The Magician's Nephew (The Chronicles of Narnia): Book 1

Overview

Digory and Polly discover a secret passage that links their houses, and are tricked into vanishing out of this world and into the World of Charn, where they wake up the evil Queen Jadis. There, they witness the creation of the Land of Narnia, as it is sung into being by the Great Lion, Aslan.
Narnia already existed through The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, because C. S. Lewis actually wrote that book first. What he had to do in The Magician's Nephew was to explain the story behind the story and to fill in some of the gaps. Why was there a lamp-post in Narnia? Where did the White Witch come from? And why were there Talking Animals like Mr. and Mrs. Beaver? And, most important of all, how did the comings and goings between our world and the land of Narnia first begin?

Many years ago, two children called Polly Plummer and Digory Kirke become friends because they happen to be living next door to each other in London. Digory is staying with his uncle and aunt because his father is working in India and his mother is very ill. Unfortunately for Digory, his uncle is both evil and weak. He is also a magician ...

... the very first thing uncle Andrew did was to walk across to the door of the room, shut it and turn the key in the lock. Then he turned round, fixed the children with his bright eyes, and smiled, showing all his teeth. "I am delighted to see you," he said. "two children are just what I wanted..."

Terrifyingly, Uncle Andrew wants to experiment with magic but he hasn't the courage to try it on himself. The children are tricked into taking part and even though they are much braver and more sensible than he is, they are quite unprepared for what happens next.

The story leads the reader into the Wood between the Worlds.

The trees grew close together and were so leafy that Digory could get no glimpse of the sky. All the light was green light that came through the leaves; but there must have been a very strong sun overhead, for this green daylight was bright and warm. It was the quietest wood you could imagine and you could almost feel the trees growing.

This is the gateway to many different kinds of worlds, from the desolate Charn where Queen Jadis once ruled through fear and cruelty, to a world not yet created. It is here that Digory and Polly meet Aslan for the first time and Aslan begins the wonderful song of creation which brings about the dawn of the first day in Narnia.

If you read on you will discover how Queen Jadis (who later becomes the White Witch) escapes from Charn; how the very first King and Queen of Narnia are chosen; and how Digory is almost tempted by Jadis to steal the Apple of Life. The book also tells how a very famous wardrobe came to be made and why, many years later, four other children could slip through the "chinks and chasms" between our world and the land of Narnia!

Editorial Reviews

Well tailored for beginning and reluctant readers, this light, appealingly goofy debut tale in the My Weird School series features short chapters, a relatively large typeface and ample cartoon-style illustrations. On the first day of second grade, narrator A.J. introduces himself to his new teacher by announcing that he likes football and video games-and hates school. He and his classmates are shocked when Miss Daisy replies, "You know what, A.J.? I hate school too." And then she confides that she doesn't understand arithmetic and that she can't read, slyly soliciting her students' help in both subjects. The kids conclude that she just might be an imposter, but wisely decide not to tell the principal, thinking that she'll be replaced by a "real teacher" who knows the three Rs, and then they'll have to learn "all that stuff." The kids' attempts to educate their teacher allows Gutman to slip a sprinkling of math challenges and vocabulary definitions into his breezy narrative, but the lesson of the day here is fun rather than facts. As affable as Miss Daisy, the school's principal goes to the head of the class in the series' second installment, Mr. Klutz Is Nuts! (ISBN 0-06-050700-4), also due this month. Ages 7-10. (July)

Author Information

Bio of C. S. Lewis

Clive Staples Lewis, known as Jack to his friends, was born in 1898. Lewis and his good friend J. R. R. Tolkien, the author of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, were part of the Inklings, an informal writers' club that met at a local pub to discuss story ideas. Lewis's fascination with fairy tales, myths and ancient legends, coupled with inspiration drawn from his childhood, led him to write The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, one of the best-loved books of all time. Six further books followed to become the immensely popular Chronicles of Narnia. The final title in the series, The Last Battle, was awarded the Carnegie Medal, one of the highest marks of excellence in children's literature.

Bio of Pauline Baynes

No bio available for Pauline Baynes.

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Additional Info

Imprint

HarperCollins e-books

Filesize

4.82 MB

Number of Pages

208

eBook ISBN

9780061765612