Books With Bean ~ The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe

Title: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe 

Author: C. S. Lewis

Published: October 1950

Genre: Children’s, Fantasy 

Summary: During World War II many children are evacuated from the city to the country to live and the  four Pevensie children (Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy) are among many children sent away. They are sent to the large house of a man named Professor Kirke. While exploring one day Lucy discovers an old wardrobe in one of the spare rooms and when she opens it and looks inside she finds that it is the gateway to a magical land called Narnia. There she meets a faun named Tumnus who tells her that it is always winter in Narnia because of the evil white witch that rules over the land. He also tells Lucy that he is supposed to turn any humans he meets over to the witch but he cannot after meeting Lucy so he helps her escape back to her world. Soon after Edmund also finds his way into Narnia while following Lucy to see where she is really going when she says she goes to another world. However he meets the White Witch first and after eating her magical food is under her spell and works on doing her will. Eventually all of the children end up in Narnia and find out that there is a prophecy in Narnia about two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve that will come and defeat the White witch and end her eternal winter.

What I liked about it: I have loved Narnia since the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe was made into a movie when I was 5 years old. I can remember watching the movie in the theater and being in love with Narnia from that moment forward. I remember when I was finally old enough to read the book a few years later and loving it from the start. The characters are well written and the world is so amazing, the plot is interesting and it is simply a perfect little story.

Language: None

Romance: None 

Violence: There is a battle but it is never graphic.

Magic: Narnia is filled with magic, from the talking creatures to the white witch and her eternal winter there is little in Narnia that is not touched by magic in some way. However magic is never controlled by humans (the White Witch, while she is humanoid in appearance, is not a daughter of Eve like Susan and Lucy). The creatures, Aslan and the Witch use magic but not by the children they are just a tool used to set in action the change and the ending of the witch’s magic. 

Recommended Age: Lucy is 8 years old in the first book and that is a good age I think for a first time reading through on a child’s own however they are also good family read aloud books for when children are a bit younger.