Okay, I was so excited to read this post. I have a 4 and 5 year old, and it has been a dream for me to read the Chronicles to them. I agree that it promotes bonding, and I hope to pass on a legacy of loving these books.
I think I will wait a couple of years. Some of the imagery is scary, such as Jadis in MN, much of VDT, and parts of LB. My 5 year old had a nightmare after watching Disney's Treasure Planet, so the last thing I want to do is freak her out! It depends on the child.
I discovered LWW as a child, and although I remember loving it, it didn't spark enough in me to read the rest of the series. As an adult, I reread LWW and went on to read all seven. It prompted me to go back a re-read all my childhood favorites last summer. It was a wonderful journey as I rediscovered some great books.
I think I will wait til my kids are at least 8 to read it to them. It will definitely be a family affair for us. I have this idyllic image of having fireside readings of the Chronicles. I guess we need to get a fireplace first for that to happen.
"Never judge a book by its movie." J.W. Eagan