His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass (Book 1)

Lyra Belacqua, a young orphan living among the scholars of Jordan College in Oxford, finds her comfortable existence shattered by the arrival of her uncle, Lord Asriel, and the enigmatic Mrs. Coulter. Asriel brings disturbing evidence of a parallel universe and a mysterious substance called Dust, while Mrs. Coulter offers Lyra a false sense of security. When Lyra's best friend, Roger, is kidnapped by the Gobblers, she sets out on a perilous journey to the far North, armed with a unique alethiometer that reveals truths in the form of symbols. Along the way, she uncovers a sinister conspiracy involving the separation of children from their daemons—animal companions that manifest their inner souls—and the true nature of the authority figures who claim to protect them.

Description adapted from Open Library ↗.