The Magician's Nephew

The Magician's Nephew (Chronicles of Narnia #1) by CS Lewis 

202 pages 

Fiction - Young Adult

This prequel to "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" takes places hundreds of years prior and contains the origin story of Narnia as well as many specific details from the later novel.

When Digory and Polly are tricked by Digory's peculiar Uncle Andrew into becoming part of an experiment, they set off on the adventure of a lifetime. What happens to the children when they touch Uncle Andrew's magic rings is far beyond anything even the old magician could have imagined.

Lewis spins a fantastic tale with an economy of words, which is the perfect escape for my stretched mind and limited brain capacity... Currently unexpectedly homeschooling our children. :-0 The libraries are closed and we are self-isolating at home, so I am happily rediscovering classics from my at-home library. I purchased the complete Narnia set years ago with the intention of reading them to my children one day. I haven't read all the novels myself yet and am excitedly exploring them now.

Originally published in 1955, this novel contains many underlying christian themes but also evil characters, violence, gods and goddesses and even brief references to torture and murder. It is an easy read in terms of language and the kindly narrator talks directly to the reader at points, which makes it feel more child-friendly than it probably is. I would recommend it for middle school and up.

Recommended For: Middle school children and up. Adults who want a mental escape but have limited brain capacity (like me).