Into the Wardrobe

This is my boy Samuel. He loves Thomas and Lightning McQueen, Dora and Superman. He'll be 3 in July, but I'm already wondering how best to introduce the Chronicles to him.

Do I read LWW to him in 3 or 4 years, or do I allow him to read it for the first time by himself in 5 or 6 years?

I discovered the Chronicles on my own as a child of 10 or 11. Finding them on my own affected my life greatly.

What do you think? How did you discover the Chronicles and what's your opinion on the best way to introduce them to a child?

- Dan -

I think you're waiting too long, regardless of what you do. You're thinking he'll be ready for you to read them to him when he's 6 or 7? I read LWW to my son when he was 4, and he really enjoyed it. By the time he was 8, he had already read The Chronicles by himself.

It doesn't hurt to read them to him yourself, and it allows some bonding time and the sharing of something special. By the time he reads them himself, none of the original magic between you will be lost, but he'll gain the added benefit of self-discovery.

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.

I read CoN as a child by myself, and I stil think that's the best way. Of course, I was a huge reader as a child, and while I liked having my parent's read ot me, I prefered them to read short, children's books, and I read the long books myself. It allowed me to immerse myself in the story. I would sit in a big, comfy chair and just...go into the story. It's hard to do that when being read to.

Of course, I didn't really understand CoN until I was about 10, though I tried to read it earlier. But it made it all the more special to read when I finally did read it.

My parents first read the CoN to me when I was 2 or 3, and I fell in love with them. It might be a little early for some kids, but the earlier the better, in my opinion.

I was introduced to Narnia fairly "late" in childhood--I was probably about 8 or 9--only because my mom had been told it was evil by a very ultra-conservative friend. When later, a pastor actually recommended it, she read it to us, and I will never forget that! From then on, we had a whispered saying in our home: "Don't tell Auntie Mary!" Narnia was our guilty secret. But all that to say, very young children may not grasp the subtitlies of Narnia but they will certainly grasp the basics. I know someone who read them to her infant son and once a year she still does so. I don't think it's ever too early for Narnia!!

I was first read them when I was five. I think that is probably a good age, maybe a little younger, if it is the chronological order (which is what I recommend) if it is some other older, then I think older is better.

No opinion which way is best -- I just remember checking out the Chronicles one by one from my elementary school library (I read everything I could get my hands on then). I may not have even read them in the proper (published ) order at first, just the order I could find them! Don't remember for sure, but the same teacher who read us The Hobbit may have read LWW, too.
I'm not sure whether my parents ever have read them.

I think the best way is to let him read them for himself. Your responsibility as a parent is to ensure he does indeed discover them so he can read them, inconspicuously, of course. I didn't read CoN until I was older, simply because my parents didn't foster me in that direction (but rather, in the direction of being a grease monkey). But I showed them, didn't I?!?!