Count Karlstein

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Great, blood-curling storyline! Fantastic atmosphere! Graphics enhance Pullman's text. Highly recommended for readers 9-12 years old.

A children's book that likes to challenge children and is also an enjoyable read for the adults as well.

son loves this cd

We enjoyed this story on a five hour car ride - three kids under 14 and one adult. We thoroughly enjoyed it!Count Karlstein is a classic fairytale with hints of Faust, Hansel and Gretel (The Brothers Grimm), and Charles Dickens. The story has a lively combination of characters both straight and comic. The audio version is clear and well portrayed with a cast of 8 actors.Count Karlstein is a villain who is the sole remaining relative of a pair of orphan girls. These girls, though young, are thoughful and resourceful. But some evil plan is underfoot. How do the maid, her impetuous brother, the lawyer, the magician, the constable, the Englsih teacher, the silly lovers, and the deamon work to thwart each others efforts? Read or listen on!

Such a great book! Reading it with my 10-year-old daughter. Philip Pullman was actually my middle school English teacher, and so I saw the very first ever performance of Count Karlstein, as a middle school play. To those who have concerns about its suitability for young children, I say "pshaw!" - it's fun and exciting (and maybe a little scary in places), but that's what good books SHOULD be! As some others have pointed out, because the second half of the book is done on a chapter-by-chapter basis with different narrators, it really helps to read it to younger kids, especially if you can do different voices for the different characters. At least that's what my daughter says - she certainly COULD read the book herself, but she prefers it when I read it to her...