Releasing in early April it seems, more from the world of Lyra and her Dæmon and I presume follows on from "Lyra's Oxford" which was a short little book set two years (if my memory serves me well) after the end of  "His Dark Materials"

http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/p/philip-pullman/once-upon-time-in-north.htm
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Once Upon a Time in the North 

When Lyra is studying at Oxford University, she comes across the story of Lee Scoresby and Iorek Byrnisson's first meeting, many years ago, along with much evidence of the adventure that brought them together. When a young Texan balloonist, Lee Scoresby, comes down to earth in the harbour of an Arctic town in the North, little does he realise that he is about to be embroiled in an out-and-out political brawl. Lee and his daemon, Hester, find themselves the target of political factions trying to take over the running (and oil) of the town. And also resident in the town are huge arctic bears, ignored and patronised by the people and treated like second-class citizens. When Lee and Iorek first meet, they cement a friendship that will continue throughout their lives, as the tensions and pressure in town lead to a deadly conclusion...Another wonderful tale from a master story-teller, giving us more extraordinary insight into the world of "His Dark Materials".
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Presumably from looking at the cover it is another short book similar to "Lyra's Oxford" but non-the-less I have been waiting for this... I never seemed to lose interest in His Dark Materials like I did with Harry Potter.

Also can anyone tell me what "chapbook" means (it says it under the title if you click the link) 

Zero replies?

I love Philip Pullman books. I will have to pick up Lyra's Oxford, I seemed to miss that. Then I will pick this up. Thanks for the info :)

 If you do you should get the nice one bound in material instead of paperback... I wish more books were like that.

Both versions come with a nice map of old Oxford in the middle.

I read Pullman's Golden Compass trilogy, which I assume is set in the same mythos, but nothing else, and I read it so long ago that I don't remember very much from the books. :(

The new ones sound interesting though. Maybe I should go back an reread the trilogy at some point.

Philip Pullman. I haven't actually read any of his books, although I have heard of them.

'Northern Lights' etc.

What writer is he comparable to? Are his books aimed more at children, or at both a child/adult audience, or are they aimed solely at adults?

The only things I've heard about him are that he is a welterweight 'C' class fantasy author.

Although my sources can be somewhat harsh on some writers. =D

The trilogy is called "His Dark Materials". The Golden Compass is the last of the three parts/books.

In truth I think "Lyra's Oxford" was more of a filler story... only about 50 pages

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@Dallinor. His Dark Materials is aimed at people a few years older than that of Harry Potter I suppose, definately teenage fiction but I would argue it is a lot more mature than Harry Potter (certainly the earlier ones)  

A chapbook is basically a small pamphlet or leaflet containing information. You sometimes get them in the mail.

Edit: Although Wikipedia has dozens of meaning's for chapbook.

Chapbook is a generic term to cover a particular genre of pocket-sized booklet, popular from the sixteenth through to the later part of the nineteenth century. No exact definition can be applied. Chapbook can mean anything that would have formed part of the stock of chapmen, a variety of pedlar. The word chapman probably comes from the Anglo-Saxon word for barter, buy and sell.

The term chapbook was formalised by bibliophiles of the nineteenth century, as a variety of ephemera (disposable printed material.) It includes many kinds of printed material, such as pamphlets, political and religious tracts, nursery rhymes, poetry, folk tales, children's literature and almanacs. Where there were illustrations, they would be popular prints.

I thought the Golden Compass was the first book in the trilogy? And the Amber Spyglass was the last?

I Googled it, and apparently The Golden Compass is the first in the series. TWRoo must have made a typo.

It's actually called 'The Northern Lights' over here in Europe.