Josh’s comment > Likes and Comments

If you think about it, publishing order makes the most sense, since that's the order in which they were written, therefore the books assume a knowledge of the prior works. So, even though The Magician's Nephew is chronologically first, it presupposes the understanding of the books that precede it in publishing order and sets up the events that will help you grasp more fully the events in the earlier books.

Not all stories are (or should be) in chronological order. In many instances, chronological order isn't the best way to write a book. In fact, many schools teach that when we write, we should "start in the middle" in order to grab the reader's attention, which assumes that we'll have to backtrack at least a little later on.

I agree with Josh and Sara. That's how my mother read them to my brother and I and we turned out alright (imho).