of about 12 for reading alone.
Worth knowing before you buy
- Frightening scenes
- A character dies
- A death or grief
None of this makes it a bad book — often the opposite. It is here so you can decide whether it is right for your child now or in a year or two.
Part of a series
This is book 2 of the His Dark Materials series, so there is more to read if it goes down well — which is worth a great deal with a reluctant reader.
If they like this, try these
Chosen by matching age, reading age, tone and subject — not by what is selling.
Northern LightsPhilip Pullman
The Neverending StoryMichael Ende
Peter PanJ. M. Barrie
Prince CaspianC. S. Lewis
The Lion, the Witch and the WardrobeC. S. Lewis
Or let them write their own.
Nothing gets a child reading like a story they invented themselves. Your child plans the characters and the plot, and we write, illustrate and print it as a real book with their name on the cover as the author.
Find another book
Tell us the age, the reading age and what they like, and we will suggest a handful.