The Emerald Atlas

In an effort to find something to replace Olivia's mourning for Philip Pullman's Dark Materials  and her dismissiveness of anything not the Golden Compass I have been trying to tempt her with other stories. This book is on a quest, as is every other current kid's book; a Quest To Be The Next Harry Potter. While it falls short of this noble goal, it's ok, but slightly hollow.

The obligatory magical world does not feel fully realized as HP or the Golden Compass. It's as if the waterfall you see them jumping over in the cover above is a green screen and all the action takes place in a Hollywood stage lot. But who knows, she might like it when she stops taking the quiz online to find out what animal form her daemon would take. Apparently hers is a pinemartin and mine is a hummingbird.....ahhh...she's right! Nothing beats the Golden Compass!