The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

Citation:

Lewis, C.S. (1950). The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. New York, NY: Harper Collins.

Plot:

Four siblings, Peter, Susan, Edmond, and Lucy, are sent to live with their uncle during WWII. While playing hide and seek in their new environment, Lucy hides in a wardrobe and stumbles into a magical world named Narnia. She meets a friendly faun, named Mr. Tumnus, and learns about Narnia. In Narnia it is always winter and never Christmas because it is under the self-appointed rule of the White Witch.

Eventually Lucy is able to bring all of her siblings to Narnia, only to find that Mr. Tumnus has been arrested. The siblings vow to help Mr. Tumnus, and in doing so they are fulfilling a prophecy that sons of Adam and daughters of Eve would come to Narnia and deliver it from the cruel reign of the White Witch. With the help of a beaver family, the children set out to save Mr. Tumnus and Narnia. Edmund betrays his siblings, sharing everything with the White Witch in exchange for delicious food and attention.

Eventually Aslan returns, and the White Witch takes Edmund hostage. Aslan offers himself in exchange for Edmund, and war breaks out in Narnia. Will good triumph over evil? What will become of Narnia?


Review:

This is a classic book that children enjoy just as much today as they did decades ago. Lewis masterfully creates the magical land of Narnia and stokes the imagination of children, tweens, teens, and adults alike. Tweens will find themselves contemplating complex themes, such as good vs. evil, right vs. wrong, justice, and betrayal. However, these thought provoking themes are carefully cloaked behind a world of fauns, satyrs, and talking animals. I can't imagine anyone reading this and not checking the back of their closet... just to make sure.

Reading Level: 10 and up

Series Information:

The Chronicles of Narnia:
The Magician’s Nephew
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Horse and His Boy
Prince Caspian
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Silver Chair
The Last Battle

Character Descriptions:

Susan: Younger than Peter, but older than Lucy and Edmund

Lucy: Youngest sister of the four

Edmund: Older than Lucy, but younger than Peter and Susan; the betrayer

Peter: Oldest sibling

Mr. Tumnus: Friendly faun that helps Lucy

The White Witch: Self-appointed magical dictator of Narnia who uses her powers for evil in Aslan's absence

Aslan: Son of the emperor across the see; King

The Beavers: Helpful animal family that treks with the children across Narnia

Personal Thoughts:

I actually had the joy of reading this with a 5th grade class during literature circles. I was eager to re-read the classic and experience it with children reading it for the first time. I loved seeing their reactions as they tumbled into Narnia the first time, and I was very nostalgic for the days when I read the series for the first time.