The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

By C. S. Lewis, Pauline Baynes (illustrator),

Book cover of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Book description

Lucy steps into the Professor's wardrobe - but steps out again into a snowy forest. She's stumbled upon the magical world of Narnia, land of unicorns, centaurs, fauns... and the wicked White Witch, who terrorises all. Lucy soon realises that Narnia, and in particular Aslan, the great Lion, needs her…

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Why read it?

30 authors picked The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Honestly, I love any book written by C.S. Lewis, but this is probably the first book of his I remember ever reading–and I have read it many times throughout my life. It’s a great story, as part of the 6-book series from Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia collection, with all kinds of Christian symbolism buried throughout the storyline.

And even without considering the Christian references, it is simply storytelling at its best. I never get tired of reading this book (nor the entire collection), and the movie recreations from the mid-to-late 2000s do a good job of bringing the books to…

I’ve been reading this book for 40 years. I can’t get over it; I never will and never want to. It’s the story at the heart of the story of Everything.

Every time I read it, I choke up a little more. I’ve read almost all of Lewis’s nonfiction by now, and I can see how here he drops Easter eggs of deep, complex intellectual stuff he was working out at the time. It just makes it even better.

A caution. In one part, the four main characters hear another’s name for the first time. It triggers a powerful sensation…

Again, a much-loved childhood favourite – two strong female leads and demonstrates leading with empathy for others and kindness, which can sometimes be missing from adult adventure stories.

While there have been a number of television and film adaptations, nothing compares to reading this story and getting lost in the magic of the words that conjur their own power and charm.

Holy Terror

By John R. Dougherty,

Book cover of Holy Terror

John R. Dougherty Author Of Holy Terror

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

I have felt a spiritual call in my life from as early as I can remember having memories as a young child. Being a life-long Christian has always drawn me to try to see God in everything around me, from people I encounter, to creation itself, to songs, to movies, etc. So, reading books which contain Christian allegory – symbols, meanings, underlying Biblical references – is very exciting for me. I enjoy trying to decipher that symbolism and try to understand the undertones that the book’s author is trying to communicate indirectly. I find that to be a personal challenge as I read, but also I find it very inspiring as well!

John's book list on Christian action books allegorical references

What is my book about?

None of them knew what was coming, and none of them will ever be the same again...

Detective Jelani is a tough, veteran cop. His younger partner, Detective Madigan, is brash and confident. But they were not prepared to become embroiled in a series of cosmic events they could never have dreamt of. As has been the case since the beginning of time, God and His heavenly host are facing off with Satan and his hellish host.

Caught in the middle is Thumos, a warrior angel, "quickened" by God for one thing: battle. But Thumos has become a disgruntled warrior…

Holy Terror

By John R. Dougherty,

What is this book about?

None of them knew what was coming, and none of them will ever be the same again...

Detective Jelani is a tough, veteran cop, who earned his stripes in the rough-and-tumble streets of St. Louis before relocating to Miami.  His younger partner, Detective Madigan, is brash and confident.  But they were not prepared to become embroiled in a series of cosmic events they could never have dreamt of.  In a world where the angels of heaven and the angels of hell bring their ageless battle to Earth, how will these men and their families overcome such insurmountable challenges?

As has…


Did you know reading to your kids at bedtime makes them on average both smarter and kinder? Well, if you didn’t, now you do. And while parents can be tired and frustrated at the end of a long day, the best way to bond with your kids and entertain them is with a good book—one you will like as much as they do. 

These books are all books my husband and I have read (or are currently reading) to our kids at bedtime. 

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is the first book of C. S. Lewis’ renowned series,…

C. S. Lewis’s The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe is a captivating tale of adventure and wonder that has had generations of children—myself included— imagining themselves in Narnia right beside Lucy, Edmund, and Aslan.

It presents big concepts like good versus evil, personal sacrifice, betrayal, forgiveness, and redemption in an engaging and whimsical way, inviting children to consider deep spiritual matters while exploring the land and creatures of Narnia.

With talking animals, magical creatures, and four children having the adventure of their lives, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe offers something for everyone in the family.

Anything by C.S. Lewis could be on my list, but this was the first thing I ever read by him.

I first read it as an adult – I started the book on a whim, not really expecting much, since I thought it was only for kids – and I never put the book down until I had finished it! I read the whole book in one day, and then (since I was on vacation) I read the other Narnia books that week – one book a day – and I was hooked.

The Narnia books may seem like children’s…

From Carlo's list on fiction with a Christian worldview.

At ten years old, my passion for storytelling sparked when I read the Narnia series. I remember reading The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe and my imagination exploded.

It was the first time I read a fantasy novel that whisked me away into another world. So, this book is filled with nostalgia for me as I’m in the midst of writing my own YA fantasy series, Beacon Hill. C.S. Lewis created strong themes of faith, hope, and love woven throughout the pages.

And perhaps the greatest takeaway from The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe is there is a…

From D. J.'s list on “OG” YA fantasy and dystopian.

This second book in the popular Narnia series, is one of my favorite. It is easy to read, and wonderfully descriptive, following the tales of the Pevensie children. Behind the wardrobe, the Pevensie children discover the world of Narnia, and so begins their adventures in aiding Aslan, the mighty lion and ruler of Narnia, to defeat the evil white witch who has invaded the land. Aslan is a depiction of Christ in this story. 

Sword-wielding adventures in ancient lost lands tend to awaken the adventurer in me and lend to my very overactive imagination. I so enjoy fiction, fantasy, and…

I was enchanted by The Chronicles of Narnia the first time I read them, and the seven volumes of this series continue to charm, both entertaining kids and offering a more thought-provoking journey on later reading. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the best-known book of the series, is a high fantasy novel but also a portal fantasy: our heroes exit wartime Britain through the back of a wardrobe and emerge in Narnia, with its talking animals, evil witches, and mysterious (at least to an American kid) Turkish delight. If you’ve ever longed to step through an ordinary…

From Ash's list on whisking you between worlds.

What more of a dream does a kid have than to find a secret door that takes you to a magical land? And this book has been allowing readers to do that for more than half a century. I read the entire series before I began creating worlds, tearing through them to find all the strange, new lands inside. But it also showed the misery that came with escaping your life, and the responsibility for others that came with adventure. This was a foundation of what I’d eventually write, allowing me to (if I may say) get my foot in…

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