Series guide · 7 books · C. S. Lewis
The Chronicles of Narnia, book by book
Kids from our world enter Narnia, a land watched over by the lion Aslan. There are 7 books, listed here in the order they came out. Newer editions number them by story order, so The Magician’s Nephew is book 1. Lewis himself wrote that the order may not matter much. The last book tells how Narnia ends.
the big questionIs Narnia OK for my 8-year-old, and which book comes first?Yes, most 8-year-olds can start with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The last book is the heaviest: Narnia ends, and the children die.
1
Usually works at8+
The Lion, the Witch and the WardrobeFour siblings find Narnia, where Aslan is killed, comes back and joins a battle.
Good fit
2
Usually works at8+
Prince CaspianThe siblings return to help Caspian, with sword battles and a beheading.
Good fit
3
Usually works at8+
The Voyage of the Dawn TreaderEdmund, Lucy and their cousin Eustace sail east, and Eustace becomes a dragon.
Good fit
4
Usually works at9+
The Silver ChairJill and Eustace seek a lost prince, escaping giants who want to eat them.
Good fit
5
Usually works at8+
The Horse and His BoyA boy and a talking horse flee slavery, and critics flag its ethnic stereotypes.
Good fit
6
Usually works at9+
The Magician’s NephewNarnia’s creation, and a witch who killed every living thing in her world.
Good fit
the tone shifts here
7
Usually works at9+
The Last BattleNarnia ends after a massacre; the children learn they died in a train crash.
Read together
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