7. The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis

THE MAGICIAN’S NEPHEW by C.S. Lewis (HarperCollins, 1955)

Illustrated by Pauline Baynes

Prequel for The Chronicles of Narnia

GENRE: Fantasy

HONORS: ALA Notable Children’s Book

REVIEW:

In this prequel to The Chronicles of Narnia, two young children living in London in the early 1900s, Polly and Digory, sneak through a hidden passage connecting the attics of the houses on their street, only to find that what the door they think leads to the abandoned house next door actually leads into Digory’s uncle’s secret room.  Fancying himself a magician, Digory’s uncle tricks Polly into touching a yellow ring, sending her into another world.  With no choice but to follow Polly while keeping the green rings needed to return safe, Digory grabs the other yellow ring and finds Polly in a forest surrounded by a number of pools.  Realizing that the pools lead to other worlds, Polly and Digory select one to jump into, coming out in the world of Charn.  From this point, readers will learn about the beginnings of the White Witch and the Lion in the world of talking animals known as Narnia, as well as how the magic wardrobe came to be created.

OPINION:

Having never read a book from The Chronicles of Narnia, I selected the one labeled “Book 1” at my local library, later discovering that it was actually the sixth book that C.S. Lewis produced for the series.  I can imagine that fans of the series would find more connections and explanations than I did as a newbie.  Nevertheless, with the awareness of the title The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, I was able to recognize the key moments in the novel when each was introduced.  Speaking from the novice point-of-view, the novel was an easy read with a story that grabbed me from the beginning.  Also, the illustrations lend perfectly to the text, elaborating by demonstrating the vastness of Charn compared to the children and showing the ridiculousness of the White Witch standing on top of a buggy, for example.  For readers that have already learned about Narnia, I think they would also enjoy the novel because it gives a look into Digory’s childhood and the ways that he met the characters that rule the famous novels.

IDEAS:

This book would be perfect for a library display dedicated to the books from The Chronicles of Narnia and the film counterparts, as well as a display introducing younger tweens to quality fantasy literature.