The new movie The Golden Compass, starring Nicole Kidman, opens on Dec. 7. It is based on the first book of a trilogy written by Philip Pullman. The trilogy, entitled "His Dark Materials," includes The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. These fantasy novels are more challenging reads then recent fantasy hits such as the Harry Potter series. The main character, Lyra, is a young girl living in a parallel universe where humans carry a piece of themselves in an animal form called a daemon. There has been controversy regarding Pullman's attitude toward religion and its treatment in the novels. For an insightful take on this controversy check out the blog of Sr. Rose Pacatte, FSP director of the Pauline Center for Media Studies in Culver City, CA. She is a Catholic nun who blogs about movies. For some fun stuff, check out the movie's official website to watch the trailer and take a test to discover your personal daemon. My daemon is a crow.