So Christmas is coming fast and you are probably wondering what to get the people on your list? Well have no fear, NarniaFans is here to help you make your season merry and bright .Here are a few suggestions to help you out.
For the lit savvy-
You cannot go wrong with Devin Brown’s Inside Narnia series. While it does have some devotional aspects to it, it is largely a look more at Narnia as mythology and literature. Devin does an exquisite job looking at the first three books in the series in a chapter by chapter fashion. In his analysis he looks not only that particular book, but how it fits in with the rest of the series, possible influences Lewis had, literary connections and even comparisons with Tolkien. The discussion questions help make for an excellent learning experience.
He also has a new book called The Christian World of the Hobbit which is also phenomenal. The Inside Narnia Series and The Christian World of the Hobbit can make for the perfect gift for someone loves to study literature.
For those looking for the tweens & teens-
So your teens have read through Narnia so many times that you’ve had to buy new copies? Have they dog-eared pages of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings? Are they still recovering from Harry Potter withdrawal? Do you know what your child needs? A new fantasy series to enjoy!
Don’t know of one you say? Well, then perhaps introduce them to CS Lakin’s The Gates of Heaven series. There are currently four books in the series with a fifth coming out this January. This series is amazing, and is probably one of the best in a long time. Each book is a stand-alone story so you don’t need to worry about reading order. You can buy them book two before book one and they won’t be missing out on anything.
The series has plenty of strong characters, both guys and girls. There is action, adventure, some intrigue, a little time travel, and even a hint of romance. This is a series that truly has something for everyone and I cannot recommend it enough.
As a bonus she also includes in the back of the books a couple pages detailing some of her influences which can help introduce your child to a wonderful world of myths, fairy tales and even classic literature like the plays of Shakespeare and Les Miserables. She also provides discussion questions for book clubs and devotionals.
For the kids-
Are your kids too young to read the real Narnia books, and at the same time you want to introduce them to the world of Narnia? No doubt you’ve seen the movie story books, but those are just adaptations of the movies based on the books. Maybe you want to give them something else to give them their first real taste of Narnia
Well, consider Deborah Maze’s The World of Narnia Series. The first four books comprise the full story of The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. These four books do an excellent job retelling this classic tale and the illustrations are breathtaking. Aslan looks as stunning as anything you could find in a National Geographic magazine on lions, and Jadis almost looks like she walked right out of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen”.
They are sadly out of print so you will have to purchase them on-line. Prices to do vary by the vendor so buyers beware.
Find what is available now on FACEBOOK and HarperCollins Childrens
For the collector:
While it is not Narnia, it certainly is Inklings related. This year marks the 75th Anniversary of The Hobbit. To celebrate, there is now a 75th anniversary edition of this classic tale, featuring the original illustrations by Professor Tolkien, complete with his cover art. You can buy The Hobbit separately, or purchase it in a gift set with The Lord of the Rings.
For the techy
How about an kindle or a Nook e-reader? Now I don’t know a thing about these so I can’t make a great recommendation on which kind to buy. I guess you have to use your discretion and ask the person you’re buying for which they’d prefer.
If you do go that route, make sure to download the following books onto this nifty device:
The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, Out of the Silent Planet, and Till We Have Faces. By CS Lewis.
The Hobbit 75th Anniversary Edition by JRR Tolkien.
The Gates of Heaven Series: Book One: The Wolf of Tebron. ( 2.99 for Kindle) by CS Lakin
Great article! I agree 100% about buying the Deborah Maze illustrated kids books. They are absolutely breathtaking illustrated picture books with grand, full page, detailed illustrations on each page. My favorite is “Edmund and the White Witch,” because the snow scenes are stunning, and the black haired Jadis really does look beautiful and menacing in some pictures. (totally agree with the Snow Queen thing).
I also adored Maze’s 5th picture book, “The Wood Between the Worlds”, based off of the 1st third of The Magician’s Nephew. Magician was my favorite Narnia books, and it is AWESOME to see it get some adaptation coverage for once. Maze’s pictures are breathtaking here too — she is a truly gifted artist and storyteller, and all of her Narnia picture books are wonderful — and it is particularly interesting how she portrays Charn, with all of the red and dark purple hues, and pictures of the stone world.
The Hobbit is also a fine recommendation, and obviously presents another mythology to get wrapped up in. I personally think the new “Hobbit” film is a lot like Voyage of the Dawn Treader, – they share many computer generated effects (Galadriel vs Ramandu’s daughter, other pretty and non-realistic effects), different source material than the swashbuckling battles than its more popular relatives, complex and difficult film making process, and current domestic box office trajectory (money wise, The Hobbit doesn’t seem to be doing too well…), and also more childlike nature of the story and some of the other films in the series (LOTR vs Hobbit, Narnia 1 and 2 vs VDT).
Till We Have Faces is also wonderful. It’s written with beautiful imagery, and felt very Magician’s Nephew ish to me. It also made me think of Snow White and the Huntsman, because of the powerful and possessive queen.