Title: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Author: C. S. Lewis

Publisher: Harper Collins

Number of pages: 768

Type of Book: Classic, Fiction

Age: 8+

Available here: https://www.jumia.com.ng/jumia-dvds-the-chronicles-of-narnia-2919086.html; http://www.amazon.com/Chronicles-Narnia-C-S-Lewis/dp/0061969052/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1453795173&sr=1-2&keywords=chronicles+of+narnia&refinements=p_n_feature_five_browse-bin%3A2579001011; https://b2dbuntu.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/thechroniclesofnarnia.pdf

Price: N2,040; $11.48; Free download

MY SUMMARY

Imagine you walked into a wardrobe filled with jackets, what would you most likely meet at the end of the wardrobe? A wooden or concrete wall in your face! This was not the case with the Pevensie children, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy. They walked through a wardrobe (The WARDROBE) of jackets into a fantasy world, Narnia, filled with talking animals (beavers, wolves, etc.), wish-granting White Stags, half-human, half-animal beings (fauns) and a beautiful but terribly wicked witch (The WITCH) that wanted to control that world for ever. It is up to the Pevensie children to save Narnia with the help of Aslan (The LION) and all the other ‘good’ Narnians.

The first of seven books in a series, it is guaranteed to keep you glued to every page until the last. A must read for all book worms, pint-sized and otherwise!

NB: There’s a great debate about the order in which the Narnian books should be read. I prefer the order of publication, just because; it is said that C.S. Lewis preferred the order in Narnia time. Who knows? Please feel free to read the books in any order, as long as you read them 🙂

The Order of Publication: 1) The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, 2) Prince Caspian, 3) The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, 4) The Silver Chair, 5) The Horse and His Boy, 6) The Magician’s Nephew, and 7) The Last Battle

or

The Order in Narnian Time: 1) The Magician’s Nephew, 2) The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, 3) The Horse and His Boy, 4) Prince Caspian, 4) The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, 6) The Silver Chair, and 7) The Last Battle

THUMBS UP AND DOWN

UP: I will say one thing for C. S. Lewis, he has a way with words!! He sucks you into his story world until you are so engrossed that the actual world around you melts away until you put his book down. His ability to engage the senses is epic! The description of the meal at the Beaver’s made me quite hungry. In a detailed and quirky manner reminiscent of Roald Dahl, he brings his characters to life with words that make you feel like you can see them through his eyes. See particularly his description of the White Witch and Mr. Tomnus the faun.

The book also explores the themes of good v. evil, friendship, courage and trust. Without being didactic, it shows readers the consequences of good and evil/bad actions.

DOWN: None

RATING

4.5 Stars 

TRIVIA

1. Tumnus, the faun, thought Lucy was a …………….. from the faraway land of …………. ? Daughter of Eve; Spare Oom (really Spare room)
2. The gifts given to the kids by Father Christmas? Peter: a silver shield and a sword with a gold hilt, a sheath and a sword belt; Susan: A bow, a quiver full of arrows and a little ivory horn; Lucy: a little bottle with a potion for healing wounds and a little dagger.
3. The first creature Lucy met in Narnia? Tumnus, the faun. He was half man and half goat.
4. Lucy was away in Narnia for hours having tea with Mr. Tumnus but when she got back to the old house through the wardrobe, she realized she had been gone for ………? Less than a minute
5. Why did the wicked White Witch want the four kids? To kill them in order to prevent the Prophecy from coming to pass. The Prophecy: When two Sons of Adam and two Daughters of Eve sit on the four thrones at Cair Paravel, that would be the end of the life and reign of the White Witch.
6. The stone statues Edmund saw when he entered the White Witch’s Castle? They were creatures the wicked witch had turned to stone. There were satyrs, wolves, bears, foxes, female-like tree spirits, a centaur, a winged horse, a dragon, a giant and a faun which he thought might be Mr. Tumnus.

Read an excerpt here: https://www.narnia.com/us/books/ebook/the-lion-the-witch-and-the-wardrobe/9780061974151

Read the book here: https://b2dbuntu.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/thechroniclesofnarnia.pdf

News about the Narnia books here: https://www.narnia.com/us/news-extras/narnia-news

CHALLENGE: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

CREATE (WRITE a Story/Poem OR DRAW)

1. Imagine you discovered a secret passage into another world. In 600 words, describe the world and the people in it.

OR

2. Draw a picture of the Mr. Tumnus, the faun using the details below:

“He carried over his head an umbrella, white with snow. From the waist upwards he was like a man, but his legs were shaped like a goat’s (the hair on them was glossy black) and instead of feet he had goat’s hoofs. He also had a tail, but Lucy did not notice this at first because it was neatly caught up over the arm that held the umbrella so as to keep it from trailing in the snow. He had a red woolen muffler round his neck and his skin was rather reddish too. He had a strange, but pleasant little face with a short pointed beard and curly hair, and out of the hair there stuck two horns, one on each side of his forehead. One of his hands, as I have said, held the umbrella: in the other arm he carried several brown paper parcels.”

Excerpt from: C. S. Lewis. “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”

OR

3. Write a 600-word short story with any of the following themes: Courage OR Friendship

Send your answers to ugochinyelu.anidi@gmail.com

Entry requirements: Entrants must be within the 8-12 age range. The first correct entry will be announced on this page and will win a copy of this book.

Answers must be submitted before 12:00am on Sunday, January 31^st, 2016.

Next Book of the Week:

YETUNDE: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF A YORUBA GIRL IN LONDON by Ms. Segilola Salami