The Magician's Nephew by C. S. Lewis

The Magician's Nephew (c)1955 by C. S. LewisThe Magician's Nephew, by C.S. Lewis was first published in 1955. While it wasn't the first book in the Chronicles of Narnia to be written, it was the first that happened chronologically.

It follows the adventure of Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer who stumble by accident, into Digory's uncle's study where he tricks them into traveling between worlds as his human guinea pigs. On their adventures they meet Jadis, who eventually becomes the evil witch who causes trouble for Narnia later, and they come into Narnia just as it is being formed by Aslan. Digory eventually grows up to be Professor Kirke in whose house Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy eventually stay and whose wardrobe they take to get into their adventure in Narnia.

I enjoyed The Magician's Nephew tremendously when I was ten and heard it read to me by a teacher at school. And I was pleased to enjoy it again, just recently.  I loved the adventure when I was young, and I love it now. I especially appreciate the lessons Mr. Lewis put into the book, without being overly didactic, of how the goodness and morality of the children and Frank, the kind cabby, win in the end over the selfishness and cowardice of Uncle Andrew and the evil witch.

This is the kind of book that both children and adults would enjoy reading, and I heartily recommend it!